Marshall Yard:

It must be that time of year, there have been several employees talking about these events.   Because of my complete lack of knowledge on the activity of a Pine Wood Derby, I really thought these participants were going to be standing out in the icy arctic freeze,  a little bit crazy I thought.   Alas, it is the miniature event that happens during the artic freeze in Chicago and it happens inside.  Who would have known!Catalyst Exhibits, Inc, recently sponsored a car for Dave’s son Craig, he is enrolled in the Cary, IL Cub Scouts Pack 857 - Den 1.  They recently participated in the 2008 Pinewood Derby on January 26th.  This was very exciting for the both of  them since this was their first year participating.The top 10 best times of the 50 cars which were entered in the Derby went ahead and advanced to the finals which will be taking place in Rockford, IL.  later this year. Unfortunately, they did not qualify for Rockford but they did win something else.

When you begin to plan your marketing strategies, and you come across the column for trade shows,  keep in mind what it is you are trying to accomplish.

Set your standards a little bit higher, you want your exhibit to send an aspirational message.  If you are investing your exhibit dollars to attend trade shows in your market segment, in all likelihood the competition is out there. 

Rent big

Buy small

With customized rental exhibits, your exhibit space can be a beacon of success on the trade show floor…a beacon of light that will shine well beyond the trade show.

Think leadership, your exhibit space should communicate leadership, along side your products, service and ideology.

MDM East will be hosted at Jacobs K Javits Convention Center in New York, June 2nd-5th, 2008.  Medical materials, electronics and computer aided designs will only be a fraction of what will be housed under 135,000 square feet of exhibit space. 

Seperate Pavillions with an array of specialty sessions and products will be available for education and networking with some of the industry leaders.  MDM East started in 1983, and is a great resource for Medical Equipment Manufacturers in North Eastern United States, an industry that continues to grow at unforseen speeds.  With the advancement in technologies, the trade show floor houses some of the most extraoridinary advancements in the medical device industry. 

Over 900 exhibitors, this is a prime trade show to take advantage of such an experienced group of suppliers in all facets of the medical device industry.

Whether your trade show booth is a 20 x 20 penisula, 40 x 40 or custom double deck exhibit, the ultimate goal is to produce an environment that portrays your corporate branding and products, planning for trade shows such as MDM East should be well thought out, discussed and reviewed a few months prior to the show date.  With a well thought out strategy and support of a highly trained manufacturers and designers of exhibits, you can go with confidence to trade show opening.

There will be four other events that will be happening at the same time at Jacob Javits Conference Center;

Atlantic Design & Manufacturing Trade Show

EastPack

ATX East - Automation Technology Expo

Plastec East

Your visit to MD&M East includes admission to
four co-located shows—delivering design, processing,
and packaging solutions…and everything in between.

Live from Washington D.C. beginning April 12th, 2008, the leaders in the news industry will be networking at the Washington Convention Center, for Capital Conference ‘08 Trade Show which will combine:

Nexpo, NAA & ASNE

Nexpo will run from April 12th-15th, 2008 - NAA & ASNE will run from April 13th -16th, which does include all access to Nexpo activities.

The news industry has changed and grown drastically in the last decade.  With information being instantly accessed and transferred, the point of impact and contact is endless.  Whether you have exhibited at Nexpo in the past, or this is your first time attending the conference, a rental exhibit is sure to help you broadcast your message.

Creating an exhibit environment that will speak to your readers (attendees) can boost your message to the front page headlines.  With the help of multi-media, webcasting, podcasting or simple news print, you can add enticing features that will showcase your services and products.

Plasma’s and monitors can add a dramatic effect and give your trade show exhibit  a well rounded and complete “visual display“. 

Why not utilize a monitor to fill in for your booth management team while you are engaged in conversation with prospects, attention getting presentations will give those trade show attendee’s something to stick around for.  Invoking questions that they can later ask you to answer. 

If you have a large exhibit space, what a better way to present multiple products and/or service divisions.   Large companies that have a variety of products often utilize plasma’s to showcase each division and with that it creates a seperate entity within the one trade show exhibit, but yet the entire brand is incorporated.

Creating a presentation to entice your potential visitors into your exhibit space, can be accomplished quite easily and a creating a marketing solution to include LCD’s and Plasma’s can help keep the flow of traffic consistent and will help you reach your trade show goals.

