This workshop will focus on how to think differently about measuring your performance results. You will learn what measurement is, what can be measured and how to measure your performance for both trade shows and events.

The Certified Manager Exhibits™ (CME®) is the only association-sponsored certification program that recognizes professionalism in exhibit management and marketing. Join current and future CME® candidates and learn the latest changes to the program and what to expect for the future.

In this workshop, participants will solve a case study in exhibit marketing, expanding their perception of strategic planning.

Learn the ins and outs of social media, how to reach new and current customers faster and more directly than before-and at a fraction of the cost of traditional marketing.

In spite of difficult economic circumstances, trade show marketing continues to serve as an important activity for many firms. Given tight budgets and increased scrutiny of all marketing tactics, it is essential that trade show marketers maximize their Return on Event (ROE) by focusing on a short-list of best practice improvements. 1. Using a portfolio management approach to event assessment, and requiring each event to “earn” its way into the budget. 2. Adopting rigorous new procedures to optimize event execution on the show floor. 3. Integrating events with other key marketing opportunities at the show. 4. Incorporating customers into event planning and execution.

In the battleground of marketing, it is all about the brand - and its success depends upon how it's delivered and experienced. Learn how to develop a brand experience to entice, engage, affect and relate to your target audience. This session will uncover the mysteries of brand versus branding and how to unlock the power of your brand on and off the trade show floor at conventions. Join us as we discuss the elements of a true brand experience and more importantly how to build your experience.

Trade shows provide multiple benefits to an organization. However, many trade show managers fail to effectively communicate the broad range of contributions from the trade show program. This seminar will focus on how to develop a structured approach to internal communication of trade show progress and success. Specific areas that will be addressed include goal setting, metrics, communications strategies, and reporting. Discussions will also focus on the budgeting process and how to get the funding you need to succeed. This seminar will provide you will all of the tools to become a champion of trade shows in your organization.

Whether you are a neophyte to creative marketing or an experienced promoter that needs a few solid ideas this course is for you! In this session attendees will learn through example how to assemble an effective promotion package that attracts, educates and reinforces your company’s products, solutions, message and brand. The program provides a wealth of pre- at- and post-show ideas and examples of dos and don’ts that will help you avoid the pitfalls keep the pizazz and ensure effective promotion results every time.

Sponsorship offers a ‘win-win’ opportunity for both event organizers and exhibitors. For organizers, the benefit can be both a financial and aesthetic one. For exhibitors, sponsorship provides a range of creative and cost-efficient ways to more fully engage their customer, publicize their brand, and increase their ROI. We will use case studies to approach the subject from a bit of a different angle to hopefully get everyone’s imagination churning!

Companies invest an exorbitant amount of money, time and resources in trade shows. Business leaders hold sales and marketing departments accountable and responsible for generating a return on the investment made in trade shows. With marketing dollars being finite and marketing investment being heavily scrutinized, it is more important now than ever to drive revenue results out of the trade show. In this seminar, Barry Siskind teaches sales and marketing professionals how to win the competitive foot-race of trade show lead conversion. Webinar participants learn how to take the corporate investment in trade shows and translate it into huge revenue results. Barry helps participants recognize the role that both sales and marketing play in driving trade show revenue.

Tips for responding in a rational manner to budget cuts both at the beginning and in the middle of your show cycle.

This session will deliver the insights and proven techniques you need to produce successful events despite the current environment.

Never before has the significance of effectively managing budgets been so critical to exhibit and event marketing. It begins by establishing a value, managing perceptions, and creating partnerships with a variety of team members. This session will provide the basics on planning, including tools and templates, which can be used to plan and manage budgets more effectively. In this program you will learn: • Budget guides for new builds and rental programs. • Outlines for planning costs annually, nationally. • Thoughts and considerations strategically which will impact your budget, your program and its effectiveness.

What's that old saying? "If you wait long enough it will be back in style." Well that's the case with U.S. Mail. Sure, e-mail is fast, cheap and immediate but so is McDonald's. In the relationship race, multiple personalized touches that are highly visible help you to stand apart. Hallmark, the cornerstone brand in the greeting card space, has made bazillions with the statement; "When you care enough to send the very best". Learn how you can generate one-of-a-kind postcards and greeting cards from your computer and have the USPS deliver them all for less than you'd pay for a venti brew at Starbucks.

