You could be large, small, a startup, established, growing, or brand new to the scene. Regardless of where you come from, if you fit the criteria listed above, you can apply for a membership with CEA that will open countless doors towards success. CEA provides their members with practical benefits like market research, hands-on training, technical standards, and savings on essential business services. And to date they’ve signed on over 2,000 member companies from nearly every segment of the consumer electronic industry. They have more than 50 consumer technology industry veterans who volunteer their services to provide free business guidance and mentoring to all of the startup members. Further, CEA advocates for your issues directly on Capitol Hill. All said, more than 2,000 companies currently enjoy the benefits of a CEA membership, which includes legislative and regulatory advocacy, market research, technical training, education, and industry promotion. Of their total membership body, 20 percent are startups and 85 percent are small businesses. And let’s not forget that CEA owns and produces the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. To date 749 different startups have launched their businesses at CES since 2011 in the Eureka Park Marketplace, a specialized exhibit area that provides an opportunity to launch your new idea, product, or service. They’re passionate about innovation, and they want to show SXSW how #CEASXSW rolls with speakers and exhibits to share how they can promote the consumer technology industry and help grow startups. In addition to our happy hour, the CEA staff will be participating in different sessions throughout the week.
Some of the big name speakers are:
Veronica O’Connell and Michael Petricone from government and legal affairsChief Economist Shawn DuBravac, Ph.DSteve Ewell from CEA’s FoundationCEA’s President and CEO Gary Shapiro
If this is your first brush with CEA, you should know that this is how they normally operate. CEA represents the $223 billion US consumer electronics industry all day, every day. Be sure to follow along with their unique, SXSW hashtag, #CEASXSW. Everything they’re doing at SXSW is an extension of their normal mission: help companies better develop and foster strategic relationships. So, if you’re not a member, maybe it’s time you started asking the really important question: why not? Swing by our event on Saturday and meet the top brass, their successful partners, and other people who are in the same boat as you. You won’t regret it.
