Friday, May 7, 2010

Exhibition Stand

Lighting is playing a more important role in the trade show or exhibition stands than in previous years. In the past, most exhibitors relied on the lighting from the exhibition hall itself and very few exhibitors added extra lights to the stand. Now, the trend is to use lighting to feature the stand and to attract attention from passersby.

New trends in the use of lighting for exhibition stands go beyond simply highlighting a particular product, although exhibitors still use lighting for that purpose. Now, regular exhibitors consider lighting to be one design element of the stand that complements all the other elements. There is little point in selecting signage, if no-one can see it. Lighting the signs to show the signage in a more dramatic or attractive way is a common use of lighting.

When you meet with your exhibition stand designer, you need to answer questions about your intentions and expectations for your stand. This will help your designer to incorporate all the design elements, including lighting, to ensure the finished exhibition stand achieves your business and marketing goals for the trade show.

While lighting is one of the main design elements one can use, exhibitors who tend to focus on signage and colour often overlook it. However, lighting can make the difference between a boring stand and one that attracts the crowd. With technological advances in lighting options, there are many ways you can use lighting to attract attention to your stand.

Use a spotlight behind a fabric sign to create a highlight of the stand with the colours of the fabric shining around the sign. Use a downlight to show off a particular product from a pop up display or mirrored lighting behind the display to create an atmosphere of depth and dimension to the product. Use coloured lights to emphasis the colours of the theme of your exhibition stand.

With so many options in lighting now available, your exhibition stand designer can help you to create areas of shadows and light to highlight the specific areas of your exhibition stand as will best suit your needs.

When you design the lighting into the stand, consider the electricity requirements and where the electricity cords will go to be unobtrusive and not create a trip hazard for the staff manning the stand or the customers. Consider how to hide these items in the shadows to prevent ruining the effect of the lighting.

Judicious use of lighting as a design element for your display stand is as important as the design of your whole exhibition stand. Neglecting the lighting leaves you open to loss of interest in your stand. Use lighting to attract the attention of passersby and highlight different areas of your stand. Create a warm and inviting atmosphere for your potential customers and you will reap the benefits. The latest trends in exhibition stand design all use lighting to great effect.

Exhibition Co. are based on Sydney's Northern Beaches and housed in over 3000 sq metres of workshop, office and storage space.

We stand apart from other exhibition companies by providing you with a unique 'One Stop Shop' for all your exhibition and trade show requirements. Everything is done in-house, from concept and design through to construction and build.

As a company, we have been in the exhibition and trade show industry now for over 25 years and have built on our knowledge and experience.

We have a dedicated team of professionals ready to help you with your event. Our sales team offers you a solid knowledge of all areas of exhibitions and exhibition stands, as well as understand your marketing needs. Our experienced industrial designers will help you to visualise your stand design. Our production team will answer any concerns and keep you informed across the entire process. Our graphic designers, project managers, AV and logistic specialists will all work together to make your exhibition or trade show experience as seamless as possible.

Marketing Strategy

A lot of companies who have websites don't have marketing strategies. They fly by the seat of their trousers, so to speak. But, a business marketing strategy is essential. It doesn't have to be set in stone from day one but it's important to create a strategy, be consistent, and analyse results so you can continually work at improving. Businesses who don't work to continually improve will become obsolete. What's your strategy?

Create a Strategy

How do you strategise for success? In order to create a strategy, you'll have to think about what it is that you initially want. Do you want more traffic because you believe it'll lead to more customers? Do you want to up your conversion rate so you convert more of your existing visitors into customers? Do you want to retain more customers who've placed an initial order? Do you want to de-throne your largest competitor by grabbing top search engine listings for the most powerful keywords in your industry? The first step in creating a web marketing strategy is to define what you want. Creating a multi-phase strategy is a good idea. Reaching individual milestones can position you to reach bigger ones in the future.

Be Consistent

When you create a business marketing strategy, you need to be consistent. Once you define what you want, you need to define how to get it and then consistently do what it takes. Want improved search engine rankings? You may opt for a link building campaign. In terms of link building, you may create a strategy to improve your websites inbound links that includes publishing weekly articles. You need to make sure you prioritise that and ensure it consistently happens.