“What is a blog?” I get this question all the time, from co-workers, family and friends. I decided I am going to look at it as a virtual trade show, you go and visit, network and discuss business, showing off your designs and new templates.

If you are not one of the lucky few of the, hundreds of thousands of people who got to attend CES 2008, you can find all about it through blogs that have daily updates, actually virtual updates. Late Friday, I got an email that had information on CES 2008 top 10 booths. Catalyst Exhibits, Inc. was proud to have been involved in the designing and engineering of the Belkin Booth that was #4 on the list at Gizmodo - Top 10 Trade Show Booths!

It is utterly amazing what you can find while blogging;

Blogging Contests, I did not even know they existed until a few weeks back - what a fantastic marketing strategy. There is a contest going on now - One Heck of a Giveaway Contest! What a fantastic way to network, when you are in the confines of your cubicle or office.

Take a look at this extrodinary list of prizes as well as informational websites that can help us all in our venture.

There are going to be 12 different groups of prizes, which means there are going to be a total of 12 different winners. By adding up the value of all the prizes, I would say it is worth a least $1,000. Just for Max’s sponsorship of “500? One Buck Wiki pages total a value of $500, which makes it one heck of a contest.

*Group 1*

• 1 Month blogroll and 125×125 ad spot (Blog About Your Blog)
• Detailed blog review (Yimto)
• 1 Month 125×125 ad spot (Google Is Not God)
• License for PopUp Loser (Semmy)
• 50EC (Julianas Lair)
• 4 Hour Workweek book (Money Relations)

*Group 2*

• 1 month 125×125 ad spot (Peter Foti)
• 500EC, 1 month 125×125 ad spot (3rd World Blogger)
• 1 month 125×125 ad spot (Contest Time)
• Blog review (Belolats)
• eBook - Wealthy eBook (University Kid)
• 1 month 125×125 ad spot (Mixed Market Arts)

*Group 3*

• 1 125×125 logo, 125 ad spot, blow review, and 3 backlinks (A Frog To Kiss)
• 1 month 100×100 ad spot (Lankapo)
• 500EC, 1 month 125×125 ad spot (Web Blog Money)
• 100 One Buck Wiki pages (Zedomax)
• 1 month 125×125 ad spot (Flat Water)

*Group 4*

• License for PopUp Loser (Semmy)
• 3 months 468×60 ad spot (Ryan Yockey)
• 200EC (Aims Graz)
• 1 month 125×125 ad spot (Contest Time)
• 100 One Buck Wiki pages (Zedomax)
• 1 month 125×125 ad spot (To The PC)

*Group 5*

• Harmonica DVD (Blog Money Wiki)
• 1 month 300×250 ad spot, 3 month blogroll link (VolkDefense)
• 1 month 125×125 ad spot (Scholarpreneur)
• 1 month 125×125 ad spot (Ben Spark)
• 1 month 125×125 ad spot (I Make Money On Facebook)
• 1 month 125×125 ad spot (Mixed Market Arts)

*Group 6*

• Domaining Manifesto eBook (DNXpert)
• 100 One Buck Wiki pages (Zedomax)
• 100 One Buck Wiki pages (Zedomax)
• eBook - Wealthy eBook (University Kid)
• 1 month 125×125 ad spot (EZ Money Online)

*Group 7*

• 250EC (Dorm Earning)
• “The Baby Jesus Butt Plug” book (Cyber Fizzle)
• License for PopUp Loser (Semmy)
• 1 month 125×125 ad spot (Contest Time)
• 250EC, 1 month 125×125 ad spot, 1 month rotated text link (Ez DIY Electricity)
• 1 month 125×125 ad spot (PixToo)

*Group 8*

• 1 month 125×125 ad spot (My Blog Contest)
• 1,000EC (Article Snatch)
• 1 month 125×125 ad spot (Wired Kayaker)
• 1 month 125×125 ad spot (JTPratt)
• 125×125 ad spot until April 1st (1 Man And His Blog)
• 1 month 125×125 ad spot (Mixed Market Arts)

*Group 9*

• 200EC, 1 month text link via RSS feed (Slyvisions)
• 50 EC, 1 month 125×125 ad spot (Ideas and Money)
• License for PopUp Loser (Semmy)
• 1 month 125×125 ad spot (Sean)
• 1 month ad spot (size up to 336×250) (That Single Guy)

