The CES Party You Don't Want to Miss

So, even though I've covered tech for quite a while, I've never been a gadget reporter and hence always avoided going to CES. For those who don't know, CES is the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. In the wake of the dot com bust, as the housing market took off, and we all felt richer it became the must-attend tech conference. It didn't hurt that it was the golden age of gadgets with flat panel TVs, DVRs, iPods, iPhones, and Tasers. Yes, Tasers. There's endless footage of curious reporters getting Tased at CES for some reason.

What was the reason? I don't know. Because every January, I've been happily back in San Francisco at a desk, not standing in mile-long cab lines. Now that CES is allegedly on the wane, I didn't even give attending a second thought. Until one night when I was having dinner with Brian "Pocket-Sized Ricky Ricardo" Solis and Somewhat Frank Gruber and they convinced me by ordering a second bottle of champagne, promising we'd all co-host an epic party, and I wouldn't even have to get Tased. I never host a party in Vegas without involving Tony "My TV commercials suck, but I'm awesome otherwise" Hsieh, because that's like doing a mob hit in Jersey without calling Tony Soprano. (I'm not sure that metaphor makes sense. It's early. But you know what I mean.)

Flash-forward a few months and a big check from Intel and we're all set to have the CES kickoff party this Thursday night. Tickets are free but extremely limited, so watch Twitter. We will each Twitter the Eventbrite link at 2 p.m. pacific time today. They will go quick. Did I mention free drinks? Yeah, it's going to be awesome.

Here's a clip from my last Vegas party with Tony:

Vegas Baby from sarah lacy on Vimeo.

And here's a slightly more substantial video shot yesterday where Paul Kedrosky and I discuss CES's questionable relevance at a time when none of us have money for gadgets.

Best. Holiday Party. Ever.

If there's one thing we do well at Sarahlacy.com it's throw parties at bars. Of all of our epic parties, last night's holiday happy hour at the Beauty Bar was one of my favorites. Just the right amount of people and many of my absolute favorite people as well.

In what is sure to become an annoying tradition, Olivia and I asked everyone we could find five essential holiday questions. Footage is below. (Om Malik and Julia Allison, you'll want to make sure you watch until the end...)

Five Questions with SarahLacy.com, Holiday Edition from sarah lacy on Vimeo.

If I *Were* Accepting Gifts...

...I'd want this. But I'm not, so don't buy it. Donate instead! I have to say my decision only to give to charity this year (and only accept donations in my name) is one of the most freeing things I've ever done. It sounds cliche, but it really has allowed me to reflect and focus on the year and what this time of year is supposed to mean for all of us.

Of course, that doesn't mean I'm not giving you guys a gift, in the form of a spectacular happy hour at Beauty Bar this Thursday. Don't miss it!! You'll get a drink ticket if you tell Olivia you're afraid of swimming. And if you don't get that reference, you haven't read my book, so just lie and say you get it. You might get another drink ticket if you tell me what you liked best about the book. Or just wear something festive. Or your name is Sam Purtill. Looking at the RSVP list I have a feeling this party is going to put us in the poor house...

ALSO: bring quarters because there's a photo booth at the Beauty Bar and the manicurist will be on duty, all you metros. Olivia has also consulted with the DJ on the play list so expect to dance. (She might give you lessons if you are lucky.)

Busy Little Valley Bee

SO. After a whirlwind 2008 where I met entrepreneurs in about 25 cities or more, I am finally back in San Francisco for a while.

I feel very torn. It's been an amazing year, and I've met so many amazing people. My entire concept of entrepreneurship has been forever changed, and I am, of course, so grateful for the outpouring of support for the book. It's been one of the toughest book-buying markets in publishers' memories and it was no small feat to keep copies moving!

On the plus side of being home, I've barely gotten to live in the house that's continually draining my bank account lately, and it's always nice to see my husband. I also feel like meeting so many entrepreneurs around the world has come at the cost of not staying in better touch with entrepreneurs in the Valley. So it'll be nice to stay put for a bit and reconnect. And what better time than a month with a zillion Holiday parties? Headed to the Zynga party tonight, and of course, there's the sarahlacy.com happy hour at the Beauty Bar in one week! RSVP, y'all!

Here are Olivia and I after the spectacular Get Satisfaction party last Friday, inhaling some Arinell's pizza. (Just a few blocks from my house-- another win to being home!) [photo credit: Geoffrey Ellis]

Of course, another *huge* plus in being home is that I can focus more on my actual job: reporting. I forgot to mention it, but I re-upped my columnist contract with BusinessWeek in November. I was incredibly flattered to even get it renewed given the macro state of the economy and how hard hit media has been already. (And how flaky I've been on deadlines. Doh.)