If you are determined to spend 3 hours a week optimising your site through social marketing channels, make it a priority to spend time doing that or delegate the task to someone reliable. Determined to gain exposure through regular press releases? Allocate resources to make sure that happens.

Analyse Results

Not all strategies are good ones but it sometimes takes a "fail" to help you forge ahead. You need to analyse your results on a regular basis to help you determine if you are on the right track to meeting your goals. When setting your goals and creating your online business marketing strategy, be sure that the plan you initialise is something you can measure. If it's measurable, you'll be able to see whether or not you need to tweak that strategy.

Need Help?

Executing a business growth strategy, particularly online, can require a lot of time and resources. You can find business marketing specialists who can help you with various things, including: defining your goals, strategising, creating an actionable plan, and then helping you reach those goals through doing outsourced services to help you reach them.

Comedy Night

When you go to promote your comedy night, know that with all the advancements in technology there are plenty of options for getting the word out. The rise in popularity of the internet has given multiple avenues to spread awareness and connect with potential customers. Also, designing and printing your own fliers has become remarkably easy with the help of computer technology, and printing costs have decreased over the years.

The internet is flourishing with a variety of websites that will list your comedy night for free. People often go to the internet in search of entertainment around town, the upcoming weekend, or that evening. Posting your event through these different available avenues online can provide multiple benefits for your business.

First, by posting you're creating an online presence that through time people will become familiar with and recognize. Perhaps they won't come out to your event the first time that they see your online posting, but in the back of their mind they'll recognize it as an option and will try it the next time. If you update these websites regularly with your comedy night details, people will naturally begin to trust your brand and will come to your comedy night for their evening of entertainment.

Creating a presence on facebook.com is highly recommended, as it is now the highest visited website on the internet. Creating a page for your business and creating events for your comedy nights is fairly easy: all you have to do is sign-up, create a business page and begin to list your events with the relevant information.

Craigslist.org is a free, online classified listing that one can post information for their event relevant to their state and city. Craigslist is fairly popular and regularly used by people, and it would be a good idea for one to post their event details there.

Search around the internet and see if any local newspapers or local internet resources allow you to list local events. Usually newspapers or other media websites allow you to do this for no cost. This is another way to create awareness and establish presence within a community listing that is tightly relevant to your business' location.

There are several online websites you can use to list your comedy night, all of them being free. There are small differences between these four websites, but essentially they all provide the same basic function. I would look into and use all of these resources to promote your comedy night:

eventbrite.com
eventful.com
upcoming.yahoo.com
zvents.com
There are ways to promote your comedy night other than online internet postings. Unlike internet postings, these options may not be completely free of cost - however, they are still quite effective. Digital media creation has made it incredibly easier for the non-professional to create professional looking posters and fliers. Printing the digitally crafted media can be done with your own laser-jet printer, or by a printing service location like Kinkos or Office Depot.

Once you have printed your digitally crafted media, it's time to make your presence known around the city. Spread the word as much as you can without being too excessive. It's good to post your fliers around town, but you don't want to wallpaper the town - it will turn people off.

Also, a good tool to promote your comedy night is printing out small hand fliers that a street team can hand out and promote a few hours before your event. Hand fliers can bring in a lot of people, especially if you offer a small discount if people bring them in.

The combination between internet postings and digitally crafted posters are a great way to promote your comedy night. It'll spread awareness on the internet and around the city. Posting and promoting are a great way to establish a presence within your community and create a brand that people will begin to trust.

John Yoder of Funny Business Agency has been involved in booking comedy clubs and comedy night for resorts, hotels, casinos and nightclubs for over 25 years. Their experience has made the them the experts on starting and booking successful comedy nights.

Marketing Power

The concept of free has been employed in the business atmosphere since the start of marketing due to the powerful hold it has on consumers. It's stunning to get what individuals will do in order to take advantage of attaining a free opportunity. Higher prices are often paid so as to receive a free gift that actually services no purpose for the potential buyer.

Several customers develop shopper loyalty and regular repeat businesses when a company provides free promotional opportunities and items. With this development of the free concept in marketing, the next step is to spot what free promotion best works for your company's interests. When considering your promotional opportunities, inspect the many benefits that are found with personalized stubby holders.

