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Six Things Vehicle Technology and Mobility Suppliers Should Do Now to Rock PR at CES 2023

It’s that time of year again, time to start thinking about your company’s plans for CES 2023, which is primed for a big comeback this year.

Taking place Jan. 5-8, 2023, with Media Days Jan. 3-4, CES is the most influential tech event in the world, bringing together companies, including manufacturers, developers and suppliers of consumer technology, content, technology delivery systems and more to address the industry’s most relevant issues. And of course, it’s become one of the most important shows for the automotive industry in the world.

If your company is seeking PR opportunities at the show, which offers a lot of public relations and market attention opportunities, you must act fast.  

So, what do you need to start doing now to make sure next year’s CES is a PR success for your company?

Here are our top six suggestions:

1. Look back at CES’s past: If your company participated in CES before COVID 19, reflecting on how the show went for your company can go a long way to making your effort in 2023 even better. Start by gathering your planning team and reviewing: what worked; what didn’t work; what could we do better; what logistical problems did we face; what can we add; and what should we stop doing?

2. Secure your spot: Even with the added space of a new exhibit hall added in the past couple of years, CES exhibit space can fill up fast. Pre-pandemic, CES had 4,400 exhibitors vying for space, visitors and the attention of 6,500 media.

So, if you haven’t already saved your spot for 2023, contact the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) to lock down your space. From indoor and outdoor exhibits to set packages, the CTA team can help you develop a custom solution.

You may also want to talk now to CTA about meeting space, sponsorship opportunities, speaker proposal submissions and other special events you want to exploit during CES.

Beyond the show floor, CTA offers a variety of hospitality suites, exhibit suites and meeting rooms. These more private spaces will allow your company to conduct scheduled meetings or media interviews in a convenient and distraction-free location. We strongly recommend booking these facilities through CTA, as “outboarding” – trying to book a space for unsanctioned events during CES offsite – can get you banned from future CES events.

You can sign up to be notified when registration for the show opens here, and it’s never too early to think about booking your flights and hotel accommodations.

3. Produce a plan and update your partners: Next up, once you’ve secured your space, is to start working on defining your objectives and key messaging for CES 2023. Start with questions like: what’s our news; what products or technologies will we launch or showcase; do we have enough hard news for a press conference; what customers and/or partners might want to participate with us; and what can do we do ensure  we stand out in the crowd?

Once you have an answer to these questions, and your messaging and objectives have been defined, you can start building your PR, ad and social media strategies. This is a perfect time to connect yourself with PR and marketing agency partners that have significant experience with CES and similar B2B tradeshows.

4. Build your exhibit: With your objectives and messaging defined, now’s the time to meet with your exhibit team. Depending on booth size, this should begin several months prior to the show to prevent premium rush charges … and minimize your stress.

From initial concept to installation on the show floor, your exhibit house team can assist you with showcasing your company’s image, brand and products in the best way possible, and help your company shine amongst the thousands of other exhibiting companies at CES.

5. Assess and update your outreach list: You can have an amazing booth and the most creative CES event invitation, but that won’t mean anything if the invite doesn’t get to the right people to drive them to your event or booth.

Having a presence at CES is a big investment, so it’s important to have your team start cleaning up and expanding your prospect list now, so you’re not reaching out to the wrong people or scrambling right before the show. Try setting a goal to have your final, vetted prospect list complete by October 1. This will enable your team to focus on promotion and execution for the last two months prior to the show.

6. Research speaking opportunities: The CES content team receives a significant number of submissions each year for limited speaking slots. According to the CTA, the best submissions demonstrate how the speaker is a catalyst for innovation and change, and an influencer in the industry.

The CES content team makes selections based on the following criteria:

  • Concise objectives with actionable takeaways for attendees;
  • A unique take on the latest trends in technology that will inspire and educate;
  • A diverse voice and point of view; and
  • Shows engagement, mobilization and enthusiasm on the topic.

You can sign up here to be notified when the CES 2023 call for speakers opens. On this webpage, you can also see examples of some of the technology visionaries who presented at CES 2022.

With a hyper-competitive show like CES, you can’t leave your success to chance. Your competitors have already started their planning, so what are you waiting for?

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Note: During the next few months, we will be other installments of our CES 2023 blog series — offering practical, insightful information from our team to help automotive suppliers and mobility technology providers leverage their presence at CES to its fullest.

Author: Jaclyn Bussert

Jaclyn is a senior account executive at Bianchi PR with 10 years of B2B PR experience assisting and supporting our account teams in a variety of public relations activities.

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