A humanoid ran a CES booth. Here's the marketing play.
On opening day at CES, robotics maker IntBot put a humanoid named Nylo in charge of its booth. The company hyped it as the show's first booth fully run by a humanoid. Nylo answered questions, cracked jokes, and even warned an attendee against pulling its plug.
That's more than a stunt. It's a glimpse of how brands will draw crowds, qualify interest, and keep conversations going without a huge headcount.
Why this matters for marketers
- Booth gravity: A humanoid host is a natural magnet. It creates a moment people want to watch, record, and share.
- Message control: Scripted answers keep demos on-brand while still feeling interactive and a bit human.
- Throughput: Consistent delivery beats tired reps on day three. You get steadier demos per hour and cleaner data capture.
- PR value: "First" stories travel. Even the "don't pull the plug" quip turns into a talking point your team can ride.
How to turn this into pipeline
- Define the booth job to be done: greet, qualify, route, demo, or all of the above. Scope the script to one clear outcome per interaction.
- Build a conversation map: FAQs, objection handling, and 2-3 brand-safe jokes to keep things light without going off-script.
- Add a clear next step: QR codes to book a meeting, scan for a tailored demo, or text-to-follow-up. No dead ends.
- Instrument everything: track dwell time, repeat questions, handoff rate to humans, and meetings booked on the spot.
- Plan the human handoff: when Nylo-like assistants hit a limit, a rep steps in with context already on screen.
Guardrails you'll be glad you set
- Brand safety: hard blocks on topics you won't touch, plus escalation rules.
- Physical safety: clear signage, stable power, and a simple "stop" command that any staffer can use.
- Privacy: disclose data collection and keep transcripts short-lived unless you have consent.
- Accessibility: captions for on-screen dialogue, readable text, and a non-voice path for questions.
Metrics that matter
- Foot traffic and dwell time vs. prior events
- Qualified conversations per hour
- Handoffs to reps and meeting sets
- Cost per qualified lead (robot + ops vs. traditional staffing)
- Post-event response rate from attendees who engaged with the assistant
Project plan (fast path)
- Pilot a "digital host" before you go physical: a screen-based avatar or kiosk on your next roadshow.
- Ship a minimum viable script: top 20 questions, 5 objections, 3 CTAs. Improve it daily on the show floor.
- Record interactions to refine messaging. The phrases people use are free copy for ads and landing pages.
- Bring a reset plan: a quick power cycle, cached answers, and a manual mode if the network drops.
Want broader context on the event itself? See the official CES site for trends and exhibitor updates: CES.
Level up your team for AI-led booths
- Build skills for AI-driven campaigns and event funnels: AI courses by job
- Get a focused path for marketers: AI Certification for Marketing Specialists
Bottom line: IntBot's Nylo shows that a humanoid can do real booth work-answer, amuse, and hand off. If you plan the script, the guardrails, and the metrics, you can turn the crowd into qualified pipeline without adding a dozen more reps.
Your membership also unlocks:
