ZZZ - GMG - VEGAS INC 2011-2014

VEGAS INC C OV E R STO RY Meet the people behind the gadgets at CES By Richard N. Velotta senior staff writer It's North America's largest tradeshow gathering. The International Consumer Electronics Show brings more than 150,000 people to Las Vegas. While attendance may have been down this year as a result of thousands of flights across the country being canceled by conditions resulting from the polar vortex, there were still shoulderto-shoulder crowds in many of the aisles. Here are a few snippets about some of the people of CES, from near and far: to make phone calls, navigate and play music without taking their hands off the steering wheel. "We're asking what do wearables mean to Ford," Farley said at the panel. "How will they impact the driving experience? Do you put the added cost in the car or do you count on consumers to find what they want and support that?" Several car companies have begun studying what Google Glass technology could mean for motorists. Farley said CES affords the opportunity to meet with innovators to explore what will work best in the driver's seat. nnn nnn Karen Gabitanan found herself at the center of attention at CES this year. The Las Vegas native is a model demonstrating one of the biggest buzz-producers of the show — wearable technology. Gabitanan worked the 2014 show for Dutch watch producer Burg, a company that has found success blending technology with style. She wore a Burg watch and fielded basic questions, encouraging the curious to check out the line of watches that link smartphone technology to wristwatches via Blue-tooth. It was the third CES gig for Gabitanan, a Rancho High graduate. "This is my first watch company," Gabitanan said between product mini-demonstrations. "Last year, I worked with a phone company. This year with Burg has been really great because so many people are interested in the product." It's not uncommon to see people sprawled out on the floors of the hallways between the various convention halls. With hundreds of thousands of square feet of exhibits to see, lots of people just find a comfortable corner and take a rest, check email and make phone calls. Some even turn the floor into a makeshift office. A team from TechRadar.com did its last-minute organizing before setting out to make a lot of people happy. Company representatives Kelly Johnson and Raymond Fong and public relations specialist Dana Kuritzkes of Rogers & Cowan in Los Angeles were organizing paperwork and laid out all the blue ribbons they were about to award for TechRadar's Best of CES 2014. There were 21 awards in categories such as Best Cellphone and Best In-Home Gizmo. nnn It was clear Don Houston was having a lot of fun maneuvering his car over a European road course at more than 100 mph. Who was this well-dressed executive motoring around pylons in the fastpaced race simulation game? Houston is the senior vice president of Santa Cruz, Calif.-based Plantronics, a producer of wireless headphones that support the communications, music and computer gaming industries. Some of the company's products have been used on NASA space missions. "I usually don't get a chance to sit down and play with these things," Houston said after his onscreen car crashed. "I'm usually out there trying to sell them." Houston has been with the company for 17 years, but he doesn't get to try out all the applications the products are a part of until he comes to CES. At the show, he helped at the Plantronics | 20 JANUARY 2014 20140120_VI01_F.indd 17 | photos by L.E. Baskow FUN AND GAMES: Matt Payne shows Don Houston, of Plantronics, some of the new technology produced by the company. need a break: An attendee at CES takes a nap outside of a showroom within the convention center. booth and got around to others to see the technology. "It's easily the most exciting show of the year," Houston said. nnn Imagine flying more than 12 hours from home to a place you've never been and getting plopped down to work four days at a show that draws tens of thousands of people. That's what Lei Zhang of Shenzhen Suoai Electronics and Technology of Shenzhen, China, did. At CES, her company, based near Hong Kong, showed mice and keyboards with colorful LEDs emitting from between the keys that can be modified with seven different colors. Think mood lighting as you type. The keyboard also has an extra line of function keys. Her first impression of CES: "Even though I've seen a lot of people here, it's really not as crowded as I expected." Her first impression of Las Vegas: "It's really amazing. But it may have too many hotels." nnn Why do some big companies such as Ford come to CES? Obviously, they like to show off the advances they've made in their own mobile technology. But they also came to learn so they can determine what technology will work best in car models of the future. James Farley, Ford's executive vice president of global marketing, sales and service, participated in a panel on how rapid advancements in technology affect interactions with customers. This year, Ford kept a close eye on the trends of wearable technology and how that will influence decisions on what to offer in future models. Ford has been a tech leader with its Sync technology that enables drivers nnn Kevin Jackson wore the "Ask me" hat and stood at a natural gathering point — the shuttle bus area where people got on and off buses from various resorts. Hundreds of people asked him all sorts of things. What's the most common question? "What's the fastest way for me to get back to my hotel room?" he said. Jackson, a 22-year Las Vegas resident, is contracted to serve as an information guide at some of Las Vegas' large trade shows and conventions. He loves to interact with the crowd and particularly enjoys CES because of its high energy. He likes to greet international guests in their native languages. "I'm trying to learn some Chinese now," he said. "There are a lot of Chinese people who come to shows like this so I thought it would be good to learn some. "It's great to see them smile when I say it right." 17 1/16/14 1:40:38 PM

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