I get a newsletter from the folks over at Skyline Exhibits and one of their articles caught my eye recently. The article mentions that Tradeshow Week had done a survey about the drayage and labor costs so I went on over to check it out. I won’t recap the findings, but what Skyline indicates is that the labor costs as provided in the survey are not quite as steep a climb as those of 2007.

What was interesting was that the highest gain in costs were audio-visual costs and security. This is an obvious trend with the technology changing the way that it has and how people are using that technology, but I also wonder what the security issues are that warrant those higher costs? I guess people have to guard against theft of that technology!

We hear nothing but gloom and doom in many industries right now and apparently convention and trade shows are not impervious to those reports. The full report* by Skyline can be followed to their site.

*”Used by permission of Skyline Exhibits.”

Popularity: 13% [?]

Share This

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% [?]

Share This

A friend of mine in the trade show industry helps manage the AWFS or better known as the Association of Woodworking & Furnishings Suppliers and their trade show that is scheduled to take place July 15-18, 2009 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.  I went over to see their web site, and noticed something I had never seen before, Belt Sander Racing.

Yes BSRA, the NASCAR of woodworking apparently and according to the information given on the site:

AWFS^®Fair, Accuride and the Belt Sander Racing Association present “BSRA’s Big Event.” Racing enthusiasts compete on a 75-foot long wooden track with their “customized belt sander racing machines.” All AWFS^® Vegas participants will receive complimentary tickets, but SEATING IS LIMITED, and this exciting event promises to draw a crowd, so you’ll want to get to the track early!

Now that is a trade show I could get into attending.  Nothing like a room full of power tools and some sawdust to get your machismo rate up.  They even had Richard Karns who played Al Borland the sidekick to Tim “The Toolman” Taylor as a host last year. The show took place last year for the first time in Las Vegas, which is another feather in the cap of the LVCVA.  The show only takes place every other year but I wonder if they will have the Belt Sander races again? 

Popularity: 33% [?]

Share This

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% [?]

Share This

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% [?]

Share This

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% [?]

Share This

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% [?]

Share This

I was reading through the news recently and found that the President of Smart City, Paul Ashley is retiring after 8 years of service.  Conventions.net wishes him all the best and a happy retirement.  What then made me think about services like Smart City Networks is the services that they provide.  Technology is moving at light speed (no pun intended), and companies are having to keep up with that pace and still provide a positive service to trade shows and conventions. 

I have attended many conventions and trade shows in the tech arena, and these shows are constantly being judged by their wireless or connectivity to the online world.  People are using their computers and using the Internet in conjunction with the ongoing show to discuss contracts with their home office, using instant messaging to talk to people about new products and services, and emailing with people that are decision makers.  If they cannot connect, the exhibitors are being shut out of many opportunities.  Communications companies like Smart City Networks should pay attention to technology and embrace its use at convention centers to enhance the user experience.  It is tough to keep up with that demand and the company that can, is head and shoulders above their competition.

Popularity: 33% [?]

Share This

I read recently at the Meetings Industry Megasite that the New Orleans Convention Center had been renamed.  I was expecting from the title of the post that it was no longer going to be the New Orleans Convention Center.  In tact, it was not called that to begin with, but was called the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center.  This is an interesting twist and I wished that I was a fly on the wall as they hashed out why the name would be called the The New Orleans Morial Convention Center in the marketing materials.

My interest is why they decided to only rename the convention center “in marketing materials.”  To me this says something about the reasons for the name change, but the new president of the exhibition authority states:

“For us to get New Orleans into the title is a positive thing,” Melvin Rodrigue, newly named president of the Ernest N. Morial New Orleans Exhibition Authority, told the Times-Picayune. “New Orleans is what most people associate with.”

The last part of that quote is the part that matters most.  I have always said, we live in a Google world, where everything that everyone does to find something is to look for it in a Google search.  What is most easiest to find when looking for information about the convention center that might be in New Orleans?  The name of the person it was named after or the city in which it is housed.  Good show for the marketing people at the Ernest N. Morial New Orleans Exhibition Authority.  Perhaps now you will be findable on Google.

Popularity: 30% [?]

Share This

My wife is a huge CSI fan.  She records every episode of it so that she can make sure to watch them.  Now that the writer’s strike is over, tonight she got to see a brand new episode.  I’m not sure who is more excited about it being back on, her to watch her show or me to not have to hear about why the writer’s strike stinks.  Naturally, since I love to check out if there is a convention or trade show on a certain topics or industry I had to see what was available for crime scene investigators and where they convene.

A small world that it is, I found it right in my own back yard.  The American Academy of Forensic Sciences is holding a conference at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver on February 16-21, 2009.  The annual meeting is described as:

The Academy’s annual scientific meeting is held in February at which time over 500 scientific papers, breakfast seminars, workshops, and other special events are presented. The AAFS consists of ten sections representing a wide range of forensic specialties, and the annual scientific meeting gathers these professionals who present the most current information, research, and updates in this expanding field.

I guess the time not to commit a crime in Denver will be that week in Denver in February.  Criminals beware.

Popularity: 35% [?]

Share This