I had the opportunity to sit down and speak to Renee Jain (pictured left) of ICC Rents to discuss a little about what their company does and what they offer to convention, trade show and event planners.  ICC Rents began as a family owned business as the vision of Ganpat “Jim” Jain, Renee’s father, in Chicago in 1979. The company began as a computer rental company and has exploded into one of the top rental companies in the trade show world.  What was once only servicing the Chicago area and McCormick Place, now is nationwide and services all the major conventions centers from Orlando to Las Vegas to New York and L.A.  Renee can recall the business in her father’s den when they first started and talks about the long hours it took her father, and later her brother  Raj Jain, to build this business to its current state of a 24/7 full on customer service shop servicing the nation with over 100 employees.

ICC Rents is a company that can provide all of your technology needs from a laptop for your tradeshow booth to that 103″ Plasma TV or seamless Video Wall.  They provide all the back end support as well.  Once you rent a component, you can rest assured that it will be at your show, on time, working, and will be backed by support should anything go wrong.  They have touch screen monitors, interactive kiosks and just about anything that will set your tradeshow booth apart from the competition.  They can help get you noticed on the show floor.

I asked the simple question of “why can’t I just buy a television from the local store and use it?”  She was well prepared with a response and raised many questions I had not thought of, like extension chords, cables, set up and delivery, and many other reasons why renting is a smart investment for using a company like ICC Rents to handle your needs.  Technology becomes obsolete, many pieces of equipment break down and many other reason why having a support team is important in renting the proper equipment.  There are many hidden costs that she discussed as well.  They are truly knowledgeable in the industry and have become quite trusted in more areas than just for a tradeshow.  They have corporate clients that use their services as well for onsite training and setting up meeting and events.  I could not begin to cover all the areas where they can help you with your technology needs.

In addition, and because I am serial procrastinator, this statement she said stuck in my mind:

“We are the last minute provider” ~ Renee Jain

What she meant is that many people forget about something like a required hard case for that 50″ plasma TV for their wall, or they forget that they needed a wall mount for that television or of a cable needed to make it work. When this happens they can be there immediately to cure any forgotten item or to make sure your trade show booth comes off without a hitch.  I think am going to put that number in my pocket for my future trip to Vegas in September as chances are I’ll need it.  With 24/7 service such as theirs, I can rest easy because we all know I’ll forget something.  They can help.

ICC Rents handles any type of tradeshow and not just the technical market.  Everyone is needing technology to catch attention of convention attendees and tradeshow attendees.  She mentioned the bridal industry and agricultural industries and many other areas where technology can enhance your tradeshow experience and produce more leads.

Back in March of 2008, ICC Rents was merged with Smart Source Rentals, a powerful partner that has taken their service and their ability to service trade shows and conventions to the next level.  Give ICC Rents a call for your needs, be it a computer laptop to a wall mounted television to an interactive kiosk.  Tell them Convention Insider sent you!

Popularity: 27% [?]

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I was just reading through Trade Show Week about the difficulty had by a trade show in Alberta, Canada called Rig Expo 2008. Apparently this show did not adhere to the build it and they will come idea. Approximately 60 exhibitors signed up to be a part of the expo that concentrates on the oil field industry. There were plenty of exhibitors but someone forgot to tell the attendees to show up. There were a number of reasons given for the lack of attendance at the show, but that does not take the sting out of the lost investment. The head of the show had anticipated 3,000 to 4,000 attendees and apparently that number shrunk to about 22 attendees in a four hour period. Ouch.

Unfortunately not a lot can be done for the people that paid that $2,500 price tag for a 10′ x 10′ booth. There really are no guarantees. Show organizer Paul Pearson said just this as his answer to the issue of paying back exhibitors:

“We rented the building, we advertised the show, we did everything we could,” he added. “You pay your money and take your chances.”

I’m trying to wrap my mind around the idea that the show organizers did not have a better idea of attendance. They apparently had no pre-sold tickets and had no idea if anyone would show up for the event. Something tells me that many exhibitors won’t be taking chances on this show in the future. I’m sure many of the exhibitors are now calling this the Rigged Expo.

