Sean Hannam, editor of ERTonline.co.uk. the leading business to business web news portal for the electrical retailing industry, gives advice on how to impress the media at CES.
CES is now, without a doubt, the most significant technology show in the world. It’s the place for manufacturers, retailers, distributors, buyers and the media to come together to find out what’s hot in the global consumer electronics sector. And, for exhibitors hoping to be noticed by the myriad international press, it’s important to ensure that your offering stands out from the crowd.
As a journalist, I’m looking for several ‘hard news’ stories from CES. As well as giving an in-depth review of the show, and posting blogs live from the event, I’m expected to provide multimedia content such as video reports or audio. Trawling the show floors, I’ll conduct interviews with exhibitors, some of which have been arranged in advance with UK PR contacts. So, as well as making the most of your contacts and coordinating these meetings, make sure you’ve got someone ‘media-savvy’ on your stand who can talk confidently and doesn’t mind speaking on camera.
Similarly, if you’ve got a fun, eye-catching or off-the-wall product, be sure to demonstrate it to visitors and the media. Anything visual will attract attention and, crucially for many press, will also look great on camera.
With the web, immediacy is key, particularly with a new type of reporting – namely blogging – and the proliferation of tech websites out there. Everyone wants to be first with a story online, so press conferences and press rooms will turn into a frenzied display of tech journos and gadget geeks all trying to upload their stories to the web while cursing the limitations of the free Wi-Fi set up. Not surprisingly, we’re all looking for exclusives – which, of course, we won’t get from press conferences – so, think about giving an exclusive to a key publication that will be of interest to your target audience.
I always get excited about CES, because I get to see the high-tech kit that will be found on retailers’ shelves in the year ahead – and further into the future. And this year, I’ll be looking forward to seeing what the British technology industry has to offer, courtesy of the UKTI showcase at CES Unveiled.
