LAS VEGAS — Make a pitch. Network. Generate some publicity or consumer buzz for new products. Meet with potential partners. Make a few bucks. Perhaps scope out the competition.
The reasons for having a booth at the International CES consumer electronics trade show are myriad, and Utah companies are no different.
Nearly two dozen Utah companies are exhibiting at the show, which concludes Sunday. Each has a different approach, a different goal.
For Draper-based American Covers Inc., Lindon-based EarHugger Inc., Salt Lake-based MotoSat and Midvale-based Phonex Broadband Corp., it has been a chance to showcase a new product to various folks.
The new item for Phonex is a chip technology called ReadyWire that can stream audio, voice and data over a home's electrical wiring.
"We're launching a new chip and a new technology, so it's important to reach developers," said Brad Warnock, marketing director. "So, rather than doing a highly promotional booth, which would reach a broad scope of retail buyers, we put up kind of a briefing center where we can have developers with our major accounts come in, and we get them up to date with the new technology.
"It's a little bit different approach, but we take great pride and thought in doing it."
EarHugger this year has added $50 noise-canceling headphones to its portfolio of products, which includes headphones, cell phone accessories and media cases.
"A show like this you usually think of as an opportunity to show products to the public, but what it's really all about is buyers from retailing groups you're interested in," said Chris Marshall, marketing director for EarHugger, at its seventh CES.
"We work in a nationwide network of sales rep companies, and they bring by their clients. It's really important for us because it's a gathering place for important buyers from large retailers and a lot of medium retailers, distributors and overseas distributors as well."
The appointments with buyers, in fact, were booked several weeks in advance of the show.
"The Bug" was splashed across a big sign over the American Covers booth, attracting attention to its new product of the same name. It's a $2.99 air freshener that uses sticky-gel technology, enabling it to be moved from cars to computers to the bathroom.
Other new products, under the Handstands brand, are an orthopedic mouse pad and "The Morf," a stress-reliever ball that changes colors when squeezed. They join dashboard sticky pads and a cooler/lifter for notebook computers among product offerings.
"This show is interesting because it keeps changing," said Glen Tanner, vice president of sales. "Ten years ago, there were mostly buyers. Now there are a lot of consumers. So our objective is to bring out new products, not only for the retailers but for the consumers.
"We have a sales network where we make presentations to resellers, but at the show we get a lot of new retailers and international retailers and distributors."
MotoSat likewise is showing off its latest products, which are advanced mobile satellite TV and Internet devices. It has two booths, plus a demo car doing loops while showing off a roof-mounted antenna that can get live TV anywhere in the country.
"We're primarily adding to our distribution network," said president Reed Brown. "We have a dealer network of about 500 dealers, and we're constantly adding to that. We've worked several months arranging appointments, and we have them with distributors who want to add this to their lineups. We use the show to establish relationships."
But if the goal is grabbing the eye of the 110,000 attendees, it has to be done while competing for their attention with 2,500 other exhibitors.
"It's very easy to get lost in such a big show," Brown said. "That's why you do most of the phoning months in advance to set up appointments. Time is just very precious here."
"It can be very challenging, but there are two different approaches," Warnock said. "If it's a highly promotional booth, it's a great place, but you'd better spend your money hard while you're here. For us, where we have a list of maybe 100 people that are very important and (we) really want to talk to, it's a great place because they're here. They can meet us at their leisure over the course of two or three days, and we can reach people you normally can't reach in Salt Lake City."
American Covers used "The Bug" sign plus a Mini Cooper with an oversized version of the air freshener on the hood as a way of garnering attention.
"People are intrigued by that and want to know more," Tanner said.
Marshall said EarHugger can get some consumer feedback to products during the show, "but having mobs of people off the floor has never benefited our actual bottom line or our business. We're interested in the buyers. We've made all the appointments before the show started."
A more efficient way to market products would be to have reps bring buyers to hotel suites crammed with products, she said, "instead of having a dueling contest to see who can be more impressive every year in terms of your booth."
As for this year's CES, the Utah companies had differing impressions.
"I would say this year is better than any year we've ever had," Tanner said. "People are more optimistic, and there seems to be a very positive feeling. The economy seems to be stabilizing, and it appears like it will be a great year."
For Warnock, "All the right people have been here. I've had a very productive day."
But, while not relying on off-the-floor visitors, Marshall on Thursday said traffic "seems to be way down. We've always had a lot more traffic. We even had time to get lunch today, and we usually don't have time to get lunch until Sunday."
Marshall wondered whether some folks canceled because of terrorist worries.
"I would say this one has more foot traffic than last year's," Brown said of MotoSat's experience. "I think this one is better attended. We're having more orders being written than last year. I think the economy is a little stronger, demand for new products is a little stronger, so we're very encouraged."
E-mail: bwallace@desnews.com