The first test of the Las Vegas economy in 2010 is the Consumer Electronics Show taking place starting Thursday. The Las Vegas Convention and Visitor Authority actually expects slightly fewer attendees than last year. If so, that would be a modest triumph in this economy. Even more encouraging, organizers of the convention have suggested there will be a record number of new exhibitors.

Often reality in Vegas is about perception. And, by tomorrow Las Vegas will be the center of the world of all sorts of gadgets, entertainment systems and communication devices as exhibitors, press, industry workers, and fans start arriving in droves. Already, plenty are here. This matters because, today Google has announced a press conference where it is expected they will unveil a new phone Google is marketing. There has been considerable speculation in the world media about the details of Google’s offering. What is interesting is that the press conference is taking place in Mountain View and not Las Vegas.

So, how is the fact that Google is making this much anticipated announcement working out so well for a convention in an entirely different city? The perception and the interest generated in technology stories. This turns out to be substantial. Suddenly from  radio to television to the print  journalists gathering in Las Vegas, everyone is filing stories about Google and, while on the topic, including some choice other items on the convention. This is creating tremendous attention for the CES Las Vegas convention.

One example: I heard last night  a BBC radio reporter talking about the possibilities for Google’s new phone offering at length. He was then given about a minute to speak to the world about the rest of the convention in Vegas. The items were joined only because Vegas was where the reporter was phoning in from thanks to CES. And, yes, the convention and its wares were mentioned as an after thought (and, Las Vegas got a couple shout outs, too).  I don’t recall Mountain View getting mentioned at all. The reporter was there to cover the convention, and CES has not started.  So, without Google’s announcement today, would that segment have been broadcast at all? Probably not. And, the convention coverage will still be taking place that the reporter was sent to create. This Google announcement is pure bonus;  the key is that preview coverage is infinitely more valuable than event coverage for Las Vegas. People can still decide to come to Vegas for the CES convention. Las Vegas lives and dies by numbers in every sense.

A quick search (using Google, of course), reveals over 1,200 news articles that currently mention Las Vegas and Google in them. That is a considerable amount of coverage to get out of a press conference taking place in another State. So, while the timing of this announcement has made conspicuous that Google has chosen to do its big unveiling outside CES and Las Vegas. From a Las Vegas perspective, the interest in technology coverage heading into CES (with its record number of new exhibitors) could provide a providential last minute boost for the convention if this bountiful coverage manages to bump up attendance.

Regardless, the linkage of the stories of Google’s phone and CES in Las Vegas, though on one level specious, helps remind people that serious and seriously fun conventions take place in Las Vegas. Part of the key to a successful 2010 is projecting this image again. Oddly, Google today appears to be offering Vegas a big helping hand from Mountain View. (Photo: Sarah Gerke)