CES Vendors Kicked Out of Hotels For Showcasing Wares in Room

An anonymous reader writes to mention that a number of companies attempting to stretch their dollars by showing their new gear in hotel suites around Vegas during CES were kicked out of the rooms they paid for by CES organizers and hotel staff. According to sources as many as 30 small electronics companies may have been kicked out of The Venetian and The Palazzo on Thursday. One anonymous vendor claims they were coerced into paying $10,000 to the CEA lest they be kicked out of their (paid for) suite and barred from exhibiting or meeting with clients. 'States our source, "I asked the hotel staff if there were any limitations for using the suite. They said the only limitations were how many people were at our parties. They didn't say there were any limitations on displaying product. We set up our product on the first day. Then on Wednesday a cleaning person came in and reported what they saw to management. From there we got kicked out on Thursday."'

Comments

So...

[XPeter]

To sum up TFA:

1. CEA buys out Vegas for a week, attracting technology enthusiasts and large companions from across the globe.
2. Said organization is holding the balls of local buisness so tight, that they must bend over to anything the CEA demands.
(In this instance it was having The Venetian, The Palazzo kick out small/medium tech buisnesses who couldn't afford a CES floor spot onto the streets unless they paid the hefty fee of $10,000)
3. ???
4. Profit!

Another evil coorperation fucking over the little guy, nothing to see here folks.

Lawsuit, anyone

[mtrachtenberg]

Monopolistic practices. Interference with trade. Lost and unrecoverable revenue opportunities. General fuckedupness.

Contracts anyone?

[Wardish]

Since I am not a lawyer, take all this with a block of salt.

It's all about the room contract. I assume the room contracts were between the small companies and the hotel. If so a review of the contract is in order.

It's possible that CEA had a contract with the hotel, but unless the hotel rewrote the contracts the small companies signed it's still a moot point.

It's also possible that CEA bought blocks of rooms (not reserved, purchased) and sold them directly to the small companies. If so the contracts between CEA and the small companies are probably in force. A good reading is still in order as it's hard to tell if there's anything in there about it.

If the contracts don't go your way then you might consider getting into he said / he said with hotel staff. And get out your wallet.

Maybe CES will go the way of COMDEX

[t0qer]

I sort of remember at the end of the 90's comdex was grabbing for straws and overstepping its power much the way CES is now. From Wikipedia;

Following COMDEX Fall 1999 (in Las Vegas), organizers made major changes to their criteria for admission of media, rejecting nearly all but those who were on editorial assignment from a handful of "acknowledged" trade papers. Though offered regular "public" attendance, this left hundreds of regular, long-standing press attendees from magazines and newspapers around the world with bad feelings toward the show. As press credentials were necessary to gain the level of access necessary to make the expensive trip worthwhile, most refused to go and many told vendors that they would disregard product announcements made at or in relation to COMDEX.

History repeating?

Re:That is positively asinine.

[Maniacal]

I can't believe what I said is so controversial. Some folks are downright mad (it's my first flamebait mod). I guess I see this differently.

If you don't have a booth at the show, how are you getting people up to your suite to look at your products? My guess is your walking around the show floor, handing out cards or fliers and inviting people up. If you're smart, you focusing on people who seem interested in your competitors products. So you're drawing people away from the vendors who paid to be in the show. Sounds like a free ride to me.

Now, if you setup in a hotel that had nothing to do with CES (wasn't hosting any part of the show) and you sent a mass email to your 40-50 customers saying, "hey, while at CES come down to the Rio, we've got a suite. We'll liquor you up, show you some of our new products and we'll party". I think that's a good idea. Like you said, good bang for the buck.

When I read it my immediate thought was that these people were down on the floor trolling for customers. Didn't sit right with me.

They agreed to the terms at check-in

[mbstone]

I have stayed at the Venetian/Palazzo many times. When you check in, there is a four page agreement that appears on a little LCD screen that you have to sign. It specifically says you agree not to display merchandise or conduct business in your suite.

So this entire thread is in the category of Whining.