The pace of change thanks to AI at CES 2026 is amazing
CES 2026 is just around the corner. This time, the situation will change dramatically thanks to AI. With all the noise and turmoil, just getting noticed will be harder than ever. So how can your company get noticed? This time of year, my email is flooded with invitations from countless companies and senior executives to special private conferences in the wireless, telecommunications, AI, and other technology industries. CES26 is spectacular.
The question many senior-level executives have is how to overcome all the noise and disruption. How will they be seen and heard in the competitive marketplace after CES26?
One way is to focus on key and powerful industry thought leaders
There are too many industry analysts, influencers, columnists, media, etc. today. Smart companies always have two lists.
The first is for the masses. The other is a small list of key people who can be critical to your success, especially in a noisy industry. This is the group that all competitors should approach.
This year, the biggest concern for most businesses is artificial intelligence and its role in this next AI revolution. This technology has been growing for decades, but has only become mainstream in the last few years.
Now, winning in this new field is key. But while most companies and senior executives know this, they are blind to the “how.”
How to get noticed, seen, and heard in a noisy and chaotic AI world
Being noticed is one of the biggest challenges in the AI race. CES is a great place to start in 2026, and that means being seen and heard amidst all the noise, noise, announcements, and distractions.
Some big-name companies are leading the way in AI efforts, including Microsoft, Google, IBM, Meta, NVIDIA, OpenAI, Amazon, Anthropic, Adobe, Alphabet, Palantir Technologies, Apple, AWS, Oracle, Tesla, and C3.ai.
Then there are all the other companies that are equally innovative and important in that space, but because they don't have a strong brand name in the AI space, it's very difficult to get noticed and heard at such a high level.
I know this is a problem because senior level executives tell me that about marketing. They are all excited about their company's progress, movement, growth, and potential growth in the AI space, but are struggling to gain market attention.
CMOs need to learn about and use many new marketing tools in the world of AI
In the past, a good story always attracted the attention of investors, customers, employees, management, the media, and more.
Today is different. Today, chief marketing offices or CMOs must learn and use the many new tools available. Some work better than others, but today it's time to expand your horizons. Find the right tool for your company.
When I advise executives, I always ask them how they are successful in marketing today and how that differs from how they did it yesterday.
All of this can be combined to create an important framework for your company to grow.
AI will play a very powerful role at this year's CES 26
This year's CES26 will include all of these companies, big and small, famous and unknown. They all want attention. They see CES as an opportunity. They all want to be seen and heard. They want to be seen as hot people. They want to attract investors, workers, and customers.
So what is your strategy and plan to achieve this goal?
One way to ensure this is to find a way to stick your way onto the radar of the market and all its participants.
How to attract key visitors at CES 2026
The problem is that most of them are young or small and have no idea how to attract powerful visitors, meet them, see their technology, listen to their stories, and understand their vision for the future and their role in it.
The focus for any company at a trade show like this is finding the best way to cut through all the noise and get found. Found by customers, investors, partners, employees, the media, and the market at large.
If done right, CES can be one of the most important events of the year. That being said, it's unfortunate that most companies don't have a viable plan and are missing out on this opportunity.
Most companies attending CES fail to achieve this important goal.
I've been attending this trade show for decades and have met so many companies that I've learned that learning from senior executives what works, what doesn't, and why is an important first step.
There are reasons for both success and failure. The main goal of just being there is to break through all the noise and clutter to be seen and heard.
Keep this in mind at CES press conferences, press releases, after-hours events, booths on the floor, people you make appointments to meet, and more. This is a great opportunity to meet the people you want.
Next, and this is important, you must use all the information you have gathered to build long-term, positive relationships with all of your key players. Some become customers, some appear in the media, and some are like what I do as an industry analyst or columnist.
I think you've been planning and strategizing your approach to CES for quite some time. Don't let that reality blind you from fully understanding what most companies fail to understand here.
Over the next few years, we will see explosive growth in AI in only a few companies. Now is the time to solidify your name and brand in the exciting new world we are about to enter.
