Industry trade shows operate on their own rhythm. Often, a major vendor will have booth space (some quite expansive) on the main trade show floor where new products are lined up in neat rows, with a nearby waiting company rep to tell you all about them. But, the show does not stop here. Many companies have another location, this one off the trade show main floor, in a nondescript booth or room a 15-minute walk down a several long hallways lined with black curtains and unused chairs, tables, and so forth, where a company representative with some clout will talk to you about “the big stuff.” Or, you might be given a secret pass to a nearby hotel room where execs and product managers are eager to walk you through their latest news and creations—after they offer you a nice cold drink and a muffin or sandwich from their buffet table.
These are the places where the press/writers/analysts get a better look at offerings, and where other company execs come to discuss things more privately.
As BabelTechReviews’ Mark Poppin points out, this is where the real business takes place, as was the case at CES 2026. It also offers weary (and, sometimes, a bit wary) reporters a less-hectic atmosphere to better hear and absorb what is being presented.
A well-seasoned editor with many CES shows under his belt, Poppin had private off-show meetings with AMD, Corsair, Dell, HP, Intel, Lenovo, MSI, and Nvidia. He details the results of those meetings in his article “Off-CES 2026 – Where the Real Business Takes Place.”