Tomorrow, I’m heading to Heathrow Airport for the biggest trip of my content creator career so far.
The destination is Las Vegas.
It’ll take me away from home and regular business stuff for a whole week.
The event is the Consumer Electronics Show, or ‘CES’ as it is more commonly known.
And I’m excited and nervous in equal measure.
Let’s start with why this is so exciting. I’ve got a bloody cool job, basically - that’s the long and short of it. It’s the hardest job I’ve ever had and I’ve never poured so much of myself into anything, but it is undeniably cool. It’s what I’ve been working towards all my life.
Tomorrow, I get to jump on a plane and fly to Las Vegas for what is the biggest and most important tech event of the year. It’s where the stage is set for future innovation and the tech narrative for the coming year is built. For me, it’s an opportunity to meet brands face-to-face, discover exciting new products, and further ingratiate myself with the industry at large. What’s more, the entire trip has paid for itself, thanks to a sponsor integration project I’ll be undertaking while there.
However, strip it back, and there are a few far more simple reasons I’m so excited about my CES adventure. Firstly, it involves travel, which is something I’m hugely passionate about and couldn’t live without. I’ve been to Vegas before, but that was quite some time ago (another life, if you will) and I can’t wait to see how it has developed since then, under a completely different setting. I’m also a massive fan of the US - I’ll grab any opportunity to head across the Atlantic and experience stuff we Brits only see in the movies.
There are obvious business benefits to doing this, too. As a content creator, CES is all about getting in front of brands I’ve either worked with before but never met face-to-face or with whom I’ve always wanted to work. Every brand that matters - bar Apple, obvs - is there, which means it’s a massive opportunity to strike up invaluable partnerships.
A bunch of my creator mates are heading to CES, including Patrick Rambles, Pete Matheson, and Ben of Lover Of Tech fame. Spending time (depending on what we all have available) together is going to be a right old laugh, and it’s what makes this industry so special. And I think we’re all under no illusion that being ‘seen’ at CES when you’re a tech reviewer and content creator is a smart strategy - something else I’m feeling rather smug about right now.
Now for the downsides, if you can call anything relating to a trip to Vegas a ‘downside’. I’ve thought a lot about why I’m feeling slightly nervous about this trip, and I think it comes down to two things. The first is the obvious - it’s leaving my family for a week. I have a very young son who is the best thing that’s ever happened to me, and an amazing girlfriend who shares that crown. Not being there for them and not being able to explain to my son why dad isn’t going to be there when he wakes up for a few days is utterly horrible. This might sound daft, but working parents will know exactly what I mean. I’m not looking forward to saying “goodbye”, trust me.
The second downside of CES is what I’ve been calling the ‘Glastonbury Factor’. I’ve never been to what is arguably the world’s most famous music festival (it’s on my bucket list), but I know a few people who have, and they always say the same thing: you constantly feel like you’re missing out on something.
Just like Glastonbury, CES is huge. I expect to walk many miles next week, and my diary is already packed with conferences, booth tours, and hands-on experiences. Everyone wants a piece of you (I’ve been amazed by how many opportunities arrive so late in the day - two weeks ago my diary wasn’t anywhere near as full as it is now). As a result, I have very little time in between the booked-in stuff to walk the floor. The time I do have in reserve, therefore, needs to be used incredibly strategically. That’s a challenge when you’ve never been to CES before and have no idea what to expect.
My strategy is to not overwhelm or put too much pressure on myself. This is the first of what I think is going to be many CES adventures, and I’m there on my own - I can only do so much. The important stuff will get done, I’ll see my creator mates, and I’ll just take everything in as much as I can. That’s what life and this wonderful job is all about.
In fact… what on earth am I worried about?!
If you’d like to tag along on my CES journey, make sure you’re following me on Instagram.