This year, I was fortunate enough to attend the 2013 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) on behalf of a number of our CE clients. Here are few lessons learned from a CES first-timer.

For weeks leading up to the show I could barely sleep due to equal thirds of excitement, anxiety and mental planning. I wondered: How will I survive? Will we get enough media for clients? Will this cold ever go away?

I guarantee you that no amount of worrying or planning can prepare you for your first CES. Las Vegas, swarming with a sea of nerds, media, smooth talkers, gadgets, technology and nametags, is pure madness. After staying afloat and running around like a headless chicken, I have created a short list of what I learned as a CES newbie:

Get in shape. I hate exercise with the passion of a thousand, fiery suns. However, CES requires miles of walking (especially from the elevator to your room, in our case) and being on your feet for at least 12 hours each day. Next time, I plan on hitting the gym, sleeping as much as I can and physically preparing a few weeks before the show. Since CES typically begins a week into the new year, being out of shape from all of that holiday joy definitely came back to bite me day one of CES.

Stay hydrated. It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement and flurry of the day and forget to do the simple things, like eat and drink. Long flights, jet lag and running around in the middle of the desert are a perfect recipe for dehydration. If someone offers you water, take it.

Have fun. Because I’ll be a thousand times more prepared next time, I plan on having fun. Whether it’s seeing a fabulous show or planning an extra day to drive out to the desert, getting balance and time away from fluorescent lights and technology might be any CES attendee’s saving grace.

Lastly, don’t freak out when you see people wearing these:

CES 2013 has been over for more than a week and I’m still processing everything I saw and everything I learned. Are you a CES veteran? Do you have secret weapons for conquering the King Kong of tradeshows? Tell us in the comments section below!

By Jessie Barrett. As a senior account executive at lotus823, Jessie manages the agency’s integrated marketing and PR initiatives for a variety of lifestyle, consumer electronics and music industry clients. Jessie offers day-to-day support to her clients through targeted media relations, materials development, event/tradeshow coordination, and the execution of strategic public relations and marketing plans. When not in the trenches, Jessie can often be found enjoying live music and avoiding the gym. Read other posts by Jessie Barrett.

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