As is tradition now just after the New Year, 2025 started with one of the biggest business events of the year: CES. For a week or more, the biggest brands in the country showed off their latest and greatest to anyone who wanted to show up. I wasn’t there, but I feel like I was given the amount of coverage and discussion of the event that circulated legacy and social media.

As a professional communicator, my major takeaway from the conference is always a bit of PTSD. You see, I’ve had plenty of clients and former employers over the years who have tried to stand out at major events like CES. It’s really, really hard to do. I put myself in the shoes of all the people behind the scenes at CES, competing for eyeballs and attention for the innovations that truly deserve to be covered, and I empathize with them because most of them won’t achieve the spike they’re hoping for. It’s sad, really, but a relative handful of media organizations are tasked with covering literally thousands of companies with an ever-shrinking amount of news hole. It’s just simple math.
That said, I’ve learned that there are some ways for companies to stand out at major events like these. They include:
Meal engagements. I believe that the real power of a major event is that it affords people of all kinds who don’t normally congregate the chance to get together and talk. No matter the conference, there’s nothing like meeting people one-to-one and having a frank, open conversation. And there’s nowhere better to do this than at breakfast or dinner. I’ve had success putting on big breakfast events with fully catered, hot food – everyone’s looking for a full belly at the start of a long day, and it’s usually a good opportunity to give people a short dog and pony show. Dinners, then, are usually for deeper discussions with a small number of people.
Individual Meetings. Taking the interpersonal concept to the next level, I believe that the 1:1 relationships that come from a conference are often more valuable than the pile of scanned-badge sales leads companies come away with. As a result, my job is to book my calendar (and the execs I’m at a conference with) as full as possible with media, analysts and other VIPs.
Sticky booth spaces and entertainment. At major conventions, people wandering around want places where they can sit down…charge their phone…enjoy a refreshment…or grab a piece of swag that they can’t find anywhere else. In my experience, companies that invest in extra space simply for couches and relaxation areas are the ones that generate the most traffic. I’ve also seen booth spaces with magicians, race cars and free cocktails do well. It’s a simple concept – take care of people, and they’ll take care of you.
It's much easier said than done, but success at major events like CES is more about relationships forged and experiences given than impressions generated. Keep that in mind as you’re planning your next big activation.
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