*Group 10*

• 1,000EC (Toast & Egg & Me)
• 1 month 125×125 ad spot (Blogging 4 Cash)
• Blog review (Andrew Benton)
• 1 month 125×125 ad spot (Ben Spark)
• License for PopUp Loser (Semmy)

*Group 11*

• 1 entry to Sam’s Superbowl Contest (Controversial Marketing)
• 1 month 125×125 ad spot (Orange Inks)
• 1 month 125×125 ad spot (Blogigs)
• 1 month 125×125 ad spot (Singapore Entrepreneur)
• 1 month 125×125 ad spot (Gorilla Sushi)

*Group 12*

• 500EC, 2 month 125×125 ad spot (ABC)
• 1 month 125×125 ad spot (Contest Time)
• 1 Month 125×125 ad spot (Read To Me Dad)
• 1 month 125×125 ad spot (Rhyan)
• Blog directory submission (5 keyword phrases) (SEO News)

Every contestant is only able to win once. *EC = Entrecard Credits*

Grab your bags, Kevin wanted to go shopping! If you are new to Marshall Yard - The Trade Show Blog - Kevin is our resident Mascot and is a Mississippi Map Turtle.   Often times he journeys with me from trade show to trade show.  

Global Shop is returning to Chicago, March 18th - 20th, 2008, in the new West Hall at McCormick Place.   With over 8,000 new products being showcased, and 900 exhibitors, this is the largest annual retail design event in the United States.   There will be several conferences from scent marketing to woman’s retail rituals.

I wonder how exhibits are perceived from the view points of men and woman?  Is one exhibit booth more aesthetically pleasing than another because of our gender?  Have you ever bought something for the opposite sex that you thought was stunning, and yet they looked at it as if you picked it out of the trash can?  A perfume or cologne you love on a spouse, that they can not stand?

I really think the perception of anything visual does have some sort of gender boundry. 

I belive it takes a diverse team of marketing specialist to create and integrate idea’s and plans for a full impact trade show display.  Constant communication during design and brainstorm sessions can bring alot more clarity and balance to any project.  

Voice your opinion.. 

Thanks to Small Business Essentials for hosting this weeks Carnival of the Captitalists, with some interesting information on Word of Mouth Marketing , I agree with this article and I do think it is a necessity in any market, I also have to say it is not easy and it is time consuming. 

If a customer is happy and satisfied, there is no better advertisement, agreeing with the following statement from Word of Mouth Marketing,  I also feel that this is relevant to  social media and blogging:

The problem with word of mouth marketing is the breadth of buzz needed in order to see an increase in business–and the passive nature of the method itself. 

Blogging does not have to be passive, but blogging to drive business to your website is an on going process, it takes time and it takes readers to make it a success.  Offering your readers something to remember you by and something that they will begin to rely on you for.  But getting the word out can be a challenge.

PR Marketing Trends is another article that caught my attention, we don’t want to admit it, but things could slow down economically and often times, it is the marketing department that suffers.  I really liked the simplified tips that were written at Business and Blogging - simple, direct and to the point.

It’s hardly the season now but a good marketer always thinks ahead doesn’t he? What sport is associated almost exclusively with high rollers and money-bags? Almost certainly the answer is golf.  Congratulations if that’s your target audience. Now it’s time to think of this for your next trade show! How do you choose golf related corporate gifts or trade show giveaways? 

Is it really wiser to present golf related promotional products that cannot be really used in the game but they are nice reminders, that this game unites thousands of powerful and wealthy of supporters and players all over the world?Tradeshow gifts for golfers should be selected by someone who is equally as keen on this game as your target audience. The best time for golf giveaways at trade shows is around the beginning of April when the excitement about the looming start of the season is at peak.

Golf gifts  are irreplaceable in the business world today. Other than that, golf helps develop concentration, attention, precision and patience – something that any successful businessman possesses. Top honchos and wannabees – all play it either to keep the success and repute or gain it. Golf items as potential promo gifts at the next trade show are a must – your visitors will absolutely love gold-gilded accessories, golf souvenirs, imprinted golf tees and golf ball sets, golf bags or accessory holders. 

PGA Merchandise Trade Show will be starting January 17th - 19th, 2008 at the Orange County Convention Center

The Golf Industry Trade  Show - January 31st - February 2nd, 2008 - Orlando Florida with close to 1,000 exhibitors last year, covering almost 300,000 square feet of exhibit space.  