There is no greater teaching tool than a live experience. All attendees are encouraged to participate in the daily Exhibit Hall Education sessions that utilize the ensure show floor as a lab. Studies have shown that your customers will remember an experience long after they have forgotten the details. Booth hardware is brought to life when you add the experience. Now is your chance to learn the rules. During this workshop you will learn:

• The three elements to create a booth experience: Memorability, Connectivity and Interest.
• How to incorporate these elements into your display experience; color, lighting, flooring, signs and graphics, technology, demonstrations, booth draws, and hospitality.

There is no greater teaching tool than a live experience. Join Barry Siskind as he takes you on a field trip on the TS² trade show floor where you will glean new ideas and see first hand how exhibitors bring the rules of exhibiting to life. During the expo-tour you will see examples of:

• The effective use of color; How traffic barriers block interactivity;
• The proper placement of product; How and where to use booth lighting;
• The increased drawing power of in-booth activities;
• The power of creating an experience;
• The inclusion of the "WOW" factor;
• The importance of well trained booth staff;
• Hints for maximizing a limited show budget;
• The proper use of collateral materials;
• Creating powerful signs and graphics;
• Determining booth location;
• Having the display "walk the talk."

Ever feel like you’re the proverbial dog being wagged by de-tail? New exhibit and event managers are faced with managing complex projects that feel like puzzle pieces dumped on your desk. But there is a way to make it all make sense so that you are managing the myriad of details that end in a successful event. In this case study, you will work through a realistic scenario in which you’ll learn the fundamentals framework for:

• Understanding the objectives of the show
• Setting up your road-map
• Organizing the timeline for details to fall into place
• Priority and task management for risk prevention
• Enjoying the results!

You will learn the "Top Ten Ways to Be Big When Your Budget is Small". Examples and case studies will be cited wherein less (when creatively implemented) meant more - and eclipsed the competition. Also, in this immersive, interactive workshop, you will learn hands-on how to use proven innovation processes to work on the real challenges you face. In these tough times, how do you still "show up" and "put on a show" that "stops the show" with limited resources? You will get basic training on conceptualization to implementation. In the end, you will walk away with examples, a thought process and the start of an action plan. Change can be good - and this will show you how to make a dramatic difference when working with "small change" to "out-BIG" the bigger booths of your competitors, and you will be armed with a strategy to do it.

Communicating conceptual information during the design process is often challenging. Whether it is interpreting management's desires or your marketing goals, what we say to creative teams and what they hear may be misinterpreted. This very interactive program shows how the process may work for you through role playing examples, and then with interactive problem solving and practical tools.

Looking for new ways to add impact to your exhibits and events? Something new and exciting that helps you connect with your audience? This show-and-tell session will give an overview of what's new in technology - and how it can be applied to create memorable events. See the latest and greatest - including what is being used in the theater and broadcast industries and learn how it can be adapted for corporate exhibits and events. Discussion will hinge on how these applications can be used to reinforce brand, communicate messages and elicit interactivity. Leave inspired with creative ideas you can apply to your own program.

How does an organization keep an event running when a disruption occurs? Properly executing an event contingency plan keeps an organization running during a disruption. Learn the types of disruptions that can affect a meeting or an event and how to develop a strategy to handle these unforeseen occurrences. We will discuss contingency planning vs. emergency response, the principles of emergency management, the components of a good event contingency plan and how to get started.

In today’s economy we are all being asked to do more with less. Given this environment, how do you make your event successful when focusing on being green, global and socially responsible while simultaneously managing resources which are being reduced, budgets which are being slashed and your every expenditure is under increased scrutiny? There are complimentary approaches to broaden your reach without spending a fortune and still get the benefit of seemingly being everywhere. Find out ways to combine traditional ideas with today’s changing technology and increasingly borderless world – and take your event to the next level.

The shrinking U.S. economy has many businesses exploring (or increasing) their focus on the global markets in Europe, Asia, and beyond. Trade shows remain the most effective means of entering or supporting ongoing business activities abroad, but just like in the U.S., there are right ways and wrong ways to plan for participation overseas. This session will explore the avenues available to U.S. exports to analyze an international market’s potential; research the leading show(s) in the region; and touch on some of the most important considerations once the decision is made to attend an international event.

