It's pretty handy for connecting with other companies, especially as a startup. I was there this year, helping out with someone else's booth, and I'd say the primary value was the number of manufacturing / marketing / partnership contacts that were able to be made by having a booth.
I'm not sure how many people we talked to will end up being buyers, but I'm pretty sure that we met people who will help the company succeed.
As a side note, I found the startup area so much more interesting than the main halls. Who cares about seeing a TV that's slightly larger than your last one, when you can learn about a treadmill that's thin and light enough to tuck between the couch and the wall, or a pet food feeder that detects which pet to feed based on their vet microchips?
I'm not sure how many people we talked to will end up being buyers, but I'm pretty sure that we met people who will help the company succeed.
As a side note, I found the startup area so much more interesting than the main halls. Who cares about seeing a TV that's slightly larger than your last one, when you can learn about a treadmill that's thin and light enough to tuck between the couch and the wall, or a pet food feeder that detects which pet to feed based on their vet microchips?