January 27, 2012 by Rachel Wimberly Germany-based Messe Duesseldorf posted gains in not only overall sales, from $359 million in 2010 to $382 million in 2011, but also revenue surged from $443 million in 2010 to $476 million last year. Subject to final approval of the balance sheet, the company is reporting a post-tax result of $20 million for financial year 2011, compared with $10.6 million in 2010. Almost one-third of the company’s total sales were generated from the Messe Duesseldorf’s ever-growing international portfolio. “Our growing…
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Most Topular Stories
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Messe Duesseldorf Posts 7-percent Increase in 2011 Year-end Sales to $382 Million
TSNN Tradeshow News Network27 Jan 2012 | 7:11 pm -
Trade Show Success Strategies
Trade Show Blog27 Jan 2012 | 10:57 amComprehensive resource to help marketers and exhibitors maximize trade show visibility, sales leads and revenue. Information covers tradeshow planning, exhibit displays, design, promotions... -
The Value of Exhibitions in Meeting Sales Objectives
CEIR Blog26 Jan 2012 | 3:51 pmThe lifeblood of any company is sales. To have a sales pipeline which is robust is a key marketing objective. Exhibitions can aid the process of identifying prospects and help move them along into the sales funnel. In the recently released CEIR report, The Changing Environment of Exhibitions one of the Fact Sheets states: Business-to-business exhibitions are well-positioned to serve the most urgent sales priorities companies are striving to achieve today: existing and prospective customer relationship management and engagement efforts. In fact, one of the research findings shows this:… -
California Milk Advisory Board Selects ProExhibits for Design Innovation and More
Exhibitor News Network25 Jan 2012 | 6:00 pmThe California Milk Advisory Board promotes California dairy products in an ever-growing and competitive marketplace. They utilize a unique, custom r... -
Seven Honored as IAEE Top Public Events for 2011
News and Events25 Jan 2012 | 12:00 amDALLAS, 25 January 2012 – The International Association of Exhibitions and Events™ (IAEE) launched the Top Public Event Program at its Mid-Year Meeting in June 2011 resulting in seven events being honored at the Annual Awards and Networking Luncheon held 8 December 2011 during Expo! Expo! IAEE’s Annual Meeting & Exhibition in Las Vegas, Nev.
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TSNN Tradeshow News Network
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Messe Duesseldorf Posts 7-percent Increase in 2011 Year-end Sales to $382 Million
27 Jan 2012 | 7:11 pmJanuary 27, 2012 by Rachel Wimberly Germany-based Messe Duesseldorf posted gains in not only overall sales, from $359 million in 2010 to $382 million in 2011, but also revenue surged from $443 million in 2010 to $476 million last year. Subject to final approval of the balance sheet, the company is reporting a post-tax result of $20 million for financial year 2011, compared with $10.6 million in 2010. Almost one-third of the company’s total sales were generated from the Messe Duesseldorf’s ever-growing international portfolio. “Our growing… -
Resolving to be Less Resolute
27 Jan 2012 | 1:14 pmJanuary 27, 2012 by Julia Smith Now that we’re nearly a month into the New Year, I’ve had the chance to test my resolve in living by my resolutions. Our industry makes having a healthy lifestyle challenging, but I'm ever-optimistic that I can achieve a good work/life balance. How am I doing so far? Resolution 1: Get more sleep. Study after study says that it’s important for everything from health to weight control to mental acuity (not to mention keeping down my purchase of under-eye concealer). With two DVRs, I can no longer use my favorite 10 P.M. shows as… -
Five Quick Tips for the Occasional Exhibitor
27 Jan 2012 | 12:45 pmJanuary 27, 2012 by Mike Thimmesch Trade shows are not your whole job, just a part of it. You only do, at most, a few small shows a year, and you've got lots of other responsibilities to handle. So all this detail in our blog about doing trade shows better? You simply have no time for it all. But you still would like to boost your results – but only if the changes are simple and quick. So in that vein, here are five tips to help you - quickly - get more out of trade shows: • A large, clear message is easier to grasp, so make your next set of booth graphics colorful and easy to understand,… -
Reed Exhibitions’ Mike Rusbridge Addresses Managers at China Summit 2012
26 Jan 2012 | 7:26 pmJanuary 26, 2012 by Rachel Wimberly Evidence of Reed Exhibition’s global expansion plan is likely the strongest in China, where the company currently has six member companies: Reed Exhibitions China, Reed Sinopharm, Reed Huabo, Reed Huaqun, Reed Exhibitions (Shanghai) and Reed Guanghe. Managers from all of those member companies recently were brought together at the Reed Exhibitions Greater China 2012 China Summit. Every year, the one-day conference, which takes place in Beijing, brings together executives from the top echelons of Reed worldwide with the company’s senior managers in… -
Louisville Chosen as Host City for 3rd Annual TSNN T-awards: Celebrating Trade Show Excellence
26 Jan 2012 | 8:45 amJanuary 26, 2012 Trade Show News Network, a division of U.K.-based Tarsus Group, is pleased to announce Louisville, Ky., has been chosen as the host for the 3rd Annual TSNN T-awards: Celebrating Trade Show Excellence Nov. 2-4. “We are very excited and honored to bring the TSNN T-awards to Louisville and have no doubt the award winners will be impressed with what the city has to offer as a first-class trade show destination,” said Rachel Wimberly, TSNN’s president. “This event will honor the most successful tradeshows in the country for 2011. Louisville is thrilled to be the host city…
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Trade Show Blog
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Trade Show Success Strategies
27 Jan 2012 | 10:57 amComprehensive resource to help marketers and exhibitors maximize trade show visibility, sales leads and revenue. Information covers tradeshow planning, exhibit displays, design, promotions... -
Find Tradeshow Jobs -- Customize Your Search
19 Jan 2012 | 3:59 pmUse this search tool to find tradeshow jobs from across the country... -
Trade Show Finder - Resources for Finding Conventions, Tradeshows, Trade Fairs
4 Jan 2012 | 10:47 pmIndustry events, conferences and trade show finder tools can be easily researched by using a number of online resources that provide extensive listings information for exhibitors.. -
Trade Show Marketing Strategies that Work!
