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Every business wants to flourish and make great proceeds. To achieve these results, they try everything they can to promote their business. In fact, they sometimes cross their limits for advertising and promoting their products via various mediums.

Retractable banner stands are some of the most reliable and simplest methods of promoting and endorsing. These banners are also called roll up banners because one can roll as well as fold them up to put away after the event. Furthermore, carrying these banners is not a difficult task since they do not weigh much. In fact, one can without any difficulty find banner stands not heavier than 13 pounds. Thereby, you can easily move them from one place to another. There are also many sizes and you can get a banner stand as high as 82 inches.

Simple to use, the retractable stands work like window blinds, just slide up the graphic over the pole and lock it. These are ideal for trade show displays. Since the printed graphic gets stored inside the base, assembling as well as reassembling is effortless and takes less time. These banner strands take less then five minutes to set up. The only requirement is expanding the pole and lifting the banner.

The retractable stands also secure the printed graphics during transportation because they are secured at the base. Similar to the pop up displays and the roll up stands, the banner stand displays are perfect for trade shows and exhibitions.

There are many retractable banner stands accessories. For instance, one can easily find banner stands that include a carry bag, a light arm, a neon strip light and various other remarkable accessories.

Finally, these stands are simple to use without any training or tools required and the graphics are secured in a handy cassette.

For more information about Capital Exhibits, please see http://www.capitalexhibits.com

With Portable Booths, one can easily solve the problem of displaying goods while improving marketing and advertising. These portable display booths and give an added advantage to your business.

Exhibit booths are stalls set up at major trade events organized to attract more attendees. If you set up an impressive tradeshow exhibit booth, it will lead to enhanced future sales. Portable booths have to be attractive in order to make a lasting impression. You must aim to present your tradeshow exhibit booth in a vivid manner and capture everyone’s attention. Visual stimulation is the single most powerful tool for creating a lasting impression. For this very reason, you have to present yourself in a very welcoming manner. If you fail to present your exhibit booth in an alluring manner, then your exhibit booth is most likely to get lost in a sea of other display booths.

Features of a Portable Display Booth:

So many tradeshow display booth options are available today that one starts to wonder about advantages and disadvantages of each. You need to decide which would be best to suit your requirements. Portable booths are a perfect solution for all events and the following are some of the reasons:

• Portable booths are less costly as compared to permanent tradeshow booths.
• They are more convenient to administer and can be easily set up as well as dismantled. The panels are also not very heavy and can be easily handled.
• The display unit should be suitably planned, so that even the unit staff can efficiently use it.
• Another major advantage is that portable booths can be dismantled to several parts and can be easily shipped to their destination and then can be quickly assembled there too.
• These panels hold your marketing aids such as visual printouts.
• The panels can be effortlessly updated every year, or every event – only by having new panels printed. This process can be completed before the booth reaches the venue, so that there is no panic at the last minute.
• This offers flexibility because the booth can be reorganized and collectively used by different departments of an organization, simply by changing panels.
• The panel inserts can be modified to suit and make appropriate for any conventional trade event.
• Portable booths can be configured into different arrangements, in such a manner that you can even add or remove parts to suit your rental space. Thus, you can participate in different events without spending extra money. If you own a portable exhibit booth, you are sure to get the right fit each time.
• The key to getting the right portable tradeshow booth is finding the right booth designer.

Advantages of Having a Portable Booth:

• Portable booths are very versatile because they are easy to carry and assemble. They allow you to attain a strong presence in varied events and in different space configurations.
• They provide a cost-effective solution as compared to custom-made trade show displays.
• You can add eye-catching graphics and designs that are much less expensive than the custom-made tradeshow displays. You are able to save with your sales and marketing budget while making an impact.
• Portable booths come with lightweight frames that can be snapped together and take a few minutes to assemble or dismantle. They can be easily transported. This saves a company the expense and the hassle of having to buy multiple booths for different events.

EXHIBITTRADER.COM, Inc., a Dallas based corporation, announces the achievement of another great milestone for Exhibitors with the reward of a U. S. Patent for “Estimating the Value of a Pre-owned Trade Show Exhibit.”

