Tradeshow Experiences

June 25, 2008 | Link This | Email this | Comments (0)

Walking through this year’s Hospitality & Design Expo & Conference, HD 2008 Expo & Conference, brought flash backs of another show… I kept on thinking this all looks very familiar. It didn’t hit me until I picked up the show guide that it looked very much like the World Market Center show, WMC. 

The similarity in look and color schemes between the two shows was very obvious. The show directory could be interchangeable. The color scheme and design seen on the show floor are very similar they even share some of the same exhibitors. But there are also a lot of things that set them apart.

The first difference I would mention ...Read More

June 19, 2008 | Link This | Email this | Comments (1)

I’ve enjoyed the blog postings about Mac and PC from Stephen Nold. Being a bit of a techie myself, I found them amusing, entertaining and somewhat informative. But whether you are a Mac or a PC the most important thing you can do is back up your information. Because it’s a pain in the neck to have to rewrite a whole new proposal two days before it’s due when you’ve worked on it for two weeks. It’s also a terrible waste of time to have to re enter all of you contacts from business cards. I just experienced that lately.

 A few weeks ago my laptop screen went blank and kept on turning on and off. I ordered a new screen and took out the hard drive, placed it in an external hard drive reader and...Read More

May 1, 2008 | Link This | Email this | Comments (0)

I recently finished three conference calls to discuss the initial rewrite of three different CEM modules: Exhibition & Event Sales Fundamentals, Facilities and Site Selection Module Task Force and Security, Risk and Crisis Management. For those of you going through the CEM curriculum I don’t think you’ll be seeing any of these revised modules. 

Based upon the timeline that was given to the task force members, most of the modules will not be complete until the end of August or early September. If all goes well and we stay on the timeline, the new modules could be presented and taught at this year’s Expo!Expo! in Miami. Don’t quote me on that because as w...Read More

April 4, 2008 | Link This | Email this | Comments (2)

I knew starting my own company wouldn’t be a walk in the park but then most things in life that are worthwhile usually aren’t. When I started with Advanstar Communications over ten year’s ago it was just six weeks before one of there major tradeshows. I still remember it pretty vividly; trial by fire is definitely the best way to get burned or to learn. I’ve experienced and learned a lot of things since then. I know what it takes to put on a successful tradeshow. I know what makes up a successful consultant or contractor. 

To me a successful contractor or consultant is someone that when hired will eliminate me from having to worry about that part of the tradeshow. It’s someone that will give me piece of mind that on...Read More

March 15, 2008 | Link This | Email this | Comments (0)

I recently finished my post show report and post show conference call for the Nightclub & Bar Show. Filling out the post show report I came across the topic of “vibe.” They wanted to know what worked, what didn’t and any suggestions to help improve the vibe. I was very excited to see this topic in the report because my last blog was about shows with attitude. “Vibe” is definitely something you can feel and sense. It might not be something you can see but you know it’s there. It fills the tradeshow floor and is felt by everyone. Some are more in tune to it than others but no one can deny they feel something when walking a tradeshow. I also believe that a tradeshows attitude and vibe go hand in hand the diff...Read More