4 Jan 2012 | 10:28 pmVeteran exhibitors maximize the benefits of show participation by implementing trade show marketing strategies that start even before the exhibition halls open.... -
For Trade Show Booth Exhibitors... Advice on Generating Leads and Making Sales
3 Jan 2012 | 7:35 pmGenerating leads and making sales priorities at any show and your trade show booth – both the physical space and the display – can help you accomplish these goals...
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CEIR Blog
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The Value of Exhibitions in Meeting Sales Objectives
26 Jan 2012 | 3:51 pmThe lifeblood of any company is sales. To have a sales pipeline which is robust is a key marketing objective. Exhibitions can aid the process of identifying prospects and help move them along into the sales funnel. In the recently released CEIR report, The Changing Environment of Exhibitions one of the Fact Sheets states: Business-to-business exhibitions are well-positioned to serve the most urgent sales priorities companies are striving to achieve today: existing and prospective customer relationship management and engagement efforts. In fact, one of the research findings shows this:… -
The Spend Decision: Analyzing How Exhibits Fit into the Overall Marketing Budget
24 Jan 2012 | 3:56 pmCEIR will be releasing a new study in early February, The Spend Decision: Analyzing How Exhibits Fit into the Overall Marketing Budget. Along with the release of this important study, Nancy Drapeau, PRC, CEIR’s Research Director will be presenting the findings on a webinar Thursday, 2 February 2012. By attending, you will have a front seat and hear how corporate marketers are using business-to-business exhibitions today and the expected trends for the coming year. CEIR President and CEO Doug Ducate shares some highlights from the study in the following video: In speaking with… -
Marketer Intentions Regarding Exhibition Plans
19 Jan 2012 | 10:12 amResults from the Changing Environment of Exhibitions Study reveal that marketers are committed to using business-to-business exhibitions today and in the near term future. This can be considered good news for our industry. Below is a chart from that report: The survey sample shows that 85 percent of executives say the number of exhibitions will hold to current levels (60 percent) or will increase (25 percent). To obtain a copy of this Fact Sheet, please click here. -
CEIR CEO Offers Commentary on Proposed NYC Convention Center
17 Jan 2012 | 8:26 amThe media has been busy reporting on the NY state of the state speech given by Governor Andrew Cuomo earlier this month. CBS NewYork reported: The state of the state speech was the governor’s wish list, things — some big and some small — that he would like to see happen on his watch. And even though the state is broke, Cuomo is dreaming big. “Let’s build the largest convention center in the nation, period,” Cuomo said to applause. That’s right. Cuomo wants to attract shows, conventions and tourism dollars by building a massive hotel and convention center at Aqueduct racetrack… -
Doug Ducate’s Assessment on the Exhibition Industry Today
12 Jan 2012 | 9:19 amAn article uncomplimentary to our industry appeared in the 31 December edition of the Wall Street Journal. Doug Ducate, President and CEO of CEIR decided to respond to the article with this letter: Gentlemen: The 31 December issue of The Wall Street Journal reprinted a portion of an article about convention centers originally published by Steven Malanga in the City Journal Winter 2012 issue. The opening statement in the article that claims convention business has been in decline for two decades is incorrect. The benchmark data for the convention and exhibition industry was published in a…
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Exhibitor News Network
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California Milk Advisory Board Selects ProExhibits for Design Innovation and More
25 Jan 2012 | 6:00 pmThe California Milk Advisory Board promotes California dairy products in an ever-growing and competitive marketplace. They utilize a unique, custom r... -
ICAT Logistics Adds New Office in Little Rock
25 Jan 2012 | 6:00 pmLRFM, Inc. teamed with ICAT Logistics, Inc. a leading provider of worldwide transportation logistics and expedited freight services. As ICAT, this gro... -
GES Adds Three Experienced Global Professionals to its Exhibit and Events Team
25 Jan 2012 | 6:00 pmGlobal Experience Specialists (GES), a leader in exhibition, event and retail marketing services, is proud to announce the addition of three industry ... -
Hill and Partners Donates to Variety of Charities in 2011
25 Jan 2012 | 6:00 pmStaff members at Hill and Partners, Inc. a full-service trade show exhibit design firm, reached out to... -
Sustainability Takes Center Stage as New Reporting Guidance is Launched
25 Jan 2012 | 6:00 pmEvent organizers can now report on sustainability issues like impacts on communities, natural environments, and local and global economies, thanks to ...
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News and Events
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Seven Honored as IAEE Top Public Events for 2011
25 Jan 2012 | 12:00 amDALLAS, 25 January 2012 – The International Association of Exhibitions and Events™ (IAEE) launched the Top Public Event Program at its Mid-Year Meeting in June 2011 resulting in seven events being honored at the Annual Awards and Networking Luncheon held 8 December 2011 during Expo! Expo! IAEE’s Annual Meeting & Exhibition in Las Vegas, Nev. -
Exhibition Industry Summit II Planned for 24 February at Georgia World Congress Center
23 Jan 2012 | 12:00 amDALLAS, 23 January 2012 – Following the significant progress of the first Exhibition Industry Summit held 6 October 2011 in Irving, Texas, the participating organizations have agreed to meet at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Ga. on 24 February for Exhibition Industry Summit II. The objective of this meeting is to advance discussion about key industry issues identified at the first meeting and establish the framework for ongoing engagement by the organizations. -
IAEE Public Events Council Names Metter 2012 Chair
20 Jan 2012 | 12:00 amDALLAS, 20 January 2012 ̶ The International Association of Exhibitions and Events™ (IAEE) recognized Paul Schweitzer, vice president Business Development, Marketplace Events, at its 6 December 2011 meeting held during Expo! Expo! IAEE’s Annual Meeting & Exhibition in Las Vegas for four years of service (2008-2011) as chair of the public events council. During his tenure, Schweitzer led the council in bringing many new IAEE resources to the public event organizer. -