Personalized Stubby Holders and their Selling Power

PRODUCT USE: Their feature an advantage that is not offered by many other product, the opportunity for use. When you place your company name on pens or random promotional items you run the chance of those things being discarded or hidden. With personalized stubby holders you're providing your clients a product that they can use in their everyday lives.

ENVIRONMENT FLEXIBILITY: Another feature of personalized stubby holders is that they're not limited by environment. Most promotional things are found in office or operating environments however with these holders the promotional gift can be taken home, left in the workplace or used touring each day.

BRAND RECOGNITION: When you utilize these holders you are not solely providing your clients with the benefit of a free gift but also are guaranteeing that your brand is presented to them on a regular basis. With these holders you're marketing in their workplace with every beverage they purchase, you're advertising in their home on an everyday basis and even on vacation your brand is being presented while they're relaxing with a cool drink. The flexibility of personalized stubby holders makes them a perfect marketing tool that you'll be able to expect to be often accessed.

EXTENDED PROMOTIONAL OPPORTUNITIES: Additionally to the regular complete recognition you're developing through the gifting of personalized stubby holders, you furthermore are developing shoppers to become your walking advertisements. When people visit your client's home or work atmosphere your brand is being presented all. Whereas traveling, your company is consistently being marketed to inquisitive individuals seeking a lot of info on your company emblem and personalized stubby holders.

RESULTS: You can't argue with the revenue opportunities you're creating with the distribution of personalized stubby holders. You're developing repeat business through complete recognition additionally to make new clients through shopper endorsements.

Logo Designing

What is logo designing?

Logo design is an important area of graphic design. It is the symbolic representation of your corporate identity encapsulating your products, services, ethics, credibility, professionalism etc.

Keep it Simple!

The top and foremost advice of logo design is to keep your logo simple. Because a simple logo is easy to understand that people can easily process and remember. Don't go for a complicated logo for a complicated logo is always difficult to reproduce and remember. Always keep in mind that a logo is not a piece of art but it is a symbol of your corporate identity.

Use Less Colors

Using of color is considered an important factor of logo designing for it emblems brand recognition. Some colors being associated with different emotions logo designers try to convey this significance through their works. But always try to restrict your choice within maximum of three colors.

Work with vectors

Work with vectors because vector graphics can be resized without any loss of clarity or image quality. A well-drawn vector-based logo with clean, crisp lines and limited colors are always more effective than others. Of late new capabilities in vector based programs are able to give you the illusion of a 3D effect without losing contrast, using tricks such as the canter effect.

Keep it readable

Always use regular fonts. Though some fancy fonts look well but it is not professional for commercial reproduction and reprint of your logo. Even it would much easier if you use different printers than the one who actually printed your logo when it was created. Don't use more than 2 fonts, using too many fonts result loss of coherence. Using two different fonts would be a good combination to create a contrast, catching the eye.

Make it memorable and timeless

Simplicity is the key word of making your logo memorable. A logo design could be made memorable with aptness and simplicity. An effective logo should be timeless. Simultaneously it would stand as the test of time as well as function as a torch bearer of the company for the next 50 years.

While designing a logo follow these five tips to make your logo designing effective. You should think your logo should be describable, memorable and scalable.

Apart from these top 5 logo design tips another significant step is placing a logo in its appropriate position to catch the eye the eye of the audience. You need do it after proper understanding of your logo according to the size, color, shape and genre of it.

Marketing Message

When crafting your marketing message, presentation, or U.S.P., keep in mind that you must address at least one of the vital human needs for your efforts to be successful. The more of these human needs you can incorporate into your marketing message, the more powerful and effective it will be in capturing your audience's attention. Remember, we shop based on needs but we buy based on wants.

So, we may go out looking for a new suit because we need one, we will buy the one that we feel makes us look good - even if it is more expensive.

Some of these human needs are:

Make money
Save money
Protect your family
Be secure
Gain pleasure
Avoid pain
Save time or effort
Self-improvement
A sense of belonging
Impress others
If your sales message satisfies more than two of these human needs, the effect on your prospects becomes increasingly hypnotic. Product or service offerings created without taking into account these factors will fall on deaf ears. Have a look at your own unique selling proposition or latest marketing campaign and see how many human needs it addresses. For example, just think of an offering that promised to save you money, deliver pleasure and impress others!

