Some car audio leaders of the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) would like to return many car audio exhibitors to the CES show floor.
After the recession, many car audio companies retreated to off-site hotels during CES. When the recession ended, some wished to resume their show floor exhibits, but by then a large part of the car audio area had been transformed into a sea of smartphone accessory exhibits and towering booths for the car companies. A smaller car audio display might get lost in the shuffle.
So the Automotive Electronics Division board of the CEA, after meeting on Tuesday, discussed forming a working group that will determine a way to encourage 12 volt booths back to CES.
Some CEA members expressed hope that a special area for car audio might be re-created.
One industry member said there is a lot of enthusiasm for the new program and the CEA is actively interested in it. All want to make it easier for retailers who invest in attending the show to see all their suppliers.
Of course, many car audio companies have remained exhibitors at CES, but a sizable number have defected.
One active CEA contributor suggested, “Let’s put a tent out there. Put cars in there and we can walk around the different booths and listen to cars, just like at the Venetian for home audio,” referring to the home audio exhibits which are centered in one hotel with suite rooms close together so it’s easy to go from one to the next.
A spokesman for the CEA said its too early to determine a specific plan or when it might take place. But the CEA is now actively talking to car audio members about changes they would like to see at CES.
“We want to make sure all our exhibitors in every market have a quality experience at CES. We recognize that it’s good to go out and talk to our customers. We’ve agreed to talk to exhibitors in the mobile space and those we call outboarders [that exhibit off site]. We want to hear from them and how we can better improve their experience,” said CEA spokesman Jeff Joseph. He said CEA staff will be calling on car audio suppliers.
After the CEA receives feedback it will then discuss how to address the issues.
Source: CEoutlook
This article is supposed to be a positive to move forward for the 12v industry. As a retailer it’s very difficult to support some of my top vendors when they are not on the show floor. I actually didn’t have time to visit my number 1 vendor this past CES because they were not on the show floor. I’m tired of uneducated retailers with such negative thinking always making excuses. It’s time to grow up and support what our industry has to offer, nothing is perfect but it’s all we have. And for those to say Knoweldgefest is our answer over any CEA event then I don’t know what to say. I stopped attending KF many years back and have done nothing but grown individually as a business owner since . The difference between me and many other retailers is I rather better myself then go to a show and get wasted with my peers and make a mockery of myself . I’m trying to grow my business not my ego. If you want to get your big boy pants on get with the program then make some changes in your thought process otherwise keep doing what you are doing.
This is the very tricky question of all.
1st CES is over priced for small and large car audio companies for most part
since we have had the biggest losses since 911overall.
2nd Tuesday Thru Friday sucks you loose dealers that come on weekends.
3rd International customers you loose because were not in a main hall anymore
since pricing is sky high too show product and International customers do not know all hotel suites and rooms and so on.
4th If we scrap CES as whole and everyone must be in on this.
5th Do 3 shows one west coast / Midwest/ east all manufactures in and there are plenty of venues across USA we can get in cheap VS Las Vegas.
We have Daytona already set up but make it CES 3.
Chicago or Indy for Midwest CES 2
then need 1 West Coast I’m sure CA has a place to rent out
Already in Germany the manufactures do 3 shows over 1 month in different cities on weekends to get out product and knowledge.
6th For international customers we need too go to them on one of there venues
and meet greet or Europe version of CES is IFA in Berlin Germany.
Putting C.E.S. on retail workdays was a major mistake. Scheduling it over weekends made it way less financially damaging to the retail bottom line.
I second that statement!
I hope that there is a concerted effort to consolidate the 12V exhibitors at CES. It has become nearly impossible to see everyone. How much (new) business is lost by attendees that never make it to the outboard venues?
I will never go back to CES. Knowledge Fest is the place to be. At CES it’s exciting to see the new product for the upcoming year but that is why there are Reps. The time of year is not good either for people that live on the East Coast for bad weather and the height of Remote Starts. Years ago when you went to CES there was show specials that only for the people who attended and was able to order the new product before anyone else. Now with email everyone gets the same info at the same time going or not. When you go to Knowledge Fest you get educated and hear what other stores are doing. In addition new ideas to bring back to your store to make it more successful! In my opinion the vendors should invest their money into Knowledge Fest and make it more personalized. CES is such a ZOO with the buses and taxis.