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Thursday
July 21, 2011 Hot City, Cool ShowFiled under: ASI Shows, Members, News About ASI We just ended ASI Chicago, the final show of the 2011 season, and I’m happy to report significant growth in total attendance for the three-day event. In addition, we attracted a record number of pros to a full slate of educational offerings and everyone enjoyed the keynote by sports legend Mike Ditka and two swinging parties – including the Counselor Hot Party. Yeah, it was steaming hot outside, but distributors escaped record high temps by discovering cool, new ad specialty products at the largest show of the summer, which took place Tuesday through Thursday at McCormick Place. The show featured 700 exhibitor companies, up 10% from 2010 – including many Counselor Top 40 suppliers. All told, total distributor attendance was 4,500 – up 9% from last year – from 1,930 distributor firms. I was really happy to hear exhibitors praise the quality and professionalism of distributors, which means we grew attendance without reducing the quality of attendees we attracted. Click here for photos from the show. And for a complete listing of the 35 distributors and suppliers on the Counselor Hot List, click here. The keynote by former NFL coach Mike Ditka was exceptional. A packed house learned how to “ACE” their bottom line with “Attitude, Character and Enthusiasm” from one of the most motivational figures ever to play and coach in the NFL. Ditka talked about everything from his views on football to how business leaders can motivate their employees. He was also nice enough to stay for an extended question-and-answer period. Click here to watch an ASI TV video with reactions from attendees. We’re not done yet! Register now for the ASI Holiday Preview shows hitting Los Angeles September 23, Toronto September 27, Atlanta October 18 and Philadelphia October 26. The one-day tabletop event features two hours of education, with show hours from 11 a.m.-4 p.m., followed by a closing reception from 4 p.m.-5 p.m. And it’s never too early to start thinking about the 2012 ASI Shows in Orlando (January 16-18), Dallas (February 1-3), San Diego (April 2-4), New York (May 8-10) and Chicago (July 17-19). As always, to learn more about exhibiting or sponsorship opportunities for 2012, contact Karen DiTomasso, vice president of sales, at kditomasso@asicentral.com. If you were at the show, let me know your favorite part – and anything we might improve upon, by posting a comment or e-mailing me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Wednesday
July 20, 2011 How Tweet It IsFiled under: ASI Shows, Members, News About ASI ASI education surveys show social networking is as hot as, well, the thermostat in Chicago, which is expected to hit 98 today. So we weren’t surprised a packed house attended a power panel in ASI’s new Social Media education track. Afterward, I caught up with marketing and sales expert Brad White, VP of sales for Top 40 distributor Boundless Network. When I asked him for the biggest mistake most people make when it comes to social media marketing, he said it’s proceeding without goals or strategy. Social networking should be an integral part of any company’s overall marketing plan. Click here for a Tim’s Take of my interview with Brad. When I asked Brad for the best way to gauge the effectiveness In addition, of course, there are a ton of analytics and data to get numbers on a spreadsheet, but the bottom line really does come down to profits and revenue. We’re having a great time in Chicago. To see the action for yourself, click here to check out the photos from the first two days of the show, which ends Thursday. I hope you also got a chance to see the video demo of ASI SmartSales, a high-tech sales and marketing tool to help distributors and decorators close more sales and increase profits with modules dedicated to sales management, marketing campaigns and revenue-generating capabilities. Click here to watch the video. And while you’re at it, check out a New York Times blog post on “The Surprising Power of Promotional Products,” which offers up a fine assessment of the industry. Let me know what you think of the show, and please share your best social networking tactics by posting a comment or e-mailing me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Wednesday
