Marshall Yard:

What was that funny word I heard to describe a trade show giveaway? I heard it, I know how to pronounce it, but where did it come from and how do you spell it?  

Chachka - Tchotchke - Giveaways - Trinkets

Definition - A cheap shiny trinket, slang name for trade show giveaways.  I ran across this word several years ago when I went down to Florida with someone attending the Lotus Notes program in Orlando. 

What do you call a trade show giveaway? This question has been ask a few times, and then I realized what it was the people were asking.  This is stated as being a Yiddish word and can also mean an attractive unconventional woman.  Would this be a booth babe? Not likely, but the two do fit well in the world of trade show booths and trade show exhibits. 

So for all of you out there wondering, what is the word for trade show promotional items?  Giveaways, Trinkets - you have come across the world of Chachka - Tchotchke, pronounced CHA-CH-KEY

I love to reuse old things, I’ve been succesful at selling original artwork on ebay all from recycled material.  It is quite a joy when my husband comes home with an old piece of furniture or a tattered old window from a schoolhouse. My wheels begin to turn, I take pride that, these items are no longer ending up in the landfills and are going to be something people can find joy in. 

 When you purchase an exhibit, it is yours, what happens to that material when you are finished with it? Most likely, it gets tossed.   Designs change, graphics change and your products will most likely change and grow with your company.

Rental exhibits give you flexibility, cost-effectiveness, a direct write off on taxes and versatility.   If your company undergoes a variety of marketing strategies, rental exhibits can be quite beneficial.    Plus each and component of a rental exhibit can be reused and recycled!

For those of you who don’t know Kevin - he is our Exhibit House Mascot - he helped me this weekend with the leaves, and we began our conversations about rakes and outdoor lawn equipment.

Well, after we got all done, we hit the internet and came across Orgill’s Dealer Market Trade Show.  What an interesting trade show this must be.  Anyone in the hardline industry that attended the Orgill Dealer Market Trade Show in the past, had rave reviews. 

Orgill’s Dealer Market Trade Show will be held in Orlando in February of 2008 - 2/21-23rd.  From Farm & Ranch, Workwear, Lawn & Garden and seasonal items.  The possibilities of meeting new vendors and learning from the latest and greatest new programs from Orgill are phenominal.  Some of the heavy hitters that attend are Black & Decker, Dewalt, Valspar and Stanley, just to name a few. 

No matter what it is you are trying to acheive, in any business, you can learn from so many sources.  Educate yourself from the industry proffessionals, and take away what works for you and design your business structure with a solid foundation.  

In the business of exhibiting, we take the key four elements we feel will bring you the most impact and present to you a custom exhibit rental solution.   If you are planning on exhibiting at the Orgill Dealer Market Trade Show, you want to make sure not only your product’s make a statement but your entire exhibit will draw in the attention and the sales you are hoping to acquire in this market arena, following some of the basic trade show tips you can increase your performance on the trade show floor.   I read that the orders written at the last trade show, was up 11% from the previous year.   Defining your marketing objectives in advance, can as well help drive up your return on investment, and you will be well ahead of the competition and well ahead of your goals.

AWARENESS             

By: Susie Kleiner

Awareness is your perception & cognitive reaction to a circumstance, condition or an event.  You can be aware of emotions, actions, gossip and your surroundings.  Sometimes not even realizing exactly what it is you are aware of.Awareness provides us the substance from which we develop “Qualia”.  (This term was unfamiliar to me, its meaning; the way things seem to us.  By defining a company’s products and services, this creates brand-awareness.  Setting that company apart from their competition, by building trust in your business relationships, with your particular branding  efforts, you reach a higher level of credibility.

Consumers for your products or in the B2B market place, when people make purchase or decisions they rely on their associates or contacts that they themselves have built trustful relationships on to give them advice or steer them to a reputable company for such products or services.  With the ever growing market places throughout any industry that attends or exhibits at tradeshows, a clear focus needs to be to separate themselves from the competitors.  

Reading an online article discussing the branding of cattle, the author noted, that  each rancher would have their own specific brand and allow their cattle to graze in the pastures with the other ranchers cattle, because they could clearly identify their own cattle.  Well, in the ever growing world of competition, the fences on that one have gone up. 

When people speak of branding, you can realize your success when your name comes out for your product category, when you think of tissue, what comes to mind.. Kleenex. Trademarked & Branded.  This is called Top-of Mind Awareness, reaching this type of brand-awareness does not come over night, unless you designed the pet rock. It takes diligence and self-awareness.

Giving clients quality and constant communication is an integral part of this equation.  No matter what situation you find yourself in with a client, if you are aware of it, it will make them more at ease.  Any project will encounter the so-called bumps in the road at any given time.  If a client approaches you in an irate situation, do yourself a favor and don’t put your defense mechanism in fifth gear.  Calmly inform them you appreciate them making you aware of the situation, and let them know you are going to continually keep them up dated.They will become aware that you are there as a partner, seeking out solutions on their behalf. 

