PR News Poll: Trade Shows Less Critical for Launching New Products

In an increasingly connected world, have events like CES become less critical for companies looking to reach audiences with new products?

The Web has been abuzz with the latest from the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, and the relevance of the show itself has been as hot a topic as the products announced there.

PR News asked its online community this question: In an increasingly connected world, have events like CES become less critical for companies looking to reach audiences with new products? 

The response to the poll question was definitive: 64% said yes, they are less critical, and 36% said trade show events remain as important as they were previously for the launching of new products. 

On Jan. 9, PR News editor Scott Van Camp wrote that the CES, despite attracting a record number of exhibitors and attendees for 2012 (2,700 and 150,000, respectively), may be losing relevance in the marketplace, particularly in the wake of Microsoft's announcement that it would no longer participate in CES.

Of course, trade shows still represent major opportunities for PR pros to make a splash with the media, whether they're introducing new products or not. To make the most of the next trade show on your calendar, check out How Current Trade Show Trends Can Impact PR Initiatives.