July 20, 2011 Windy City Kickoff for ASI SmartSalesFiled under: ASI Shows, Industry Initiatives, Member Benefits, News About ASI, Research, Using Ad Specialties ASI chose its Chicago show – the biggest industry event of summer – to offer a sneak peek of its biggest technology investment in years: ASI SmartSales™ . The Oracle-powered tech platform is a customized solution for maximizing sales and revenue opportunities. Click here to watch the SmartSales video for yourself. Read the press release we dropped to the industry here. ASI spent millions researching and developing SmartSales, a high-tech sales and marketing tool to help distributors and decorators close more sales and increase profits with modules dedicated to sales management, marketing campaigns and revenue-generating capabilities. ASI expects the rollout of the new service to begin in the fourth quarter. Expect an announcement shortly about an upcoming customized Oracle-powered technology platform designed exclusively for suppliers. We paid a lot of attention to the security aspect of this new business platform, leveraging Oracle’s cloud-based technologies with all of ASI’s products to create a unique, highly secure platform consisting of a hybrid implementation of cloud and locally hosted software and databases. The new technology will include the core ASI services vital to members’ success, allowing them to access ESP for comprehensive product sourcing from 3,400 suppliers; ASI ProfitMaker, which provides ERP and financial management capabilities; ASI LogoMall; their own company websites; exclusive ASI research; and the latest professional development resources available for BASI/MASI certification. ASI distributors with ESP who are interested in being the first to receive ASI SmartSales when it becomes available should e-mail smartsales@asicentral.com or visit www.asicentral.com/smartsales. Members who want to sign up for ESP and ASI SmartSales should call their ASI account executive at 800-546-1350. The video demos were just one of the many highlights at ASI Chicago, which takes place through Thursday at McCormick Place convention complex. If you’re at the show, I hope you’re enjoying yourself. If you had a chance to see the video, let me know what you think by posting a comment or e-mailing me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Tuesday
July 19, 2011 It’s a Heckuva TownFiled under: ASI Shows, Members, News About ASI ASI is out in full force in Chicago for the last show of the 2011 season. The industry’s biggest event of the summer started off with a full day of education Tuesday, and it’s full steam ahead through Thursday at McCormick Place. If you’re with us in Chicago, I hope you’re taking advantage of our new Take Five Live campaign – which allows anyone working toward their BASI certificate to fulfill live course requirements at just one ASI Show and complete the rest of their requirements online. Wednesday, we’re making another big announcement regarding our new technology platform with tech giant Oracle, so stay tuned for more details. Wednesday night, everyone’s hitting the Enclave Nightclub for a party co-sponsored by Buztronics, asi/42963; California Tattoo, asi/43530; Prime Resources, asi/79530; Price Chopper, asi/79500 and SnugZ USA, asi/88060. Without pausing to breathe, we’re then heading straight to Counselor magazine’s annual Hot Party, where we’ll name the industry’s hottest trendsetters. We’ll have photos of all the action on ASI’s website, http://www.asicentral.com/. If that’s not enough, sports legend Mike Ditka gives the show’s keynote (co-sponsored by BamBams, asi/38228, Express-A-Button, asi/53408 and Showdown Displays, asi/87188). Join us to learn how to “ace” your bottom line with “Attitude, Character and Enthusiasm” from one of the most motivational figures in the NFL today. If you’re at the show, let me know what you’re looking forward to the most by posting a comment or e-mailing me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Wednesday
July 6, 2011 2012 Keynotes AnnouncedFiled under: ASI Shows, Community, News About ASI Can you imagine gaining exclusive access to some of the greatest business thinkers and social commentators of our time – for free? Look no further than ASI’s 2012 lineup of keynote speakers. We spent months surveying the industry and researching new programs to offer next year, and I have every confidence this unprecedented lineup will score, especially since it’s a unique balance of education, motivation, information and debate. The ASI team that plans our shows has really put together an incredibly powerful set of keynotes, activities and entertainment at shows in Orlando, Dallas, San Diego, New York and Chicago. Dan O’Halloran, our executive VP of distributor services, tells me several Top 40 distributors have already committed to bringing 700+ salespeople to ASI Orlando alone. Expect full details soon. The list of scheduled programs includes:
In addition to education and inspiration, The ASI Shows feature world-class entertainment for ASI members:
Online registration is now open for the five 2012 ASI Shows, including Orlando (Jan. 16-18), Dallas (Feb. 1-3), San Diego (April 2-4), New York (May 8-10) and Chicago (July 17-19). Visit www.asishow.com for complete details on The ASI Show and to make your hotel reservations. Discounted hotel rates are available through the official ASI Show housing bureau, Travel Planners. Each ASI Show features a three-day schedule, with a full day of ASI Education and two exhibit days. ASI distributor and decorator members receive free admission and qualify for a free hotel room. Call 877-ASI-SHOW with any questions. To learn more about exhibiting or sponsorship opportunities, please contact Karen DiTomasso, VP of sales, at kditomasso@asicentral.com. Let me know what you think of our line-up – and if you have any suggestions or comments post a comment or e-mail me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Wednesday
June 15, 2011 Keys to a Virtual KingdomFiled under: ASI Shows, Community, News About ASI When I was a kid we loved nothing better than watching the Ed Sullivan Show. When he promised “a really big show,” Ed delivered. I like to think ASI delivers every time we host a show, whether it’s bricks and mortar or virtual. This week, we earned a terrific confirmation from a participant at our latest virtual show, who commented: “My fingers are cramped from so much typing because we’ve been busy.” Whenever we can cramp some fingers, I know we’ve done good! In addition to great education and lots of show traffic, we gave away an Apple iPad and more than $17,000 in prizes. Throughout the all-day event, participants were treated to top suppliers, multimedia demos, digital catalogs and online sample requests. Altogether, more than 1,500 visited the show, which generated 1,037 one-to-one chats. In addition, visitors viewed a total of 1,858 documents and 757 webcasts, staying at the show an average of 78.5 minutes – not bad for a free day with no expensive travel. The best part is no matter where you are – or how you’re dressed – you can log on and learn, network and sell. And if you missed this week’s virtual event, you can access it on-demand here. Stay tuned for our next show, scheduled for September 14. We know the all-day, online events are effective because exhibiting suppliers experience an average 24% increase in ESP searches the day after each show. And, don’t forget – you can attend education classes that are applied to your BASI or MASI certificates right from the virtual show floor. While virtual events won’t replace in-person shows (Chicago is July 19-21), you can’t beat the ease and value. If you were at the show, let me know what you thought by posting a comment or e-mailing me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Friday
June 10, 2011 Play a Winning Sales GameFiled under: ASI Shows, News About ASI As the NFL players’ lockout drags on amid wrangling over $9 billion in annual revenue, I got to thinking about some of the greatest moments in football history. The once-in-a-lifetime gridiron dramas, like Franco Harris’ game-winning “Immaculate Reception” and Tom Dempsey’s 63-yard field goal, help me recall the glory in a truly glorious game. Another ace moment: Iron Mike Ditka’s final touchdown in the Dallas Cowboys’ 24-3 win over the Miami Dolphins in Super Bowl VI. Lucky for us, Ditka – one of the only people ever to have won a Super Bowl as a player, assistant coach and head coach – will be our keynote speaker at the ASI Chicago show Thursday, July 21. While I can’t wait to hear what he has to say about the lockout, I’m also anxious to get his views on a cause dear to his heart: aiding retired players suffering physical and financial problems. As he pointed out during a recent talk in Michigan, a lot of players left the game hurting in more ways than one. In Ditka’s first year with the Chicago Bears, when he was named Rookie of the Year, he made only $12,000. Compare that to what players take home today and you can see why some of the old-timers need help with their end game. In his speech at the Chicago show, Ditka will highlight the key characteristics people need to fully achieve their personal and business goals. Early admission tickets are still available, but the meet and greet is sold out. Click here for more info and to register for early admission. The keynote itself, as always, is free. Ditka’s talk, touted as one of the best in all of the NFL, is sure to be inspirational, funny and chock-full of great football moments. Even if you’re not a football fan, the lessons you’ll learn from one of the greatest American success stories – and son of a steel-mine worker – will certainly help you improve your sales game. So please join us for what’s certain to be a highlight of show season. And let me know how you think the lockout will end by posting a comment or emailing me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube. |
of social marketing, he gave a surprisingly simple but spot-on answer: “The best measurement is how much money you make.”
