NY-IAEM Summer Outing
is Back!
Missed the boat last year? We did, too! Sail away again with
NY-IAEM on Tuesday, June 17th. Join your colleagues for a
luncheon cruise on the "Celestial"... details and
registration info coming soon.
Also mark your calendar for September 9th,
when our Chapter celebrates its 30th anniversary!
This will be an after-work activity for fun and networking. Keep
an eye out for further information and do plan to save the date!
The
following organizations are generous sponsors to the New York
Area Chapter:
|
|
|
| |
By
Jack Buttine, John Buttine, Inc.
Things we all know...Exhibitions have value. Good
exhibitions have more value. We create good exhibitions
by knowing our business.
And, our NY Chapter of IAEM has an excellent education
program that helps us all know our business better. In
fact, a recent survey of our Chapter revealed that 43%
of us come to meetings for the education program.
As a Chapter, we are trying new ways to get the word out
about our meetings. You will see email/direct response
invitations to meetings in addition to the familiar
faxed and snail-mailed invitations. And, there will be
announcements of our monthly meetings in the IAEM
newsletters as well.
Recently, we have had a drop-off in attendance. The
reasons are pretty much as one would expect and being busy
is one of the most cited reasons.
I suggest that we all make a special effort to take the
time to "invest in ourselves" by attending the
next education session. That said, I hope to see you on
May 20th for the U.S. Customs/Newark Seaport Tour!
|
| |
- SAVE THIS DATE: TUESDAY, MAY 20TH
|
| |
 And
Now for Something Totally Different: U.S. Customs/Newark
Seaport Tour
Presented by: Phoenix International Business Logistics,
Inc.
In an increasingly global marketplace, understanding the
basics about the processing of international shipments
is critical to providing the high levels of service your
exhibitors deserve. Whether you are a seasoned trade
show professional or new to the industry, this unique
program offers information to help you better serve your
customers.
Get hands-on experience on how international shipments
are processed through the Port of Newark/Elizabeth. The
tour includes a complete explanation of the U.S. Customs
clearance process and follows shipments from arrival at
Port Newark to show site.
For your convenience, shuttle bus to/from Port Newark
will be provided courtesy of Academy Tours from both
Penn Station and the Meadowlands Convention Center.
Following the Port tour, reception and lunch will be
held at the Meadowlands Convention Center. Luncheon will
conclude no later than 2:00 p.m.
Space is limited, so reserve your place as soon as
possible! You will receive a complete itinerary and
reservation form by email or fax. Don't miss this brand-
new program created especially for our Chapter!
|
| |
- SURVEY RESULTS ARE IN --
HERE'S A SNAPSHOT OF OUR CHAPTER
|
| |
Laura
N. Greene, Toy Industry Association
Recently, with the help of Exhibit Surveys, Inc., our
Chapter sent out an electronic survey to all of our
members and prospective members. The objective was to
glean information that would enable your Board to better
understand the objectives of our members in joining the
Chapter; what types of programs we should be offering;
and why members do/do not attend our events and monthly
meetings.
The survey was first sent by email on February 19th with
two follow-ups through the end of March. We had a 17%
response rate (115 responses). 37% of the respondents
were independent show organizers; 20% worked for
associations; 6% for hotels; 7% for convention centers
and CVBs; 3% general contractors; and 23% were other
industry suppliers. 70% have been in the industry 11 or
more years. We'd like to share with you some of the more
interesting and relevant information that was gathered.
(Editorial comments are noted in parentheses.)
Why don't more of us attend the monthly meetings?
The most common answer - given by 57% of respondents --
was "just too busy all the time." (Gee, who
CAN'T identify with that?) Of course, the Connecticut
and New Jersey respondents indicated that it required
nearly an entire day out of the office to attend the
Manhattan meetings and they normally cannot devote that
much time.
Does your company pay for your attendance at Chapter
Meetings?
83 % said yes. (If your company isn't paying for you to
attend, why not mention this survey?)
If the price of meeting attendance were raised or
lowered by $10, would this affect your decision to
attend meetings? If the meetings were held in a more
unique location, would this affect your decision to
attend?
Three-quarters of respondents said neither factor would
affect their decision. (Our group is truly jaded!)
Why do you come to the NY Area Chapter events?
Overwhelmingly, the responses were EDUCATION and
NETWORKING.
Would you be willing to join a committee to help
plan, organize and manage a NY IAEM event?
Half of the respondents actually said "No."
The other half said "yes," or "already
working on a committee." (Would the nos and the
yeses please read the last article in this newsletter?
Thank you!)
What educational topics would you like to see
presented at future Chapter meetings?
We struck a bonanza with this question. So many
fantastic topic ideas were suggested here that the
Education Committee is going to need the next three
years to schedule all of your requests! And they will
try!
Thank you to all who participated in this survey. The
Chapter Board is relying on this input to lay plans for
the coming years in a continuing effort to meet the
expressed needs of our members.
|
| |
- DID YOU MISS THESE MONTHLY MEETINGS?
|
| |
"Tradeshow
2005 . . . What You Need To Succeed" - March 11th
By Maria Wilcox, NYC & Company
On March educational session was presented by Francis J.