Fine-tune time you spend networking to reach your most targeted contacts. Just like you wouldn't exhibit without a solid trade show plan for targeting prospects; a formalized networking plan is equally critical to delivering you with key contacts. Attendees will learn how to: Select Targeted Networking Events; Create a Solid Plan to Reach Key Contacts; Create Conversation Starters and Influence Desired Results; Evaluate Contacts; Build Long Lasting Relations with Qualified Contacts; Maximize Networking Opportunities at TS².

Digital media is deeply influencing relationship-based interactions and purchase transactions. The challenge for both show organizers and corporate marketers, especially during times of economic turbulence, is to understand and then incorporate the digital platforms and tactics that will enhance the live event program and realize a successful business impact - whether it is leads generated, sales closed, media coverage, business meetings conducted or any other objective. The first study of its kind, the CEIR / George P. Johnson Digital + Exhibit Insights 2009 report explores both show organizers' and brand side exhibitors' current and future integration of digital into their marketing plans and how that trend impacts the attendee experience, drives greater levels of exhibitor ROI and supports the growth and sustainability of the trade show format as a key marketing platform in the future. This session will feature highlights from the study, focusing on: •How to leverage the reach and speed of digital marketing to optimize your exhibition marketing spend. •The digital tactics most frequently used by show organizers and corporate/brand-side marketers. •The impact digital marketing tactics have on exhibit ROI and how to measure success.

This behind-the-scenes session will provide in-depth insight into how a convention center operates - both as a public facility and as a venue for customer events. (limited to 30 participants).

Join your corporate event colleagues for this open forum discussion on the issues that affect you. Bring your questions to have them answered by hotel sales and food and beverage, what makes you different from association and government events?

Everyone is talking about the greening of the event and exhibit industry. But, how do you know if you are getting the real facts? This highly practical session will provide a full overview of green events and exhibiting today including printing, materials, lighting and flooring. We will discuss why there is a lot of "gray" in green and what questions to ask vendors to ensure that you won't be blind-sided by green half-truths. A review of the common terms and their meanings will be discussed. At this seminar's conclusion, you will know how to navigate the sometimes confusing "green" waters and begin implementing a more eco-friendly program.

This session will examine the creation of cross media marketing campaigns that drive traffic to events and convert more leads into sales using the latest trends and technologies. Stay ahead of the curve as we examine proven strategies that combine many channels into a powerful system that will not only attract prospects, but will also provide a method to stay in touch. Learn how to use these strategies as an example campaign is developed from inception to execution.  The sample campaign will show how to capture a prospect’s attention, determine their demographics, and drive the lead to a personalized landing page for more information.  Communicate more effectively and with less effort using automatic follow-on communications that utilize the customer’s preferences. The presentation will outline various tactics to ensure the best possible outcome and highest ROI from trade show marketing and sales efforts.

Although very few places in the world can claim to be “recession proof”, there are regions where demographics and industry sectors where technological advancements are outpacing the negative effect of the recession. This session takes an in depth look at two such regions – the Middle East and Asia – with specific focus on entering the market through trade shows in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Qatar, and Amman as well as Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and China/Hong Kong.

Advanced course for managing your team effectively in a down economy.

This program focuses on creating a foundation of measurable objectives and offering proof of performance to help attendees make their exhibitions more strategic. Attendees will learn how to put their plans into action to get the measurable results they - and their management - are seeking.

Trade shows are where new products are launched, concepts are introduced, trends are found, sales and contacts are made, networking is fostered and business is set in motion. No matter what industry you're in, exhibitors, attendees, sponsors and partners can all benefit from being media-savvy. Year-round publicity efforts can increase awareness for each event, boost sales and promote customer loyalty. In this session you will learn how to create a media frenzy that will have the entire industry buzzing about your company at your next trade show.

Marketing wants a unified "look and feel", the number crunchers want to save on transportation and international customs; you need more control over the process. If any of these issues are on your plate, why not design your exhibit here and build it abroad? This session will focus on choosing the right partner in the U.S. and abroad, evaluating the infrastructure of the destination country, asking the right questions, developing an initial budget and seeking the answers that will guide to the right decision for your company. Join a panel of industry experts who will discuss the pros and cons of designing your booth in the U.S. and building it on site.

