Soulja Boy Tell 'Em.
* Showbiz, music and sports superstars and captains of the electronics industry are en route to Las Vegas today for the giant 2009 International Consumer Electronics Show, the globe’s greatest gathering of gadgets and gizmo groupies. The world’s largest consumer technology trade convention officially kicks off tomorrow as manufacturers promote their latest products and technologies, with Microsoft’s head honcho Steve Ballmer -- instead of Bill Gates after 10 consecutive years -- making the premiere keynote speech.
In a revealing first-day presentation, Soulja Boy Tell ’Em will share strategies of his rising stardom using everything from disc tracks on YouTube to incredible ring tone sales. His manager and producer will join his “Tell ’Em” panel to show how his finger is firmly on the pulse of today’s digital world instead of yesteryear’s guitar strings! Then pop music giant Akon, who rang in New Year’s Eve at the House of Blues here, will outline how art meets commerce in the digital age.
On hand from NBC Universal will be all the anchor hosts of the morning show "Today," Brian Williams of "NBC Evening News," "Access Hollywood" on-air personalities and CNBC’S frisky financial feline Maria Bartiromo.
Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek.
Over at Sony Television, game show king Alex Trebek will film daily episodes of "Celebrity Jeopardy!" right on the convention floor to celebrate its 25th anniversary. Eleven episodes will be recorded on a 16,000-square-foot stage for an audience of 600 delegates each time. Dr. Oz, a frequent medical guest star on "The Oprah Winfrey Show," also will use the set to promote his new, upcoming syndicated talk show.
Sports celebrities booked at the Sharp HDTV zone highlight a slew of Major League Baseball players, including Prince Fielder, all-star first baseman for the Milwaukee Brewers and the youngest person ever to reach 50 home runs, plus five-time all-star Big Papi, David Ortiz from the Boston Red Sox, New York Mets starting pitcher John Maine, silver sluggers Hanley Ramirez of the Florida Marlins and Matt Holiday of the Oakland Athletics, Chicago Cubs infielder Ryan Therlot and New York Yankees pitcher Joba Chamberlain. Basketball stars Clyde Drexler, Robert Parish and Bill Walton are booked at the Haier America booth.
Akon will be back at the SanDisk booth, and Indy Car and Indy 500 racer Sarah Fisher will be at the Simcraft booth. The first-night awards show in the Bellini Ballroom at The Venetian will feature the presentation of the Global Media Award to Black Eyed Peas star Will.I.Am. The Monster Cable invitation-only concert at Paris Las Vegas has songbird Diana Ross as the headline attraction.
Some 130,000-plus conventioneers are expected to explore the 1.7 million square feet of exhibits, the third largest in CES history. There will be 300 new exhibitors this year despite the fact the electronics industry is reportedly in its worst slump in several decades. Last year, CES added more than $230 million in spending here in Las Vegas -- and that’s not counting gaming revenues. In all, 1,500-plus U.S. companies and 1,300 overseas manufacturers will represent some 140 different countries.
The 42nd CES is the annual centerpiece of what’s well over a $125 billion global business of electronics. You know me and my fun facts file! For your fascination, take note that the first CES show was held back in New York in 1967, four years before the first ever cell phone call and the U-Matic VCR, the now non-existent forerunner of the Beta system! In 1978, CES moved to Las Vegas as the Hilton added its north tower -- three years before the first-ever demo of HDTV and the introduction of the CD in 1981.
Michael Phelps.
* Multiple Olympic gold medalist swimmer Michael Phelps might well call Maryland home, but he’s spending so much time in Las Vegas these days, he should buy a condo here! The world champion and record holder has been brushing up his poker skills while on the Strip, and, I’m reliably told, definitely plans to play in the next World Series of Poker. When he’s not hoping for a royal flush, he’s been out and about on the town with gal pal Carolynn Pal, who is nicknamed “Caz” at Moon, where she works as a cocktail server.
They took a group of 20 friends to Lavo at the Palazzo, where Chef Ludo Lefebvre sent out favorites from his Mediterranean menu! Then Michael and Caz danced the night away from a large corner VIP section. A mystery guest in the club even sent over four bottles of Dom Perignon champagne to their table.
Another customer who had just paid a $90,000 bill for his night of partying on his way out at 3 a.m. added a Cristal champagne bottle to the tab and sent it to actor Wilmer Valderrama at an adjoining table. If there’s a nationwide economic slowdown, you’d never know it inside Lavo!
Antonio Sabato Jr. on the red carpet for Tao and Lavo.
Jesse McCartney.
It truly was a night of the gold! Newly engaged "Dancing With the Stars" professional Maksim Chmerkovskiy joined True Blood co-stars Antonio Sabato Jr. and Nicholas Gonzales, and adoring female fans went wild for the trio of hunks! Singer Jesse McCartney and friends dined at Lavo before taking a VIP table near the Olympic swimming superstar. Jesse sent shots of Patron tequila to the DJ booth when the turntable twister DJ Five played his music! Actor Elias Koteas and a female friend shared champagne near the marble bar.
Oakland Raiders players Michael Bush, Darren McFadden and Justin Fargas arrived after midnight and sat alongside New Orleans Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma, with his sister and friends drinking Hennessy XO, while linebacker Keith Bulluck and tight end Bo Scaife (Oliver Edward Scaife III) of the Tennessee Titans dazzled with their bling and consumed multiple bottles of Patron Silver tequila and Perrier Jouet Rose champagne.
