Trade show displays: Creating an Illusion

An illusion is a distortion of the senses, as interpreted by the organization and the sensory stimulation of the brain. Even though visual illusion or optical illusion is more commonly understood, all of our 5 physical senses participates in the creation of an illusion. For example, the graphic design below: at the very first glance seems to be all tied in together. {Conscious effort was undertaken to keep it separate.} When the eye sweeps it again, it becomes evident that the projects are very different. Full article.

Get social at your next conference or tradeshow!

Video on how Social Media was used at TS2 Link.

Perception is Reality

Perception is Reality, right?

What do people see when you send out a tweet, newsletter, blog post; put up a tradeshow booth…what is the perception of what people see?

Are you seeing through the eyes of your visitors, or through your eyes?

From Tim Patterson, the Tradeshow Guy:

It’s not an easy question to answer as we all have our own vantage points. And no matter how hard we try, we can’t completely get outside of ourselves and see things objectively. Especially if we had a hand in creating the sales tool.

But it’s a good question to ask – and to try and find an answer. Or two, or three: what do other people see when they look at your ‘stuff?’ Do they see what you want them to see or do they see something else? Continue reading.

Go Beyond The Back Of A Business Card: Creating A More Complete Trade Show Lead Management System

Does your trade show lead management system begin and end with jotting notes on the back of your booth visitors’ business cards?

While it ensures that your notes are “attached” to each contact, relying on business cards alone severely limits the space you can write down the valuable info told shared by attendees to your trade show displays. Full article.

Virtual Tradeshows: Horizontal or Vertical Markets?

Early data shows that the attraction and satisfaction for virtual events is driven more by educational content than through the virtual tradeshow floor or networking. Exhibitors are not realizing the same return that they receive from live events. Attendees aren’t compelled to spend significant time on the virtual floor. (If you are interested in learning more about virtual events, TSNN is conducting a free webinar on August 4, 2010 at 2pm EST. Click here for full article and to register.

Tradeshow Training Minute: Preparing Your People

Video from Susan Friedman.

Breaking News: CEIR Releases Two Reports

Space Allocation Methods for Exhibitions and Events

Managing Exhibit Results for the Not-for-Profit Government Exhibitor: Building a Better Display

Both Available Now at www.ceir.org

Do Unions Bust Convention Business?

July 20, 2010 - 8:00 AM | by: Michael Tobin

Chicago had been steadily losing conventions to the glitz of Las Vegas as well as sunshine and theme parks of Orlando, Fla., even though exhibitors preferred to show their wares in the city of big shoulders.

"They wanted to come to Chicago, because the people will actually look at their exhibits," said Illinois Senate President John Cullerton.

But Chicago is a union town -- to do business here means playing by union rules.

So, an exhibitor needed to pay the teamsters to haul his exhibit to the convention center and the carpenter's union to set up a booth. If the carpenters worked past 4:30, they went on overtime, even if they started at 3:00.

Now, you need to plug in your booth to make the whole thing work - you need to pay someone else to do that.

"Instead of a few $100 that it might be in other cities that person is literally spending over $1,200 just to have a computer connected to the Internet and have the power for it," said exhibitor Mathew Cohn. "It's a very expensive place to do business."

One by one, the conventions -- which drive 66,000 jobs and generate $251 million in tax revenue -- fled for Mickey Mouse and the rolling dice.

When two major conventions pulled out, Illinois got nervous. Continue.

