Standing out among the nearly 700 competitors on the RSA Conference expo floor requires more than a flashy demo or brand activation. In 2026, the most important “booth visit” happens weeks before you or your potential customers step into the Moscone Center.

The buyer’s journey is increasingly starting with AI tools. Treble’s Press-to-Pipeline Activation in the Age of AI report reveals that nearly half of buyers now bypass Google Search, vendor websites, and trade publications initially and begin their research with AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini. Once these buyers are in evaluation mode, 93% use AI to summarize or compare vendors.

Treble’s research shows that, while practitioners browse the expo floor, the people who sign the contracts—CIOs and CTOs—are viewing your company primarily through an AI lens. Nearly three-quarters (72%) of those C-suite customers use AI when researching vendors, compared to 53% of directors. Furthermore, buyers say they trust AI-generated summaries more than a vendor’s own website.

The implication for companies at RSA is clear: AI visibility is just as important as your physical presence. When a CIO asks ChatGPT to “compare emerging XDR vendors,” and your company hasn’t built a foundation of earned media and news announcements, you’re effectively invisible.

ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini pull their answers from press releases, media mentions, analyst reports, and bylines. This third-party validation trains the models, leaving companies without consistent coverage at a disadvantage. PR has always been about shaping perception. What’s changed in the AI era is that the perception is now shaped by an algorithm that draws on earned media.

Consistency matters, but recency matters even more. Coverage from the past 90 days carries significantly more weight than older articles. Treble’s report shows that 92% of buyers believe third-party coverage published in the past 90 days is a critical signal of a vendor’s credibility. In other words, your major press win from Black Hat 2025 carries less weight than more recent articles or company mentions. A sustained drumbeat of earned media is the only way to ensure your company remains “top of mind” for the models.

While at RSA, ask yourself: “What is Claude going to say about us when a CIO asks for a shortlist of companies in our space?” If you haven’t invested in the credibility layer of earned media and analyst relations, no amount of booth swag will get you on the shortlist.

Download the complete Press-to-Pipeline Activation in the Age of AI report to see the full findings.

And if you're curious about how your company's earned media presence stacks up in AI-driven research, request a free AI Visibility & Earned Media Readiness Assessment.