The Eureka moment at CES
Stephanie Selesnick investigates consumer electronics show CES 2023 at Venetian Expo in Las Vegas
ES 2023 is one of ( if
C not ) the largest annual US exhibitions , held early January . This year ’ s edition had ( pre-verification ) 115,000 visitors , including 40,000 international visitors from 140 countries , 4,800 media and 3,200 exhibitors including 1,000 start-ups . They exhibited across 2.2m net square feet in multiple venues , and 60 % of US Fortune 500 companies were represented .
US exhibitions tend to have more display rules and regulations than elsewhere in the world , as well as unions to contend with . Business typically is more transactional rather than relationship based . Deals can be and are struck quite quickly .
Eureka Park , CES ’ s innovation area , housed many of the 1,000 new companies and a good number of those participated in country pavilions . CES has strict requirements for this popular section and successfully staged it on the first floor of the Venetian Expo . Those Eureka requirements include :
• If the owners of the company dream that their technology would benefit consumers one day , then they belong in Eureka Park .
• If a company has launched its first product , it must have been launched on or after the prior calendar year . Any start-ups with products that launched before then are not considered .
• Crowdfunding campaigns , pre-orders and beta stage are allowed .
• The product or service must be innovative with the potential to make a profound impact on the market .
• The technology must be demonstrable as a prototype or software mock-up , no paper or concept entries .
• Must be a first-time exhibitor or fit the criteria once again for a maximum of two years .
I spoke with four country pavilion organisers about recruiting and training exhibitors for CES and discovered some similarities and a few differences . Inflation was a factor , and some made mention of the increased prices of exhibiting over past years .
The country pavilions I investigated were : Israel , The Netherlands , Switzerland , and Ukraine . Participation is partially to wholly subsidised and it is ‘ plug and play ’. In other words , upon arrival exhibitors can simply plug in their gear they ’ re ready to exhibit . Organisers were smart in offering exhibitor elevator pitch and / or media training .
Israel . Ms . Yardin Zinger , director of digital media-retail and sport sectors , Israel Export Institute , and I met on an extremely busy pavilion . She said since the country has participated in CES for over ten years , “ It ’ s a known place for investors and buyers to find great
Stephanie Selesnick
innovative technology to buy or invest in .” The 21 exhibiting companies were , she said , “ all start-ups from different industries , ranging from A . I . -run home and office gardens , to voice recognition software for those in medical distress , to data storage solutions , and more .”
Recruiting for the pavilion is first-come , first-served and sells out quickly . Two months before the show , the team works with exhibitors on their elevator pitches , one-pagers for investors ( 19 of the companies were seeking second or third round investors ), and KPI ’ s / goals .
The country uses its network of Israel ’ s 50 Foreign Trade Administration ’ s global offices and commercial attaches to help promote the CES Pavilion . They also work with the Export Institute which shares intelligence on prospective buyers and investors for exhibitors to set up at-show meetings ahead of the event .
The Netherlands . The Netherlands considers itself to be a country of innovation . With 40 companies in Eureka Park and another 30 in a separate country pavilion upstairs , the orange and navy-blue colours
18 Issue 1 2023 www . exhibitionworld . co . uk