Large conventions how busy?

Planning our next Vegas vacation for the first week of 2014 from the 1st to the 5th the hotel rates are very reasonable then they jump way up so I looked a a convention schedule and the international CES convention starts on the 7 with 155,000 people coming in for it, my question, is Vegas going to be unbearably busy because of this, our is it going to be just busier then normal? we really enjoy Vegas a lot more when it is less busy. so we are thinking about leaving town early and checking out L.A for a couple of days what do you guys think?

Vegas is so big that a few hundred thousand people at a convention is hardly noticeable. We've been in town during just about every convention there is, including that one, and never noticed anything out of the ordinary. I wouldn't worry.

If Vegas will be a tad busier than normal that week, it will probably be because of the NYE crowd will still be in town and the first weekend of Jan is the last weekend before most people go back to work. Other than being on the strip NYE, the busiest I've seen Vegas was the first weekend of March Madness.

I've been there during CES. The area right around the convention center is nuts, so if you normally rent a car and drive on Paradise rather than the Strip, don't do it. Take Maryland instead.

Restaurants will defnitely be busy, especially the higher-priced ones, since people are typically on expense accounts and/or wining and dining clients. It would probably pay to eat at off hours. Maybe eat a really early dinner or very late lunch.

And I typically stay downtown, which generally doesn't have much CES traffic.

Thank you for all your helpful info. that's all we needed to make up our minds to stay in Vegas. but we will move downtown on the 6th, right now the downtown hotels are not taking res.. that far out, hoping to get a decent price at my favorite downtown casino MSS. I got a good rate at ballys for new years day through the weekend to Monday after that the price really starts to escalate.
wed $24
Thurs comp
Fri $44
sat$44
sun comp
Mon $94
Tues $184
I guess that's why I was thinking it would be nuts!! during the CES was in Vegas last year the week the kids had off for spring break and you could hardly walk on the strip. and Fremont street was jammed packed at night too..

I too believe that unless you're staying at a hotel/casino directly associated with the CES--like say Venetian/Palazzo etc (they're close to convention center) you probably won't notice. What DOES get busy is the airport and along with that air fares. Many people are flying OUT from NYE and many are flying IN for CES. This may or may not be a consideration for you. Also, the Rio, Palms, Gold Coast and Orleans may not get much action from the CES......along with the other Coast/Stations properties and the stand-alone places like Silverton and South Point.

I prefer not to be in Las Vegas when there is a convention that large. I do think it's noticeably busier.

If NYE has anywhere the crowds Memorial day weekend had then it will be busy. Mem. day weekend was a zoo all over town. It was by far the busiest and most crowded I have ever seen in LV.