How do you protect your investment? Go with an established show and if the show is not an established trade show, make sure that the people behind it have some good credentials. In this instance it looks as though many of the exhibitors believed the show to be a good one for them invest in and attend.

Michael Hart, Editor-in-Chief at Trade Show Week also touched upon this same problem in his blog post titled “Living With Green Fatigue” as he describes:

The show manager of this launch, designed to market – and stop me if you’ve heard this one before – eco-friendly products and services, had optimistically projected 250 exhibitors and 2,000 attendees.

Our contributing editor Lisa Plummer counted 40 booths and, while the show’s manager claimed he had 350 pre-registered attendees, Lisa said there may have been 15 at the most on the showfloor during the time she was there.

Another example of a show that had some lofty numbers projected and came nowhere near those projections. Those exhibitors also must have felt the sting of not having attendees to show their wares. Hart seems to imply that the reason for the poor attendance is the fact that there are far too many “green” type trade shows on the market. If that is the case, then I suppose it is the fault of the exhibitor for making a bad choice of shows. That can be a hard pill to swallow, and makes it tough for new trade shows to get the establishment they need to get sponsors and exhibitors.

Popularity: 51% [?]

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I just recently came home from a convention and like other times, I pull out my suitcase and go through my receipts, my clothes and shoes and other things I need to wash and put away, and finally I go through the giveaways, or the swag I received from the event. I had a pen, a canvas bag, some sticky notes and other small items that had various company logos and branding. I always look through these things and put the pens in that drawer in my desk, use those note pads constantly, and have that cool toy that my kids fight over. Where do these things come from anyway?

I had a chance to sit down and talk with a company that does just that–promotional products for your convention or trade show. A one stop shop called MARCO Promotional Products.

Ken Arch, President of MARCO Promotional Products is a second generation leader in the company started by his father in 1964. Ken is pictured on the right with company CEO Dick Nelson. Nelson also comes from a company that was started by his own father. The company now has 50+ employees and has two locations to serve their customers.

I spoke with Ken Arch about some of the things that his company is doing and how they are providing products and services to convention and trade show planners. It was a simple idea for Ken as he indicated, “We have been in business a long time and we provide the best products, the best prices, and the best service.” After speaking to Ken for a while it was clear that their company could back up that charge. They truly want to make it easy for companies or the individual to come away with the best of the best in a promotional product. They offer free samples to try before you buy, free art preparation which in most other cases is a charge you will incur, and they can offer 24 hour service. Not only that , they provide real people to speak to when you need to hear a friendly voice on the other end of the phone.

As I wandered around their website I noticed that they too are catering to the ever popular “Green Movement” and providing promotional products that are eco-friendly. In fact, they also provide a glossary of terms to help guide people in the right direction.

MARCO Promotional Products has a wide array of clients and customers from the very large non-profit organizations, to the large corporate customer, to the very small individual with a small order. They also offer very competitive prices and back that with what Ken told me was “double the difference lowest guarantee”, which he explained as ” if you find a lower price we will double the refund to you.” They also have a program for those that have orders not needed to be filled for 60-90 days called their Asia Direct program. This allows MARCO to deal direct with the manufacturer for you in getting you the best price, often times Ken indicated as a “25%-30% savings.”

Right now for Convention Insider readers and those that visit the site at Conventions.net, MARCO Promotional Products is offering a great savings, a $100 savings on a purchase of $300 or more. These details can be found on their site as well. If you are a convention planner, meeting or event planner, you can take advantage of this offer and start saving money on your next event. MARCO will guarantee your savings.

The next time you find yourself pouring through the swag after your next trade show or convention, think about where those materials came from and think about the process it took to get you that item, chances are it came from a company like MARCO Promotional Products! Thank you Mr. Arch for taking time to speak with me and keep up the good work.

Popularity: 41% [?]