As the key planner of your organization, you are charged with making everything run like clock-work! To do this, you work hard to understand how the city location and the convention center will help you deliver a stellar event. 2. How is that philosophy supported by the convention center?
3. How is the convention center structured to implement the operations needed to deliver that stellar event?
4. What is the best way to bring together the diverse work force teams into a cohesive group focused on your established event goals?

These are just the start of what will prove to be an exciting panel discussion where you, the planner, can bring your questions to better understand how your needs are translated into actions.

This session is the perfect starter kit for exhibitors who are just beginning and a valuable refresher course to sharpen a veteran's skills. Discover the five key elements that will turn your booth into a powerful profit center. Receive step-by-step instructions, creative ideas and valuable techniques you can immediately implement to help you set reachable goals, develop powerful promotions, trick out your trade show display, master a sales strategy and follow-up effectively. Each element will be explored in detail during this fast-paced, information packed presentation. Practical examples will be discussed and illustrated using a professional, entertaining power point presentation that includes pictures of actual client exhibits and graphics. An interactive worksheet will accompany the presentation and audience participation will be encouraged and rewarded throughout the session.

This session will deal with the advanced levels of turning your exhibit “Green”. We will deal with actual costs and challenges involved with fabrication, transportation, and installing your environmentally friendly exhibit. This program is for the advanced level participant who is looking to commit to a higher standard and not afraid to know and understand the “real” costs involved. We will investigate answers to our questions through: • Case Studies • Best Practices • Interactive Discussion

Enhance and expand the impact of your face-to-face meetings and generate additional attendee registration fees that will drive the bottom line return. With meeting attendance being challenged by the economy, time constraints, and overall reduced meeting frequency, organizers can now offer participation in hybrid interactive sessions. Attendees can take part in the meeting without leaving their home base and listen, learn and participate just like their colleages that are in the meeting room. Educators can enhance their message delivery and retention by developing an experience, which spans across the country, or the world and provides the ability for the audience to give valuable feedback to the presenter no matter where they are joining the meeting from. This course will be presented in a generic approach and enable you to reuse this knowledge against Brand, Policy, Change, Corporate image or any corporate focus you may have. A Hybrid ARS meeting is one where you are not limited to only using audience response systems in the room, but you can get your remote audience involved as well. Create an environment where your message is unified across the various audiences, using in-room interactive ARS technology and an online meeting software that creates a blended learning experience.

Integrating web experiences with live events is proving to be valuable for event marketers because it provides ways to stretch and enhance the attendee experience pre-event, at-event, and post-event. It gives corporate marketers new tools for their event marketing toolboxes that enable them to increase the number and types of touch points-extending the experience of the event beyond its actual space and time while immersing attendees deeper within our brands. Attend this session to understand the latest trends and ideas to develop strategies to integrate web experiences with your live events.

This session will feature two event marketers and one show organizer explaining how they use data to justify exhibitors’ spend at trade shows. These experts will explain how to leverage information to prove that, even in a challenging economy, trade shows are still the most powerful marketing tool for lead generating and branding. Attend this session to learn how exhibit managers can get the data they need to prove the value of investing in exhibitions; how to get the information you need from show organizers to make the best investment decisions possible and what resources are needed for accurate measurement metrics.

Move your Networking Skills to the Next Level. Learn how to meet the right people. Turning your networking into business? How to be approachable. Do the right follow up - create business. Make sure you know how to qualify. Make Networking work for you. Make Networking work better for you.

The problem most event coordinators face is there are simply too many places to be. Selection the right event the first time becomes the key to a successful program.

Just because you have a 10x10 space doesn't mean that you can't design a booth that catches people's eye or delivers solid ROI. This session will focus on designing booths that work well in smaller spaces. Whether you are using a pop-up, table top, fabric, hybrid displays, or any other small format booth, you will learn how to cut through the trade show floor clutter and attract people to your space. As well, best practice strategies will be discussed on how to drive traffic, staff smart, and control costs. This seminar will provide you with all of the tools to become a small booth expert.

