January 16, 2009
On Tuesday, I arrived back in Atlanta after having spent a week and-a-half in Las Vegas at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES). Despite concerns that the mammoth show that occupies space in the Las Vegas Convention Center and Sands Expo Center had fallen off in participation and attendance this year, the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) reported this week that, "more than 2,700 global companies, including 300 new exhibitors, unveiled an estimated 20,000 new technology products" at this year's show.
December 10, 2008
This morning while reading a copy of Marketing Management, I came across an interesting article about a trend in marketing geared towards democratization. This meaning that consumers are playing an increasingly powerful role in creating value in goods and services in the marketplace. The article cites Dove's Real Beauty campaign that rejected the conventional image of beauty often times aided by digital editing software as shown in this YouTube clip below, and played out in marketing and advertising campaigns for years and years. The Dove campaign took shape over time and was driven by market research that revealed a growing disconnect between the way women perceived themselves and the way in which they were portrayed in the media.
October 30, 2008
I came across a great article in The New York Times online this week that talks about the benefits of advertising during a down market. The articles address five ways to advertise effectively so that you get the most out of your investment, and I thought the same principles apply to trade shows, which is a similar marketing activity in many respects.
September 30, 2008
Fresh off a trip to Southern California where my wife and family celebrated her brother's wedding this past weekend, I was happy to read online today that the San Diego Convention Center Corporation's board of directors voted unanimously to acquire a lease option on an 8.5 acre area of land that could add up to 500,000 sqf. of exhibit space by 2014.
September 4, 2008
When it comes to buying green, consumers are likely to favor value or economic products rather than pay for premium items, Brand Republic reported this week. The same article says the struggling world economy is the reason behind the recent change in behavior, and that marketers should be aware of four new green consumers:
August 28, 2008
I saw this article about the emergence of touch technology in The New York Times over the weekend, but didn't finish reading until I pulled it up online this morning. Given Apple's recent success with the iPhone and its touch applications, it would seem as if the market for similar technologies is on the verge of breaking out.
Until only recently, the extent of touch technology was limited to restaurant POP systems, credit card signature readers and GPS systems, but the iPhone has changed the way consumers think about its potential.
Industry experts still feel as if market-wide adoption is still several years away due to relatively high costs of production, but also because there aren't many other software applications written to interact with touch technologies.
Potential Uses for Trade Shows
Exhibitors have seen touch screen kiosks before, but it's possible to expect greater possibilities as the price of the technology comes down to an affordable level. The thought that comes to mind is the "Magic Wall" that CNN commentators manipulate during election coverage (also referenced in the article above). It would definitely be an eye-catching feature for any new exhibit.
August 27, 2008
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported today that bookings at the Georgia World Congress Center were down so far this year and total revenues could see a dip nearing $3.5 million, as the convention center heads in to its fiscal 2010.
August 26, 2008
Yesterday I mentioned how much I appreciated the Mobile Reader application Google features on its new 2008 Presidential Election site, but did so under the false assumption that most already know how RSS feeds work. The reality is that all of this online "stuff" can be confusing, and it's why I wanted to share with you a site that I subscribe to daily --Common Craft.
August 25, 2008
Wannabe political pundits and news junkies now have another resource to track the 2008 Presidential Election. Google Mobile this past weekend dedicated a mobile coverage site that allows users to keep up with his or her favorite candidate.
August 22, 2008
The trade show industry is one that requires a good deal of traveling, which I happen to enjoy because it gives me a couple hours to de-stress and perhaps read that book that's been sitting, unopened on my night stand for the last couple of weeks. But if you fall into the category of iPhone and Blackberry-wielding professionals that need constant access to Internet and email, you're now in luck.
