A brisk stroll to the Las Vegas Convention Center with the team from Pole Position Marketing started Day 1. It was a bluebird sunny Southern Nevada morning and the Center was abuzz with attendees to 3 different events including the G2E Gaming Convention. Navigating one of the largest areas under roof in the world proved difficult with the lack of any directional signage. We found a kiosk that listed the LVCC’s calendar of events without noting their assigned location. The 3D maps were missing “you are here” relevance and although displayed on a touch screen, they weren’t clickable. The team wasn’t shy in expressing their opinion of the venue’s oversight and eventually found PubCon, and it’s ridiculously long registration line.
I’ve never been a fan of the keynote address. In my experience they’re just myopic, self important executives without actual skills. I attended the kickoff keynote with the team and was more than impressed. Guy Kawasaki was amazing. His casual demeanor and genuine personality was supported by real experience and great humor. He talked smack on Microsoft Windows and poked fun at its users while expounding the superiority of the Macintosh platform. He described his background as the Mac’s original software evangelist and mentioned a few of his extensive qualifications. He made fun of his mistakes and the prevalence of human error in the evolution of technology.
His speech was accurate and honest and promoted a vision of the future that rewards integrity. I was inspired and my ideas and opinions were validated. It was information I already knew, or understood on a fundamental level, and delivered by someone I was compelled to respect. His speech made a lasting impression and has forced me to re-evaluate my disdain for the keynote address.
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