This session will help remove some of the anxiety that is often caused by one-sided lease agreements. The economic downturn, coupled with an over-supply of convention center inventory, has helped create a climate for more successful deal making. We will discuss the latest trends and best practices for today’s buyers market.

There is no greater teaching tool than a live experience. All attendees are encouraged to participate in the daily Exhibit Hall Education sessions that utilize the ensure show floor as a lab. Studies have shown that your customers will remember an experience long after they have forgotten the details. Booth hardware is brought to life when you add the experience. Now is your chance to learn the rules. During this workshop you will learn:

• The three elements to create a booth experience: Memorability, Connectivity and Interest.
• How to incorporate these elements into your display experience; color, lighting, flooring, signs and graphics, technology, demonstrations, booth draws, and hospitality.

There is no greater teaching tool than a live experience. Join Barry Siskind as he takes you on a field trip on the TS² trade show floor where you will glean new ideas and see first hand how exhibitors bring the rules of exhibiting to life. During the expo-tour you will see examples of:

• The effective use of color; How traffic barriers block interactivity;
• The proper placement of product; How and where to use booth lighting;
• The increased drawing power of in-booth activities;
• The power of creating an experience;
• The inclusion of the "WOW" factor;
• The importance of well trained booth staff;
• Hints for maximizing a limited show budget;
• The proper use of collateral materials;
• Creating powerful signs and graphics;
• Determining booth location;
• Having the display "walk the talk."

Audience Response is an effective way to collect data from participants during your marketing, sales and training events. TS² show management uses ARS to collect demographics of attendees, create a two way experience for speakers and participants, and to report on trends within our industry. This workshop will highlight the benefits of ARS, and give you insight as to how this technology and service would be of benefit to your organization.

ARS benefits include:

• Increased classroom interactivity
• Raised attendee content retention
• Documentation detailing classroom goals and objectives have been achieved
• Allows educational benchmarks to be set
• Creation of Memorable “AaHaa” moments
• Measurement of gap analysis
• Facilitation of real-time anonymous opinion polling
• Gauging the relevance of content
• A green solution - eliminating paper surveys
• Ability to change the pace of an event.

This interactive 101 session will give you guidance and ideas about the versatility of this effective event technology.

Are you unintentionally turning away new business and revenue? Do you have unresponsive or difficult coworkers? Are people holding up the information you need to do your job? Simply changing some of the words you use will affect your success with others. Your choice of words has the power to enhance relationships, open lines of communication, improve your credibility and convey integrity - or do just the opposite! Karen will share 19 words you can remove or reduce from your vocabulary to help you increase your influence with business associates, family, friends - and yourself! How many words that could be costing you collaborative, productive relationships do you use? Find out with this not-to-miss session.

What do you add to your marketing mix when audiences have fragmented trying out all the latest technology? Your usual arsenal of marketing communications tools for driving traffic to your trade show or event and keeping attendees interested long enough to hear your message probably needs an overhaul.  In this age of daily changing technology, and moving audience targets, it takes an unusual mix of weapons to capture all of the right senses in a prospect. Learn to nuance the components of your events to add a techno savvy sophistication and increase your opportunity for success!   

Some think web visitor metrics, such as Google Analytics, are far more advanced than analytics available for trade show booths. Recent booth analytic advancements have outpaced web analytics by aggregating visitor role, visit behavior and lead qualification to derive opportunity scoring and lead ranking among visitors. Join this session to learn more about the power of booth analytics!

Ever wonder why your trade shows don't seem to work? Ever wonder why after spending so much money you see so little in results? Ever wonder what went wrong? What should you be doing? What should you not be doing? What are most people doing that doesn't work? I have been walking trade shows for many years and still I am amazed at what is going on. So amazed I just have to share it with you all. Let me take you on a journey and show you how to be really effective in your booth. Let me help you move from just doing a trade show to creating great results.

The first part of this session will be based on the 10 essential steps needed to create a successful and meaningful event regardless of the size, location, or theme. These vital steps are indispensable from the moment you form your idea to the closing of the event. The second part of the session will talk about the emerging green movement and why it is important for all planners and suppliers to become more eco-mined. You will be given 10 steps to begin integrating new policies and procedures in everyday decisions. The hospitality industry encompasses many other industries giving us incredible leverage and power. We can exert considerable pressure on these industries by the choices we make. This session will show you how easy it is to become green in your very next event with these simple steps.

