Bill Gates, chairman of Microsoft, and Robbie Bach, president of the Entertainment and Devices Division, will deliver the pre-show 2008 International CES keynote address at 6:30 p.m. PST Sunday, January 6, in the Palazzo Ballroom at the Venetian Resort Hotel Casino in Las Vegas. Admission to the keynote address will be granted on a first-come, first-served basis to accredited members of the media and analysts with their official CES badges and badge holders. The doors to the ballroom will open at 5 p.m. and the media waiting room will open at 3 p.m. This will be Bill Gates’ last keynote as he is stepping down from his position at Microsoft to pursue philanthropic goals.
If you’re not there to see it live, check out the links below; you should tune in early (the streams get clogged up quickly), but expect a delay (it never starts on time). Videotapes of the keynote address will be available on request in the Microsoft press tent throughout the show starting Monday, January 7. In terms of the show as a whole, Microsoft is expected to to address something "new" in the following categories: Windows Vista, Xbox 360, Zune, Office, Windows Live, Windows Mobile and Games for Windows. Here’s a breakdown of panels and conferences that will have Microsoft Participants:
Sunday, January 6
- Game Power: Entertainment as Franchise — As Games Cross Over Into Music, TV, Cable, Movie, Mobile, Advertainment and Custom Branded Experience. 11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m., LVCC North Hall, Room N253. Bill Nielsen, Microsoft
- Mobile and Broadband Music: New Platforms + New Technology + More Music + Dynamic Marketplace. 1–2 p.m., LVCC North Hall, Room N258. Cyrill Glockner, Microsoft
Monday, January 7
- Mobile on the Move: What’s in Store for Car Electronics. 1:30–2:30 p.m., LVCC North Hall, Room N264, Velle Kolde, Microsoft
- Hollywood and the Digital Consumer: How Technology, Content and Services Establish the Next Level of Consumer Entertainment Experience. 1:30–2:30 p.m., LVCC North Hall, Room N259. Gabriele Di Piazza, Microsoft
Tuesday, January 8
- Consumer Robotics Market Development Program: A Robot in Every Home. 9–9:45 a.m., the Venetian, Delfino 4001–4002. Tandy Trower, general manager, Microsoft Robotics Group
- The New Frontier of Play. 9:15–10:15 a.m., the Venetian, Lando 4305–4306. Jeff Bell, Microsoft
- IPTV: The Television of Tomorrow? 1:30–2:30 p.m., LVCC North Hall, Room N253. Christine Heckart, Microsoft TV
- The Connected TV and Set-Top as the Consumer Gateway to Entertainment and Information: Set-Top, Broadband, Guides and PVRs. 3–4 p.m., LVCC North Hall, Room N259. Joe Seidel, Microsoft
Wednesday, January 9
- Technology and Emerging Countries: Advancing Development Through Technology Investments. 9 a.m.–1:30 p.m., Las Vegas Hilton Theater. David Foster, general manager, Microsoft Unlimited Potential
- Improving Time-to-Market and Product Quality. 10:30–11:30 a.m., the Venetian, Lando 4204. Bill Adamec, Microsoft
- A Tale of Two Supply Chains: Halo 3 and Zune. 1:15–2 p.m., LVCC North Hall, Room N258. Deborah Hickey, Microsoft
- Exploring the True Power of IPTV. 12–1 p.m., LVCC North Hall, Room N261. Hemang Mehta, Microsoft TV
- IPTV and Internet TV Connectivity: Broadband, the TV, the Set-Top, the Server — Enabling Advanced Services — Content and Advertising. 3–4 p.m., LVCC North Hall, Room N261. Shari Barnett, Microsoft
Microsoft Booth Activities: A variety of activities will take place at the Microsoft booth, No. 7144, in the Central Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center. The Microsoft booth will feature more than 36 partner stations from 32 distinct companies, showcasing products and solutions that feature Microsoft platforms and technologies.
Microsoft Pressroom: The Microsoft PR meeting rooms are located in a tent in the Central Plaza parking lot. Press tent hours are Monday, 8:30 a.m.–5 p.m.; Tuesday, 8:30 a.m.–5 p.m.; and Wednesday, 8:30 a.m.–noon. The pressroom will be closed Thursday.