Golf seems to be taking on a life of it’s own,  whether you are attending a trade show or manning a trade show booth, it seems these days that these types of items will not be left behind.  

Words we didn’t hear 15 years ago, Squidoo, Flickr, Digg, Del.icio.us, text messages, Spinn and try this on for size, Blogengage?  Squidoo could have been something that we would have looked for while deep sea diving.  Flickr is something you did with those boogies that you had on your finger in first grade reading class.  Digg is something your mother did in the garden, and often times made you help.  I would have thought that something I picked up at the local Tastee Freeze was absolutely Del.icio.us.  Text messages where something that you got as a telegram, and had to drive to pick up.  Spinn was something that happened when you drank too much in college.  Then there is Blogengage, some folks find it hard just to get engaged these days.      

How much time a day does the average college student spend on social networking sites? Not wanting to spend a fortune to run an expensive study on this, just looking at a few of the students I know, I am going to throw out there three hours a day.  As these students have networked for four years during college, with people that share similar interest or don’t share anything at all other than cramming for exams.  

These are the people that will soon be sharing cubicles with us in the near future, when they are asked to research something, they will start with what they know and what they are comfortable with.  Submitting articles to various social networking sites, and being able to see your information come up organically in searches is what we are all striving for as we blog, flick and digg our way through our online marketing techniques. 

Blogengage is a site where you can submit your blog articles and have people engage them, similar in fashion to Digg, but strictly allowing blog  submissions, where the writing is a little more free flowing and less conforming to the large newswires. 

It is these sites that our decision makers of the future will be using, I see it similar to a consumer’s reports of the future.  Harnessing the potentia l places that your articles can reach with this type social media should be a no brainer.  I’ve only been at this for awhile, and think sometimes, what have I gotten into, but the more you read, the more time you can spend trying to wrap your arms around it, the easier it becomes.  Keep blogging and keep participating.

If you are feeling overwhelmed, ask for help! I have found creative answers from many people at Bloggeries Forum  as well as the Small Business Brief Forum.  Don’t be afraid to ask questions, it is the best way to learn and its amazing the people you will run into. 

When you are exhibiting at Trade Shows, it is as well a social networking atmosphere, you are there to extend your network of sources and clients.   Let them know about your blog, and your networking sites, encourge potential clients to visit and comment.  It is their opinion of your service and product that matters.  Spreading the word and getting feedback will help you make your trade show marketing more of a success.    Make sure that you are blogging about what trade show you will be at next, and always include your booth number. 

Different trade shows have different audiences, it is vital that as the New Year gets underway that you take the time to assess your marketing strategy and strategic development. Owners, Developers and Businesses in general need to remember that they need to market for IMPACT.

I = Image

Amplify your image; give yourself the flexibility for innovation and growth, by not marrying into a purchased exhibit, you can have the options of speaking to different audiences and conveying different messages quite easily.  Creative designs that will help your company stand out on any exhibit floor will give you more potential for reaching different divisions.

M = Marketing

When it comes to trade show marketing – remember it is not simply about the exhibit hall experience. It is about getting the message out, loud and clear.  That should be one of your primary goals, with a sold marketing partner; you can create a refreshing and effective message for new product lines and new services.

P = Potential

Potential clients, potential success! It should be all about clients, and the success that you should be able to bring to the table for them.  With the trade show abundance in the United States, there is never a loss of places to exhibit, research the potential shows and find out where you have the best fit, with an established exhibit house, you should be teamed with the correct professionals that can direct you to the best venue’s and upcoming shows.

A = Advancement

We are all in business to advance.  Climb the ladder of tradeshow success, get yourself out of that murky 10 x 10 pipe and drape exhibit and start showing off your willingness to advance in your marketplace.   When you take the time to invest more of your marketing dollars into the exhibit booth that will be your image, you will see advancement.

C = Communication

Not only communicate with your leads that have been generated by trade show marketing, communicate with your already successful relationships.  Communicate with your employees, who communicate with your successful relationships.  People like to be heard, they also like to be acknowledged, remembering small information from potential clients can take you far.

T = Traffic

Sometimes a nightmare, but in the trade show industry, this is what brings in those potential clients, that begin the communications for relationships.  Researching the best layout for your exhibit booth as well as the best possible area on the exhibit floor takes research, doing this in advance can help you land a prime piece of trade show real estate.

IMPACT 2008 with successful marketing and planning!