TSEA HONORS 2010 EXHIBITORS’ CHOICE WINNERS

Chicago, IL - July 20, 2010 – Thousands of visitors flooded the Trade Show Exhibitors Association (TSEA) website this year to vote for the 2^nd Annual Exhibitors’ Choice Awards. The winners were announced on Wednesday, July 14, 2010 at the TSEA Foundation Gala in conjunction with the TS² show in Boston, MA. Exhibit industry professionals came out to celebrate and cheer on the winners and nominees of the awards. TSEA congratulates:

Best Exhibit House
Winner: Czarnowski
Honorable Mention: Skyline

Best General Contractor
Winner: Freeman
Honorable Mention: GES

Best Installation and Dismantling Company
Winner: Nth Degree
Honorable Mention: NuVista

Best Transportation/ Freight Company
Winner: TTS Logistics
Honorable Mention: STI

Best AV Company
Winner: NMR Staging & Events
Honorable Mention: PRG

Best Technology Company
Winner: AllianceTech
Honorable Mention: ExhibitForce.com

Best of the Rest (all other types of suppliers)
Winner: Exhibit Surveys
Honorable Mention: Trade Show Logistics

Outstanding Show Manager
Winner: Mary Beth Rebedeau, The Rebedeau Group

Honorable Mentions: Susan Krys, American College of Cardiology (ACC)

Best Show of 2010
Winner: Consumer Electronics Show
Honorable Mention: American College of Cardiology (ACC)

Best Show City
Winner: Las Vegas
Honorable Mention: Chicago and San Diego (Tie)

Best Convention Center
Winner: Las Vegas Convention Center
Honorable Mention: Mandalay Bay

The TSEA Foundation thanks all Gala attendees and its generous sponsors and participating restaurants for helping make the evening a rousing success. Red Diamond sponsors of the event included: Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau, AVFX and Nomadic Displays. Corporate Sponsors included: HyperActive, Makepeace Digital Imaging, Prairie Displays Chicago, Tradeshow Multimedia, Sacks Exhibits, Picture Marketing, AllianceTech, Egg Design, David Fox Photographer, ListeNation, PEI, Nuvista, Nth Degree, Savvy Workshop, AmeriTech, DJ Rouskova, Rodstar Productions, Grill 23, Morton’s, Legal Sea Foods, L’andana, Chocolate Tasting 101 and 1^st & Fresh Catering.

About The TSEA Foundation

The Exhibit Industry Education Foundation (also known as the TSEA Foundation), a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization, is the research, information and fund-raising foundation for the Trade Show Exhibitors Association (TSEA) benefiting the members of the $124 billion exhibit and event industry comprised of businesses, non-profit associations and for-profit entities that participate in, exhibit at and produce trade shows. It funds specialized research on the exhibit and event industry, provides a variety of workshops, seminars and professional development opportunities and access to specialized research and reference assistance. The Foundation plays a key leadership and advocacy role for the exhibit and event industry and acts as a voice for the sector, articulating the data, reach, impact and contributions made possible through exhibit and event marketing.

The mission of the Exhibit Industry Education Foundation is to support cutting-edge research into the value and efficacy of face-to-face marketing, specifically trade shows, experiential marketing and events. Knowledge gained from this research then provides methodologies and metrics to improve the industry. It includes support of education and awareness by publishing the results of research projects and maximizes the utilization of research results. It also teams with other industry foundations to broaden the scope of research projects.

About TSEA

Since 1966, TSEA has been providing knowledge to marketing and management professionals who use exhibits, events and face-to-face marketing to promote and sell their products, as well as to those who supply them with products and services. Members benefit from access to education, networking, resources, advocacy and member-only discounts on products and services that all exhibit and event professionals use. TSEA is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, and regional chapters exist throughout the United States and Canada. For more information, please visit tsea.org.

How to Create A Post Trade Show Report

Two minute video from Linda Musgrove. Several other relevant videos are linked. Go to site.

Holographic Trade Show Exhibit

Demonstration of a 3D Holographic Illusion displayed at a Trade Show Booth in Atlanta. Video. Link.

Make Your Booth Stand Out at a Trade Show

63 Exhibitors give their best 5 tips. Link.

IAEE Senior Execs

IAEE recently held a Senior Executives Roundtable online, using the Twitter hashtag #iaeeseniorexecs. To view all of the discussion, go to http://twitter.com and type #iaeeseniorexecs into the search box.