Friedman, Time & Place Strategies, a member of our
Chapter. Francis is a leading strategic business builder
in our industry and shared these ideas (among many
others) during his presentation:
In the trade show industry, there are several
presuppositions - the manufacturers bring their products
to a hall, the customers come to this central hall, and
orders are placed. The historical show concept is
referenced as "Fort Tradeshow." To produce a
successful show, we always need to consider what
motivates exhibitors and attendees - a fundamental
concept that we often lose track of today.
Currently, we can see that increases in attendance are
not keeping pace with increased costs to exhibit. In
addition, there has been a decline in the buying plan as
well as the traffic density. We are fortunate in the
trade show industry that overall it is resilient. Our
industry has not necessarily seen the "crash"
over time, only a "damping" effect.
What really has been happening in this industry?
Industry consolidation has resulted in fewer buying
doors. Large volume accounts have closed loop
relationships. Some companies enjoy preferred vendor
status; we also have supply chain management systems. In
addition, you have e-commerce and a highspeed wireless
world. Buyers and sellers are transacting business off
the trade show floor. "Fort Tradeshow" has
gone through a structural shift of major magnitude.
Information, and using it effectively, really is the
essential selling tool. There are trends in the buyer-
seller trade show relationship that need to be
identified, understood and acted on. Not only are there
different buying cycles, but there is brand
differentiation and purchasing power. Large volume
buyers will engage in the closed loop relationship,
while intermediate and small volume buyers will still
utilize the tradeshow floor. It is still about
face-to-face business once you position yourself in your
community, practice core values, identify and influence
the appropriate leaders, and create your own
opportunities.
Here is a fundamental question: "Why should I
participate in your event?" Our response is based
on the basic "where" will it take place and
"how" will it be done. Our industry still
needs to be about face-to-face business. All of us in
this industry need to be prepared to create and design
the trade show experience in a way that it is so
compelling that people will have to be there.
"Out of the Box Promotional Ideas for Tough
Times" - April 8th
By Marlo Goodstein, Toy Industry Association
In these difficult economic times, it is harder than
ever to reach your audience and customers. Therefore, in
order to stand out from the crowd, one must think out of
the box. Matthew Cohn, President of The ASI Show! led an
informative, engaging and interactive seminar for our
Chapter on April 8th and spoke about various promotional
and marketing strategies to boost your business.
Cohn proved he was the perfect person to speak on this
topic, as he has built his success on strong and
revolutionary marketing and promotional ideas. In 1998,
he launched and sold a 1500+ booth show in less than
four months and performed well above the expected sales
and attendance goals. He then went on to launch three
more ASI! shows over the last three years.
During the session, Cohn outlined the process of how he
built a successful show in spite of the fact that he had
never organized a trade show before, and explained the
challenges and obstacles he faced. Cohn then went
through the various strategies and techniques he used to
acquire and retain exhibitors, as well as attendees.
From something as minor as placing fresh flowers in the
restrooms to a tactic as aggressive as promising a 100%
attendance guarantee, or their money back, Cohn admitted
there was nothing legal he would not try. He then
"bribed" the seminar attendees with
"prizes" so that they would share with the
group their marketing/promotional successes (and
failures). While at first attendees were hesitant to
share their experiences, prizes such as a chocolate
chess set motivated many to contribute.
During lunch, the Chapter members continued the
discussion, breaking into groups that were categorized
by areas of interest (i.e. Booth Sales, Attendee
Promotion Topics, etc.). During dessert, each table
picked a representative to present the group's best
ideas. Even though attendees had different goals and
objectives specific to their business, most found the
exchange of ideas very informative and helpful.
While there are literally hundreds of promotional and
marketing techniques out there, we realize that no
single idea or strategy would work for every show.
However, many of the ideas and hints that were presented
in this session can be applied to any trade show or
business. Fresh and creative ideas can make the
difference between a good show and an excellent show!
|
| |
- LEND US YOUR TALENTS -- VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
|
| |
Our
Chapter needs more talented volunteers to help us create
a stronger Chapter. We rely on the contributions and
dedication of our industry's professionals to lend their
expertise and knowledge.
Our committees make it all happen. Every program you
attend, every service you use from NY-IAEM, is provided
by volunteers.
As a member of a committee, you will not be asked to
"do it all alone." Committee members share
responsibilities, and often enjoy themselves while doing
so. Our Chapter has seven committees that keep things
going for all the members. Why not commit a few hours to
a committee that matches your skills or interests?
The committees are Awards, Education, Special Events,
Host, Membership, Newsletter and Public Relations.
Please contact Tony Lee at 914-421-3222 or tony_lee@glmsh
ows.com for additional information. Don't let
another day go by without contributing your talent to
our Chapter.
****
EXPO-SAY's
editorial and production team (Laura Greene and Sherri
Gordon) announce with regret that they are stepping down
two years after reviving the Chapter newsletter in this
bi-monthly electronic format. Our Chapter urgently seeks
a new editor as well as someone well-versed in HTML and
electronic newsletter production to assume these
responsibilities effective immediately. Volunteers --
please contact Jack Buttine at jmb@buttine.com.
Thank you!!! |
|
