CES isn’t just another event — it’s the global stage where tech brands prove themselves. And if you’re Googling how to prepare for CES 2026, you’re already ahead of half the exhibitors who wait too long to plan.
This guide outlines proven marketing strategies to help you stand out.
- Define Your Story Before You Touch Your Booth Design
Your CES marketing strategy begins with your narrative. If someone stops at your booth for ten seconds, what’s the one thing they should remember? This single insight shapes your demo, booth design, and messaging. Clear stories cut through CES noise.
Here’s how to get there:
- What problem does your tech solve?
This is where most companies overcomplicate things. They talk about features, specs, and engineering wins — but attendees care about impact. When you define the problem clearly, your product becomes the answer instead of just another gadget. A strong problem statement makes everything else easier: your pitch, your landing page, your press messaging, even your social content. - Why does it matter right now?
CES is all about timing. Trends shift fast — AI today isn’t the AI of last year, sustainability expectations grow, user behavior evolves. Connecting your product to what the market is currently feeling — inconvenience, inefficiency, waste, safety concerns, speed, lifestyle shifts — gives your tech urgency. If you can answer “Why now?”, you instantly move from interesting to essential. - What’s the headline YOU want people to repeat?
Think of this as your CES soundbite. Attendees won’t walk away remembering your entire demo, but they will repeat a single, sticky line. This becomes the phrase journalists quote, investors latch onto, and booth visitors use when describing you to colleagues that night. Craft it intentionally — it should be simple, bold, and memorable enough that anyone can repeat it without getting it wrong.
This is one of the most overlooked CES exhibitor tips — without a focused message, even the most expensive booth blends into the noise. Your narrative is the foundation of every marketing touchpoint.
- Build Pre-Show Awareness to Drive Booth Traffic
If you want to show up strong, you can’t rely on foot traffic alone. If people are searching:
- “CES 2026 new tech”
- “companies to see at CES”
- “CES product launches”
Your brand should appear in those searches before your booth opens.
Your CES pre-show marketing should include:
- Teaser videos
A teaser isn’t meant to explain — it’s meant to spark curiosity. Keep it short, visual, and emotion driven. Show just enough of the product or technology to make people wonder what’s coming. The goal is simple: get CES attendees thinking about your brand before they ever see your booth. Think of teaser content as the trailer, not the movie. - Thought leadership
CES is full of product announcements, but what truly elevates a brand is its perspective. Thought leadership lets you shape the conversation before the show even begins. Share insights on the market problem, trends you’re addressing, or predictions for where the category is heading. When you position your team as the brains behind the innovation, attendees walk into your booth with trust already built. - A CES landing page
This is your digital “home base” for the show. It should clearly communicate what you’re unveiling, why it matters, and what visitors can expect at your booth. Include visuals, messaging, signup options, and ways to learn more. Most importantly: optimize it for the exact CES-related searches people are making. If someone Googles your brand after seeing a teaser, this is where they should land. - Email warmups
Your current audience — customers, investors, early adopters, partners — should never learn about your CES presence from social media. Warm them up with a series of emails that build excitement, reveal hints, and share what they can expect. These sequences create familiarity and anticipation, making your booth a must-visit stop for people who already believe in what you’re building. - Early press outreach
Reporters can’t cover what they don’t know exists. Reaching out early helps you secure embargoed coverage, booth visits, and interview slots before their schedules fill up. Press loves clarity, relevance, and simplicity — give them a reason to care now, not once they’re overwhelmed on the show floor. A little early effort goes a long way toward meaningful CES visibility.
When attendees already know who you are, your booth becomes a destination — not an accident.
- Create a Booth Experience People Will Talk About
A common search we see is “best CES booth ideas” — because exhibitors want inspiration.
But here’s the real insight: You don’t need a flashy build. You need a memorable experience.
Think:
- Hands-on demos
People don’t want to hear that your product works — they want to feel it. A hands-on demo creates a physical connection that no graphic or slide ever could. When attendees touch, tap, test, or interact with your tech, they instantly understand its value. This makes your booth memorable and creates moments they’ll describe to others throughout the show. - Live results
Live results create trust. Whether it’s real-time analytics, instant device feedback, or an AI model running on-the-spot, nothing builds credibility like showing the tech in action. It also anchors your pitch in proof, not promises. The more real-time the demonstration feels, the more confidence attendees place in what you’ve built. - Interactions worth filming
CES attendees — especially press and influencers — are constantly looking for content. If your booth offers an interaction that looks visually impressive or emotionally engaging on camera, you naturally attract shareable moments. Think of it like this: the more “phone comes out of pocket” moments you create, the more organic reach your brand gets without spending a dime. - Simple, fast explanations
You have about 7–10 seconds before someone decides whether they’ll stay or walk away. This is where clarity wins. Boil your messaging down to one simple, human explanation anyone can understand. If someone has to “decode” your pitch, you’ve already lost them. CES rewards brands that communicate quickly, cleanly, and without jargon. - Something surprising
The floor is filled with LED walls, slick banners, and polished demos — so the unexpected stands out. A surprising moment doesn’t have to be loud or gimmicky; it just has to break the pattern. That could be an unexpected use case, a dramatic reveal, a visual transformation, or even a human moment that feels different from the typical trade show script. Surprise creates curiosity, and curiosity drives deeper conversations.