I wrote two columns that detailed *why* things are going to be far worse for Venture Capitalists in this downturn, even as the Valley will have an easier time than in 2001-ish. You can read them here and here. Then, this week, I wrote about everything that's wrong with eCommerce and why I think we're about to see an explosion of innovation. (And why I can't wait!) I've got a lot of great ideas for the next few months, but as always hit me up if there's a topic you want me to tackle!

I've also been pretty busy at TechTicker. A few recent videos I liked on the jump!

A whole slew of other changes are in store for my various jobs and include a few new projects that I can't wait to tell you guys about. But more details on all that later... Bottom line is I'm mostly out of promotion mode (FINALLY!) and solidly back in reporter mode so more great content coming your way this month and in 2009.

And now, to some videos...

Have Yourself a Sarah Little ChristmaHanuKwanzakah

We've been rocking out during our co-working session today. "We" meaning "Me" of course. So here I sit, feeling inspired by the "Hungry Like a Hollaback Girl Smooth Operator" mash-up I've been fistpumping to, and Sarah pipes up, "We should do a SLDC Holiday Happy-hour!"

Yes oh yes. It's scary sometimes when we find ourselves on the same wave-length. In fact, it sends Mr. Lacy hiding beneath his desk. Where he will find himself once again when he reads this and realizes we're doing yet another party. Whoops.

So, here's the story: Thursday, December 18th. Beauty Bar at Mission and 19th. 5:30 pm until.... For those unfamiliar with Beauty Bar, it features a manicure station, well-stocked bar, photo booth, and, on the right night, the sweetest soul jams you've ever heard. And Sarah and I doing our best to recapture the magic of this photo. Now that's some holiday spirit. At least your first drink is on us!

So Sarah ChristmaHanuKwanzakah to all, and to all a good time.

This is a Video Onslaught.

Signs that we're back to the daily grind in dear old San Francisco:

- Sarah is MIA because she has sequestered herself to write the last chapter for the paperback/ added on extra days down at Yahoo/ is writing something, for someone, somewhere
- Mr. Lacy has downloaded 15 different bootleg Lil' Wayne albums onto the rap ipod, which we bump in the car like the gangsters we are
- I wake up with a crumpled Sunday Times beneath the sheets and a cat wrapped around my head like a football helmet
- the blog has been overrun with videos (substantive reporting to return soon)

This past week has been so busy, our London trip seems like a dream; a haze of bubbly Brits, the longest book title ever conceived, and an out of this world, six-day pub crawl. Oh, but how quickly that dream snaps into reality when scouring over the thirty plus videos of Flip footage. I mean, did we really....? Yes, yes we did.

In this case, I really taught London's Hugh Hefner how to dance like a Memphis girl. Sarah is making me post it. Otherwise, I'd hit delete. So, enjoy or "Njoy." Whatever you prefer.

Lord of the Dance? from sarah lacy on Vimeo.

More on that Vegas Party....

Olivia and I are sitting in a coffee shop in Memphis doing a little co-working. She's forcing us to plow through a backlog of neglected media interviews, signing some books we owe people, responding to emails and of course sifting through all this flipcammed video before we can go to ....wait for it... THE MIDSOUTH FAIR. Funnel cakes and roller coasters here we come!! I'm just hoping there are pig races or a mechanical bull I can ride...

Speaking of the Flipcam, it's a wonder that little thing hasn't broken. I think we can all agree it was the best $150 Sarahlacy.com ever spent. Here are a few outtakes from our amazing Vegas party with Tony Hsieh of Zappos. It features Ranvir Gujral-- one of our FAVORITE people we've met on the UGBT road. He's better known around the Sarahlacy.com offices as the Chong to Gregarious' Cheech. (And by "offices" I mean the roving collection of planes/hotels/coffeeshops/bars/my living room where Olivia and I sit glued to laptops, finishing each other's sentences of late.) 

Oh, and keep an eye on this blog for announcements of the upcoming America's Best Dance Crew-style dance off between Cheech and Chong's company Blue Whale Labs and Sarahlacy.com. Anyone at the TechSet after party last friday KNOWS Miss Olivia can bring it. Big time.

Vegas Baby from sarah lacy on Vimeo.

UGBT: Back in Memphis. Two More Events to Go!

My, my, my. What a weekend. Olivia and I had a great time in Vegas at Blog World Expo-- not that we actually made it to much of the conference proper. Huge, HUGE thanks to Brian Solis and Stephanie Agresta for letting me sign books poolside at the TechSet party. And an even bigger thanks to Tony Hsieh of Zappos for co-hosting the party at Prive with me last night. I use the word "co-hosting" loosely, as Tony did all the work and I mostly showed up and tried to be charming. And in the picture below, strangely vampy. What can I say? Brian Solis brings out my frustrated inner super model.

 

Here's Tony with the Evolution of Dance guy who happened to be there. Tony barely uttered the words, "hey, would you mind..." and the guy was whipping out a CD and jumped on stage to do the routine live. The crowd went wild. Totally one of those rad moments for the Internet-meme obsessed. If only Tay Zonday or "I LIKE TURTLES!" had jumped out of the crowd next...