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Companies are using technology in ways that are innovative and beneficial for catering to the online world.  Trade shows and conventions must begin to search for ways to make technology work for them and allow them to also get into the online world.  One of the ways to accomplish this is to look for companies that are thinking ahead of the curve and making it possible to change the way business is conducted.  One such company that is out ahead and innovative is Trade Show News Television.

I had a chance to sit down and speak to the CEO of Trade Show News Television, Mr. Bob Lipp.  Bob has a very good understanding of creating exposure for your company, as he comes from an advertising agency background.  Bob opened his first ad agency long ago before anything digital was ever imagined.

“It seems like a former lifetime,” said Bob, when asked to remember the way it was. “Today, everything is digital, and with streaming video capabilities expanding on the web, more businesses, business magazine publishers, and trade show managers, are looking to video to deliver the message.”

This is a unique opportunity for trade shows and conventions and others in the industry.  Event planners and convention planners must take a look at the service provided by Lipp and his company. 

“More than ever, business customers and prospects access their information online through streaming video,” stated Lipp. “Our concept gives trade show exhibitors a unique sales tool that continues to support sales long after the trade show has ended.”

As a person that is hooked up in the use of new media for advertising, marketing and PR, I must say that I am very impressed with the company and their message.  I’m contacted daily by companies looking for ways to get into the new media space using sites like You Tube, FaceBook and Myspace.  They see the power behind the use of those new forms of media and are trying to find ways to get into the space.  The possibilities for the use of this company’s services are limitless.  I can see that exhibitors, and show managers can use this service to enhance the reach they have and to allow them to show many other people that otherwise are not able to get the experience of their trade show or convention.  It allows people the opportunity to get a feel for the excitement. 

Look into this company and their affordable services.  Trade Show News Television offers three streaming video packages: focus, reach and custom, each based on the need for content, distribution and additional marketing support.  Some of their samples are an excellent look into what they provide as well as the video above. 

Popularity: 46% [?]

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On April 21 the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority (MCCA) in conjunction with consulting and systems integration company Optaros announced that they will be partnering to launch a new event management system (EMS).  After the release went public I had a chance to hook up with a couple of the people involved in the project and was able to ask them further questions and find out more about their project and what it entails.  I want to first thank Steve Snyder the CIO/CTO of the MCCA and Marc Osofsky, Vice President of Marketing at Optaros as they allowed me to take some of their time to find out more about their project.

I first phoned Marc Osofsky (pictured left) of Optaros to find out about his company and what they specialize in and how they were approaching the project with the MCCA.  Optaros is a consulting firm of about 200+ employees and they handle the needs of over 70 companies across the U.S. and in Europe.  Optaros was hired by MCCA to come up with a different approach to their event management system.  The MCCA looked at what was available and found that off the shelf applications could handle only about 60% of their needs, and they were limited to only 2 companies that provide the top used systems in the convention and trade show industry.  These options were not only not what MCCA needed it was also a very costly endeavor.    Optaros sat down with MCCA and found out exactly what they wanted the event management system accomplish and through those efforts came up with the perfect solution.  Using open source, and inexpensive applications already available, they were able to build the perfect EMS for the folks at MCCA.  Osofsky was very pleased with the project and applauded the vision of MCCA.

“Like many specialized industries, the event management industry is ignored by large enterprise software players and niche providers that are not keeping up with customer requirements for enhancements,” said Marc Osofsky, vice president of marketing at Optaros.  “Innovative players such as the MCCA are designing and rapidly assembling solutions using open source components.”

The visionary at MCCA was their executive director James E. Rooney.  At his direction, Steve Snyder (pictured right) ran with the project.  I had a chance to sit down and have a phone conversation with Steve Snyder to find out more about their new system and hear the story behind why they decided to build their own EMS using the services of Optaros.  After the first few minutes of our conversation, I could tell Snyder was well versed in the use of technology and found that he was very passionate about the program. 