Everyone is trying to create an experience for their attendees – but how do you insure value for all concerned? What are the most cost-effective ways to engage educate and entertain your attendees? Join an expert in the field of infotainment and events as they share their ideas and knowledge.

The hybrid exhibit (custom design using custom exhibtry blended with system and fabric elements) has earned a significant role in today's exhibit design. Driven by budget constraints, sophisticated marketing and more affordable solutions, hybrid exhibits continue to grow in various applications and popularity. Learn how it looks today and what the future holds, including an explanation of benefits and common things to avoid. This program is very highly visual.

The plan for victory, the privilege of leadership, the possibilities for success all lie in the power of the paradox. Our natural instincts lead us and our social influences have trained us to look for success and strive for victory in all the wrong places and all the wrong ways. This session will dynamically alter your views for what it takes to be a strong leader and successful business person especially in light of these demanding and uncertain economic times. Be prepared to have everything you've learned be turned on its ear as we challenge ourselves to grasp a new vision for living and leading and winning. With humor and passion and powerful video emphasis, the message will be clear... there is power in the paradox!

What does it take these days to make an exhibitor happy and keep them coming back? During this session, discover exhibit managers’ top 25 "hot buttons" that make the difference between a returning exhibitor and an empty space on your show floor. Based on the results of a 2009 survey of hundreds of exhibit managers, you will gain knowledge of real exhibitor concerns and needs, ideas to improve your event(s) and make show adjustments that could increase exhibitor re-sign rates.

This session will focus on solid planning, resulting in an accurate forecast of your annual operational costs. What you need to consider and how to assemble your numbers. Where to look for answers. How to present a budget in a highly commutative format management will appreciate. What you better know when asked the tough questions. Attendees should already have a working knowledge of the costs impacting a trade show program.

Companies make substantial investments to produce tradeshows; however, marketing campaigns are often insufficient to maximize potential attendance. In this seminar, Bruce Somers, owner of Sincbox Media – a 20 year veteran of direct response with over 400 television campaigns under his belt – teaches how to produce high quality, cost effective direct response television (DRTV) commercials which can be repurposed for use on a multitude of on-line ad channels. Bruce will explain how to craft DRTV call-to-actions to increase response so that these commercials will generate significant return on investment, both off-line and on-line. Bruce will cover the entire DRTV creative process, from demystifying filming budgets (and why they vary so wildly) to leveraging microsites to explaining the ins and outs of media buying. Finally, Bruce clarifies the best use of marketing dollars by explaining how to choose the best direction -- traditional DRTV or branded approach – that will attract the most attendees to tradeshows.

Exhibiting overseas is a most effective way to grow your brand and company globally. Identifying the best marketplace and understanding the process doesn't have to be difficult. This session will help you make the necessary steps for successfully launching your global exhibit program. Bring lots of questions for these experts to answer.

Ever feel that your staff needs a quick touch up before the show but are not sure what or how to do it? Budgets are tight and because you care about your company's exhibiting success, you want the power tools and basic knowledge to guarantee a new and improved performance. In this fast-moving, high-content workshop, you will discover the simple and effective DIY Success Formula with major improvement techniques that help you to:

• Fix nicks and scratches that keep your team from performing their best on the show floor.
• Build a sturdy results-oriented team that is virtually maintenance-free.
• Grow a colorful team that blooms from show to show and most importantly, attracts and qualifies visitors so that your company takes pride in the end results.

“Green” has become a mantra for many in the trade show industry, but what does green exhibiting really mean? And how do green intentions translate into effective action? This session will focus on the evolving definition of green exhibiting and how the industry standard being developed under the leadership of CIC is likely to influence event organizers, meeting venues, exhibit designers, decorators, shippers and other trade show vendors. A panel of experts will share their experiences and answer questions about where they think this important trend is going.

Do not let all of the jargon scare you...one does not need to be a "techie" to understand the most effective strategies that will lead to business improvement. This session will equip you with several easy-to-implement tactics that will definitely improve the effectiveness of your event Web site.

