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Comdex '97 gets underway
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November 17, 1997: 11:50 a.m. ET
Gates' keynote speech sets a carnival atmosphere for high-tech trade show
From Correspondent Casey Wian
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LAS VEGAS (CNNfn) - Almost everyone who's anyone in computers is in Las Vegas, making deals and checking on the latest industry breakthroughs.
Comdex, the world's largest computer convention, has been called "the super bowl of trade shows." This year, the Las Vegas event is expected to draw more than 250,000 people and 2,000 companies from all over the world, along with a mind-boggling array of information technology.
In his keynote address delivered Sunday night, Microsoft (MSFT) chief Bill Gates set a whimsical tone for this year's convention. Speaking on "Why I Love My PC," Gates kept his remarks light, apparently preferring to steer clear of the recent feud between Microsoft and the Department of Justice..
The fifth-biggest reason why Gates loves his computer? "Because in one weekend I can consult with a dozen attorneys and e-mail the Justice department a response to their 48-page brief."
Microsoft and others spend millions of dollars on slick displays and stage presentations designed to draw industry attention to new products.
"This is part of their marketing mix," says Jason Chudnofsky, president and CEO of Comdex. "And everyone understands that. . . . We know companies that have done over $100 million in business just in a five-day period of time."
Mitsubishi Electric had to shell out $600,000 for its exhibition space on the convention floor.
"You could spend a couple of years trying to call Bill Gates on the telephone, but it's very likely he'll come through our booth here and we'll be able to talk to him sometime during the show," says Tom Chapman, vice president of Mitsubishi.
Among an estimated ten thousand products unveiled at Comdex '97 is the Mitsubishi Pedion. Chapman describes the Pedion, at less than three-quarters of an inch thick, as "the thinnest full-size notebook computer on the market today." The Pedion will retail at $6,000.
Comdex is by no means just for the giants. Inkware has only 10 employees and hopes to win bigger contracts at the convention for its high-end printer inks.
"Part of the reason we're here at Comdex is . . . these big companies will look at us and see what we've done," says Inkware Vice President Heather Rockow.
Amid the deals, glitz and breaking industry news, Comdex is a multi-billion dollar business in itself, with nearly two dozen shows worldwide and nearly two million annual visitors.
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