The new recently issued Patent from the USPTO brings to life over four years of refinement, programming and development for our audience. The electronic interface allows EXHIBITTRADER.COM a first-of-kind and first-to-market, unique online tool for exhibitors and exhibit manufactures to estimate and receive a value electronically for their pre-owned exhibits and display inventories. The system is designed for an easy user friendly experience – immediately calculating resale values via a series of complicated metrics, algorithms and percentages to arrive at a base display value.

“As the nations leading reseller and marketplace for buying and selling pre-owned tradeshow properties, our clients have been successfully using the online tool to find values while our patent was pending. Now with the strength of the patent behind us, we can focus staff and programming teams on other innovations to assist exhibitors and senior marketing groups,” says Ray C. Rogowicz, President of EXHIBITTRADER.COM. “Since our inception, EXHIBITTRADER.COM has always put the exhibiting community first by creating the first, true, online pre-owned marketplace environment for buying and selling; providing a high level of customer service that our exhibitors can count on the first time, every time-in real time; and allowing all users the ease of a fast and informative desktop interface… these guiding principals have been the core of our focus. Our non-bias platform allows our sellers to achieve solid returns on their investment. It gives our buyers the ability to find great solutions, negotiating directly with sellers to find knowledgeable and useful information for educated purchases. Aside from our new Patented Estimator Tool and high user metrics, the obvious differential elevating us from others is that competitors typically use either the “speculator” method (buy a booth extremely cheap from a seller and sell it high for the websites own profit, leaving the seller on the short end of the stick); or the “broker” method (locks seller into an exclusive contract [ taking away other options for the seller], attempt to find a buyer while negotiating a refurb/additional services; then try to sell it to meet the contractors profit needs first. After all this, the seller may assume some small return [if all goes well]). Neither of those methods is the way we see our business model ever,” says Rogowicz. “Our company believes in a “fair market consignment for fee” method, benefiting both our buying and selling customers. This process provides equality and fairness for all parties involved in the process and establishes satisfied clients. Our new Estimator Patent makes our core business model and balanced principals much stronger today.”

Come join the excitement and give the Estimator a try when you are ready to sell your exhibit -http://www.exhibittrader.com/Classifieds/IncTheEstimatorPopUp.asp
Or just give us a call at 214.459.3587 or email us: customestimate@exhibittrader.com
Website: www.exhibittrader.com

By Stephanie Chandler

One of the most useful services released by Google in recent years is its powerful Google Alerts (http://Google.com/alerts). This free tool allows you to receive e-mail notifications when keywords and phrases that you specify appear on websites, blogs, online news channels and more.

Here are 10 ways to leverage Google Alerts for your business:

1. Business Name – Keep track of websites that mention your company. This is an opportunity to send a note of thanks or address an issue if something derogatory is posted like a complaint about customer service. Big companies track mentions of their businesses online and you should too.

2. Personal Name – Find out where you’re mentioned online. This is especially important for prominent figures such as authors, speakers, celebrities, and individual service providers.

3. Website – Track where your website is mentioned by creating an alert for your domain. Leave off the leading “www” and instead just specify your domain and extension such as “authoritypublishing.com.”

4. Blog – If you host a blog, follow the website guidelines above to create an alert for your blog domain. This should also produce results if your blog link is posted somewhere with a specific pointer to one of your pages.

5. Titles – If you distribute articles for online marketing purposes, create an alert for each article title so that you can track where your articles are appearing. Authors can use this same strategy for tracking book titles.

6. Industry Research – To stay on top of industry news, create alerts for keywords and key phrases for your industry. For example, I have alerts for “publishing industry” and “business book.” This makes it easy to stay on top of news, competition and much more. If you are using social networking sites like Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter, this can help you locate useful content for micro-blogging or to give you topic ideas to cover in your blog.

7. Competitive Research – If you want to find out who is talking about your competition or where they are being mentioned, create alerts for each competitor’s business name and/or website URL.

8. Lead Generation – If breaking news can produce leads for your company, use Google Alerts for related phrases. For example, if you own a human resources firm and want to find out what companies are hiring in Sacramento, you could create several alerts: “now hiring Sacramento,” “job posting Sacramento,” and “job listing Sacramento.”