Expo! Expo! IAEE’s Annual Meeting & Exhibition Wins Big in Las Vegas
12 Dec 2011 | 12:00 amDALLAS, 15 December 2011 – The International Association of Exhibitions and Events™ (IAEE) celebrates a highly successful Expo! Expo! IAEE’s Annual Meeting & Exhibition, held 6-8 December 2011 in Las Vegas, Nev. This year’s event attracted more than 2,200 attendees (pending independent audit) and 266 exhibitors to the Las Vegas Convention Center. -
CEIR RESEARCH ON EXHIBITION TRENDS RELEASED – New Fact Sheets Now Available
9 Dec 2011 | 12:00 amDALLAS, 9 December 2011 – The remaining fact sheets sharing key findings from the Changing Environment of Exhibitions Study were released yesterday at Expo! Expo! IAEE’s Annual Meeting & Exhibition. CEIR Research Director Nancy Drapeau, PRC notes, “The overall findings from this study indicate that business-to-business exhibitions are an integral part of a company’s marketing mix today and will continue to be so in the near term. We hope organizers use the results from this study to help in planning efforts aimed at assuring exhibitions are in line with what exhibitors are striving to…
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Let's Talk Trade Shows
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Mild Optimism for Trade Show Growth
23 Jan 2012 | 1:19 pmOptimism for trade show growth is finding itself front and center as 2012 unfolds. The numbers form CES 2012 are indicating a record breaking crowd of 153,000 were in attendance. The official audited numbers will be released later, but early indication is that it was a terrific show. Congratulation CES!! BtoB Magazine reported in late 2011 the following information: What is your firm doing with the event marketing tactic? Are you expanding it or staying the same? Please let us know. -
Three Key Questions when Selecting Booth Staff
19 Jan 2012 | 12:00 pmYesterday, I received a note from Keith Reznick, President of Creative Training Solutions, about my earlier blog post which included a video by Francis Friedman of Time & Place Strategies, discussing bringing A- Team to your trade show booth. In his correspondence, he was applauding Francis for his straight forward conversation about the vital importance of who is in the booth. Then he shared a video response to that post which you can watch it below. It is a power pack three minutes where he provides a great analogy for the need to have your booth personnel trained and shares the… -
Engaging the Trade Show Attendee
16 Jan 2012 | 5:47 amTSEA’s website has a new article written by Gordon Nary titled, Improve Your 2012 Exhibiting Results. In the article he is interviewing Keith Reznick, President of Creative Training Solutions and Ed Jones, President of Constellation Communication Corporation. Keith starts off in the article by saying: Access to the web enables attendees to hit the show floor with an agenda. They know who they want to see and the questions they’ll ask; exhibit staff need to be prepared for this. Unfortunately most are not. A few years ago a colleague and I interviewed attendees as they left the… -
Will CES Exhibitor’s Sales Teams Look Like This on Monday Morning?
13 Jan 2012 | 8:17 amLast year, I found this cartoon from MarketingSherpa and as 2012 CES is being wrapped up, I am wondering if the sales teams will feel like this on Monday? Trade Show Lead Follow-up Unfortunately, far too many exhibitors will let those leads go the competition since they have no follow-up plans. It is such a shame to have spent all that time, money and effort to create a lead and then let it go to another company. If you need an outsource company for lead follow-up, I know of a couple of excellent ones I can highly recommend. Just email me at joycemckee [at] letstalktradeshows [dot] com. -
The Heart Beat of the CES Show Floor
11 Jan 2012 | 7:59 amFor the millions of us who could not attend the 2012 CES, there are several ways we can access what is transpiring on the show floor. One of them in streaming video or film clips which highlight the new innovations being announced. Either CES or an exhibitor is creating this digital content for us. CES has their YouTube channel where they are placing the many videos. Last week I had highlighted a small company which had been one of the finalists in CES contest which was titled:Visit Me at CES 2012. I had thought their contest video was great. On the CES You Tube channel captures a…
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The International Center for Exhibitor and Event Marketing
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The Unique Value Proposition of Exhibitions
27 Jan 2012 | 8:07 amWe know that exhibitions hold value for us. It is refreshing to have research to back up our feelings. Results from the Changing Environment of Exhibitions Study reveal that marketing executives find exhibitions offer a unique value that other marketing channels do not. From the report, it states: The key value proposition that has the broadest appeal speaks to the ability of exhibitions to deliver a core audience to exhibitors in a way that enables them to achieve a multitude of objectives in a compressed time frame. Exhibitors are able to maximize the power of face-to-face marketing… -
Stretching Your Exhibit Dollars
25 Jan 2012 | 8:02 amNowadays, every event manager has to do more with less dollars, thus they are looking for cost considerations everywhere. Barry Siskind of International Training and Management Company has some ideas for you. In an article on his site, he shares some tips. Seven Cost-Saving Tips for Your Next Show As an exhibit manager, you have a fiscal responsibility to allocate your resources properly and report results accurately to management. Without money nothing will happen. W. Somerset Maugham wrote “Money is like a sixth sense without which you cannot make a complete use of the five.” The… -
The Critically Important Booth Staffer
23 Jan 2012 | 7:26 amRecently, Keith Resnick President, Creative Training Solutions saw the interview I conducted with Francis Friedman of Time & Place Strategies on the topic of having your A Team represent you at a trade show. I have used that video in a older blog post on this site. Keith sent me a video response and I want to share both videos with you to stir your thinking regarding this important topic. Also, Keith shares his three question criteria for selecting a booth staffer. Let’s start with Francis Friedman and his A Team video: Below is Keith’s response to the A Team video:… -
Video Production: Do-It-Yourself or Hire a Pro?
