I am trying to get excited about this year’s NAB Convention in Las Vegas. I am trying! The only call about NAB from anyone was from this newspaper, asking if I was going. "Of course I am … I wouldn’t miss it, except for the war, and business, and there seems to be no buzz, and I don’t know which airline I can trust to stay in business until then…"
Actually, NAB should be pretty exciting this year. I want to see all the gear that the journalists have in the battlefield to uplink, edit, overdub, mix and send so that you and I can see firsthand why business isn’t so very good right now.
I won’t dwell on that stuff. It is too easy.
Let’s talk about other things. Last week, I got a call from one of my major equipment suppliers who did not file for Chapter 11—they just said they were "closing on Friday"! Yuck! So I guess they won’t be showing any new versions of the software at the show. Who else will call? I am sure there will be some empty booths.
The good news is the show will be smaller this year. Even Sony is in the Las Vegas Convention Center again. I am glad they stopped that other nonsense.
The Center itself is bigger, but I have a solution for getting around. Buy or rent a Segway HT (human transporter)—one of those two-wheel things invented by the other Kamen, not Jon. It has two wheels and you stand on it and hold onto a shovel-like handlebar contraption that has the controls. You would be the talk of the show, not that you wouldn’t be anyway.
Okay … now the good stuff. Restaurants. You will have no trouble getting a reservation anywhere. Don’t listen to what anyone says, there will be room for you. You just have to know how to get in. Here is the secret: Call the restaurant of your choice and say, "This is Andrew Jackson and I would like a table for six at seven-thirty." If the response is negative, say, "I am having Ben Franklin as one of my guests!" That should do it. If that doesn’t work, tell the person, "I will take care of you handsomely when I get there." Works every time. If you are a chicken, go to Zagat. com and do it the old-fashioned way.
Some of my favorites are Aqua, Noodles and Prime Steakhouse (featuring chef Jean-Georges) at the Bellagio, Postrio and Delmonico at the Venetian, Nobu at the Hard Rock, the Palm and Spago at Caesars, Aureole at Mandalay Bay (the new girl/ sommelier on the swing in the four-story wine cellar is six feet tall and wears a real … never mind), Renoir on the strip (but have Sony take you) and Sterling brunch in Bally’s on Sunday morning (unless you are playing golf).
Here’s my "Best Of" List for 2003:
· Best Golf Course: Shadow Creek ($500 per person. Stay at MGM for a discount.)
· Best Spa: Canyon Ranch at the Venetian (Don’t steal the robes and the bath stuff—just charge it to your biggest supplier.)
· Best Rooms: Four Seasons above Mandalay Bay
· Best New Resort: Reflection Bay (Located in Henderson, Nev., so it’s a schlep to the Convention Center. Worth the schlep.)
· Best Show: O
So once again I will see you there. I hope I don’t see too many of my clients. That seems to be a trend. I will be buying new things. In case you haven’t heard—I am building 10 new studios, and Miramax is funding them. I am also buying all the audio facilities that Liberty/AT&T/Ascend want to sell to me, I just ordered a Maybach and I am dating Julia Roberts.
Be there or we will talk about you.