They first came up with the idea about two years ago when they had a chance to look at how it was that they did business.  In fact, that was the question that Snyder asked, “How do we do business?”   He came up with the answer in a 36 step process of what they do and how they do it.  Their current system could not handle that process, and when he looked at other companies that were providing other event management systems their off the shelf products could only handle just over half of their needs.  Having companies like Oracle, SAP or other large software companies build them the system was cost prohibitive and companies such as Concentrix couldn’t provide the data Snyder required.  He knew there had to be a better way.  Optaros proved to be that better way. 

Snyder was impressed that the people at Optaros sent people out to the MCCA and literally watched over the backs of employees as they worked to see how they could make their lives easier.  The release sent has a nutshell look at the EMS:

The EMS will enable MCCA staff to quickly and easily determine facility availability and book new events.  Users will interact using a common interface for all modules, streamlining service order fulfillment and improving service delivery performance.  The virtually centralized event management system will foster enterprise-wide collaboration and enhance internal communication across the entire organization, strengthening internal controls and minimizing the risk of procedural errors.  Additionally, the EMS will manage workflow, customer contacts and business intelligence, among other business components.

Executive Director Jim Rooney goes on to reveal:

“We’re building this innovative new system with our customers in mind - we’re confident that they’ll benefit from an ease of doing business, better access to information and an improved service experience all around.”

MCCA is changing the way they do business to better fit the needs of Show Management, Exhibitors and Attendees.  They are truly leading the way in this innovative thinking and they are leading the charge to doing events, trade shows and conventions differently using technology.  At the end of my conversation with Steve Snyder it became very apparent that they are innovators in the convention space when he revealed that all of the MCCA properties including Boston Convention & Exhibition Center (BCEC), which was recognized by the 2007 Spotlight Awards as the “Convention Center of the Year”, the John B. Hynes Veterans Memorial Convention Center, and The MassMutual Center, have or will have free Internet access through the use of WIFI technology.  Now that is innovative.  I hope other convention sites will take note of this and follow suit.

If you are a event management company or manage a convention center, I urge you to take a minute and contact the folks at MCCA and ask them about their system and how you might be able to learn how they are changing the way convention management is done.  They are truly out front leading the charge.

Popularity: 49% [?]

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I have discussed the issue of going green here before in a play on words in conjunction with Saint Patrick’s Day.  The movement is catching on with many other businesses as well, and a new show is going to be launched this month in New York City called Go Green Expo.  The Go Green Expo is scheduled to take place on April 26-27, 2008 and will be held at the Hilton New York Hotel.  The expo is the idea of Bradford Rand and his company at Expo International. Rand states:

“There are almost always environmentally-friendly alternatives to everyday tasks and products,” states Go Green Expo’s CEO, Bradford Rand, “we hope to enlighten, entertain and educate both consumers and business owners with ways in which they can do their small part to change the current climate crisis that faces our world today.”

The expo has the backing of some very large and influential companies and many non-profits are also taking part in the expo and will receive the benefits of more exposure and donations that will help their cause.

Co-locating with the Go Green Expo is Business Goes Green which will be held on Friday April 25, 2008.  Their purpose is to allow companies to explore how they can make a difference and described better on their site:

Climate change, renewable resources, carbon footprint, energy consumption, water conservation, responsible investing, global supply chain, alternative fuels — terms that once were used only by environmental activists are now considered essential to global business strategy. It’s no longer acceptable to create and sell products without considering the environmental implications on your supply chain, raw materials, employees, consumers, partners, customers, and of course, the planet.

This is a movement that will only get more press and more momentum as activists begin to get their message out to companies and their leaders.  As a company that wants to make a difference, they will need a resource to provide them with the tools to make a difference and the Go Green Expo and the Business Goes Green conference are only the beginning of what will be an important convention or trade show to attend in the future.  The Go Green Expo is also planning an event in Los Angeles but details have yet to be published to their web site.

Popularity: 49% [?]