9. Lead Research – If there is a company or client that you want to land, create alerts to stay on top of their most recent online activity. This can provide valuable insight into what they company is up to and who is talking about them.

10. Top Client Research – Track activity for your top ten or twenty existing clients. This can give you valuable insight into what they’re up to, and also provide you with reasons to contact them. For example, if one of your clients receives major media coverage, you will learn about it right away and can send them a note of congratulations.

Useful Google Search Tricks

Exact Keyword Search: You can specify exact keywords by putting a plus sign (+) in front of the word. For example, if you search for the word “publish,” Google search results would include “publishing” and “publisher.” Adding a plus sign to the beginning of the word (+publish) will ensure that you only receive exact matches.

Exact Key Phrase Search: When you search for a phrase, Google results will returns anything that includes all of the words in the phrase, not that exact phrase. But if you enclose your search in quotes (“how to publish a book”), the results will only include that exact phrase.

Alternate Keyword: To return a search with alternate results, use “OR” between the words (the letters OR must be capitalized). For example, “author OR writer” will return results with either keyword. For a more complex search, you can put part of the phrase in parenthesis: (author OR writer) “business books”.

Synonyms: If you want your search results to return related terms, use a tilde (~) in front of the word. For example, if you use this feature to search for the word “~author,” Google returns results that include “book,” “writer,” and “literature.”

Search a Single Website: If you want to track new entries on a specific site, you can use the “site:” operator. For example, if you want to track mentions of business books on the New York Times website, your search would look like this: “business book” site:nytimes.com.

About the Author
Stephanie Chandler is an author of several business and marketing books including “From Entrepreneur to Infopreneur: Make Money with Books, eBooks and Information Products.” She is also founder and CEO of http://AuthorityPublishing.com, which provides custom book publishing and author marketing services for business, self-help and other non-fiction books. For author and speaker details, visit http://StephanieChandler.com.

Events industry veteran will lead teams serving clients in U.S. and abroad

Columbia, Md. – a2z, Inc., a developer of online event management and marketing software, announces that Mark Simons has joined the organization as director of professional services. Simons brings to the position more than two decades of experience in technology and project management. He will supervise a2z’s project managers and oversee the further development and implementation a2z’s innovative line of software and show-related services.

“Mark’s leadership in delivering technology solutions to clients in his previous positions makes him a natural fit for a2z,” said a2z President and CEO Rajiv Jain. “We are pleased to have him and are confident that he will ensure our clients continue to receive the same great customer service and support they’ve come to expect from a2z.”

Simons comes to a2z from Experient where, as vice president of technology implementation, he led the delivery of new technologies to the company’s client base of more than 300 organizations. During his tenure, he assisted in merging the technology of three companies and integrating six systems used by clients. He held similar positions at Thompson Publishing Group, CONVISTA, and Arbitron Inc.

“I am excited to join the a2z team and help our clients gain greater benefits from a2z’s products,” said Simons. “I look forward to positioning the professional services group to preserve and build upon the lasting relationship with our clients.”

In addition to his business pursuits, Simons serves on technology advisory boards at Howard Community College and Ohio University’s Alumni Association. He holds Master of Business Administration and bachelor’s degrees from Ohio University and is a frequent speaker on business, technology, and entrepreneurial topics at University of Maryland, Ohio University, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and Shepherd University.

About a2z, Inc.: a2z, Inc. is the world’s leading provider of innovative solutions for managing and marketing events. It offers tremendous value with a client-centric business model that helps clients promote their event, business and brand. a2z’s portfolio of products and services includes event management, floorplan management, matchmaking, appointment scheduling, personalized itineraries and mobile solutions. Highly effective sales, marketing and revenue retention/generation tools are seamlessly built into a2z offerings. More information about a2z’s products and services is available at www.a2zinc.net

Dear Exhibition and Event Executive:

According to recent Tradeshow Week studies, many exhibitor budgets are being cut by 15% to 20%. All event-related spending is under the microscope.

To help exhibitors evaluate the value of exhibiting and investing in exhibitions and events during this recession, we have developed a special report – Tradeshow Week’s The Value of Exhibiting in Downturn.

