CES: Your giant tech show orgy survival guide

11. If you’ve got a rental car, park smart. Don’t get stuck in traffic jams near the convention center. If you park in a hotel self-parking garage, write down where you parked. It’s easy to forget, and then you’re stuck walking through a 10-story garage in search of a rental car that you may not easily recognize.

12. Roll your bag around as much as possible. That is, unless you prefer having something weighing down your back for 12 hours. A $29 luggage cart from a store like Bed, Bath & Beyond will save your back if you just tie your backpack to it and roll it around. You may run over other people’s feet, but better their feet than your back. [Editor’s note: This is Takahashi’s secret weapon. Goofy but effective.]

13. Brand yourself and wear your company shirt. People may recognize your company the next time around, and you’ll meet people you wouldn’t ordinarily otherwise.

14. Make some time to walk the show floor. That’s where you can pick up some context for big patterns. If you’re seeing the same old thing, that’s a clue that you’ll have to look elsewhere for innovation. If you find things that delight you, you’re in luck.

15. Think twice before walking to a hotel that looks close. Yes, the cab line is long and you might think you can get there faster by walking. But it’s probably a bad idea because the hotels are really large, giving them a mirage-effect that makes them look they are really close. The Strip is much, much longer than it appears.

Above: The star of Star Trek Into Darkness was nervous on stage, judging from the sweat on her upper lip. 4K and 8K resolution won’t be kind to celebrities who don’t look good in extreme close-ups.

16. Try very hard not to lose your phone. Look around the seat when you exit a cab. Wear something where you can zip up your pockets or lock it into a compartment in a purse.

17. Print out essential information. It’s good to have a printed backup of anything, like your calendar or directions, that you won’t be able to access if you lose your phone.

18. Be prepared for terrible reception. Cellphone and wireless data signals are getting better, but still pretty spotty in a lot of places. Text messages usually get through — eventually — but you’ll have to remember to check your phone occasionally, as you won’t always hear the notification sounds for incoming messages. CES is noisy.

19. Pack enough business cards. Kevin Dent reminds me of this obvious tip, which afflicts about 1 in every 10 people. Half of those are people who remembered to bring their cards to Vegas but then left them in their luggage or hotel rooms.

20. Try to schedule appointments in geographic blocks. It’s a little late for this, but try to put your appointments in the same halls in the same block of time. It’s hard to move between halls or venues in a timely way.

21. Don’t miss your flight on the way out. If you’re traveling at a prime time, watch out for the lengthy security lines.

22. Arrive early for keynotes. The lines are long. If you can’t get in, check out a livestream or a liveblog.

Above: It didn’t have much to do with Qualcomm, but this was definitely the right way to close the keynote.

23. Drink a lot of water. But make sure you know where the bathrooms are.

24. If you need a cup of coffee, get it off the Strip or in your hotel. The lines at the convention center are absurdly long for food or coffee.

25. Don’t go. OK, maybe not. When I asked for the best tips on surviving CES on my Facebook page, a bunch of people counseled me to skip the whole thing altogether. It’s not too late for that.

26. Make a reservation. If you go out for dinner, make sure you get a reservation.

27. Avoid getting into elevators with people who are jumping up and down in them.

28. Take a good camera. You’ll be sure to capture a lot of fun moments. But share wisely, because what happens in Vegas. …