CES as Souk
CES 2008 has come to an end in Las Vegas. More than 150,000 visitors had a chance to see the wares from 2700 exhibitors. That’s big. Some say too big, but they miss the point.
It’s interesting to consider how world trade in many items, including consumer electronics, have come to a kind of Silk Road v2.0, with CES and other venues playing the role of bazaar or souk.
The original Silk Road trade route facilitated commerce between east and west as long as 2300 years ago. Goods were sourced from China and India and routed overland or by sea. Today, Hon Hai Precision manufactures many if not most Apple, Dell, HP, Motorola and Nokia products in Guangzhou, which, interestingly enough, is an original Silk Road city.
The more things change, the more they remain the same…we’re waiting for some of the original Silk Road goods to start showing up at venues like CES, things like food, spices, tea, incense, amber, gold, carpets, clothing, jewellery, perfume. Oh wait, never mind, it’s called Wal-Mart.
Electronic Show Pulls Huge Crowds but Loses Its Power to Dazzle - WSJ, Wed Jan 9 2008
