Experts & Opinions
Apr 26, 2014
On a Sunday night in early April, I became engrossed in the biggest pro wrestling event of the year and annual pop culture extravaganza, WrestleMania. Stick with me here - behind the drama and spandex, there’s additional perspective to be gained from pro wrestling on how to achieve meaningful trade show and event engagement. Inspired by WWE’s WrestleMania XXX, here are some tips on enhancing your face-to-face marketing by engaging differently, authentically, creatively and passionately.
Engage Differently: Expect The Unexpected
It’s no secret that pro wrestling is scripted… more
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Apr 24, 2014
In the spirit of Earth Day, I wanted to touch upon how digital/social media can be an effective way to lower your shows carbon footprint. Printed materials have always been the hallmark of doing business when face-to-face at a show, but more times than not, companies print more than is needed. The result, it will be thrown out at the end of the day. The way to remedy this waste of paper would be to have your company starts to convert some of your physical promotions into digital ones. This change would not only allow you to increase your opportunities to be found, but also help the… more
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Apr 19, 2014
Planning the look, feel and concept of your trade show exhibit can be a daunting task, and with increasing creativity and spectacle on the trade show floor I’m sure you’ve been feeling the pressure to get more and more creative with you booths.
Creativity starts with the planning process, so my suggestion? Breathe some new life into your brainstorming and design process by taking advantage of Pinterest. Here are three easy ways Pinterest can help you and your team create your best booth ever:
1. Find & organize inspiration for all aspects
How many times have you found yourself… more
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Apr 17, 2014
Yes, it’s that time of year again … I was one of lucky few (more than 200,000) people who were able to frolic the Empire Polo Fields in Indio, CA at Coachella 2014. Not only did this year’s event increase my expectations for any future music festivals, I also had a completely different and amazing experience from the last time I attended in 2012.
This year, I didn’t have the luxury of sharing a hotel room with nine women. (Yes I said nine women and luxury in the same sentence. It was a tight squeeze, but hey I lived in a sorority house in college.) Although I was… more
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Apr 10, 2014
A trade show is one giant competition for attention. Consider all the clamor and distractions that the average attendee experiences as they walk the aisles: booming presentations, flashing lights, streaming videos, and more. It can seem like so much screaming. So how does an exhibitor communicate the right messages to the right people in a compelling way? Following are a few secrets of success from trade show experts.
Understand your market and build on your brand.
The first step in designing a new exhibit is a business review with the exhibitor. The review takes into account all… more
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Apr 09, 2014
Something must be in the air because in the past week or so I have received an inordinate amount of email messages that say something like, ‘Oops, please disregard our earlier message’ or ‘Oops, we told you about this great new product but forgot to tell you the name of it’.
I also have seen a ton of emails come through (as either actual messages or with attached press releases) with spelling, grammar and sentence structure errors.
Believe me, in NO way am I pointing fingers, because I am far from perfect. I often have written an email lickety-split and hit the ‘… more
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Apr 05, 2014
When it comes to a show like CONEXPO-CON/AGG & IFPE, having a large footprint on a show floor just isn’t going to garner the buzz it does at other shows. The desire and demand for exhibit space at a 2.5 million net square feet show (the largest show in the Western Hemisphere!) is so high that the Association for Equipment Manufacturers (AEM), the show’s producer, actually has to limit the amount of space each exhibitor can have. Exhibitors must think outside of the box to engage attendees and really stand out.
At CONEXPO-CON/AGG & IFPE 2014, several exhibitors did just… more
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Apr 05, 2014
I attended a show recently in Las Vegas, and I was amazed with the exhibits on the show floor. Some, however, were just a little off. Take heed of these common trip-ups around your next booth experience.
A design that is too feminine or masculine. This is a delicate balancing act. You want a booth design that appeals to both, so you want to work with elements that add both into the mix. Think about the colors you choose and the types of materials that are in the booth, including furniture choices. And having both feminine and masculine elements in your… more
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Mar 27, 2014
Taking a proactive approach that attracts more people to yourtrade show booth exhibitis always a good idea. But you also need to spend some time looking over your plan to make sure you don't include these four bonehead ideas that some trade show displayexhibitors make.
Wasting Money on Swag No One Wants
Giving away items to the people who take time out of their day to visit your exhibition booth is a good idea. However, it's not a good idea when you waste your money on favors those people don't want.
Avoid overdone, lame ideas such as:
· … more
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Mar 27, 2014
Unlike most other forms of marketing, exhibiting at a trade show gives businesses the invaluable opportunity to have face-to-face interactions with prospects. Exhibitors need to develop their event plan with this unique advantage in mind.
If booth staffers are highly skilled and well-trained, they could be able to develop key business relationships and build strong lead capture lists. To maximize the chances of those outcomes, exhibitors should establish these three ground rules for their trade show staff members:
1) Don’t let staff member’s text
Mobile devices can be excellent… more
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Partner Voices
Overview:
The award-winning Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) goes the extra mile to make every day extraordinary by offering customer service excellence and industry-leading partnerships. From their dedicated in-house Rigging team to their robust Exhibitor Services, The Center of Hospitality brings your imagination to life by helping you host unforgettable meetings and events. With more than 2 million square feet of exhibit space, world-class services and a dream destination, we are committed to making even the most ambitious conventions a reality.
In October 2023, the Orange County Board of County Commissioners voted to approve allocating Tourist Development Tax funding for the $560 million Phase 5A completion of the OCCC. The Convention Way Grand Concourse project will include enhancements to the North-South Building, featuring an additional 60,000 square feet of meeting space, an 80,000- square-foot ballroom and new entry to the North-South Building along Convention Way.
“We are thrilled to begin work on completing our North-South Building which will allow us to meet the growing needs of our clients,” said OCCC Executive Director Mark Tester. “As an economic driver for the community, this project will provide the Center with connectivity and meeting space to host more events and continue to infuse the local economy with new money and expanding business opportunities.”
Amenities:
The Center of Hospitality goes above and beyond by offering world-class customer service and industry-leading partnerships. From the largest convention center Wi-Fi network to custom LAN/WAN design, the Center takes pride in enhancing exhibitor and customer experience.
The OCCC is the exclusive provider of electricity (24-hour power at no additional cost), aerial rigging and lighting, water, natural gas and propane, compressed air, and cable TV services. Convenience
The Center is at the epicenter of the destination, with an abundance of hotels, restaurants, and attractions within walking distance. Pedestrian bridges connect both buildings to more than 5,200 rooms and is within a 15-minute drive from the Orlando International Airport. The convenience of the location goes hand-in-hand with top notch service to help meet an event’s every need.
Gold Key Members
The OCCC’s Gold Key Members represent the best of the best when it comes to exceptional service and exclusive benefits for clients, exhibitors and guests. The Center’s Gold Key memberships with Universal Orlando Resort, SeaWorld Orlando and Walt Disney World greatly enhance meeting planner and attendee experiences offering world-renowned venues, immersive experiences and creative resources for their events.
OCCC Events:
This fiscal year, the OCCC is projected to host 168 events, 1.7 million attendees, and $2.9 billion in economic impact.
The Center’s top five events during their 2022-2023 fiscal year included:
AAU Jr. National Volleyball Championships 2023
200,000 Attendees
$257 Million in Economic Impact
MEGACON 2023
160,000 Attendees
$205 Million in Economic Impact
Open Championship Series 2023
69,500 Attendees
$89 Million in Economic Impact
Sunshine Classic 2023
42,000 Attendees
$54 Million in Economic Impact
Premiere Orlando 2023
42,000 Attendees
$108 Million in Economic Impact