Getting press coverage at CES isn’t about having the best product. It’s about understanding how journalists work — and playing a longer game than most startups realize. Barry recently joined Anna Khomenko on the Startup Dials podcast to share his approach.
Barry Myers on Startup Dials with Anna Khomenko — “Press at CES: Behind the Pitch That Gets Coverage”
CES is the biggest consumer tech event on the planet — and one of the most competitive environments for earned media. Thousands of brands descend on Las Vegas every January competing for the attention of a few hundred journalists who are overbooked, overstimulated, and working on deadline from the moment they land.
Most startups approach it the wrong way. They show up with a great product, a rehearsed pitch, and an expectation of immediate coverage — and leave wondering why nothing landed. The brands that consistently get covered think about CES completely differently.
Barry joined Anna Khomenko on the Startup Dials podcast to break down what a smart CES PR strategy actually looks like — from how you think about journalists before you arrive to what you do after the show ends.
What the Episode Covers
Key Takeaways
- Treat it as relationship-building first, coverage opportunity second. The first impression you make on a journalist at CES is the foundation of a relationship you need to cultivate over time. Most coverage doesn’t happen at CES — it happens because of CES, weeks or months later, when a journalist who met you remembers you exist.
- Understand it’s a 24-hour exercise. CES doesn’t stop when the show floor closes. Dinners, parties, hallway conversations — some of the most valuable press interactions happen outside of official hours. Treating it as a 9-to-5 commitment means leaving real opportunities on the table.
- Collaborate with influencers. Press and influencers serve different audiences, but both matter at CES. Influencers who cover your product on the show floor create immediate content amplification that traditional press coverage rarely delivers on the same timeline. Don’t choose between them — work both.
- Create your own content. Your brand should be producing content at CES — social posts, short videos, behind-the-scenes coverage. Don’t rely entirely on others to tell your story. You were there. Show it.
- Consider skipping the booth. A booth is expensive, time-consuming, and not always the best use of your CES budget. For many startups, a well-executed suite strategy or targeted press meeting schedule delivers better ROI than a booth that journalists may never find.
- Respect how busy journalists are — and make it easy for them. A journalist at CES is juggling dozens of meetings and a filing deadline. Make sure anyone who wants to find you can — booth number, suite location, contact info, product specs. Friction kills coverage opportunities.
- Follow up. The pitch doesn’t end when CES ends. A timely, personalized follow-up after the show — referencing your actual conversation — is often what converts an introduction into a story.
- Be brief, but be persistent. A concise, well-timed pitch that respects a journalist’s constraints will always outperform a detailed one that demands too much attention. One email rarely does it — respectful persistence is part of the game.
The common thread across all of it: successful CES PR is really just good relationship management applied to a high-pressure, high-stakes environment. The brands that treat journalists and influencers as long-term partners — rather than one-time targets — consistently come out ahead.
If you’re planning to exhibit at CES and want to make the most of your media and influencer opportunity, this episode is worth 30 minutes of your time.
Planning your CES strategy? Techfluence has been inside the consumer tech media world for over 20 years — including 20+ CES events.
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