Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Trade Show Psychology: Know the Crowd

A person can be rational, they can be educated, intelligent, pragmatic, they can be talked to, convinced, swayed and argued with. A crowd, on the other hand, is more like a force of nature, something that you can perhaps harness, but rarely control.

Now obviously, once you've reeled a prospect into a trade show booth, you're going to be talking to them one on one, but until then, they're a part of the shapeless mass that is The Crowd. Plucking somebody out of that crowd can be difficult, so here are a few tricks to help your trade show displays stand out... Read more




Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Conventioneers Predict Positive Year for Las Vegas Trade Shows

The trade show, Exhibitor 2011, is a convention for exhibitors. It's an opportunity to see the latest and greatest in the convention industry which employs 45,000 people in Las Vegas. The exhibitors at Mandalay Bay's annual show are expecting a good year for business. See video.

Friday, March 25, 2011

GES Offers Free Airport Shuttle for EXHIBITOR2011

To demonstrate the art of service, GES is welcoming all EXHIBITOR 2011 attendees with complimentary shuttle rides on Sunday, March 27 from McCarran International Airport to Mandalay Bay, Excalibur, Luxor and the Four Seasons hotels. The shuttle will operate every thirty minutes from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., and all show attendees are welcome. GES' representatives, holding balloons and signage, will be present near airport escalators and exits to direct guests to the shuttle.

Attendees are also invited to join GES' SmartStaff™ booth staff training on Sunday, March 27, from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. in room "Surf E" on the second floor of the Mandalay Bay Convention Center. More information

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Handling the Logistics of Trade Shows

The trick to effectively coordinating trade show freight services and logistics to transport your tradeshow booth display for on-time delivery to a show venue is meticulous planning and coordination. Larger companies that exhibit frequently often use transport companies that specialize in trade show shipping to handle the logistical details. More from Tradeshow Insider's Blog.

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Tradeshow QR Code Usage – A Few Brief Tips

by Tim Patterson of The Tradeshow Guy blog.

At the Natural Products Expo West show earlier this month in Anaheim, I had the opportunity to scan several QR Codes that were displayed in booths, posters and banners. Some were prominently displayed in large form – maybe a foot square – and others as small as less than one inch on business cards. All in all, I saw perhaps twenty QR Codes. Since I became aware of QR Codes a year ago ago, and have blogged about them a couple of times, I was curious to see how business incorporated the goofy-looking symbol into their marketing efforts.

Here are a few thoughts on what worked and what didn’t: Continue reading.

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Six Reasons Why You Should Use QR Codes for Your Next Event

Reason #1: An electronic conference brochure — On a press release, event poster, marketing video, email blast, promotional products, or even a Twitter/Facebook post include a QR Code with a link to a downloadable PDF brochure.

Reason #2: Create a Link to Conference Website Use any of the channels identified above to distribute your link to prospective attendees. If your event registration and/or housing process is online you can post links to these locations as well.

Reason #3: Conference Handouts — Post a QR code on the screen in the meeting room and participants can scan whatever the session handout into their smartphone.

Reason #4: Post Event Survey/Evaluation — Once again, post the QR code for link to the evaluation form on the session screen, and attendees can immediately provide feedback regarding the session they have just attended.

Reason #5: Media Access — provide access to links for event music, video archives or pictures via a QR code.

Reason #6: Share Contact Information — speakers, or exhibitors can post a QR code with their electronic contact information and attendees can scan it into their smartphone’s contacts database, or email it to a friend/colleague. Attendees can exchange contact information with one another by scanning QR codes embedded on their phones.

Full article from Mike McCurry. Includes video from Midori Connolly.

Sunday, March 20, 2011

HOW TO: Create a Blockbuster Mobile App

In an ever expanding and increasingly competitive mobile app marketplace, it’s becoming harder for developers to create apps that stand out for being more entertaining, engaging and worthy of consumers’ attention and money. There are approximately 350,000 apps in iTunes, 65,000 in the Android marketplace, and thousands more being developed as we speak. Whether an app is the brainchild of two parents who want to entertain their daughter, or a creation from a huge developing house, there’s no telling exactly how an app will fare once it hits the open market.

So, what exactly does it take to create a killer app? A good idea, focus, determination and lots of luck certainly help. But there are other factors that up-and-comers can glean from seasoned developers who have been there, done that, and done it well. More from Mashable.

Saturday, March 19, 2011

Working From Home: Facts vs. Fiction

by Diana Adams

The reality of the situation is very different. Anyone who is able to be successful and disciplined enough to work from home for any significant length of time will probably tell you that they work more hours at home than they ever would at an office. I struggle maintaining balance in my own life because I work from home. It’s so easy to jump on the
computer at midnight with the intentions of quickly checking email, but then three hours later, be all involved in a project. There is no real separation between work life and home life. It’s all a blur that we try to distinguish as much as we can. If I want to get away from work, I have to leave my house. There is no other way. More from Bit Rebels.



Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Business travelers pick their favorite airports

Convenience and easy access are reasons many travelers repeatedly cite when choosing a favorite airport, according to a survey of 890 frequent fliers on USA TODAY's panel of Road Warriors, frequent travelers who voluntarily provide information on travel. More from USA Today

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Your social media programs are global - whether you want them to be or not

The Groundswell is now global. Social media has entered the mainstream in every single market Forrester regularly surveys – and in most of those markets, social media use is at 75% or higher. Australian, Japanese and Italian online users all show stronger adoption of social media than Americans do – and Chinese, Dutch and Swedish users have nearly pulled level with the Americans. And in 2010 Facebook reported that more than 70% of its active users were outside the US, while Twitter said more than 60% of its accounts come from outside the US. More from Nate Elliott's Blog

Sunday, March 13, 2011

Using the Location-Based SCVNGR Game at Tradeshows

by Tim Patterson

I keep hearing how SCVNGR is being used to engage tradeshow attendees with pics, check-ins and other game activities. So let’s take a look at how it’s being done in a tradeshow or event setting.

First, what the heck is SCVNGR? Continue reading - from The Tradeshowguy Blog




Wednesday, March 9, 2011

DOs and DON’Ts for Effective Trade Show Booths

Preparing for a trade show, especially for small companies, can be a daunting task. Deciding what to include and how to set up an actual exhibit/display is one of the fundamental decisions you’ll have to make. First step is to contact the show managers and find out the size of the booth you will have, whether there is a wall space for your company sign, if there are electrical outlets available, and any other small items that you might be responsible for supplying.

Here are a few other tips to keep in mind when creating your exhibit:

DON'T overstuff it. Product managers might want to display things that represent every brand or product your company offers. Partners might want their logo splashed all over your booth. Keep in mind that sometimes simpler is better. Booths overcrowded with displays, products, stands, etc., turn off prospective attendees and prevent you from quickly communicating why attendees should visit you. More

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

BREAKING NEWS: CEIR Releases 2010 Exhibition Industry Census

DALLAS, 07 March 2011 - The Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR) has released the 2010 CEIR Exhibition Industry Census revealing that during the past decade, the number of events as compared to the 2000 Census has remained relatively unchanged reinforcing the belief that the exhibition industry is resilient even during times of uncertainty and downturn. The knowledge-based research also found that as a result of new construction and building renovations, exhibit space has increased which has resulted in the redistribution of events and broader possibilities for prime destinations to host key buyer/seller exhibitions. http://www.ceir.org/

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Top 10 Ways to Rock Your Resume

Whether you're looking for a new job or just pruning up your paperwork, one of the keys to nabbing the job you want is creating a successful resumé. Here are our top 10 ways to make sure yours stands out. Full article from Lifehacker

Saturday, March 5, 2011

ROI Toolkit

This web-site includes a series of simple tools to assist exhibitors in planning for an exhibition and to measure performance in delivering a return-on-investment (ROI) from exhibiting. Funded by a grant from the PCMA Education Foundation to the Center for Exhibition Industry Research, this web-site was developed by Exhibit Surveys, Inc. in conjunction with the ROI Task Force of the International Association of Exhibitions and Events.

Go to website.

Thursday, March 3, 2011

10 Things I Know About... Tradeshow Booths

10. BLANK CANVAS

Your company’s tradeshow booth is a blank canvas for your message. Create an exhibit that captures your company’s character and personality while also meeting physical needs and hitting budgets.

9. SPEC SHEET

The exhibit spec sheet should be drafted before the first meeting with the exhibit design firm. It outlines who the audience will be, whether the audience changes from one show to the next, and what branding objectives are being targeted.

8. DESIGN PICK-UP MEETING

This face-to-face meeting reviews the spec sheet criteria with the design team. With a challenge to create a 3-D identity for your company, the effort needs to be personalized and hands-on, like custom-building a home. More from WBJ Journal

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Meeting News has a great YouTube channel. They post Meeting in a Minute video tips from professionals in the industry. This link is to a minute with Sheryl Sookman Schelter. You can subscribe the channel and you can also opt to be notified by email when a new video is uploaded. The best thing is - they are short.

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Traveling with an iPhone, iPad and MacBook Air

By Jim Dalrymple

I’ve been traveling with a backpack full of electronics for more years than I care to remember, but with Apple’s recent offerings, things are getting a whole lot easier.

In years past, I would back a bag with a camera, maybe a video camera, phone, and a 17- or 15-inch MacBook (or PowerBook, if you remember those). To say that made for a heavy bag and a sore back would be an understatement — and that was just going through the airport.

After days of walking around a tradeshow or lugging everything to endless meetings, my back was ready to call it quits.

Last month, I went to Anaheim for the anual NAMM music show, but I packed a little different. Instead of lugging around all of those heavy electronics, I took an iPhone, iPad and a MacBook Air. More from The Loop