Monday, January 7th 2019
U.S. Government Shutdown Hits Several CES Exhibitors Hard
The ongoing 2018-19 U.S. Government Shutdown has had a direct impact on CES 2019, with many exhibitors, including American companies, rendered unable to execute their CES strategies for the year. Several companies we interacted with today, with whom we had scheduled appointments weeks ahead to visit their showfloor or private-suite exhibitions, either had nothing to show us (substituted in the last minute with existing products bought off stores), or they had far fewer exhibits than they expected to put out.
The U.S. Government shutdown has caused severe delays in U.S. Customs and Border Protection clearing imports of CES exhibit samples and prototypes, even for American companies trying to get their unreleased product prototypes into the country from offshore manufacturing sites across Asia. SeaSonic USA, a respectable power supply manufacturer, was completely stripped of samples, with all their exhibits held up in customs. Some companies like Alphacool managed to get some of their exhibits through well in time. We're hearing similar horror-stories from several manufacturers.
The U.S. Government shutdown has caused severe delays in U.S. Customs and Border Protection clearing imports of CES exhibit samples and prototypes, even for American companies trying to get their unreleased product prototypes into the country from offshore manufacturing sites across Asia. SeaSonic USA, a respectable power supply manufacturer, was completely stripped of samples, with all their exhibits held up in customs. Some companies like Alphacool managed to get some of their exhibits through well in time. We're hearing similar horror-stories from several manufacturers.
22 Comments on U.S. Government Shutdown Hits Several CES Exhibitors Hard
I just find it funny these companies can book a booth or a suite months in advance but importing their products in a timely manner is so hard.
You can book a hotel suite well in advance, but there must be someone in Vegas to receive and hold onto your stuff without leaking it.
:kookoo:
Its not that easy.
I can understand the added time to import but that still comes down to poor planning. Its not like there wasn't a lead up to a possible government draw down for weeks.
God help you if you ever have to travel through SeaTac during a shutdown, for example.
How do you think that would affect everyone who has to plan to be available to handle those products through the various stages of delivery?
Cripes, your "argument" is so moronic it barely even merits replying to.
You clearly have no idea how it works with shipping and receiving goods even.
Trade shows have VERY strict shipping times and the goods can't arrive before the set deadlines, or it's not accepted.
If you ship to a hotel, you can only ship it there a few days before you arrive and they charge mega bucks in the US for you to receive packages there, as they charge a percentage of the value of the package.
So no, this is not bad planning, it's limitations imposed by the trade shows.
Looks pretty spacious.
Heck they could have just walked to the DHS booth #1401 where U.S. Customs reps are there. I'm sure he would have looked around and said, Others don't seam to have that problem.
If you look at CES 2019 exhibitors "Seasonic" is not there. Neither is Alphacool. Which brings up the question. If they aren't officially part of CES 2019 how can the story or headline be correct ?
A few plane tickets, with excess baggage isn't that much if you have to have something there in time, and normal methods aren't working.
Customs workers are still required to show up for work but they're doing so without pay (presumably will get backpay when the shutdown ends). I can't find any source that says customs screening of packages has been affected in anyway. I smell a scapegoat.
You can check CES website for all the exhibitors and their locations.