The data and information is based on recent in-depth surveys of exhibitors and historical analysis of the impact of past recessions on the industry. The special report covers why it is critical for corporations to exhibit at events during a downturn. The report includes the following analysis:

• Why Not Exhibiting Impacts Future Sales
• Statistical Analysis: When Exhibitors Close Sales Based on Show Leads
• The Good News About Where the Economy and Event Industry is Today
• Why Exhibitors Exhibit
• Exhibitor Quotes on Why They Exhibit in a Downturn
• The Exhibition Industry Growth Cycle
• Where the Industry is Today and Clues to Watch for Signs of the Recovery
• 1991 Recession Impact on Conve ntions and Tradeshows, and the Fast Recovery
• 2001 and 2002 Recession Impact on Conventions and Tradeshows, and the Fast Recovery
• Why Today’s Economic Slowdown Will Not Transform the Convention and Tradeshow Industry

Please contact me directly at (480) 483-4471 or mhughes@reedbusiness.com to with any questions about this special report or to order.

Regards,

Michael Hughes
Vice President, Research & Consulting
Tradeshow Week Magazine

Tradeshow Week Research
6909 East Greenway Parkway, Suite 250, Scottsdale, AZ 85254
Tel: (480) 483-4471 • Fax: (480) 483-4457 • Email: mhughes@reedbusiness.com
www.tradeshowweek.com/customresearch

The Value of Exhibiting in a Downturn – Special Report (PDF Download)

Home Show Management Corp, producers of the Home Design & Remodeling Shows in South Florida, invites businesses in the home improvement, remodeling, furniture and accessories and home design industries to be part of the vibrant South Florida market by participating in two upcoming shows in Miami and Fort Lauderdale.

Miami Home Design & Remodeling Show
September 4-8, 2009
Miami Beach Convention Center

Ft Lauderdale (fall) Home Design & Remodeling Show
November 20-22, 2009
Broward County Convention Center

The Home Design and Remodeling Shows in Miami Beach and Fort Lauderdale have been a constant for over 30 years. The shows, which draw over 75,000 people per event, are attended by members of the trade and consumers in the market for home furnishing and accessories, home improvements, landscaping and a wide variety of products and services for the home.

Home Show Management Corp is nationally-recognized for producing quality events. Steve Plotkin and Larry Perl, veteran show producers with a combined 50+ years of South Florida show experience, are known for their attention to every detail. Their events feature a diversity of products unparalleled in the industry, and uniquely capture the heart and soul of the South Florida market.

Home Design & Remodeling Shows

The shows provide retailers, manufacturers and distributors with an opportunity to put their product or service in front of thousands of qualified consumers. Sponsors gain the unique opportunity to gain brand and product awareness with this highly sought-after audience. Consumers attending the shows have the opportunity to shop, compare and buy in one convenient marketplace setting. In addition, the shows offer complimentary seminars by experts in the industry, an opportunity to meet members of the design community who are featured in the show’s Designer Vignettes and the convenient environment to talk one-on-one with industry experts.

For more information about the shows, visit www.homeshows.net or contact Home Show Management Corp at 305-667-9299.

All too often the marketing department is the first to suffer from budget cuts when a financial crisis strikes. However, it’s important to consider how cutting your marketing budget will really affect your business. Think about which marketing strategies your company generally relies on to generate business throughout the year, and how you will continue to promote the company with a smaller budget. Keep in mind that customer’s view of your company during a recession will likely affect how the company is perceived by them when the economy turns around.

Although we are in the midst of an economic slump, exhibiting at a tradeshow is still a great way to strengthen your company’s brand image and generate business. The cost of exhibiting at several shows each year can quickly use up your marketing budget in a strong economy, and it can be even more difficult to maintain a stringent exhibiting schedule when you have to stretch your budget thin during rougher times.

By carefully trimming your trade show expenses, you can continue to market your company as you need to during the recession without the risk of weakening your promotional message.

Reconsider Your Current Exhibit

Your presence at the show is the most important element of exhibiting, not the size of your display. Think about how much booth space you actually need and will use during the show. If you downsize your booth space, you can reduce several exhibiting expenses. By choosing to exhibit with a smaller booth, you will reduce the price of the booth space as well as the cost of the display items that are needed to fill the space.

