Your browser is out-of-date!

Update your browser to view this website correctly. Update my browser now

×

Shapiro Talks ‘The Comeback’ At Samsung Experience

New York – Gary
Shapiro, president/CEO of the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), and now
best-selling author of “The Comeback,” promoted his book at an appropriate
venue Tuesday night: the Samsung Experience at the Time Warner Center.

Shapiro visited
with media and assorted guests prior to the main event of the evening, a
conversation with technology correspondent Daniel Sieberg.

“The Comeback,”
which debuted during

International
CES

in January, and has appeared on the

New
York Times’ Best-Seller list

, discusses the role innovation can play in
changing key policy issues — free-trade agreements, lower corporate taxes,
less government spending and open immigration.

Shapiro spoke with
Sieberg about many of the issues he discusses in the book, which outlines a
strategy for economic recovery that is led by innovation. Shapiro argues in
“The Comeback” that America is in decline; the current generation is failing
its children by excessive federal spending and a reluctance to make hard
choices. And Shapiro is bipartisan by placing blame on both major parties for
the current situation, but urging that it is not too late if the U.S. is using
innovation as a plan.

In a conversation
with TWICE during the reception and in the Q&A with Sieberg, Shapiro
commented on recent events in the news.

When asked about
the effects of the Japanese earthquake and tsunami on the CE supply chain, he noted,
“I’ve been in touch with [CEA] members. Production of key components [for CE
products] have been affected … but it is still too early to say what the [long-term] effects might be” on the marketplace.

Sieberg asked
about the approval of the AT&T / T-Mobile merger, and Shapiro reminded his
audience that he started his career as an antitrust lawyer, noting, “Clearly
the big winner will be Apple.” But he quipped, “I have no idea if [the merger] will be approved.”

Shapiro did note
that with this type of merger there is always talk of “price fixing” and that,
in general, “more competition is better.” He thinks that with the approval of
the Comcast/NBC Universal merger, anti-merger activists would be “motivated” to
block this merger.

But, after “a lot
of debate” on the merger, Shapiro believes that there is a “60/40 chance” that
the merger will occur.

As for the
location of last night’s event,

The Samsung Experience

is an interactive showroom — not a retail store — at the Time Warner Building
that highlights the brand and, more importantly, Samsung’s newest products was
an excellent backdrop to discuss the concept of innovation.

In a conversation
with David Steel, strategic marketing senior VP for Samsung, Shapiro was
impressed with the showroom but couldn’t believe it was the first time he had
visited the location.

Featured

Close