20 Jan 2012 | 7:34 amOne of the questions which typically arises around the discussion of producing video for your trade show, should you hire a pro or not? If the video you create is done well, either by you as an amateur or a pro, it has the potential to convey your unique story to the masses. And you will be judge by the quality of it or lack of it. So it is important to consider all aspects and go beyond the normal drawback, which is cost. In a recent dialogue with Marcelo Zolessi, CEO of Convention News Television he provided this viewpoint: “My opinion is that people lose interest in your… -
Contract Calamities and Dinner Disasters: Exhibits, Events and Legal Issues
17 Jan 2012 | 10:00 amEgan’s Entries On Exhibits & Events We’re all interested in doing the best job we can when exhibiting at trade shows or producing events. It’s work that takes months of effort, piles of paperwork, site visits, negotiating with scores of vendors, as well as delegating (as much as we can) to assistants, other staffers and a boatload of vendors. Then, “opening night” comes, and we’re thrilled to have pulled in off. We’re also anticipating the pleased reactions of our co-workers and event guests. And then it happens: a problem you thought you’d addressed months ago rears its…
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The Trade Shows Blog
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Wine Lovers Unite for the Unified Wine & Grape Symposium
26 Jan 2012 | 1:46 pmLove wrapping up your day with a glass of Merlot? Does your perfect Sunday involve touring local wineries and vineyards? Is this one of your favorite episodes of I Love Lucy? If you answered yes to any of these questions, chances are you love and appreciate good wine. And you're not alone -- according to the Sacramento Bee, upwards of 11,000 wine professionals are expected to attend the Unified Wine & Grape Symposium at the Sacramento Convention Center in Sacramento, California. The trade show, which kicked off on Tuesday and will run through the end of… -
Long Island Spring Home Show - Uniondale
25 Jan 2012 | 10:42 amUniondale is merely a hop, skip and a jump from the Motivators New York office. Uniondale is the home of Nassau Coliseum, home of one of the largest concert halls on Long Island as well as the home of the NHL Islanders. In addition to these events, Nassau Coliseum is one of the most frequented tradeshow halls on Long Island. Every year, dozens of tradeshows call Nassau Coliseum its home. The Long Island Spring Home Show is one of the most popular events that is sure to help you out with any home improvement projects you may have lined up for the spring. The admission is free and will… -
2012 PPAI Expo: A Huge Hit
24 Jan 2012 | 2:32 pmIf you were lucky enough to be one of the more than 10,000 attendees at The 2012 Promotional Products Association International (PPAI) Expo, you know first-hand that the event was an overwhelming success. During the five-day show, which was held at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, over 100,000 new products were introduced to thousands of excited and curious distributors. According to Promotional Products Business (PPB) magazine, "With a total of more than 18,350 participants, the overall non-gaming economic impact of The PPAI… -
Exhibiting at a Trade Show? Avoid These Pitfalls
18 Jan 2012 | 2:20 pmIt's officially trade show season, and exhibitors are understandably excited about showing off their new products and services. But be careful; lots of companies overspend in preparation for the conventions and attend unnecessary shows with no gain. Let's go over some common traps that companies fall into during trade show season: 1. Too much space According to CBS News, one of the most common mistakes exhibitors make is going too big. Just because the booth next door to you is impressive in size, doesn't mean that yours is too small. "Money spent to make that… -
Washington Auto Show
18 Jan 2012 | 10:59 amWashington, D.C. The capital of the greatest nation in the world. It is also the birthplace of one of the most famous auto shows in the country.The Washington Auto Show is 750,000 square feet of enjoyment for the car enthusiest. Held at the legendary Walter E. Washington Convention Center, this show includes 37 different local and imported car dealers. The list is rather impressive, includes Lamborghini, Rolls Royce, Land Rover, General Moters and much more. The show also has Ride n' Drive experiences, special guests such as J.R. Martinez and WWE wrestler Randy Orton and activities for…
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Tradeshow Blues 2011
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Looking for a Few Brave Writers
27 Jan 2012 | 12:18 pmTradeshow Blues is celebrating its 10th Year Anniversary and we’re looking for a few good writers who aren’t afraid to stick there neck out (scarfs OK in cold weather) and offer their view of the tradeshow and event business from… as we like to say… a slightly different perspective. TSB, since late in the early days, has primarily been the voice (metaphorically speaking) of its creator, Jeffrey D Brown. Fortunately, he’s not the only one who thinks there’s a more interesting side of the business that, at best, has been under-reported… if at all. And… -
Classic Exhibits Adds Great Tradeshow Wall
27 Jan 2012 | 11:56 amThe second Great Tradeshow Wall has just been launched on behalf of Classic Exhibits. This is a one-of-a-kind Wall designed by Jeffrey D Brown, MMDD that features three different areas of focus for the company utilizing both traditional as well as Seamless Asymmetric Wall Space (SAWS) methodology. Visit the new Wall at classic.tradeshowwall.com -
Dedicated Tradeshow Wall for ELITeXPO
1 Dec 2011 | 8:29 pmContinuing the growth and expansion of the Tradeshow Wall, a new, dedicated Wall comes to life for ELITeXPO. This is the first platform launch for the Great Tradeshow Walls network, designed by Jeffrey D Brown, MMDD. These individual Walls can be custom designed to serve a variety of purposes for the Wall sponsor and provide a unique and engaging vehicle to draw attention to their products and/or services. Differentiating from the standard square block wall (as in the flagship Tradeshow Wall), The ELITeXPO Wall utilizes a Seamless Asymmetric Wall Space design that provides a more abstract… -
EXHIBITOR Magazine Gets Mag o’ the Year
18 Nov 2011 | 3:07 pmHere’s some great news! EXHIBITOR Magazine has been honored by the Minnesota Magazine and Publishing Association with the 2011 Magazine of the Year Award. The award was presented during MMPA’s 15th annual Publishing Excellence Awards banquet at Nicolette Island Pavilion in Minneapolis. “The annual award is not a product of a committee decision or an in-depth analysis of magazines within a publishing cycle. It’s an award that’s built up over time,” said Lynn Keillor, a freelance writer for MMPA’s Fine Print newsletter. In addition to winning this… -
Hill & Partners Brings Vision to Life
