CES is the biggest consumer tech event of the year so whether you’re exhibiting or attending, ensuring your brand gets off to a flying start for 2023 is crucial.
Our extensive experience in helping brands boost their brand presence at CES over the years has given us clear insight into what works for raising your profile at CES. Here are 5 things you can do to make the most of your time at CES 2023:
Connect digitally when you meet physically
Business cards might feel a bit old school, but it is the easiest way to exchange contact information when you’re moving from venue to venue and having to do so quickly. You can give the business cards out, or just carry a few for people to take photos of – and ask to do the same for theirs. Another good option is to connect on LinkedIn via the QR code functionality on the mobile app.
Simply open up the app, tap the search bar on the top and click the QR code icon that appears in the top right. You can share your code for them to scan or easily scan their code in order to connect. (You can also download your QR code to use digitally or print it.)
No exhibitor stand? No problem
An exhibitor stand is hugely beneficial because it means you get proactively approached, but if you choose not to, we suggest having another space you can arrange to meet people. A private suite or attendance to events like Showstoppers and Pepcom as they are great for networking, meeting press and arranging partner meet-ups. When in doubt, everyone loves coffee while surviving CES and meeting for a cup will not be declined.
Schedule, schedule, schedule
Planning is the key to making the most of CES. Our top tips here are to get your meetings booked in advance (even informal catch-ups) and to plan your food and water intake due to the sheer scale of CES. It’s busy and no one wants to be hangry or light-headed. You can cover both by booking meetings at nearby coffee shops, the food court or canteen (or bar if you fancy it). Keep it in mind that many restaurants will be booked out for private events throughout the show by larger brands, so don’t rely on walk-in opportunities and be mindful of what is actually available in advance.
Don’t be late
You’ve scheduled the meeting and now you just need to get there. But running around like the stressed and chronically late white rabbit in Alice in Wonderland is not a good look. We expect CES to be much busier than last year and echo the CES volumes of previous years, so take travel time into consideration. If you’re walking, plan the route and leave extra time as Las Vegas is larger and more complicated to walk than Google Maps tells you. If you’re moving from venue to venue and using a taxi, we advise leaving at least 30 minutes to account for wait time and traffic.
Find innovative ways to be social
The evenings are as busy as the days – and everyone wants to make the most of every minute they have at CES. Arranging partner parties is a great way to meet lots of people all together, but be mindful of the events being arranged by the big players in the tech industry. Not only do you want your event to attract people but you might also want to secure an invite to those big events. We advise identifying other, innovative ways, time of day, or locations you could create an informal social situation for the people you want to meet at CES. Be creative!
If you’re off to CES and want to chat further about how we might be able to help you make the most of your time there, get in touch here.
