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Five Things Auto Suppliers and Vehicle Technology Providers Need to Do Now for A Successful CES

Auto suppliers and vehicle technology companies seeking PR opportunities, take note: CES is back (taking place Jan. 5-8, 2022, with Media Days Jan. 3-4) and it offers a lot of public relations and market attention opportunities, but you have to act fast.  

So what do you need to do NOW to make sure the world’s largest business-to-business trade show is a PR success for your company?

Here are our top five things to start doing right now to help make CES 2022 a rousing PR success:

1. Look back at CES 2020: With CES 2021 being an all-virtual show, you’ll have to look back to recall how things went at CES 2020 when it was last an in-person event. Looking back, if your company participated, can go a long way to making 2022 even better. Start by gathering your planning team and ask yourselves: what worked; what didn’t; what could be done better; what logistical problems did we face; what else can we do; and what should we stop doing.

2. Save your spot: Although CES is large show with a lot of exhibit space, it fills up fast. If you have already secured your spot for 2022, great! If not, contact the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) to get your spot. From indoor and outdoor exhibits to set packages, the CTA team will work with you on a custom solution. While the Las Vegas Convention Center has added a new West Hall, where automotive and vehicle technology exhibitors will be grouped, for CES2022, there are already a record number of vehicle technology suppliers signed up, so the longer you wait, the fewer options you will have.

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. Booking these facilities through CTA is advised, 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. Create a plan and notify your partners: Once you’ve secured your spot and have started working on the logistics, it’s time to determine your objectives and key messaging for CES 2022.

Start by asking yourself 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; and how can 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 partners that have significant experience with CES and similar tradeshows.

4. Meet with your exhibit team: Having your objectives and messaging defined will better prepare you to meet with your exhibit house team. Depending on booth size, this should begin several months prior to the show.

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

5. Review and update your prospect email list: Having a presence at CES is a big investment. However, an expensive booth and the most creative CES event invitation will fall flat, if your invitation does not get to the right people to drive them to your event or booth.

Have your team start cleaning up and expanding your prospect list now so you’re not scrambling right before the show. Try setting a goal to have your final, cleaned-up 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.

With a competitive show like CES, don’t leave your success to chance. Don’t wait to start your planning, as odds are your competitors have already started. What are you waiting for?

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During the next few months, we will be other installments of our CES2022 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.

You might also be interested in:

• How to Maximize Your Exhibit Success at CES
• Automotive Technology PR Specialists