The Challenge
CES is the largest and most competitive trade show in the world, with over 100,000 attendees and 4,000+ exhibitors. Standing out requires not just a great booth, but a great team. The brand's previous CES appearances had been limited by their inability to staff the booth with enough knowledgeable people, resulting in long wait times for demos, missed media opportunities, and qualified leads walking past to the next booth.
The 40x60 booth featured 6 product demo stations, each requiring a dedicated ambassador who could walk attendees through a 10-minute hands-on demonstration of the brand's latest devices.
CES attracts a sophisticated audience of journalists, buyers, and industry executives who expect technical competence. Generic promotional staff would not be credible in this environment.
The booth also needed 4 ambassadors for roving engagement: approaching attendees in the aisles, qualifying interest, and directing high-value prospects to specific demo stations.
2 additional staff were needed for logistics: managing the lead capture system (badge scanning), coordinating demo schedules, and ensuring marketing collateral was stocked throughout the day.
CES runs 9 AM to 6 PM for 4 consecutive days, requiring consistent energy and professionalism from staff who are on their feet for 9 hours in a noisy, overwhelming environment.
The Solution
Street Teams Vegas assembled a team of 12 brand ambassadors from their Las Vegas-based roster, prioritizing candidates with prior CES experience, consumer electronics knowledge, and proven trade show performance. Each ambassador was matched to a specific role based on their skills and experience.
12 brand ambassadors were selected from a pool of 45 qualified candidates. All 12 had previous CES or major trade show experience, and 8 had consumer electronics product demo experience specifically.
A 2-day pre-show training program was conducted at the LVCC booth space during setup days. Ambassadors learned the brand's 3 product lines through hands-on sessions with the client's product team, followed by mock demos and roleplay exercises.
The team was organized into 3 functional groups: 6 Demo Specialists assigned to product stations, 4 Engagement Rovers working the aisles and booth perimeter, and 2 Operations Support managing lead capture and logistics.
Each ambassador was equipped with a branded tablet for real-time lead data entry, a product knowledge cheat sheet, and a live Slack channel for coordination with the client's marketing team.
Street Teams Vegas provided a dedicated on-site team lead who managed scheduling, breaks, performance, and real-time communication with the client's booth manager throughout all 4 days.
The Execution
The 4-day CES activation ran from January 7-10, 2026, with the Street Teams Vegas crew arriving at the LVCC by 7:30 AM each day for a 30-minute huddle before doors opened at 9 AM.
Day 1: Opening Day Surge
CES opening day brings the highest foot traffic and media presence. All 12 ambassadors were deployed at maximum intensity. Demo Specialists managed a steady queue at all 6 stations, averaging 85 demos per station. Engagement Rovers targeted media badges and buyer badges for priority routing. 2,400 leads were captured on Day 1 alone, exceeding the client's projection by 35%.
Day 2: Media & VIP Focus
With opening-day traffic settling, Day 2 shifted to deeper engagement. Demo times were extended from 10 to 15 minutes for qualified buyers. Engagement Rovers prioritized international buyers and retail chain representatives. The team coordinated 12 scheduled media demonstrations, each producing video content the brand used in post-show marketing. 2,200 leads captured.
Day 3: Sustained Performance
Mid-show fatigue is a common problem at CES. Street Teams Vegas rotated ambassadors through different roles to maintain energy. Demo Specialists who had been on their feet for 2 days shifted to Engagement Rover roles, and vice versa. This rotation strategy kept the team fresh and resulted in Day 3 producing 2,000 leads with no drop in demo quality.
Day 4: Closing Day Conversion
Final day focused on converting remaining high-value prospects. The team prioritized follow-up conversations with attendees who had visited earlier in the week but hadn't committed. Engagement Rovers did targeted outreach to nearby booths' attendees. 1,800 leads captured, including 340 that were flagged as 'immediate purchase intent', the highest single-day conversion rate of the show.
The Results
The CES 2026 booth captured 8,400 qualified leads over 4 days, delivered 340 product demonstrations per day on average, and earned the client's assessment of 'our best CES ever.' The brand's VP of Marketing credited the Street Teams Vegas staff with directly contributing to 3 retail partnership meetings that occurred on the show floor.
All entered into the client's CRM via badge scanning with qualification notes, 40% above the 6,000-lead target
Average across all 4 days, with Day 1 peaking at 510 demos
All 12 ambassadors present and on time every day for all 4 days, zero absences
Scheduled media demonstrations that generated press coverage in 6 tech publications
Retail partnership meetings initiated on the show floor by Engagement Rovers identifying key buyers
Direct quote from the VP of Marketing in post-show debrief
We have exhibited at CES for 6 years and this was far and away our best show. The Street Teams Vegas ambassadors were not just warm bodies, they actually knew our products and could have real conversations with buyers and media. 8,400 leads and 3 retail meetings that started right on the show floor. We have already locked them in for CES 2027.
Jason T.
VP of Marketing, Consumer Electronics Brand