Once you have designed your offerings to meet these needs ensure your marketing message is featured on your website, brochures, invoices and flyers, in fact all your marketing materials. Matching up your prospects deep emotional drivers with your marketing message creates a powerfully compelling argument for why they should choose you over the competition.

You're Worth

One of the things I have noticed over the years is that nobody... and I mean nobody... has ever said to me after I quoted a price...

"Scott, you are worth far more than that. Let me pay you 20% more"

How about you? Ever had that happen? How about the other way around? Ever had someone try and knock down your price? This of course happens all the time and is just a part of business.

I can't say I have ever suggested to someone I paid that they should raise their rates either.

So while there are commercial realities to business. And while nobody is ever going to pay you $500 an hour to do a $20 an hour job. The key to getting what you are worth is working like crazy to get really, really good at what you do. Or create the best products possible to truly know the value you provide. And then raise your rates accordingly.

After all, nobody is going to ever give you permission.

You must do it for yourself. I can remember the time I asked for $38 an hour when I had previously only been paid $15 an hour. I felt like a fraud. I felt like I was going to be found out. But I wasn't. I had just been devaluing my services and skills up to that point.

And nobody ever complained. And now, I look back and wouldn't get out of bed for the amount I thought I wasn't good enough to earn. Of course, you cannot do this without substance.

Nobody is going to pay $200 for toilet paper they can buy from Woolworths for $5. And there is an "apprentice" stage with every profession. But if you can deliver something unique... if you can deliver something which truly holds value... if you can deliver something very few people can deliver...

Then don't fall into the trap of devaluing what you're worth.

Of course, the main reason people do this is because they don't know how to get enough customers. So they accept the crumbs others are willing to throw them. Rather than demanding the gold.

How about you? Do you feel you are getting what you are worth for your products and services?

If not, it's time to master another craft.

The craft of getting more customers.

Remember, supply and demand determines the value of everything.

So make sure you develop skills which have little supply and lots of demand.

And then lift your self-esteem up a notch and charge what you are worth.

Because nobody else is going to give you permission other than yourself.

Promote Businesses

There is no denying we, typically, are a creature of habit, out of a habit comes favouritism. This results in a somewhat strange phenomenon that each and every individual likes to have their own favourite mug either for its outstanding looks, its size or design. This has lead to the popular promotional merchandise - The customised promotional mugs. These are now very traditional in almost every office around the globe.

Huge range of styles, colours and finishes are available for promotional mugs. However complex a logo or message there is certainly a mug to express it in an exciting way. A study in 2007 shows that Promotional Mugs generated approximately $1.23 billion worth of sales based on advertising. It has been accepted by many, that customised mugs are the best way to brand their business at conference and or at events. Usually these mugs are given as a "thank you" gift with a purchase and used as incentives for different types of promotion. No matter whether these custom printed mugs are given to employees or to customers, there is no doubt of the branding opportunity.

Huge range of promotional mugs include earthenware ceramic mugs, china mugs, plastic mugs, travel mugs, special finished mugs and newly added recycled options as the businesses become aware of environmental responsibilities.

The most popular low budget business gift at present is the earthenware ceramic mugs, appropriate to give clients, customers and employees. These mugs are circulated all over the UK market, portraying a vivid range of brand images and promotional messages. Examples of English Potteries, these mugs are stylish, durable and have a therma-glaze finish for color brightness. Quality image was once impossible to imprint on promo mugs but Photo Mugs are now available with fully printed photo, using heat transfer process these mugs offer a variety of styles and designs. Stylish Mug 'n Spoon earthenware mug can be found in the high street stores; launched fairly recently, these mugs became a very popular selection for business gifts. The Sandfield pottery mug are a heavily used promotional item which is a perfect way to deliver the message at a low price. Newly arrived color coated mugs offer a stunning range of brilliantly coloured imprinting. Coffee Cup Genova are unique in style and quality.

