Iab is completely right. And even if there are any design or R&D people there assume they are going to be crazy busy. At CES Designers always stop by the booth and want to chat, and I want to chat with them, reality is I’m scheduled with retailers and media giving tones of demos and showing new product. When I’m not doing that I’m trying to keep up on emails with what is going on at the office, trying to make sure the demos keep working, or god forbid resting for 15 seconds.
My advice:
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Have a great one page postcard or small brochure of your work. Ask to give this to someone in R&D or design. If you can hand it to them in person and shake their hand all the better, but don’t bend their ear unless they invite the conversation. Assume they have something else to do, that is why the company is paying them to be there.
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see if there is some kind of designer event. At CES every year there is always a designer happy hour. That is the time to network, shake hands, bend ears.