 

Evolution of Dance in action:

And Olivia in action FlipCamming away before a bouncer told her to stop. (She had a dress you can wear five ways- I think this is no. 3)

(Video from the party to come. Thanks to Brian Solis for the photos!)

We're back in Memphis now and in Toronto on Thursday.

 

 

UGBT: Keynote Angst? Done. Moving On.

The next emotional milestone (and a tiny one in comparison to Austin and the keynote) is going back to my hometown. I'm doing an event for Memphis entrepreneurs and Barney DuBois-- the man who told me I would be a journalist way back in my high school days and the publisher of my first gig, The Memphis Business Journal-- is doing my introduction tonight. I'm pretty unemotional, but I might tear up.

Also my hometown paper wrote about the event and -- I kid you not-- it was the first time my parents realized there was a controversy about the Zuckerberg keynote. That made me happy. Yes, they also had it clipped out and put it on the fridge. Bear in mind, I do not have gushing parents. This is highly unusual. They would only read what I wrote for BusinessWeek if I mailed them a copy with the page marked. (Also, I realized this morning that my father's uncanny ability to turn on the dishwasher the second I get in the shower has also persisted through time and space. Despite the shock of cold water with an eye-full of soap, it's nice to know there's an oasis of sameness in my ever-changing world.)

Tomorrow we take off for Vegas -- Blogworld!!!!! This was a late night Gnomedex addition to the tour, at the request of Mr. Brian Solis. We're signing books poolside at the TechSet party and only have about 20 so come and get 'em! $20 each. We will be grateful to stop lugging them around. Turns out books are heavy and cumbersome to travel with- Duh! Guess that's why the Kindle is almost a $1 billion business, right?

Saturday night, Tony Hsieh of Zappos -- sorry, ZAPPOS!-- and I are co-hosting a party at a very, very awesome spot that's a last minute Twitter surprise. So follow Tony or me if you want the deets! It's open to anyone and we'd love to see you there!! Tony knows how to party and Vegas is his turf so you do NOT want to miss this.

Then, Sunday night we come back to Memphis, just in time for a talk at my alma mater, Rhodes College, on Monday. That's incredibly weird. Typically your family and the people you grew up with are the ones who convince you you're not actually a big deal at all.

I've been saying for the last year that the incredibly life-changing year I've had was at some point going to hit me, and it's sort of hitting me this trip, between returning to Austin, doing my first big keynote, and now this hometown stuff. Anyway, below is a video Olivia and I shot after the keynote. We celebrated by going to a snooty restaurant Olivia worked at last year. She didn't have the greatest experience so we figured since I was going back and facing fears and stuff this trip, she should too.

Yeah, yeah, we'll get back to reporting on business soon. Again, just indulge us this month!

Post Keynote Confessions from sarah lacy on Vimeo.

UGBT: We're Half Way Done People!

Ok, so I'm mostly recovered from the Pacific Northwest UGBT sandwich with Gnomedex in the middle. The trip was amazing-- fraught with tiny amounts of sleep as it was. As usual, I made what feels like even more lifelong friendships and met some entrepreneurs and "human routers" that I hope to watch for years to come. I have a lot more I want to say about it and a lot about my observations at the mid-way point of the tour too. And of course some pictures and video. But you'll have to be a little patient as BusinessWeek needs a column, a September keynote needs some TLC, Mr. Lacy needs some TLC, Tom Chapman needs an edit on his upcoming SarahLacy.com guest post, and Yahoo needs a few very, very full days.

In the mean time, I wanted to give a HUGE shout out to FiveEdge Media who designed a UGBT site for me! Since the tour is ever-evolving, it'll have more details on it very very soon. Like tomorrow. But please send me pictures to upload in the photo gallery from past a future stops and weigh in on future stops and tweet-ups at will! Most of all, keep and eye on the site for details on your city! As the tour has ballooned in size to 15 stops, we still have seven to go! We've added Houston and Las Vegas to the list, because, well, we're softies. But we cannot add any more this year (I mean it this time!!!) We hope to do a smaller, college-centric tour when the book comes out in paperback in 2009, so vote on the site if you think we should hit your school!

Thanks again to John Weiss and the FiveEdge team. They did this work FOR FREE because they believe in the Portland tech scene and other nascent tech scenes around the country, and the mission I'm on to get out and discover them-- not to mention reinvent how books are promoted.

I'll leave you with one of my favorite pictures from the tour: Olivia and Danielle Morrill pretending to be Rocky and Bullwinkle. I'm not quite sure why Olivia's rendition of Bullwinkle is so angry, but I think it has something to do with that blue drink. (Called an "Adios M-fer") I'm posting embarrassing photos until Olivia delivers me a post on Facebook's UI she keeps promising...