In one of the first newsletters, I spoke of client personalities; once again, this fall’s into a category of “awareness”, this is the awareness of emotions and from there, there can be actions taken.  Often times, these actions are not best suited at this point and time, because they are coming from an emotional level.  When we find ourselves in the middle of deadlines, meetings and endless emails back and forth, our emotions run high.These emotions are stored, and we can often react because of them.  Are they stored in our brains? If so, we could just concentrate and make them go away.  That’s not the case.  We feel and store emotional energy and it emanates out of us like a “vibe”. 

ADR = Alternative Dispute Resolution is used by the US Navy, they strongly advice cooperative effort and building bridges through communication.

There are several reasons people give away promotional items in the trade show setting, usually at the top of the list is traffic and visitors.  Remember to keep in mind the type of visitors and traffic you are hoping to draw in.

First off, when trying to decide what types of items to “give-away” do some research first and get a reputable company.  You want your promotional item to be remembered, you want it to convey a message of what your company does and who you are in the market place. 

Does your trade show booth follow any sort of theme? Are you trying to give your booth visitor an education? Each one of those could support a different promotional item.   Do not forget your “brand awareness” in this process, and make sure that the item will send that message. 

Promotional items can be costly, make sure you plan well in advance for any given trade show and order early and follow a strategic plan in order to acquire the give-aways at the best cost, often times in bulk if you are planning on exhibiting at more than one trade show. 

In order to capture your prospective clients make it an item of desire, but do not hand them out freely, or just have them displayed somewhere so they are easy for the taking.  You want to be able to engage the prospective client in conversation so that you can establish a relationship and further the process from prospect to client. 

If the convention center offers any sort of pre-show advertising, this may be a great chance to include a stop at our booth with this certificate.  That way you will get them engaged in a more detailed conversation of your product and services.

International Home & Housewares trade show will hit McCormick Place in Chicago on March 16th-18th, 2008.  From cookware, food storage, cutlery, bath & shower and so much more this is just a paradise for home goods and housewares.  Kevin - The Mississippi Map Mascot was surprised to find that so many trade shows have such a variation of promotional items and contests going on, he just looked on in wonderment as some of the trade show attendee’s tried to hit the hole for a prize.

International Home & Housewares has had over 60,000 attendee’s with over 2,000 exhibitors in past years.  With the fact that over 15,500 buyers attend the this amazing array of housewares and the trade show floor is full of interesting and innovative new gadgets, it is a great place to network with decision makers and gather as much information from the industry experts.

Whether you are just starting out exhibiting at trade shows, or are a seasoned pro, you can re-cap some of the programs from the 2007 International Home & Housewares via a CD that is available to purchase at their website. 

For any one who has attended a trade show, the mad rush to the lunch line can be a bit of a challenge, feeling like a race horse stuck in the gate.  I have decided to share with you some of our favorite restaurants that are in and around McCormick Place  so if you decide to escape the confines of the convention center you may want to take a gander to one of these joints.  

Lets start out with Morton’s Steakhouse - starting out the shrimp that are the size of Muhammad Ali’s fist, your mouth begins to water before you even finish ordering.  You can cut the filets with a butter knife and they melt in your mouth. 

If you enjoy a bit of history, why not check out the Chicago Firehouse which dates back to 1905, and is constructed of yellow brick and limestone.  Standing in much of the same splendor, it has undergone several changes.   The stables have been turned into a courtyard, and a banquet space was added.   For those blustery winter days in the city of Chicago, try some of their delicious chicken noodle soup to warm your weary trade show bones.  Enjoy outside dining and awesome steaks, during the warm summer months in the city!

Move along down to Erie Cafe which has been rated “excellent” for several years running.  With a wide variety of entree’s to choose from, you can settle your cravings with Spaghetti & Ravioli or go for the juicy Steaks & Chops.   No matter what your choices are when you sit to dine at Erie, you can be assured the service will be over the top and your dining experience will be full service and full satisfaction.

 Gene & Georgetti’s Steak House has the reputation of a classic old-time Chicago place to dine.  Having customers that continue to dine speaks volumes and Gene & Georgetti’s has long time customers going back for 50 years.   Dive into one of their garbage salads, but rest assured that this isn’t a light meal, you will walk away full and satisfied.

More to come!

Interactive Video and User Created Content are two phrases that are very vanguard in growing infatuation of what is called social media. Social Media chronicles opinions, content, insight and perspectives of individuals and business through online technologies and practices.

PTC 2008 – Telecom with Vision Trade Show Expo is being held January 13^th-16^th 2008 at the Hilton in Hawaii. Video is catapulting businesses into an entire different marketing segment.  PTC brings together experts that explore the impact video on all aspects of telecommunications.

Getting the inside track and building affiliations with leaders and experts in the field of communications, can not only boost your lead generation, but enlighten and enhance your knowledge of ICT and communications.