Another way to cut back on the expense of your exhibit is to consider purchasing a refurbished display rather than purchasing a new model. If you choose to rent an exhibit, you can trim more of your budget since you won’t need to pay for long-term storage or maintenance of the display. Whether the display is new, refurbished or rented, the custom graphics applied to the exhibit are what brands the display with your company’s name and image.

Eliminate Unnecessary Costs

One of the easiest ways to eliminate unnecessary costs is to plan your exhibitions ahead of time. By planning and making arrangements early, you can avoid having to pay costly rush charges and markups such as late registration fees and the added costs for priority shipping.

When you begin planning your exhibitions, limit the shows that you will attend to those which have given you the highest return in past years. While your budget is tight, it may not be possible to attend every trade show that you would like to, so choose wisely.

You can also reduce the amount of money spent on shipping and drayage costs by choosing lightweight display materials such as fabric panels and aluminum frames. A display that weighs less will cost less for setup, especially if you and your booth staff can setup the exhibit yourselves.

Make the Most of Your Exhibit

Let your exhibit work for you throughout the year. When it comes to designing graphics for your display, choose a consistent marketing message and image that you can use frequently. Ideally the message should be relevant for year round promotions and possibly be used for subsequent years.

If you purchase an exhibit, you can get even more use out of your display if you choose a versatile modular display. Modular displays are easily reconfigured for a variety of booth sizes and layouts. With a modular exhibit you can vary your booth size and configuration for the different shows that you attend. You can even setup parts of your display in your office space or on your showroom floor in between events.

While your budget may be smaller this year, it doesn’t mean that your marketing efforts have to suffer from it. By implementing some of these tips into your budgeting process, you can continue to build your market presence and generate business by exhibiting at trade shows.

Company Bio:

Nimlok Louisiana is a one-stop shop for all your custom trade show exhibit needs. Our team begins by clarifying your needs, wants, and budget to determine how to help you market your brand and reach your goals. Whether you need to design your first display or want to upgrade your existing expo image, Nimlok Louisiana can provide you with everything you need.

We offer an extensive range of trade show products including modular displays, tabletop exhibits, portable booths, and pop up displays. Not only can we design your exhibit, but we are also available to store, assemble and dismantle it. Regardless of where your show is, Nimlok Louisiana can be there for you; our installation and dismantle services are available nationwide.

Visit www.nimlok-louisiana.com to check out our Design Portfolio and find out what Nimlok Louisiana can design for your business.

As a valued TSNN member you are invited to attend an exciting and informative complimentary webinar on how to exhibit in a different economy with industry expert, Susan Friedmann, “The Tradeshow Coach”.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When? Wednesday, June 17, 2009 at 1:00 P.M. EDT / 12 Noon CDT / 10:00 A.M. PDT

By? Industry Consultant: Susan Friedmann, “The Tradeshow Coach”

Cost? Complimentary

How? Register Here: www.attendeeinteractive.com/tsnnwebinar

Subject?

How to Exhibit in a Different Economy: 17 Strategies to Leverage Your Success (That Work)

Do you know that cutting back on exhibit marketing in a tough economy can cripple your business? To survive a tough economy you want the best tools to boost exposure without increasing dollars spent.

In this fast-moving, high-content webinar, you’ll discover how to take your exhibit marketing program to a brand new level of expertise.

In particular, you will learn 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.
• Zero in on fast-growing market segments so that you take advantage of new and exciting opportunities.
• Spend smarter and create a clear-cut justification for your investment to top management.
• Double down on your current customers so that you provide more value and take care of their needs.
• Outsmart your competitors with savvy marketing techniques.
• Discover social media marketing tips and techniques from the pros – companies who are getting results.
• Master the “Don’t Do Everything – Try Something” Technique.

About Sponsor:
The Email Data Group provides unique, quality email marketing services to its clients from small, mid-sized and Fortune 500 companies. Our extensive business data includes email and URL information, e-commerce functionality, and an intuitive interface which provides you anytime/anywhere access. For more information, please contact Raymond Phillips or call 832-932-1520.