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I have been looking around for a cool event that I can attend and somehow ended up looking at the National Science Teachers Association web site that also recently had its own trade show.  The trade show took place March 27-30, 2008 in Boston.  The best part about the trade show is that it had its own blog and they live blogged the event.  Through the use of 5 bloggers, they chronicled the event and allowed us to join in and see for ourselves how cool the conference was, as well as actually seeing what the conference was like by videotaping the event and putting it on You Tube.  The podcasters, Dale and Brad, allowed us a look into the show floor and that is an invaluable service that allows people to see just how cool the event is and can perhaps allow for us to be a paid attendee next year with the sneak peek.  The teachers association has done a wonderful job using social media tools for the event and helping them spread the word.  I guess I wouldn’t be surprised at the use of geeky things at a science teachers conference.

Popularity: 32% [?]

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I am very close to Boulder so I tend to pay attention to what companies in the area are doing and what they are doing as a part of in the business world.  A recent announcement on TSNN.com lead me to find a company here in Boulder that is launching a new event called Healthy Foods International Exposition and Conference.  This expo is set to take place in June at the Dallas Convention Center.  The Boulder company that is partnering for the event is New Hope Natural Media.  New Hope is described in their website:

For more than 25 years, New Hope Natural Media has been the leading media resource and information provider for the natural, organic and healthy products industry. Our publications, events and e-business products and services deliver industry information and provide community-building forums that showcase the entire value chain of healthy products from start to finish. We provide integrated marketing solutions that connect you to your next customer…in print, in person, and online.

Obviously, they do a number of Natural Products Conventions as well, with the most recent scheduled March 13-16, 2008 at the Anaheim Convention Center.  With their experience in the natural product industry, the health food convention is a perfect match.  Good luck to the people at New Hope and to the Dallas Convention Center good job getting another very cool event.

Popularity: 50% [?]

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As part of what I try to do here at Convention Insider, I get a chance to visit and see other blogs that are involved in the Trade Show or Convention industry.  I have found a few blogs that are in existence, but it is actually a rare find.

The folks at Exhib-It! seem to truly understand that a blog is a good way to communicate with their customers.  This directly from their CEO, DJ Heckes:

We are in the process of moving offices this month and although we’re only going a couple of blocks north, my staff and I have had additional responsibilities in accordance with our packing and moving schedule.  I watched as desks were taken out of offices one by one and were replaced with folding card tables for the few weeks remaining.  I am very proud of my staff for still caring on the tip top customer service and quick response to clients’ needs in these temporarily uncomfortable working conditions.  

I really like the way that Ms. Heckes explains their move and I like how she has personalized the process.  I even commend her for praising her staff publicly.  A classy move in her part.   The only criticism that I see is the ability for the customer to make a comment about what she has written.   Their blog is a great way to tell their customers what they are up to, but there is no ability for customer feedback.  Perhaps the customer had a good experience with their services perhaps they want to thank them by leaving a comment.

Congrats on DJ Heckes and all her staff on using a blog.  I would really love to see them use it to its full potential.  More postings from some of the staff she is so proud of and perhaps some discussion about their services and business.  Perhaps if I could leave a comment that I need some booth help in September in Las Vegas, you could gain a customer.

Popularity: 35% [?]

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We have not stopped blogging here at Convention Insider, and we haven’t broken our spell check features, we have been busy making adjustments to the Conventions.net site and making plans on how we can be the most used convention resource guide in the trade show and convention world. 

Part of the changes we have made, is the use of a new search feature here on Convention Insider.  Over on the right side of the page here, you will see a search widget, or as the folks at Lijit like to call it, “a search wijit.”  There goes the spelling alarm in my head.  This feature allows you to search not only the content here on Convention Insider, but it let’s you search the entire Conventions.net site, our network of linked friends, or the entire web, you get to choose.  Your search results will be show you directly to the information you are looking for.  If you wanted to find out about moving people for your convention and search for the folks at The Convention Store, you not only get the Friday Feature article written here, but it also send you right over to their spot on Conventions.net .  Feel free to poke around here and use the search feature and we’ll keep providing you with the results.

Popularity: 51% [?]

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