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CES2022 PR Planning Forward: 5 Noteworthy Data Points

With just over two months left until the show, CES planning is in full swing. With the event going virtual in 2021 and returning to in-person (with proof of vaccination) for 2022, it’s challenging to predict how attendance will exactly turn out.

But early indication looks to be positive, especially for automotive and mobility companies.

As mentioned in our “Top 9 CES2022 PR Lessons for Automotive & Mobility Suppliers” post, the show’s host, the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), said that the number of exhibitors signed up for the Transportation and Vehicle Technology category has already surpassed the record number from the last in-person event, CES2020, by May 2021 … and that more suppliers and brands continue to sign up as the U.S. opens up as COVID19 vaccinations continue.

Key insights can also be gleaned from looking back. The audited data from the virtual CES2021 show offered a number of data points that may be helpful to the automotive and mobility technology companies who plan to leverage PR at CES2022.

Here are five data surprises we found in The Global Impact of CES2021 attendance summary:

Attendance is still hard to predict. While some conferences and shows are seeing success as they return to in-person events, some companies remain cautious about travel. But based on prior years’ data and the pent-up demand for people to meet, in-person show attendance should remain fairly strong. In comparing attendance from the show’s last two in-person events (2019 and 2020), attendance somewhat consistent, with 175,212 in 2019 and 171,268 in 2020, when COVID-19 was first hitting China.

CES boasts a growing, diverse audience. Looking at the data, the CES show continues to become increasingly global – a real positive for automotive technology suppliers trying to expand their customer base and global presence.

  • CES2020 reported that 35.4% of attendees came from outside the United States, with China, South Korea, Japan, Canada and France showing the most attendance.
  • A year later, CES2021 reported 46% of its audience was international, with visitors from 167 countries, regions and territories in virtual attendance.

Media attendance continues to be strong. Despite the shrinking number of attendees, media interest in the show continues to remain strong. And with the return to an in-person event in 2022, you can expect more media attention than ever, as reporters want to be where the action and the players are.

  • CES2020 reported 6,517 verified media, while virtual CES2021 reported 5,535 verified media; a 15% decrease … which, again, is remarkable when you consider that while virtual events are better than nothing, there’s nothing like meeting newsmakers and sources in person and experiencing hardware and software in real life.
  • Something interesting to note is 58% of CES2021 media were international reporters. So, as in past years, there are few shows that offer better potential for international media coverage, given a compelling story, the right PR approaches and an experienced PR agency partner.

Strong female voices. According to CES2021 data, 54% of the conference keynote speakers were female and this trend will likely continue. The event boasted more than 47 hours of conference programing through 88 sessions that received more than 300 million views.

At CES2022, one of the keynote speakers will be General Motors chair and CEO Mary Barra. For PR practitioners looking to place their female leaders in highly visible thought leadership positions, CES is one of the world’s largest stages.

CES continues to generate a TON of news. Per CES2021 data, a total of 165,000 stories appeared in 13,613 outlets. Claiming the title as the world’s most influential technology event, the number of vehicle technology brands and exhibitors that have signed up to participate at CES 2022 had already set a record by June.

But as the show expands, including new automotive space in the new LVCC West Hall , so does the competition and the jockeying for media and attendee attention. More than 180 companies from the transportation and vehicle tech industry have committed to the show, including GM, Daimler AG, Fisker, Turing Auto, Waymo and more.

With more vehicle-related companies involved than ever before, all trying to catch the eye of top journalists covering the industry at the show, it is essential to avoid missteps in your CES planning if you want to maximize your time … and maximize your considerable investment of resources.

If you’re looking for tips on how to break through the CES clutter, check out Check out our “Five Mistakes Automotive and Vehicle Tech Suppliers Make During CES Prep” post.

If you’re interested in the full The Global Impact of CES2021 attendance summary, please visit: https://cdn.ces.tech/ces/media/pdfs/2021/ces-2021_by-the-numbers.pdf

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Author: Adriana Van Duyn

Adriana is an account supervisor at Bianchi PR with 17 years of B2B PR experience representing clients across multiple industries.

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