5 Ways to Make a Media Impact at CES in 2026
CES is arguably the most influential consumer technology show in the world, setting the trends and highlighting the brands that will define the coming year. That also makes it one of the best platforms for meaningful exposure that a tech company can ask for; exhibitors have an opportunity to make real, face-to-face impressions on tens of thousands of interested buyers, investors, and journalists. It is only by capturing the attention of this latter group through an effective media strategy that you can maximize the full potential of your CES exhibition.
Winning coverage for any trade show can breed anticipation before the event opens and spur new conversation long after it closes, turning a four-day event into a long-term asset for your brand. The challenge, of course, is attracting journalists’ attention among the thousands of competing exhibitors. What follows are five best practices for attracting and amplifying media coverage at CES in 2026.
1. Start Pitching in December
Outreach to the media should begin long before January 6 or even January 1. Journalists plan their CES coverage weeks in advance, and waiting until the week of the event to capture their attention will be far less fruitful. You will do best to send out embargoed press materials while journalists are selecting their stories in December. Accompanying this with non-embargoed “teaser” materials can win additional “what-to-expect” coverage that builds public anticipation ahead of the show.
2. Use High-Quality Visual Assets
Both journalists and their readers love a good visual. Images make an impression and capture the imagination far quicker than even the cleverest headline and, since journalists and readers alike have hundreds of stories coming their way, will often determine whether your story is given a second glance. Professional photography, video, or 3D renders that capture your offering are more than worth the investment.
3. Tell a Newsworthy Story
More or less every one of the four-thousand-odd exhibitors at CES is making a product announcement. This means that making yet another product announcement does not exactly qualify for a gripping headline. To make your media pitches stand out, you must place your announcement within the context of a newsworthy story. Does it tackle a problem no one else is talking about? What new trend does it tie into, and how does it progress the change? Making it obvious why journalists and the public should care makes it much easier for them to do so.
4. Prepare to Talk
You should be ready to engage with journalists the moment they pick up your story. This means selecting designated spokespeople who are prepared to give clean, quotable, coherent messaging on the spot. A consistent message map with key talking points and answers to common or difficult questions is crucial here. Spokespeople should then be made available for interviews or off-the-record meetings ahead of, during, and after the show. The result is personal but consistent media coverage that reinforces your most important messages.
5. Amplify Your Coverage
Coverage is ultimately a means to an end. And while quality media coverage generates broad and meaningful awareness on its own, you can greatly extend the value of each placement by actively putting it to use. Social media reposts, retrospective blogs, company newsletters, paid amplification, and in-the-news pages on your website can turn one day’s headline into an asset that lends credibility and prestige for weeks, months, or even years after the publication date.
Bottom Line
CES offers a unique environment where thousands of journalists are actively searching for stories to amplify. Taking advantage of that opportunity, however, means having a media strategy that can cut through the noise. The tech companies that make proactive outreach, thorough preparation, and deliberate amplification their priority may find their exhibition remains a topic of conversation deep into 2026.
Be sure to check out our other blogs on useful and interesting public relations topics, like a free white paper that explains how to get cited by AI.
