Prep like a Pro for CEDIA Expo How to: Prep for CEDIA Expo Like a Pro
We’re experiencing the same level of disbelief as you are. It’s only the beginning of August and the countdown to our industry’s next biggest tradeshow, CEDIA Expo, has already begun. You may be asking yourself: Where did the summer go? How do I best prepare my company for the upcoming show? For that first question, your guess is as good as ours…however, for the second question, now that we can help with.
The pandemic robbed many in our industry of the ability to travel for work, deepen connections, meet face-to-face, see colleagues, and make new ones. To understand just how big of a deal attending CEDIA Expo in 2022 will be, it’s worthwhile to read about success other shows have had this year, including InfoComm 2022. CEDIA Expo may be the first time many of us have been at a large-scale event, and anticipation for the show, and all it will bring, is high.
Let’s focus on the show on the horizon, share what we’re doing to help clients prepare, and provide insight into what exhibiting companies should be on the look out for.
What’s New?
A basic place to start, but fundamental. ‘What’s new?’ is the highest-level question we aim to answer for Caster clients who choose to attend any tradeshow or industry event. The answer must be clear and concise. An approved response to this two-word question can be leveraged in a variety of ways to help promote a company at a tradeshow.
If we’re speaking about CEDIA Expo specifically, having the answer to that question right now can land your company in the CEDIA Expo Show Daily magazine. You have your choice of the VIP Edition (which publishes prior to the show) or in Day 1, Day 2, or Day 3 of the publication produced during the show. If you’ve landed on our blog and this year is your first time attending, you qualify for Residential System’s CEDIA First-Timers editorial opportunity. If you act now, there’s even a pathway to be featured on CEDIA Expo’s website for exhibitor news.
Want a Prize?
As an exhibitor, if you have something new to show off consider submitting that ‘something new’ for an award. Awards set you apart from the competition and can even be an easy way to earn increased recognition, validation, and a highly promotion-worthy differentiator.
For CEDIA Expo 2022, your options for awards are abundant. In fact, there’s the CE Pro Best Product Awards 2022, the Residential Tech Today Innovation Awards, and the Residential Systems Best of Show Awards to choose from just to name a few. While the deadline to submit varies, each of these award programs are currently open; all that’s missing is your submission.
What Else?
If your company can cleanly answer ‘what’s new?’ you’re already well on your way to developing your critical at-show messaging. Even if your company is not showing off something “new” and is instead promoting an existing solution, it is still beneficial to develop talking points around what that ‘something’ is, why you’re showing it off at CEDIA Expo, who it’s for, and why they need it. Once you’re able to answer those questions, your company has all the necessary tools to draft your own press release or news bulletin to have on hand at the show. These materials can help guide conversations with partners, customers, clients, and even attending press.
Seeing your company at the show first-hand is one thing, but what about after that? Make sure assets don’t fall off your pre-show checklist. Compile everything that could be useful for a future contact and organize it all in a way that’s easy to share with them. High-resolution photos, spec sheets, case studies, whitepapers, testimonials, graphs, data, and videos are all examples of assets you should gather in advance of the show. From there, consider putting them on an easily accessible page of your website, an accessible shared drive, or even on branded USBs you can hand out as requested.
What other secrets do we hold? Well, for the answer to that, you have to be a client. That’s a conversation we’re always open to having. If you’re attending CEDIA Expo this year, the Caster crew will be onsite helping our clients get the very most out of the show. If you see us, be sure to say hello, and ask us any questions you might have.