10 Nov 2011 | 7:32 pmHill & Partners, Inc.premiered its partnership with new client Optos® at the American Academy of Optometry Meeting 2011, held October 12-15 at the John B. Hynes Veterans Memorial Convention Center in Boston, MA and at the American Academy of Ophthalmology Annual Meeting 2011, held October 22-25 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, FL. The creative team at Hill & Partners brought the innovative retinal imaging company to the industry events with a custom built 40×40 exhibit designed to resemble an eye, through the use of two spherical shaped fabric walls. The…
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Tradeshow Insight
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HCEA Healthcare Convention Marketing Summit, My Take Aways
25 Jan 2012 | 4:25 pmThis past week I attended the Healthcare Convention & Exhibitors Association (HCEA) mid-year summit in Boston where more than 200 exhibitors, suppliers and industry experts met to discuss current trends in health care meetings and events. As a new HCEA member this was my first experience with the event and generally I was impressed by the format and content presented in the plenary and breakout sessions. Below are just a few key takeaways from the opening plenary dubbed, “Frank Talk About How Physicians Value Medical Meetings and Conventions.” Featured panelists: Beverly MK Biller,… -
Exhibiting the Steve Jobs Influence on Design
10 Oct 2011 | 4:15 pmHaving used Apple‘s products through most of my professional career, I was saddened to hear of Steve Job’s passing on October 5, 2011. Reflecting on his legacy, along with the multitude of Apple media and computer products I’ve used in my life, I felt an urge to pay small homage to his design insight with the following photo. This grouping includes the older beige products developed prior to Steve Jobs' return in 1996 through the translucent cases and more machine-crafted parts (center-left) Steve Jobs was ousted from the company he co-founded in 1985. Upon his return… -
5 Things We Know About iPhone 5
3 Oct 2011 | 12:42 pmAfter months of speculation by technology aficionados, Apple, Inc. is expected to announce the details of the iPhone 5 when Tim Cook, the new CEO of Apple takes the stage on Tuesday, October 4th. The discussion has served as both the jewel and the bane of tech blogs and podcasts. Predictions, criticisms, and praise have been volleyed and the only sure thing at present time is that tomorrow’s media event will soon be followed by months of analysis and subjective observation as to whether or not the iPhone 5 is a successful product. What most people fail to see, though, is that we already… -
Voodoo Show – 4 Business Takeaways
14 Sep 2011 | 12:14 pmSome of life’s best lessons draw from unexpected and chance encounters. This weekend I enjoyed the annual Kettle Moraine Jazz Fest in West Bend, Wisconsin (kudos to the West Bend Sunrise Rotary Foundation and their sponsors on the causes they support and the unique festival they put together). The closing performance of the festival was a well-known group, albeit not as appreciated by purist smooth jazz aficionados, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy who put on a fantastic show. In addition to inspiring my wife and I to dance a little in the aisles, they also managed to teach me a few things which… -
Tradeshow Corner: Material Handling – The Hidden Charges to Avoid
23 Aug 2011 | 2:36 pmWe all know that material handling is the black hole of your trade show budget but I would like to point out some things that you can do to avoid some of the overtime/special handling charges that make so many of us go over budget on our drayage. The first important thing to remember is sending in small packages one by one will result in a $35 to $50 charge per package. It is better to let the packages accumulate and send in an entire skid. If you have 7 to 10 boxes of product that you stager into the warehouse you may pay as much as $350.00 total for these packages as opposed to $200.00 for…
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Tradeshow Guy Blog
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Survey Says: Social Media Event Marketing – Results
25 Jan 2012 | 6:00 amOver the past couple of months one of the the things I’ve dedicated a lot of time to is research. One element of that research was a short survey on SurveyMonkey.com, which asked 6 questions related to social media event marketing. The results helped shape the information and tools that you can find at SocialMediaEventMarketingU.com. Here’s a quick look the results. First, a total of 77 people responded to the survey. These came from a small mailing list I have, a few clients I asked to participate and a handful of folks that clicked through from a Tweet. Question One: Where would… -
Social Media Isn’t All You Gotta Do
23 Jan 2012 | 8:54 am(With a wink and a nod to John Lennon...) As much as I love social media and believe in its effectiveness to reach people and bring them together for a thousand and one purposes, when you’re doing tradeshow marketing, it can’t be your only marketing strategy. In other words, don’t become too enamored with social media. Use it as another marketing arrow in your quiver. Continue to use (or enhance your use of) other marketing tactics: show sponsorships direct marketing email marketing partnerships public relations pre-show promotions contests personal invitations in-booth demonstrations… -
Dealing With Negative Social Media at the Tradeshow
17 Jan 2012 | 6:26 amIt’s rare, but not unheard of, for social media to backfire at the worst possible time. Usually the worst possible time is when your company has a majority of its resources on site at a tradeshow. If most of your people are focused on doing demos, interacting with booth visitors and putting out a thousand little fires that seem to ignite during the show, the last thing you want is to have a blow-up on your social media platforms. For example, let’s say you have a hot new product that is hotter than anticipated. You’ve even run out in the second day of the show and there’s no way you… -
Trends in Social Media 2012
11 Jan 2012 | 6:34 amThe art of prognositcation is alive and well! There are hundreds, perhaps thousands, or bloggers, writers, authors, experts and consultants who bravely try and predict the future. I’ve tried that a few times, and I’m usually so far off base that I’ve pretty much given up! However, it’s eye-opening to see what others are predicting as far as trends in social media for the new year. David Armano at the Harvard Business Review looks at number of areas, including the convergence of how social media will further integrate into ‘real life,’ showing how companies… -
The Launch of SocialMediaEventMarketingU.com
3 Jan 2012 | 11:52 pmToday marks the opening of a new website that I’ve been working on for over four months, and one that took about a year of thinking, planning, research and (self) convincing before finally starting. SocialMediaEventMarketingU.com is welcoming visitors today, and is offering some freebies to interested folks to make it worth their while to see what’s inside and under the hood. But let’s go back a few years. I started TradeshowGuyBlog.com almost three years ago. And before this blog launched, I spent a good half-year thinking about the pros and cons of starting a blog about tradeshow…
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Trade Show Marketing Blog
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Thinking About Taking Your Trade Show Marketing Strategy “Green?”