Don’t decorate — engage.
That’s the essence of a great CES booth experience.
- Train Your Team Like They’re Part of Your Launch Strategy
Even the strongest CES marketing strategy fails if your booth team isn’t aligned.
Your staff should know:
- Your one-sentence positioning
Your team should be able to explain what you do in one clear sentence — no jargon, no run-ons, no tech-speak. This becomes their verbal “anchor” during the chaos of CES. If a stranger can understand your value instantly, you’ve already won. Consistent positioning prevents mixed messages and ensures every visitor leaves with the same, memorable takeaway.
- Your demo script
A great demo isn’t improvised — it’s rehearsed. Your script shouldn’t sound robotic, but it should guide your team through the story, the problem, the solution, and the moment of “aha.” A tight demo script keeps conversations on track, prevents rambling, and ensures every attendee experiences your product the way you intended. It also keeps messaging consistent across different team members and time slots.
- Who qualifies as a real lead
Not everyone who visits your booth is worth the follow-up. Your team needs a simple checklist that defines a “real lead” — buyer, partner, investor, press, retailer, distributor, or strategic collaborator. Clear criteria save time, reduce post-show clutter, and help your sales and marketing teams focus on people who move the needle. Lead quality > lead quantity.
- How to direct press or partners
CES is full of media, analysts, influencers, and potential strategic partners — and the worst thing you can do is let them wander off before talking to the right person. Your team should know exactly who handles press conversations, who handles partnership discussions, and how to instantly route people to the right expert. Smooth handoffs make your brand look polished, prepared, and genuinely professional.
Human connection beats jargon every time.
People don’t remember slides — they remember people.
- Build a Lead Capture System That Makes Follow-Up Easy
Anyone searching “CES lead generation strategy” is usually tired of messy spreadsheets.
Before CES begins, define:
- what a hot lead looks like
- what questions your team collects
- how leads get tagged (investor, partner, buyer, media)
- how to score or qualify them
- how they flow into your CRM
Your future self will thank you.
- Prepare Your Post-CES Follow-Up Before You Fly to Vegas
Now here’s a huge mistake we see:
Brands wait to build their post CES follow-up strategy until AFTER the show. By then, your leads have cooled.
Before CES even starts, prepare:
- your thank-you email
- your recap
- your product one-pager
- your demo invite
- your remarketing audiences
- your nurture sequence
Follow-up should begin the moment the show ends.
- Treat Your Product Reveal Like a Moment That Will Be Filmed
People search for:
- “CES product launch tips”
- “how to launch at CES”
The key? Make your reel feel intentional, emotional, and camera-friendly.
Plan:
- who delivers the message
- how long it lasts (shorter is better)
- the visual moment
- the language that lands
- how you’ll capture it for social
Content from CES lasts year-round — if you plan it.
- Decide Your Success Metrics Before the Show
Skip vanity metrics like “booth traffic.”
People who Google “CES ROI” want to measure what matters.
Track:
- qualified conversations
- demo requests
- investor interest
- media interactions
- post-show conversions
- remarketing engagement
- time-to-meeting
Numbers tell the truth — feelings don’t.
- Work With Partners Who Understand Tech, CES, and Demand Gen
CES is intense.
Tech marketing is too.
You need partners who speak both languages.
At Marketing Maven, we support tech brands with:
- CES demand generation strategy
- booth engagement planning
- pre-show and post-show amplification
- PR tuned to tech audiences
- content repurposing
- remarketing setups
- CRM workflows
If you’re putting your innovation on the biggest stage in tech, you deserve a marketing partner who knows how to maximize the moment.
The brands that win aren’t the ones with the biggest budgets.
They’re the ones that show up prepared, intentional, strategic, and human.
CES 2026 is coming fast.
Let’s make sure you walk in confident — and walk out with momentum. Contact info@marketingmaven.com to make a lasting impression at CES this year.