Actress Michelle Trachtenberg hopped between Lavo and sister Venetian club Tao all weekend long, celebrating her sister Irene’s birthday and even brought Mom along to join in the fun. They feasted on specialty dishes from the Mediterranean menu at Lavo, including Greek salad and filet rossini, and shared a pitcher of pomegranate lemonade. Once on the dance floor, after Mom left the kids to play, they switched to Veuve Clicquot champagne for their toasts and Grey Goose cocktails as the stunning servers presented a birthday mountain of signature cupcake cones with sparklers. Also at Tao was comedian Mike Epps, who was totally content remaining low-key and simply hanging out at the bar by himself!
Vince Neil.
* Motley Crue rocker Vince Neil e-mailed me to confirm that his annual “Off the STRIP POKER Tournament” will take place Jan. 17 at the Hard Rock Hotel. It will kick off with a silent charity cocktail reception at 3 p.m., followed by the 4 p.m. no-limit Texas Hold’em poker tournament and an 8 p.m. VIP after-party and live auction -- all to benefit his Skylar Neil Foundation honoring his daughter Skylar, who passed away in 1995 from cancer. Vince tells me that the princes and princesses of poker, Hollywood celebrities, Vegas Strip dancers and adult-world stars will all mix up together for the fourth annual event.
Tito Ortiz and Jenna Jameson.
* Not long now this month before former adult movie queen Jenna Jameson gives birth to twins. Proud poppa UFC fighter Tito Ortiz took her for dinner at the new Society cafe at the just-opened the Encore before walking without his beloved to Blush next door in the Wynn.
* Motor sports stars Travis Pastrana and Marco Andretti raced with a group of friends at Pole Position Raceway opposite the Palms Place condo-tel tower, where Marco owns an apartment.
* Reality TV star Denise Richards enjoyed a larger-than-life dinner at Strip House in Planet Hollywood.
* Ricky and Kathy Hilton, proud parents of socialites Paris and Nicky Hilton, toured the new XS nightclub at Steve Wynn’s the Encore -- and stayed on for the party!
* Diners at Simon at the Palms included Good Charlotte rocker Benji Madden; racecar driver Marco Andretti, who has a condo there; Olympic swimming ace Michael Phelps, who always stays there while visiting Las Vegas; and reality TV star Brody Jenner, who brought along his girlfriend, 2008 Playmate of the Year Jayde Nicole, and his mom, Linda Thompson. That group palled up with Palms owner George Maloof for Patron tequila shots and Kerry’s signature junk-food dessert later.
Clinton Portis.
Elsewhere in the Palms, Michael was spotted with rock rapper Kid Rock at the Playboy Club and Moon, and George, who ran into rocker Scott Weiland, escorted Nicolette Sheridan to the Stone Temple Pilots concert in his Pearl Concert Theater. Also at Moon for three hours of partying were Supercr3w and their member Chris from Jabbawackeez, while at Nove, Washington Redskins star Clinton Portis ordered up sausage and chicken pesto pizzas for his five guests, plus a special linguine with shrimp and fried lobster alfredo that he requested for the chef to make for them! Clinton took the group off to the casino and to the Playboy Club afterwards for a little gaming action.
* Ever since the new mega club XS opened New Year’s Eve at Steve Wynn’s new the Encore, it has been mobbed and become the hottest club on Earth! Last night, thousands of people lined up for the debut hospitality industry night.
I sat with Elaine Wynn, XS owner Victor Drai, boxing mogul Bob Arum and Saved By the Bell actor Dennis “Mr. Belding” Haskins, and all of us marveled at the sensational scene. The lines of guys and gals dressed in the smartest and sexiest of outfits -- and all well and neatly behaved -- stretched more than 100 yards in two different directions, snaking through three lanes apiece of winding roped aisles! In all my days of covering nightlife in the world’s top hotspots, I’ve never witnessed such a tremendous turnout like this one that was still rocking strong at 4 a.m. today!
The stars have discovered XS, too, and when 21-year-old pop music heartthrob Jesse McCartney turned up at the sold-out party, he was so awestruck that he even joined in with a spontaneous performance of his hits on a mic right from his dance floor VIP table. He sang his latest smash “Leavin’” and his previous hits “Beautiful Soul” and “It’s Over.”
Several NFL players also were spotted at XS, including the Oakland Raiders running back trio of Darren McFadden, Justin Fargas and Michael Bush. Other NFL players there were Kansas City Chiefs safety Jarrad Page, Chicago Bears linebacker Lance Briggs and Carolina Panthers defender Michael Coldean. Also in the smart, fashionable crowd were UFC fighter Tito Ortiz -- on his own without gal pal Jenna Jameson, who is about to deliver their twins -- and actor comedian Pauly Shore.
Playboy Playmate Raquel Gibson and friend.
Meantime, Steve and Victor’s original next-door nightlife palace Tryst at the Wynn isn’t forgotten or unloved! Oakland Raiders wide receiver Javon Walker was partying there with friends at a dance-floor VIP table along with Cleveland Browns wide receivers Braylon Edwards and Donte Stallworth, Playboy Playmate Raquel Gibson, FHM model Vida Guerra and actress Alisa Reyes.
Find Robin Leach's full blog and updated coverage of the celebrity scene in Las Vegas at Vegas DeLuxe.com.
Join the Discussion:
Check this out for a full explanation of our conversion to the LiveFyre commenting system and instructions on how to sign up for an account.
Full comments policy