Posted by nancy on July 11th, 2014 at 6:09 pm
You are ALL the best!
Picking just one exhibitor this year was next to impossible. So we won't.
Wink was, by far, one of the best new companies. Their frozen dessert products are free of gluten, dairy, and nuts (but not free of taste), and their display was jam-packed with personality, creativity, and joy. Plus, the team is all under 30. From their imaginative booth to their enthusiastic sales team, their show presence was everything a booth should be. We loved it!
Speaki...
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Posted by nancy on July 10th, 2014 at 2:36 pm
Huh?
If attendees have to think too hard about the tie-in between a display and the food/beverage that's being served, the exhibitor has missed the mark. Although scratching our heads and shrugging our shoulders burned calories, we'd prefer to know exactly what you're trying to sell. Some marketing ideas should never leave the conference room white board.
No Soup for You!
Food sampling is all about generosity of spirit; gathering around a table (or booth) and sharing, compari...
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Posted by nancy on June 19th, 2014 at 6:14 pm
Booze. Cocoa. Booze + Cocoa.
Now add jalapenos, men in straw hats, and a bartender who doesn't scrimp on the pour. Of course we're compelled to pronounce Solbeso Best of Show. Plus, their brand ambassador really knew the product.
And they served in REAL glasses. After an hour of eating and drinking out of plastic, it was a welcome touch.
...
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Posted by nancy on June 9th, 2014 at 5:41 pm
Rule breakers and people with senses of humor are my business heroes.
When I began my career in the publishing industry, I looked to Workman Publishing (founded in 1968 by the late Peter Workman) as the innovators. An independent company, they always went way beyond the book. Their fun and unique approaches to packaging and product line extensions wowed me. "What to Expect When You're Expecting" got me through the nine months awaiting my first daughter and the Brain Quest series (still in pri...
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Posted by nancy on June 9th, 2014 at 5:39 pm
We always like to be positive. But every show has room for improvement.
Ah yes...every show has at least one unstaffed display. The boxes were pretty and empty...and so was the booth.
Some press rooms at shows make covering the show for this blog super-easy. The one at BEA was staffed by tired temps who just pointed me towards a rack of press releases. Suggestion for show management: Create a simple "tour map" like the ones you find in travel guides. Given that I only had three hours t...
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Posted by nancy on June 9th, 2014 at 5:37 pm
Usually, we cover "behind the scenes" stuff in this section but...
We're going to talk about under the covers stuff instead. Sex sells. It's that simple and that timeless. Erotic romance was simply oozing out into the aisles at the Ellora's Cave booth. A security guard was there to ensure no one got too close to the Cave Men.
Everyone knows that behind the white picket fences of suburbia lurk liars, cheaters. and naughty and curious boys and girls. I ran into two of my own neighbors from t...
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Posted by nancy on May 22nd, 2014 at 9:17 pm
Jerky, jerky everywhere!
Perky Jerky is a company that knows what branding really means. From the giant camper they parked in the middle of the show floor to the delightful band of product-savvy "jerkettes" who were handing out samples to the jerky-covered man (below on right) who walked the show floor, practically daring people to rip the sample packs off his body, the entire show presence screamed out "This is way beyond jerky!"
And, as we all know, the people in the booth and ...
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Posted by nancy on March 20th, 2014 at 7:53 pm
Tales Around the Campfire: Write 2 Remember
are creating their scrapbooks and life stories.No more boring and cryptic "letters from camp," thanks to this fabulous new company. Story telling has long been part of summer camp tradition, but these two teachers have taken it to a whole new level with a fun program that builds literacy skills. Kids don't even realize they are learning to write as they
No blogs or tweets here! All of the stories are captured in books, vision boards, and other pa...
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Posted by nancy on November 1st, 2013 at 7:19 pm
The BizBash Buzz: What We Can't Stop Talking About!
While there were so many fabulous ideas presented at BizBash, the one we couldn’t stop talking about was New Balloon Art! The booth, featuring some of their larger than life balloon designs available for events, was eye catching and they kept the crowds coming with their fabulous balloon flower rings! People were asking where to get them all day, and were all thrilled when they received their customized rings!
Some of New Balloo...
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Posted by nancy on July 3rd, 2013 at 6:22 pm
What are the hot (and cool) trends of 2013? The world seems to have gone nuts and gluten-free! And cheese springs eternal!
We also saw a comeback of some of our favorite childhood brands.
What's in a name? Sometimes a sm...
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