9 Jan 2012 | 4:28 pm“Going green” is everywhere these days and the trade show floor is no exception. But you may be wondering what, exactly, is green exhibiting? What qualifies as being green and is there a benefit to making green choices in the trade show market? What Are Green Exhibits? What counts as green exhibiting will be different depending upon whom you talk to, but some key components of green exhibiting include: Exhibit materials Exhibit shipping Exhibit packaging Exhibit waste Exhibit Materials. The most obvious example of whether or not a product is green is what it is made out of. The… -
Real-Time Tradeshow Marketing: Blogging From Your Booth
9 Jan 2012 | 4:25 pmInternet connections are everywhere. Smartphones have made it easy to check email, social networking sites, and surf the internet no matter where you are, tradeshows included. Smart exhibitors are taking advantage of this and incorporating internet usage into their tradeshow marketing plan. One of the simplest ways of doing this is to add a blog to your tradeshow PR strategy. The Benefits Of Blogging Adding blogging to your list of tradeshow marketing strategies can provide your customers with special insights into your business. Blogs can announce sales, discounts, and special events, or… -
Dare to Be Different: An Old Marketing Idea Becomes New Again
21 Feb 2011 | 4:21 pmIn today’s world of tradeshow marketing, it seems that just about everyone has jumped on the social networking band wagon. With more than 500 million users and 50% of those logging onto the site every day, Facebook is the frontrunner in social networking sites. With these statistics, it’s easy to see why social networking is quickly gaining popularity as an effective tradeshow marketing tool. However, when the majority of businesses start doing the same type of convention marketing, after a while even a new thing can become redundant. While social networking is certainly an… -
Tradeshow Marketing: New Technologies In Mass Communication Make It Simple
13 Jan 2011 | 1:51 pmTradeshow marketing doesn’t begin and end on the trade show floor. For real success, you need to generate buzz prior to the event and follow up with anyone who visited your trade show booth after the show is over. You need to communicate with clients and associates weeks or even months in advance to and continue to communicate with leads long after you’re back in your office. The “before and after” phases of tradeshow marketing can be time consuming and expensive, but it’s crucial to make contact with any leads before and after each trade show in order to keep… -
Lining Up Traffic For Your Convention Display Before The Exhibition Doors Open
24 Jul 2010 | 12:36 pmAre you one of those companies that avoids pre-show marketing and lets the show’s own trade show manager tackle all of the promotion? If so, you’re missing out on a lot of great convention display opportunities. In order to get the most impact and best ROI on your convention display, you need to be proactive. Hoping that visitors navigate to your booth and speak to one of your sales team leaves a lot to chance. One of the best proactive measures to do this is by using tradeshow giveaways before the show even starts. Using Trade Show Bags As A Teaser Many companies have found…
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Trade Show Tales Blog - classicexhibits.com
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This, That, and The Other: Word on the Street — Jan. 23rd thru Jan. 27th
27 Jan 2012 | 6:00 amWord on the Street by Kevin Carty It’s Mel. This week, I’m filling in for Kevin who is at Disneyland entertaining his five-year old twins at the Magic Kingdom. For those on the East Coast and in the South, yes, there’s still a Disney Park on the West Coast. I know. It seems weird with Disney World a mere 3000 miles away, but five-year olds don’t know the difference . . . yet. This week we’ll share some odds and ends . . . EXHIBITOR 2012 It is oh so close. A mere five weeks away. We’ll be in booth #1645, a 20′ x 30′. And just like your typical… -
Bob’s Sage Advice: Trade Shows Work
26 Jan 2012 | 5:10 pmBob Moore, Bob's Red Mill Bob’s Red Mill Natural Products Article If you’ve ever visited us in Portland, you know that we always treat you to lunch at Bob’ Red Mill. Bob’s Red Mill packages whole grain products, such as oatmeal, beans, bread mixes, etc., for supermarkets in North America and around the world. You may not recognize the name, but the next time you visit your local supermarket, head to the “healthy foods” section and you’ll see Bob’s Red Mill products in clear cellophane bags. They also happen to have a restaurant and company… -
Meet Katina Rigall, Designer: Word on the Street — Jan. 16th thru Jan. 20th
22 Jan 2012 | 9:14 amWord on the Street by Kevin Carty Our Newest Design Addition — Katina Rigall We are excited to welcome Katina Rigall to Classic Exhibits. Katina has an extensive custom design background, along with a solid knowledge of portable, modular, and hybrid displays. She is going through our training program this week, otherwise known as “15 Years of Facts Crammed into 7 Brutal Days.” Rather than give you a high-highfalutin, PR-spin of Katina, we thought we’d let her introduce herself. Katina Rigall, Designer “I was born and raised in Portland, OR and studied Interior… -
100 Global Trends in 2012
12 Jan 2012 | 9:41 am100 Things to Watch in 2012 JTW Intelligence released their seventh annual year-end forecast of key trends that will shape or significantly impact consumer behavior in the near future. Continued economic uncertainty is at the center of or driving several of these trends; another theme is the rising idea of shared responsibility. As always, new technology is a key factor as well. To view the full slideshow, click on the image. For the shorter executive summary, click here. –Mel White http://www.linkedin.com/in/melmwhite mel@classicexhibits.com Based in Portland, Oregon, Classic Exhibits… -
2011 “State of the Company” Letter from Kevin Carty
10 Jan 2012 | 6:20 pmKevin Carty, VP of Sales Happy New Year! Hope you had a great Holiday Season. Classic Exhibits Inc. and its divisions continued to rebound in 2011, after showing solid increases in 2010. Across the board, volume grew from 22 to 33 percent, depending on the division. Most refreshing, we saw no single trends, meaning our sales came from kits and custom, rentals and extrusions, and trade shows and retail. Nearly every week we were surprised by interesting projects that challenged and stimulated us. New Systems Released SEGUE Sunrise Portable Hybrid Most new kits were based on MODUL TSP…
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BlogWorld & New Media Expo Blog
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What Does Twitter’s New Censoring Ability Mean To You?
27 Jan 2012 | 8:30 amLike many social networks, Twitter is a very powerful platform for connecting people. While some of us might use it for nothing more than complaining about coworkers or sharing pictures of our lunch, others are using Twitter to take down governments and stop poorly-worded bills from becoming laws. Yesterday, Twitter announced that it has refined the technology enough to censor tweets in specific areas of the world. This doesn’t necessarily have to be a bad thing. We all have this knee-jerk reaction to instantly hate anything that even questions our freedom of speech concepts, but before… -
27 Brilliant Bloggers Talk About Public Speaking
26 Jan 2012 | 6:36 pmBrilliant Bloggers is a weekly series here at BlogWorld where we look at the best posts from around the web all surrounding a specific topic. Every week, we’ll feature three of the most brilliant bloggers out there, along with a huge list of more resources where you can learn about the topic. You can see more Brilliant Blogger posts or learn how to submit your link for an upcoming edition here. This Week’s Topic: Public Speaking One of the ways you make money with a blog or podcast is to use this content as a jumping off point for public speaking. Serving as a speaker had two benefits:… -
Eight Ways to Make More Money as an Affiliate
25 Jan 2012 | 8:00 amEvery month, I make a few hundred dollars in affiliate sales as a blogger, and those who focus on this form of monetization make even more. When I first started selling products as an affiliate, I was lucky to make a few bucks a month with Amazon. Lots of bloggers have given brilliant advice about working as an affiliate, but today I wanted to talk about some tips that worked for me to increase affiliate sales. You can make a few changes to increase passive sales, like me, or you can really run with these tips to make a full-time income with affiliate sales. 1. Capitalize on search terms… -
Can You Create Better Content on Google+ Under a Pen Name?
