It's hard to believe it has come and gone already, but the 2013 CES Experience is over. Right from the start, we had some great events and evenings planned for the crew… keep reading for some of the highlights...
Initial Team Meet-Up
With everyone flying in from all points across Canada and the US (everywhere from Hawaii to Montreal), we took some time to meet up at the Palms hotel prior to the NVIDIA press conference. A warm congratulations was given to all of our guests, and there may have even been a few hugs thrown in there too (for good measure).
Near the end of the meet-up NVIDIA handed out brand new Nexus 7 tablets. Talk about a great way to start the experience!
NVIDIA Press Conference
Following our meet up, we headed over to the NVIDIA Press Conference. It took place at the RAIN nightclub in the Palms Hotel. To say our crew was delighted would be an understatement. Sitting in the front row, we were able to take in the announcements as delivered by NVIDIA CEO Jen-Hsun Huang. The Tegra 4 Processor, NVIDIA Grid and NVIDIA Shield all made jaws drop, and it was really cool to hear all of the positive (and excited) chatter following the event.
Tegra Community Dinner
On Monday night, NVIDIA treated our crew to a luxurious dinner at the Eiffel Tower Restaurant in the Paris Hotel (you know, the restaurant located within the Eiffel Tower!). Great views and delicious food was served alongside wine selections for each course… Ridiculous yes… ridiculously delicious.
The menu!
Night Out at the Marquee Nightclub
With bellies full, we somehow managed to amble over to the Cosmopolitan hotel for an evening of fun at the Marquee nightclub. The place was packed wall-to-wall, and the crew got right into the fun. Besides the personal waitress, the security guards and private booth, I think it's fair to say our group was given the full out VIP treatment.
CES Opens its Doors
While some may have had a few cobwebs to shake out of their head in the morning, we still managed to get to CES the next morning. Passes in hand, a private tour of the NVIDIA booth was given, and our crew did their best to cover as much ground as possible on the show floor. It can be a little intimidating (especially for newcomers), but I think the guys did a great job of exploring and discovering some really great tech to look at, touch and drool over (booth staff wiped up the drool after we left).
Mobile Nations Community Dinner
On Tuesday night, the Mobile Nations team got together with the 'experience' crew at FIRST: Food & Bar in the Palazzo. It was an amazing turnout and the crew really enjoyed meeting their favorite Mobile Nations team members.
As the night went on, we began to hear rumblings that someone very special may be dropping by… you could feel the excitement and anticipation building, sort of like a 6 year old trying to stay awake on Christmas Eve… and sure enough, later on in the evening RIM CEO Thorsten Heins stopped by to chat with us. To say he's a super solid guy would be an understatement. Very personable, down to earth and excited about the launch of BlackBerry 10. I think he won us all over (even the diehard Android and iPhone users in the group!).
All Good Things Come to an End
Sadly, we had to draw the curtains on the Mobile Nations 2013 CES Experience Tuesday evening. Our crew caught flights back home at different times on Wednesday, and some with later flights took the opportunity to pop back in to CES for another look.
On a personal note, I had a FANTASTIC time with the crew that came down to take part. It's always nice to put a face to the name, and our group was definitely a solid one. To Michael, Rich, TJ, Marques, Martin and Robert, safe travels, and we'll be seeing you again soon.
To the NVIDIA crew (especially @WillPark), thanks yet again for everything.