Citing a variety of case studies, learn techniques and approaches to create exceptionally successful meetings. Discussion will include: techniques to captivate and motivate the audience immediately; keys to selecting the right theme; pacing your event correctly; alternatives to "death by PowerPoint"; making the meeting more experiential, personal and interactive; obtaining management support and buy-in; and closing on a high note. Take away tactics and methodologies to improve your own meetings.

Public Speaking is a 21st Century business and social essential! If you master the skill you will soar to the top! If you don't you are destined to under-achieve. If you break out in a sweat just thinking about public speaking or shy away from promoting yourself or your business because of your fear of speaking out this course is for you. Simple formulas that were designed to help you to formulate your thoughts into logical and a compelling format. You will learn tips and tricks to help you overcome those sweaty palms, glazed eyes and shaking knees. Don't let this #1 fear hold you back any longer.

How can you best measure “return” on your trade show participation? Have you set measurable objectives, and do you have the right success metrics in place. This session will begin with a discussion of why ROI in its strictest form ($ for $) is not always appropriate or measurable. Instead, if sound objectives are established, outcomes can be measured and effectively reported back to management. What role does exhibit “engagement” play in driving purchase intent? You can control your own success in this area. Several measurement tools will be discussed with specific emphasis on the following two: 1. Sales Conversion Surveys: A measure of purchase activity after the event. 2. Pre/Post Surveys: The gold standard in measurement for measuring change in perception of your company, awareness for your products, and preference for your company and products as a result of visiting the exhibit. A measure of ROO that ultimately impacts the bottom line (ROI). You will leave this session with illustrations of how a company realized a positive return on their show participation by approaching “ROI and ROO” the right way.

Successful experiential marketing events clearly engage and inform your audience, ultimately turning them into brand advocates. In order to be successful however, it is critical to design your program through the eyes of that audience. This highly interactive session defines the 10 major factors that define the difference between success and failure when designing experiential programs. Factors such as successfully defining your audience, setting measurable objectives, focusing your message, defining a relevant theme, infusing interactivity and balancing budgets in tough economic times, will be of particular focus. Case studies from Fortune 500 companies, such as Disney, Sony, Kodak and Sun Microsystems will be examined to showcase how these 10 X-Factors can be applied to deliver on target and successful experiential programs. Managing each of these factors, will ultimately ensure that you create a successful marketing experience - one that resonates with your audience and meets your corporate goals.

In exhibiting, there are many simple alternatives that can make the difference between achieving the most for your budget or breaking the bank. In this session, an industry veteran shares specific case study examples of design, planning and operational decisions that have saved her clients tens of thousands of dollars. Learn: How to achieve a new look without purchasing a new exhibit; Five different ways to leverage rental properties in a custom program; and A host of operational tips including how to light an exhibit without the expense of truss, when to purchase vs. rent carpet and how to save money on portable exhibits, transportation and other items. Discussion will apply to both small exhibits and large.

The lines between what is legal and what is ethical are often blurred. What should planners and suppliers know about which situations are problematic, either from a legal or ethical standpoint? How do you operate successfully in the real world on the right side of the ethical line? Join industry attorney, Jonathan T. Howe, as he highlights key legal and ethical issues of the day. This will be an interactive session, so come prepared with your questions. You will:

1) Gain knowledge of key areas of ethical challenges within our industry;
2) Explore differences between what situations might lead to legal issues versus those which might lead to ethical issues; and
3) Learn strategies necessary to respond to unethical or illegal business practices while maintaining your integrity and professionalism.

A broad, horizontal approach to marketing your company’s products and services has become much more of a challenge to deliver the expected results. Narrowing the focus on specific or key end users is taking the” niche marketing” approach to deliver significant results. How do you do that? Begin by attending this program, which will break down seven basic steps, which will help you, champion an effort to improve performance and deliver results. In this program you will learn: • Learning if the need exists. • Identifying your defined target. • Methods to develop strategy and buy in. • Creation of simple metrics.