23 Jan 2012 | 5:36 pmI’ve written about blogging anonymously (under a pen name) in the past, both here at the BlogWorld blog and on the Wright Creativity blog. I’ve made it no secret that I write and manage a fairly successful blog under a different name, and I think there are great reasons for doing so (though it is definitely not the right choice for everyone). Today, Google announced that they’d now be allowing both nicknames and pseudonyms on Google+. This makes it much easier for anonymous bloggers to use the network, which will definitely be an advantage for Google as it continue to try to… -
35 Brilliant Bloggers Talk about Pinterest
21 Jan 2012 | 8:00 amBrilliant Bloggers is a weekly series here at BlogWorld where we look at the best posts from around the web all surrounding a specific topic. Every week, we’ll feature three of the most brilliant bloggers out there, along with a huge list of more resources where you can learn about the topic. You can see more Brilliant Blogger posts or learn how to submit your link for an upcoming edition here. This Week’s Topic: Pinterest Over the last few weeks, I’ve been blogging and tweeting a lot about Pinterest. It’s my latest obsession, and one that I believe has unlimited potential for…
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Trade Show Guru
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Sling Baby – Best Video Ever! But does it matter?
15 Jan 2012 | 11:17 amEvery now and then I’ll see a great video and post it here. This is one of those times, and one of those posts. But in addition to posting the video, I’m raising a question… not about the video, but about marketing. As for the video, it’s called Sling Baby, and it is one of the five finalists for a contest to make a commercial for Doritos, with the winning video to be shown during the Super Bowl. As for the video, Sling Baby, it is the Best. Video. Ever. Or at least, the best video I’ve seen in a while. Of course I’m a sucker for cute babies and kids, but… -
Thinking Outside the (Trade Show) Box
9 Jun 2011 | 3:09 pmI’m a big fan of “thinking outside the box”, especially when it comes to marketing, and trade show marketing in general. It seems that many trade show exhibitors just try to copy other exhibitors instead of coming up with a unique marketing strategy or message. Of course, it is one thing to say that you should think outside the box. It’s another thing to say what that really means or how one does it. And the point of this post isn’t explain how to think outside the trade show marketing box… this post is to discuss the problem that many people get so focused… -
Trade Show Perseverance
25 Apr 2011 | 3:44 pmperseverance –noun 1. steady persistence in a course of action, a purpose, a state, etc., especially in spite of difficulties, obstacles, or discouragement. trade show perseverance – noun 1. a quality, trait, or attribute required for trade show marketing success. 2. a post by the trade show guru. I ran across a fascinating story the other day about the Legend of the Leatherman (the dapper gentleman shown on the left), which is the inspiration for this post. The amazing thing to me was that the “legend” is actually a true story. It took place back east (Connecticut) in the… -
Hark the Herald Toilet Paper!
20 Dec 2010 | 12:59 pmI LOVE Christmas! Maybe it’s because I have little kids (well, not that little anymore, but they still believe), but I just love Christmas and the Christmas season. I love putting up the outdoor (LED) Christmas lights (and it seems like a few more neighbors are following suit this year), and getting a Christmas tree (real, of course) and decorating it, and walking around the neighborhood one evening (even if it is pouring rain) with friends, ringing random doorbells and singing Christmas carols. Christmas is just a magical time here. But one would have to be living under a rock to not… -
What Are Memorable Trade Show Displays?
11 Jun 2010 | 12:18 pmWhat are memorable trade show displays? Perhaps the answer seems obvious… a memorable trade show display is a trade show display that you remember, right? Well… no. It isn’t quite that simple. There are “good” memorable trade show displays and “bad” memorable trade show displays, and this post is going to cover the difference between them (which is very important to understand if you want to be successful at trade show marketing). And if you’re wondering what the picture of the sock-puppet monkey has to do with this post, I’ll cover that…
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EXHIBITOReTrak
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What Do Shorter Sales Cycles Mean for Trade Show Strategy?
25 Jan 2012 | 2:53 pmAccording toMarketing Sherpa’s research, the sales cycle keeps getting shorter. Here’s their summary from the 2012 B2B Marketing Benchmark Report – Research and Insights on Attracting and Converting the Modern B2B Buyer: ”The relationship between average deal size and length of sales cycle is tight. Smaller deal sizes typically lead to shorter sales cycles. Last week, we saw that average deal sizes for B2B organizations have decreased year over year. This week’s chart looks at the corresponding shortening lengths of sales cycles.” Here’s the graph… -
Jack Morton on Client Lessons from CES
24 Jan 2012 | 5:43 pmIn this slide presentation Jack Morton Digital Strategist Ben Grossman offers some thoughtful reactions on this year’s Consumer Electronics Show. Summarized in the introduction, and expanded on in the presentation are these ideas: OVERVIEW OF CES 2012 TRADE SHOW TRENDS #1: CURATION IS KING #2:WANTED BY ATTENDEES: STORIES #3:THE TRADE SHOW FLOOR IS BORING #4:GRAND MARSHALS AREN’T AT THE PARADE #5:TAKING THE “CE” OUT OF CES #6:CELEBRITIES CAN’T SAVE YOU, BUT THEY CAN KEEP PEOPLE AWAKE TAKE-HOME TIPS #1:FOCUS IN: INFLUENCE IS EVERYTHING #2:STOP BUILDING CITIES. START… -
Ten Ways to Waste Money on Trade Show Graphics
23 Jan 2012 | 10:05 amFor most exhibitors, graphics constitute a major portion of their exhibit spend. This summary, from an Exhibitor Magazine Article, suggests ten simple reminders that can make that spend more effective. 1. TEXT BELOW THE SIGHT LINE. Your goal is a booth full of qualified prospects, right? Imagine you’re an attendee viewing a crowded booth from a crowded aisle. What can you see below a sight line of approximately 5 feet? That’s right. You see body parts, not graphics. 2. COOL BUT POINTLESS. Don’t let somebody sell you a slick, expensive graphic unless it also sells products. A… -
Tactics for Gathering V Filtering Trade Show Attendees
19 Jan 2012 | 5:06 pmIn a recent post Bob Milam’s theories about gathering vs filtering trade show audiences was explained. If you missed it, here’s the link: What’s Your Trade Show Strategy? Gathering or Filtering? And in today’s eTrak session on Business Strategies for Trade Shows, attendees had a robust discussion with ideas for tactics they would use for each strategy. Here’s a list of ideas they came up with. 26 Tactics if Your Strategy is Gathering: 1. Hire a booth entertainer 2. Demonstrations 3. Cool giveaways 4. Interactive promotion 5. Pre-show marketing 6. Catering… -
Just for Fun: How Much of a Road Warrior Are You?
