[Brian Cheney]

Remembering my first CES.  Finding "Audio by Van Alstine" on the 1977 exhibitors' list.  Congrats to you Frank, you were long on the scene when I arrived.

Brian Cheney

[TheChairGuy]

A bit of a pit of a place that Bismarck was...I stayed there '86-'89 or so for the many shows held in Chicago back then (Hardware, CES and Houseware Shows both held in Chicago then). Bleeech - a pit as I remember it. 

But, right off Michigan Avenue and not far from The Water Tower, Marshall Field's, and lots of good eats 

[martyo]

It's the Allegro now and was restored and upgraded 7-8 years ago. Very nice Art Deco.

[avahifi]

It was not bad when we were there, had a nice corner suite and plenty of room for a great sounding displays of our latest and greatest running big Magnepans.  We had an interesting visual display - - - the Model One preamp of the time hooked up in line with the video output of a VCR and the video in of a TV set.  We could make the picture come and go cleanly with the preamp volume control setting.  We claimed the preamp bandwidth was so wide it cleanly amplified the video signal.  Got some instutional press write-up at that show saying "ohh aaa" about that feat, such as it was.

Those were the days, the show cost us next to nothing, just hauled a station wagon full of stuff down from Minnesota and an inexpensive hotel suite, and my wife running across the street to the little store to keep the guest bowls filled with chips and pop.

Frank Van Alstine

[Brian Cheney]

I drove 3 days from California hauling a trailer full of speakers.  A friend helped me unload and set up.  The room was about $400.  The 45 exhibitors were spread out over 12 floors so you didn't have to worry about sound spilling over from next door. 

CES show made provisions for High End exhibitors the following year and I reluctantly left the Bismarck.