During tough economies, cutting back on marketing can cripple your business. To survive these tough and uncertain times, trade show marketers are challenged with knowing what are the best tools to use to increase exposure without increasing dollars spent. In this high-content blitz marketing session, you will learn how to take your marketing program to a brand new level of expertise. In particular, how to: • Create new marketing programs using short-term tactics that stimulate activity before, during and after your show • Understand and target your market so that you put your effort into segments that want what you have to offer • Learn social media marketing tips and techniques from the pros – companies who are getting results

Search Engine Marketing and Optimization (SEM and SEO) is a rapidly changing field. To maximize the ROI from your event Web site you need to implement both long and short term strategies. Do not let all of the jargon scare you…one does not need to be a “techie” to understand the most effective strategies that will lead to business improvement. This session will equip you with several easy to implement tactics that will definitely improve the effectiveness of your event Web site.

Project management is different for those managing more than 50 shows a year. Find out some tips from the pros on how to do this effectively without dropping the ball.

The session will provide a thoughtful overview of the ways that interactive technologies (including multi-user touch tables, video projection environments, hand-held devices, visitor tracking systems, etc) can be used to better engage and communicate with audiences. The program is NOT focused strictly on technology. Rather, it examines a wide variety of strategies driving the development of powerful, measurable digital experiences that create compelling connections audiences find personally relevant, meaningful and memorable. he program will outline the strengths and weaknesses of six levels of interactive audience engagement—ranging from passive messaging and participatory activities to highly engaging collective experiences linking multiple visitors in meaningful dialog and social interaction. Trade show visitors typically retain about 5% of what they read, 50% of what they see and 80% of what they do. Attendees will gain a new perspective on how to use digital interactive experiences to engage audiences by “doing,” with emphasis on creating connections to audiences that are lasting, personal and measurable.

Everyone needs more time, but no one can have more. It is a fixed quantity. You get 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, no more, no less. It doesn't matter how successful you are, how rich you are, how good looking you are - no-one gets anymore time, 24/7, that is it. How you use and allocate that time, however, will make a great difference in your life and the results you achieve. How about we work on these? Your "To Do List"; How to manage results not time; Time blocking techniques that really work; Focus, finding and working your highest payback items; How to schedule everything and live to schedule; How to make time for and handle interruptions; How to handle taking calls; How to use those little spaces of time.

In this session, we will prove the value of integrating your systems to maximize your event’s long term health.

We are living in an unconventional time, new legal issues seem to arise daily (as they relate to planning events and as they apply to the organizations who plan them). Everything you do, everything you say has legal implications. This session cuts across all disciplines to help you protect, prevent and preserve your legal rights and limits. Meetings and events may risk being impacted by changes: locally, nationally, internationally ... some due to abrupt changes real and imagined to the economy, the political temperature worldwide and some due to health concerns as we have seen in the latest H1N1 flue scare. What is your most pressing concern related to your contracts? This most interactive session offers both time and opportunity for attendees to discuss the issues concerning them right now. Come prepared to have your questions answered, to be better able to limit liability by knowing what works and doesn't in contracts and how to protect your creativity.

Savvy brand marketers and corporate event planners are turning to new-age mobile marketing strategies to effectively inject a new layer of interactivity into the 360-degree cross-platform communications mix. With integrated text, voice, online and live elements from Mozes, a leader in mobile marketing, marketers can build relationships with a broad base of consumers on their mobile phones like never before to generate immediate leads, build a loyal mobile fan/consumer database, or interject a level of enthusiasm to a live event or promotion. Dorrian can speak to case studies, best practices and numerous insights on how to turn to mobile in a tough economy and have a deep understanding of the ROI you're getting out of each mobile campaign.

Today's media dense, hyper-competitive and attention-span battered business culture demands a 'presentation' style that captures and holds today's elusive attention span which is attempting to 'field' and 'filter' through over 5,000 promotional messages each and every day. In the 'business theater' trade show environment only compounds this dynamic! The savviest event marketers have mastered a presentation style that captivates prospective attendees, instantly engages them in friendly conversation...and facilitates the best purchasing decision possible on behalf of the prospective buyer. Welcome to the age of 'educational selling' in today's high education, ubiquitous information, high technology marketplace which enjoys an almost infinite number of choices. Today's buyer feels that "the most you sell me, the more I don't want it". Rather, "Give me a verifiable 'why'...and I'll likely ask you for it." There exist 5 basic stages that human beings cognitively undergo when making purchasing decisions. This session provides attendees with the 'mirror image' of these stages, which obviously 'feeds' relevant information to the buyer in the precise order of digestibility...which most greatly expedites 'buying cycles'.