How to Write a Tradeshow Report

After hours, if not days, standing on or walking a trade show floor, you may look forward to sitting down and writing a report summarizing your experience at the event. Writing a trade show report while your memories of the experience are still fresh is ideal; however, hopefully you took some notes during the show, kept competitor brochures and giveaways, and collected potential contact information. Reference these materials as you reflect on the show’s successes and failures, the benefits of attending the show and possible approaches to next year’s show.

Read more for step-by-step instructions.

Trade Shows Help Your Email Marketing Mailing List Grow

When your company has a booth at a tradeshow, you are primed to have face-to-face conversations with people who are at least somewhat interested in what you are offering (or they probably would have just walked by, right?). Since this is your first touch-point with the new prospect, you probably won’t close the deal right off the bat, however you have definitely taken steps in the right direction. While you are engaged with the prospect, one of your objectives should be to get them to join your mailing list so you can launch your email marketing strategy later. Often times, this is very easy to obtain all you have to do is ask people for their business cards, which contain all their contact information. In that one step, you’ve achieved your objective. Full article.

Creative PR Ideas for Conventions & Tradeshows

Need some creative ideas for public relations at your next convention or tradeshow? The ASAE Greater Washington Network recently held a PR Idea Swap at ASAE headquarters in Washington, DC, with content and planning provided by the ASAE Communication Section Council.

One of the table discussions during the event focused on convention and tradeshow public relations. Here are some of the ideas that participants offered: Link

Free 'Social Media 101' Webinar

"Social Media 101" is the first in a series of webinars that will help you learn Social Media, get involved, start to create a valuable network and ultimately use these powerful tools to help connect with your audience. Potential clients and customers, current followers and more will be able to get more value when you master these tools.

From Twitter to Facebook, from YouTube to LinkedIn, Tim will show you how the top Social Media platforms work - and how you can be a part.

You'll not only learn HOW to use these tools, but you'll understand WHY they're so important in today's Social Media Marketing landscape. After all, if your audience is there (and they ARE!), you'll want to be there with them!

The initial one-hour webinar - "Social Media 101" takes place twice during the last week of July:

Tuesday, July 27th at 11 am PT

and again on

Thursday, July 29, 2010, 10 am PT

Link.

Why we can't unplug on vacation

(CNN) -- Driving south from Ohio with his wife and two children on Thursday, Steve Daly stopped in Tennessee for what's advertised as the world's best ice cream. After ordering, he briefly switched out of vacation mode to check his e-mail on his phone.

His family nags him about his e-mail habits, but for Daly, it's the only way to have a good vacation.

"The anxiety is just not knowing -- so being able to check the inbox and see what's going on, if anything, is what allows me to relax," says Daly, 39, a self-employed technology consultant in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Daly is not alone. Many people can't go on vacation without worrying about their inboxes. And with the advent of smartphones, it's all too easy to keep work in your pocket when you travel. Article.

Who are you following on Twitter?

Here are a few you may want to add:

http://twitter.com/tseahq
http://twitter.com/tradeshowblog
http://twitter.com/tradeshownews
http://twitter.com/tradeshowblues
http://twitter.com/cepexhibits
http://twitter.com/tradeshowexel
http://twitter.com/3D_Exhibits
http://twitter.com/FreemanCo
http://twitter.com/ShepardExpo
http://twitter.com/eventsafety
http://twitter.com/tradeshowexpo
http://twitter.com/lindsayexhibits
http://twitter.com/tradeshowmaven
http://twitter.com/pattishock
http://twitter.com/walkernb
http://twitter.com/joaneisenstodt
http://twitter.com/jeffhurt
http://twitter.com/tradeshowguy
http://twitter.com/boothboss
http://twitter.com/velchain
http://twitter.com/exhibittransfer

Please use the comment section to add your own Twitter or recommend others.

Trade show mobile marketing leads to jackpot of leads

Great story about how mobile marketing can be used by exhibitors at trade shows: Article.

Woman robbed at gunpoint inside convention center bathroom

It was during the Pokemon convention. It wasn't a gaming exhibitor or a participant, but an employee who came face to face with a masked man with a gun Thursday afternoon. Full article with video.