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Friday
February 26, 2010 ASI San Diego Launch Exceeds ExpectationsFiled under: ASI Shows, News About ASI I’m very happy to report ASI’s inaugural San Diego show just wrapped up after attracting more than 2,200 distributors, exceeding early projections. Distributors were drawn from about 1,000 firms across the nation and many had great things to say. Stephanie Critchfield, from The Vernon Company, asi/351700, enjoyed visiting with over 300 leading suppliers on the show floor and said, “The proximity for our California reps is terrific. They are so excited to have a California show.” Ross Silverstein, from iPROMOTEu, asi/232119, loved San Diego – and seeing all the hot new products. And Beverly Walter, from Brown & Bigelow, asi/148500, is already planning for next year’s San Diego show: “The show is great. We will definitely do it again!” The show attracted more than 300 exhibitors and opened with more than 500 people attending a full day of 55 educational seminars and workshops (sponsored by Fields Mfg., asi/54100 and MediaTree, asi/70303). Attendees also enjoyed a number of spirited networking opportunities, including one at the fabulous Stingaree club, one of the hottest dance places I’ve been to. Highlights of the three-day show included a standing-room-only keynote by legendary life coach Tony Robbins (pictured), who brought the crowd to its feet with empowering advice on achieving outstanding success through passion, focus and action. Let me know what you thought of the show by posting a comment or emailing me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Friday
February 26, 2010 New Full-Color Catalog Imprinting – VideoFiled under: ASI Shows, Industry Initiatives, News About ASI, Using Ad Specialties “New” is the word of the week here at ASI Show San Diego. New show. New city. And a new full-color imprinting machine, featured for the first time at our catalog booth on the show floor. Click here for my interview with ASI’s Jack Flohr, catalogs marketing director, as we demonstrate how quick and easy it is to imprint full-color logos. Distributors tell us this popular new feature is already ratcheting up their sales. Every catalog you order can be imprinted and personalized with your logo and contact information in full-color any time throughout the year. Catalogs, which are great for either mailing or a leave-behind, are a perfect vehicle for distributors to promote their brand and increase traffic to their website. According to a recent ASI study of end-buyers, paper catalogs drive 93% of purchasing decisions — and 91% of the time recipients take action as a result of something they noticed in a paper catalog, with nearly half (49%) purchasing a product. Let me know how catalogs have boosted your sales by posting a comment or emailing me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Friday
February 26, 2010 Tips for Marketing to WomenFiled under: ASI Shows, Using Ad Specialties Today, more than half of all businesses are owned by women, who make or influence 85 percent of all purchasing decisions – to the tune of $7 trillion a year by some estimates. Their favorite products? Ones that serve a dual purpose or support a good cause. Click here for my video with some tips from an education session at the ASI Show San Diego on marketing to women. I also showcased a number of great products I found at the show that women – and many men also – might enjoy, including:
And remember, every ASI Show features a women’s networking event and an education session with Promo Biz coach Rosalie Marcus. Also, register now for our first-ever Women’s Summit May 4 in conjunction with ASI Show New York, with a keynote by celebrity real estate mogul Barbara Corcoran. Which of your products are a hit with women? Let me know by posting a comment or emailing me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Thursday
February 25, 2010 Educating San Diego on FOX TVFiled under: ASI Shows, Media Coverage, News About ASI, Using Ad Specialties There’s a noticeable vibe on the show floor here at ASI San Diego, so much so that FOX 5 Click here to watch the video. And click here for photos and info about the products featured on-air, including:
Let me know your favorite products by posting a comment or emailing me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Thursday
February 25, 2010 Find Your Way to San Diego – 2 VideosFiled under: ASI Shows, Using Ad Specialties We’re here in California enjoying day two of our very first show in San Diego. More than 5,000 sunshine state distributor firms belong to the ASI network. But guess what? More than half forgo trade shows. What they’re missing is a prime opportunity, especially here at the San Diego Convention Center, where more than 300 exhibitors are ready and eager to do business. ASI TV’s Melinda Ligos interviewed me on the show floor on ways distributors can maximize their trade show experience. Tip of the Day: Spend quality time with suppliers and ask them for 3 best practices for selling their products to your clients. Watch the video: click here. I don’t know about you, but when it comes to getting from point A to point B, I’m “Old School.” Instead of a disembodied computer voice telling me where to go, I prefer checking a map – especially when I’m driving in a new city like San Diego. Luckily, Pop-Up Products (asi/68650) makes handy compact maps that provide a terrific visual snapshot of numerous cities across America. Click here to see my video showing this handy map, which your clients will love and I’m relying on to find my way to tonight’s networking bash at Stingaree Nightclub. If you’re at the show, let me know your favorite part so far by posting a comment or emailing me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Wednesday
February 24, 2010 Hats Off to ASI Show San DiegoFiled under: ASI Shows I gotta hand it to our members. When they chose San Diego a “top choice” for a trade show, we quickly added it to our 2010 roster. Today, we kicked off our inaugural San Diego show and by all indications, it’s shaping up a winner.
Questions and answers, info and ideas flew at the education workshops at the San Diego Convention Center, where the show continues through Friday. I’m especially looking forward to the Tony Robbins motivational keynote and the gala at the Stingaree Nightclub. The joint will be jumpin’. If I had any time off the show floor, I might check out the panda cub at the San Diego Zoo or stroll along the city’s 70-mile shoreline. If you’re here with us in California, I hope to see you at one of our many networking events. If not – there’s always next year! Tell me your favorite California experiences by posting a comment or emailing me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Wednesday
February 24, 2010 Promo Products on the Charity Auction BlockFiled under: Community, News About ASI, Using Ad Specialties The administrative team at ASI – spearheaded by Carole Seymour – organized a silent auction to benefit the Bucks County chapter of the American Red Cross. Over two days, employees bid on an eclectic array of items furnished by the editorial department, from a glittery Obama T-shirt and turkey fryer to a golf bag and ukulele. The auction raised $1,447, with the highest bid going for the Obama shirt. Personally, I was angling for the ukulele. The auction is one effort among many. Since 2003, ASI has helped raise nearly $2 million in cash and goods for worthy causes. That amount includes $620,000 for the American Red Cross to assist hurricane victims, over $25,000 for the Adopt-A-Family program, five tons of donated items to food banks and homeless shelters, $60,000 to PPEF (an industry education fund), chairman Norman Cohn and his family’s efforts to raise about $1 million for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (http://www.cohnsisters.com/), and over $64,000 for a food bank I helped establish in my Indiana hometown of Hope. It’s gratifying to know that even when times are tough – perhaps especially when times are tough – we can count on each other to help those in need. What charities are you or your company involved in? Let me know by posting a comment or emailing me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube. |
California is home to the largest number of distributors and suppliers so I wasn’t surprised more than 300 exhibitors – including a number of Counselor Top 40 suppliers – are attending our show, the first of the year held in the Sunshine State.