After a weekend attending the Traders Expo in Vegas, it’s nice to be back in Florida at the office. This year’s Traders Expo was held in one of the Bally’s convention areas. Admission was free, although registration at the check-in booth (or online) was required. Private conference rooms, filled with day traders and presenters, lined the hallway leading to the main exhibit area. Exhibit booths were inhabited by industry giants to lesser-known vendors, each looking to make the most out of the Expo experience.
NinjaTrader’s booth was one of the best. Three interactive stations were set up, allowing guests to see the power of NinjaTrader first hand and take the trading platform through its paces using live data. Some of the top NinjaTrader staff members were present. Ryan S. is of frequent assistance to the DTTW team whenever we have a NT question we can’t answer. John G., Vice President of Sales and Marketing, hospitably entertained his staff and guests to the booth using his visionary talents. Josh P., a walking encyclopedia of all things NinjaTrader, gave us the scoop on what’s in the pipeline for upcoming NinjaTrader releases.
Main Exhibit Area
Main Exhibit Area
Entryway to Exhibit Area
If you plan on attending the next Vegas Expo, wear comfortable shoes. Unless you’re at a booth, you’ll find the only public seating in front of slot machines. According to several repeat attendees, the number of booths and overall attendance was less than that of prior years, perhaps due to venue constraints or those opting to attend the next Traders Expo, planned for New York at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in mid-late February.
Who goes to Vegas just for the Traders Expo? Here are some non-day trading tips for making the most out of the experience:
- This should go without saying – always have plenty of cash on hand. Everyone expects a tip, from the bathroom attendants to the high rise window cleaners tapping on the pane in the wee hours.
- After snagging your belongings at baggage claim and heading out the door at the McCarran Airport, you may have to wait in line for 15 minutes or longer to get a cab. Instead, you might be able to find a limo driver inside the airport to expedite the trip.
- If you’re looking for show tickets, try your hotel’s guest services or find one of the discount ticket places on the trip. Try to get your tickets no later than 4:00 p.m.
- If the flashing lights, cigarette smoke and street promoters are becoming a bit much, consider renting a vehicle for a trip to the Hoover Dam, Death Valley or Grand Canyon.
- Use a site like Kayak.com to book your flight and hotel tickets. Hotel rates can more than double on the weekends. Also, the rates on these third-party sites are often reduced (because the official Hotel sites like to show the “prestige” of higher priced, regular stay costs).
DTW needs a booth somewhere.
NYC or NV.
I would man it for you with East Coast Nate ( of course).
Anyway, I would have liked to be there to check out the convention.
Maybe one of these years, soon.
Thanks a lot for the description of what takes place & how to come prepared.
N