Customised ceramic mugs are one of the most popular of the promotional item range and are a perfect way to display quality business logo and messages. These popular items are used by companies at all levels to boost their sales. There are ranges for a small budget but yet they are long lasting as they will continue to promote the brand or advertising message for months. Hillside, Metro, and the Prado mugs are some of the most popular promotional ceramic mugs.

The main advantage of plastic mugs is that they are more durable than traditional earthenware ceramic mugs yet they portrayed the brand name and corporate messages with the same accuracy. Plastic mugs also offer a vast range of colour selection and styles.

Promotional mugs are one of a favourite of promotional items. They are widely popular as they are long lasting and offer a great way to display an advertising message.

Stubby Holders

Selling has continually been recognized collectively of the first tools needed to achieve any business environment. With selling you can attract the revenue of recent shoppers, you have the chance to draw in repeat business and you attain the facility to require some of your competitive surroundings and become a primary representative of your industry. There are various promoting techniques on the market to the business world, although many became over saturated which make them less effective to the patron environment.

Stubby Holders And Their Promoting Effects

One selling technique that provides both short term and long run selling success will be found with Stubby holders. They are usually not a selling technique pursued by several businesses, however it is to the corporate's advantage to utilize the resources that can be discovered with the employment of Stubby holders as a selling tool.

These provide an organization with several short term advantages that are alone value the investment into these promoting opportunities. They are well-known for his or her ability to stay a beverage cool for extended periods of time which appeals to any individual with a thirst. After you offer your shoppers, business partners and investors with the promotional gift of these holders you achieve instant appreciation. Any person within the business atmosphere loves receiving free gifts and it is even higher when these free gifts serve a true purpose like the useful features of these holders.

They will be a promotional gift that your business associates can utilize on a daily basis helping to remind them of your business and assist in establishing regular name recognition. With the moment and regular name recognition that they offer your business associates, you increase your odds of attaining new and repeat business. Customers who feel appreciated are more possible to return that appreciation with the money investment your business seeks in investments and continued revenue.

In addition to those short term benefits, your Stubby holders also provide the marketing opportunity of manufacturing future results. The first of these future results is found with the continued financial support discovered with the Stubby holders recipients and also the constant reminder they have of your business and brand name. When your shoppers and investors often use your Stubby holders they are not solely reminding themselves of your company, however are acting as walking billboards for your company. When their clients visit them they will discover the billboard you've got placed in their office through the promotion found on Stubby holders.

Salon Marketing

This may seem as a no-brainer and I have mentioned this before but clearly not as a marketing strategy, but as giving extra value and exceeding their expectations as your customers come in to get their hair done.

When you clients come in and you take them to the sink for a shampoo, and it doesn't matter if you do it or your assistant, spend 5 minutes... by the clock on shampooing their hair. I realize it doesn't take that long but if you want to know how important this is have someone shampoo your hair for the same period of time and as they are rubbing the shampoo through your hair they are massaging your scalp. It's a wonderful world as this takes place and you have all kinds of thoughts about how great this feels and how great your stylist really is to do this for you.

This first and foremost will build incredible customer loyalty; why? How many stylists do this? I promise you that it is less than 1% of the stylist in any location, so in your town or city you just might be the only one that gives this type service which puts you in a great position.

This will also use a psychological trigger known as reciprocity which basically teaches that when someone does something extra for us we want to reciprocate back to them.

Try this for a technique to raise your prices. Explain that you will have to increase you prices but you are adding more value to the service provided. Now wait until you've already done the 5 minute shampoo and they won't have any problem understanding what you mean by added value.

I'll be willing to bet that you don't lose too many clients and you could use this extra value as a way to begin to increase your income by raising your prices $5.00 per head times how many clients you see a day/week/month.

Here's another down and dirty little secret about adding incredible value to your customers experience. Listen to them! I have and I'm sure many of you as well has experienced this, going in and explaining what you want and then walking out wondering "were they even listening to me?" I've even had stylists tell me that they usually don't pay too much attention to what is being said other than some general guidelines.

Isn't that unbelievable? This is so simple that it is a complete no-brainer. And let me say this real quickly, if you don't give your customers what they want... they're not coming back and in the economy that we're in right now most of us don't have that luxury of losing customers.