At CES, where brands are all trying to outshine, out-smart and out-gadget each other, knowing how to spark real buzz is its own superpower. Just ask Jessica Shein, a Bospar senior account director and resident CES extraordinaire, who’s spent over a decade helping brands like Bio Bidet by Bemis, LendingClub and John Deere turn crowded aisles into center stage moments.
In this Expert Insights interview, Jessica reveals how brands can make the fast-approaching CES 2026 unforgettable, from crafting booth ideas that flush out the competition to press strategies that hit all the right notes.
With so many brands vying for attention, what separates a successful CES PR strategy from one that falls flat?
Brands, especially smaller ones, overlook the power of booth design and booth activations at CES. Anyone can pitch media outlets for meetings ahead of time or put out an event press release about what’s new at their booth. But not all brands have something they’re announcing at the event. It’s important to find an engaging way to get people to your booth and increase foot traffic.
Think of creative, out-of-the-box ideas that can get people to your booth beyond a free Starbucks gift card or a free portable charger, because that’s what every brand is doing. Whatever you decide should feel true to your brand and will entice people to interact with your booth.
For example, we designed and programmed a Las Vegas-themed, virtual slot machine for our client Bio Bidet’s booth, where CES attendees could win the company’s most expensive bidet toilet. While many other bidet brands go to CES, our activation helped us attract a lot of attendees who wanted to spin the slot machine. Once we had their attention, we were able to talk to them about Bio Bidet’s product line and what was new.
How has your PR strategy for CES 2026 evolved since the last CES?
Now, I recommend that clients attend CES Unveiled, a media event that happens the Sunday before CES. Because there are so many brands that attend CES every year, it’s getting harder to book media meetings and get coverage. That makes Unveiled more important than ever because it’s specifically dedicated to meeting with the media. Reporters visit exhibiting companies and learn about them. I’d argue that more media relationships are built at Unveiled than on the trade show floor because it’s tailored for those interactions.
While there is an additional fee that comes with this event, with the crowded space at CES, it’s good to look beyond just the traditional trade show floor, especially if a brand wants media coverage.
How soon should PR start pitching a brand’s CES story, and what kind of stories help them stand out in reporters’ inboxes?
As soon as the media list is available in the CES portal, typically around the start of December. That being said, you want to make sure you’re doing follow-ups right up until the event. While getting in a reporter’s inbox early is key, a follow-up is also crucial so you have many touchpoints, especially as CES gets closer.
Any way that companies can tie their product launch or what they’re showing at the event to trending data or news can help them stand out. A lot of articles come out on what journalists think is going to be hot at CES that year. If there’s a way to find those big picture themes and connect them to your products, do it. This year, wearable smart tech, like the Oura Ring, was really big, so there’s going to be a lot of competition launching around that at this upcoming CES. It’s good to connect the dots between new products and what’s trending because anyone can say, “We have a product launch,” but there should be a reason behind why it’s launching and ways that reporters can find the hook for their stories.
What mistakes do you see brands make most often when trying to secure CES media coverage?
Some brands hesitate to be persistent with the media. But this is where being “politely pushy” and working with a PR agency that can do it for you comes into play! Finding genuine ways to follow up, stay in reporters’ inboxes and get noticed is critical with CES. Everyone has access to the media list, which means numerous companies are pitching these journalists, so be diligent with follow-ups, even if it’s more times than you would for an average pitch.
Some of my best CES meetings have come from last-minute follow-ups. Those politely pushy tactics have gotten me some good results.
CES can be chaotic. How can brands stay focused and maximize their time on the show floor?
Have a schedule for each day. Keep an Excel grid with the day’s schedule, listing out media meetings and sales meetings. I even bake in lunch breaks because of how chaotic it gets.
Keep physical copies of important documents. For media meetings, I print out briefing documents and put them in the booth, which helps clients quickly see which reporter is coming, scan notes and stay on track. It’s best to not solely rely on phones to stay organized because things can go wrong that you may not account for: Wi-Fi at the convention center can be bad, or your phone may run out of battery.
If you want to visit other booths, plan it out in advance as much as possible. It’s always helpful to read preview articles that include any teasers on what’s going to be hot at CES. That helps people figure out what they want to see once they’re actually there.
What should brands do after CES to keep the momentum going and extend coverage beyond the event week?
Much of the relationship-building and coverage that comes from CES is due to the follow-up. It’s crucial to follow up as soon as the next Monday when you’re still fresh in the reporter’s mind. If they mentioned that they’re planning to write a story on your brand, then they’re going to remember you when you email them.
Also, keep track of the on-site meetings. Stay organized and move quickly once the show’s done. Many times, reporters will ask for samples or want to buy a specific unit, so you have to remember what each one requests. I always immediately jot these down, so I can send a personalized follow-up the next week and let them know their request is being handled.
What media coverage that resulted during or after a client’s CES appearance are you especially proud of?
In 2024, Bio Bidet was featured in Business Insider’s article on products they’re still thinking about a week after CES, which was a really big win. Reporter Dan DeFrancesco did a post-event piece on what stood out to him while there, so it was awesome that we were included.
Another reason this was a really big get is we had been pitching Business Insider for a meeting ahead of CES, but hadn’t locked anything down. So when Dan came to the booth, I introduced him to the clients, and they ended up having an impromptu interview. From that interaction, he included Bio Bidet in his story. This is why it’s so important to have a PR rep on site at CES because we’re going to keep an eye out and wrangle in those top-tier reporters, which resulted in that coverage.
What emerging trends or technologies are you most excited to see from CES 2026?
The wearable health space is rapidly evolving. While the Oura Ring is so huge, a lot of brands are developing their own alternatives for health tracking. It’ll be interesting to see what other brands come out with in that space.