18 Jan 2012 | 5:50 pmIf you haven’t yet seen the quiz on CNBC you can head over there and see how your lifestyle ranks in the road warrior scale. Here’s their intro: How Tough a Road Warrior Are You? You’re on a first name basis with your hotel bartender and haven’t seen your family for more than two consecutive days in over a month. You’re certainly a dedicated employee, but are you a true Road Warrior? Take this easy quiz to see where you fit in amongst the heartiest of business travelers.
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Skyline Trade Show Tips
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What Marketing Lessons Can We Learn from Tebow Overload?
27 Jan 2012 | 11:44 amI know… you are sick and tired of Tebow. Yet, over 2 weeks after his last game of the year in which his team was never in the game, Tim Tebow is still one of the top trending searches on Google. There are several things we can learn about marketing our brand and message from watching Tebow and the way he presents himself. Tim Tebow is real. He is an open book, sometimes too open. But the fact that we know exactly where he is coming from and we can compare that to his actions, force us to pay attention. It is that “reality tv drama” effect that is so captivating. Tim Tebow is… -
Skyline Would Love To See You At EXHIBITOR2012
25 Jan 2012 | 10:33 pmYou will see our booth just as you enter the exhibit hall. Skyline would love to see you in our booth, #1325, at EXHIBITOR2012, March 5 to 7, 2012 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. It promises to be an excellent show. Many exhibit marketers have renewed their strong trade show schedules, and are looking to expand their booth spaces to take advantage of the face-to-face nature of trade shows. But because our industry tends to lag the economic cycle, there are also exhibit marketers attending EXHIBITOR2012 who are in expansion mode, just now making up for the… -
Managing Emails While At A Trade Show
18 Jan 2012 | 12:54 pmEarlier,I wrote a post on how to better manage your emails, but I’ve realized that for many trade show managers, trade show booth staffers or marketing people that are involved in the exhibiting world, we are often on the road and rarely just sitting at our desk. I thought I’d take a look at how to best manage the emails you get when on the road, at a trade show or just traveling, period. I have found that the same principals will apply to managing emails on the road as they do on a normal basis but you will most likely have less time and options to access emails or… -
When Lounging Around Is Actually Productive
13 Jan 2012 | 8:00 amLounges have tremendous momentum in the design of trade show exhibit spaces and special events. Dedicated sitting spaces are now an integral part of design directives. These areas are resolute in providing a communicative approach to information exchange and information gathering. In today’s era of viral marketing and virtual interacting, it is a featured highlight of face-to-face marketing. It only makes sense to promote the right kind of atmospheric conditions that foster conversation when 46% of executive decision makers make purchase decisions while attending a show, 51% of… -
Staging a Great Photo Opp: Take a Tip from Snooki
11 Jan 2012 | 8:00 amCertainly, not everyone is fan of Snooki and the Jersey Shore. True, most of us might not choose her to be the Godmother of our firstborn. But think what you will, Snooki knows photo opps. And boy, can she cause a buzz. Take the product launch of her new fragrance, Snooki for Women by Nicole Polizzi. The fragrance is represented exclusively by Perfumania, a client of Skyline New York trade show exhibits. Perfumania is second to none, with over 370 retail stores that carry world class, designer perfume brands. Here’s Snooki, pictured in front of a Mirage pop-up display. Notice the…
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FrostMillerBlog
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Associations: Resolve to Beef Up Your Newsrooms This Year
10 Jan 2012 | 8:37 amI’ve haven’t blogged about online newsrooms in a while, but as I built the navigation for an association client’s new website’s newsroom, I got to thinking about how much associations can really benefit from a strong newsroom. Associations have just as much, if not more, incentive to make it easy for journalists to find information as corporations do since they are often “the voice” for their industry or caus Given that it’s January and we’re all into New Year’s resolutions—how about resolving to improve your newsroom this year? First, review its current status. Are all of… -
Be Happy, Make Money.
6 Jan 2012 | 7:15 amThe feature article in the current Harvard Business Review: “The Value of Happiness – How Employee Well-Being Drives Profits,” offers a compelling argument for the bottom-line benefits of engendering happiness in the workforce. Citing research, the article states that “Happy employees produce more than unhappy ones over the long term. They routinely show up at work, they’re less likely to quit, they go above and beyond the call of duty, and they attract people who are just as committed to the job.” Authors Gretc They identified two components of thriving – vitality: “the sense… -
An Exhibitor's Letter to Santa
23 Dec 2011 | 12:01 pmAs an event organizer, if you were to play Santa for your attendees, exhibitors and sponsors, what would be the most coveted gifts on their Christmas list? Well, I did some holiday research to find out this season’s hot items if you are looking for any last minute gifts. Below is a letter the big guy himself shared with me. It’s important to remember that the event experience is a critical part of your marketing mix. You worked hard all year to fill up the exhibit hall, meet your sponsorship sales goals and meet registration expectations! Be sure the event delivers what you promised and… -
2012 Social Media Watch List
20 Dec 2011 | 8:05 amIn the midst of all new technology and social media platforms being created these days, I want to briefly reflect on this year’s social media trends and how they will affect the marketing and PR realm in 2012. Tumblr: While many organizations have opted to use the standard Blogger or Word Press to blog, I think Tumblr will begin to rise in professional use. With Tumblr, you can upload ANYTHING (photos, videos, links) to the site from any device, and whatever is uploaded can be built-in to your blog post whereas with Word Press, it costs money annually to plant videos in specific posts. -
Making the Switch
16 Dec 2011 | 9:11 amWhen getting to know new industry colleagues, I am always interested to learn the career path they took that led them to their current role as either an association or tradeshow/event professional. 9 times out of 10, the answer has never been that they dreamed of doing this when they were a kid, or, majored in tradeshow or association management in college. Everyone’s story is as unique as associations themselves. I certainly am in the majority. In college, I majored in psychology, minored in film and was planning on moving to California with the dream of becoming a Hollywood director.
