CES 101: Most Common Questions about CES
The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is a massive annual expo that takes place every January in Las Vegas, NV. Known for debuting some of the most innovative technology, products, and software, the event garners thousands of exhibitors and attendees every year who are aiming to showcase the latest and greatest from their brands.
Deciding to attend, participate or even exhibit at CES is no small decision. It’s a costly investment to participate, but can be equally as rewarding with strategic planning to maximize your attendance.
If you’re on the fence about attending CES, we’ve answered the most common questions brands are asking and shared our recommendations to help you decide.
Is CES actually worth attending for my brand?
Yes - CES is worth it when your attendance is strategic. Simply showing up on the show floor is not enough to drive real return on your investment. Instead, it’s important to build a strategic plan for your participation and then customize your marketing activations around that plan.
For example, ask yourself why you are considering attending. Are you looking to increase awareness of your brand? Are you planning to launch a new product? Do you want to drive new leads and find potential customers or partners? These questions can guide how you should activate at CES, what channels will drive the best results and how to effectively market your attendance.
What should our goals be for CES?
Goals can vary for every exhibitor attending CES. It’s always important to start with your business goals and understand how CES participation can align with those. If you’re launching a new product, consider goals for securing media interest at the show that drives coverage in a target publication. For those looking to expand their networks, set goals around new connections, meet-and-greet opportunities and follow-up meetings to focus on building your network. If your goal is strictly awareness, consider activating marketing channels (owned, earned and paid) to position yourself in front of other show attendees and measure engagement, performance and overall awareness. By starting with those business goals, you can determine how CES ladders up to overall business success and outcomes.
Should we exhibit, attend or do both?
Your goals can dictate what makes the most sense for your brand. If you’re just starting out without a product or software ready to debut, attending could be a strong option that doesn’t require as high of an investment as exhibiting. During your attendance, you can make introductions to potential partners or scout out competitors to understand what else is working in your industry and how they are marketing their products or services.
If your brand is ready to launch and CES is the stage that can make it happen, then exhibiting is a strong choice. You can showcase your branding, offer a location to demo products, and garner foot traffic throughout the week.
Many brands choose to do both, having an on-site booth team that represents the brand, while sending sales and networking teams to maximize time on the show floor. A customized approach that is built around your brand and its goals will typically yield the best results.
What should we budget for beyond the booth?
Beyond the booth, there are few key items that exhibitors should budget for.
Travel: Transportation, lodging and food should all be factored into attendance. Booking travel and hotels early can help offset higher costs, while scouting affordable food options can ensure your team is well fed during the event.
Shipping: Products, swag, equipment and more all must be shipped. It’s important to factor these into costs as part of your setup.
Marketing: From social media to on-site PR support, marketing for CES should have its own budget to ensure your booth and your investment gets the recognition and awareness that it deserves.
How do we make the most of our time at CES?
You must plan ahead to make the most of your time at CES. From booth design to generating PR and media interest on the showfloor, planning ahead allows you to take advantage of all the opportunities that CES can afford you.
Pre-show promotion is critical to ensure target audiences, such as your network, customers, partners and prospects, know that you’ll be in attendance and where they can find you. Offering sneak peeks at products or other news from the show can build excitement and curiosity, enticing media interest, as well as consumers.
Once you’re at the show, the work shouldn’t stop. Spotlighting your booth across owned channels like social media can help fans not at the show follow along with your news and updates. Additionally, ensuring you’re able to capture any leads, introductions or connections will help you capitalize on your show-floor conversations after the event has wrapped.
Lastly, keep the momentum going after CES ends. Share recaps of your time at the event, follow up with press that you met with during the expo, schedule meetings with new connections. With a strategic approach, CES can open so many doors for brands.
Have more questions? We can help. As a CES PR agency, we’ve guided dozens of brands through CES strategy and execution to ensure they maximize their investment. If you’re looking for a partner to help you plan ahead and make the most of your time in Las Vegas, drop us a line at ignite@thesparkteam.com and let’s talk.
