Max Borges Agency has been attending CES for the past 16 years, and has an expert team that’s geared up to represent numerous clients on the show floor come January. Based on our years of experience launching hundreds of products at CES, we’ve compiled a list of the top 10 tips for brands looking for a successful CES experience in 2019
Say “yes” to the press event
“If launching a new product, attend either Pepcom or Unveiled (or both). This is when and where you’ll meet with the bulk of media attendees. CES is huge, so chances of getting a journalist to come by your booth during the show is much smaller than it is to get them to come by your table at one of the media preview events.” – Trisha Nieder, 3 years at CES
Craft a story that will break through the clutter
“Members of the media get 200+ new product pitches in their email every day, and hundreds more during CES week. No matter how innovative you think your story is, you’ll still need to put some effort in to cut through the clutter. Posting your press release and standing at your booth isn’t going to do it. Don’t expect media to stumble across your booth and want to hear all about your company. Craft a truly compelling story, identify the media that it will resonate with, and bring it to them.” – Brad Hobbs, 10 years at CES
Finalize your press materials & assets as early as possible
“Ensure all of your press messaging and assets are solidified by Thanksgiving, at the latest. After the holiday, journalists really start to set their sights on CES. Most brands aren’t ready yet. If you have your launch strategy, press messaging, and photo/video assets buttoned up, you can get relevant for journalists very quickly and stay top of mind as they consider new products for awards, and brands to visit on the show floor.” – Matt Shumate, 12 years at CES
Seed your press launch materials well in advance of CES
“Pre-launch is imperative, and the biggest key to success. Ideally, you’ve seeded your press release to the intended targets 1-2 weeks prior to CES.” – Meghan Petchel, 4 years at CES
Schedule time with media at the show in advance
“Begin reaching out for stop-bys as soon as the media list is released (usually in November). If you wait until December, you’re extremely far behind schedule and media members are likely booked.” – Trisha Nieder, 3 years at CES
Be flexible for journalists who can’t commit to meeting times
“Scheduling meetings at booths has become increasingly more difficult due to the size of the show and the long list of booths that media want to visit during the show. Most media will not be able to commit to a solid time (sometimes not even a date), so try to be as flexible as possible.” – Valerie Fuentes, 9 years at CES
Choose two spokespeople for the booth
“Choose two people to be the designated people to represent the brand/product on camera. It’s important those people are media trained, don’t get nervous in front of the camera, are personable and friendly, and show in-depth knowledge about the products. These opportunities tend to arise on the fly, so make sure everyone at the booth knows who those chosen spokespeople are.” – Valerie Fuentes, 9 years at CES
Have a technical spokesperson available for questions
“For any high-tech or more complex products, make sure to have a product engineer or technical person at the booth available to answer in-depth questions.” – Valerie Fuentes, 9 years at CES
Be aggressive & attentive at the booth
“On the show floor, make sure you know the color of the media badges and don’t be afraid to step out into the aisles and pull media members in.” – Meghan Petchel, 4 years at CES
Follow-up is essential
“You can lose out on great opportunities by failing to follow-up with journalists who’ve shown initial interest in your brand and/or product. Don’t assume the media you met with will remember your discussion, so touch base with them about a week after the show (or earlier if requested) with a succinct email thanking them for stopping by and letting them know you’re looking forward to working together in the future. Make it an opportunity to start a longer-term relationship.” – Lindsay Stuart, 5 years at CES
Check out A Step by Step Guide to Press Success at CES for an in-depth breakdown of the preparation process.
If you’re looking for media experts to help you at this year’s CES, we’re here to guide you through it. With our exclusive focus on consumer tech, we’ve launched hundreds of products at CES over the past 16 years. Contact bizdev@maxborgesagency.com to talk about signing up with us for a CES project.
