|
Tuesday
October 6, 2009 Showstopper Tony Robbins is coming to San DiegoFiled under: ASI Shows, News About ASI It’s extraordinary to witness one man completely command a crowd, but that’s exactly what Tony Robbins did when he appeared at our Orlando show earlier this year. Timed in the first quarter, ASI San Diego is the perfect platform for suppliers to showcase their new products and services in the early part of 2010. Many Top 40 companies will be exhibiting. Read all the details in our press release by clicking here. Be forewarned: Seating for this extraordinary event will be limited so ASI members should register at ASI Show by November 30 to be guaranteed a seat. In Orlando, Robbins’ message was so compelling and his enthusiasm so contagious he actually pulled the cheering crowd to its feet. It’s no wonder he’s known world wide as an authority on the psychology of leadership, negotiations, organizational turnaround and peak performance. I can’t wait to see him again. Let me know your Tony Robbins story by posting a comment or emailing me here. I’m also on Twitter and LinkedIn.
Thursday
September 24, 2009 Two Affordable Products From VegasFiled under: ASI Shows, Using Ad Specialties From Matthew Cohn, vice-chairman of ASI:
Click here to see my video featuring these items. Feel free to reach me anytime at mcohn@asicentral.com. – Matthew
Friday
September 18, 2009 More Hot Products from VegasFiled under: ASI Shows, Industry Initiatives, News About ASI, Using Ad Specialties The ASI Holiday & Incentives Expo in Las Vegas attracted distributors and decorators from 48 states and 12 countries, thanks to cool new products likes the ones featured in my latest hot products video:
Light-up cup, from Envision Marketing Group, a Counselor HOT Party sponsor (asi/52519). This sturdy acrylic cup comes in multiple colors and is a sure bet to brighten up any bash. Desk Dots, from Dynomighty Design (asi/51169). I use these on my desk to hold an astonishing array of items, from paper clips to a fat stack of business cards. They’re amazingly magnetic and make a really cool corporate gift. The Can Grip, New Digitally Printed Umbrella, from Windbrella (asi/97247). With its quick, 48-hour turnaround, this is a perfect product for family reunions and corporate events – your digital photos imprinted right on an umbrella. You can click here to watch the video. I’d love to hear about your experiences in Vegas, so post a comment or email me here. I’m also on Twitter and LinkedIn.
Thursday
September 17, 2009 Holiday & Incentives Expo DeliversFiled under: ASI Shows, Community, News About ASI We just wrapped up a great show in Las Vegas and I’m happy to report the ASI Holiday & Incentives Expo attracted distributors and decorators from 48 states and 12 countries. Education Day drew more than 500 distributors during the first day of the show. We designed the expo to accomplish two key things: help you find the hottest products available to clinch those important fourth-quarter sales, and provide the crème de la crème of industry suppliers. Suppliers were qualified in advance, and had achieved four- or five-stars in the ASI Supplier Ratings System. From what you told me on the show floor, and at great networking events like Counselor magazine’s HOT party at Christian Audigier Nightclub and the Las Vegas Reception, we delivered.
Here are some supplier comments: “The traffic has almost been too heavy,” shared Karen Cohen, vice president, All-In-One (asi/34256). “We’ve been having a hard time keeping up with the amount of distributors stopping by. Distributors are asking questions and wanting to learn about the product – there’s very little ‘scan and go.’ ” “It has been great, it’s been action-packed,” said Bonni Sandy, executive vice president, Dard Products, (asi/48500). “The distributors are incredibly serious and know the fourth quarter is going to pick up. We’ve seen good quality distributors, including a lot of the Top 40.”
And here’s what some of the 1,500 distributors said: “The ASI Holiday & Incentives Expo has been terrific,” said Ross Silverstein, president and CEO, iPROMOTEu (asi/232119). “This time of year is perfect for a show of this sort. I’ve met with a number of suppliers that I don’t usually see and I definitely found many new products that I haven’t seen in the past.” “It’s been absolutely wonderful, some of the best vendors are here,” said Caren Mikesh, owner, Caren Mikesh & Associates Promos (asi/271129). “Having only suppliers with four or more stars in the ASI Supplier Ratings System is really great. These are the companies who have good, quality products with good names behind them.” I also got great feedback on our “Secrets from the Pros: Cash in on the $45 Billion Incentive Market” panel discussion and I hope many of you got to see the amazing musical, The Lion King, which we offered at a special discount price. You can read the press release here. I’d love to hear about your experiences in Vegas, so post a comment or email me here. I’m also on Twitter and LinkedIn.
Thursday
September 17, 2009 Cool Products Video and HOT Party PhotosFiled under: ASI Shows, Community, Using Ad Specialties Direct from the floor of the ASI Holiday & Incentives Expo in Las Vegas – here’s my first cool products video, with seven unique products your clients will love for the all-important fall and holiday selling seasons: • Silicon Drink-Thru Top Mug and Stainless Steel Jean-Style Water Bottle, from Berney-Karp Inc. (asi/40261): dishwater-safe porcelain mug that’s perfect for coffee and tea lovers and a unique jean-style water bottle kids will go bonkers for. • Bamboo Wine and Cheese Plate, from Aunt Beth’s Cookie Keepers (asi/37465): hand-crafted, elegant and surprisingly strong. Perfect for holiday parties.
• Executive Cookie Box with Cookies, from Admints & Zagabor (asi/31516): stylish and sophisticated and filled with really tasty cookies your clients will devour. • Water Scope, from Atlantis Time-Line (asi/37385): this very unusual, incredibly practical Christmas tree watering scope is perfect for the holidays. • Chromax Titanium Golf Ball, from Vegas Golf (asi/87605): it wouldn’t be Vegas without some serious glitter, and the sparkly “Vegas Golf Ball” certainly fits the bill. Click here to watch the video. And I know they say “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas,” but I’m going to share our photos from Counselor magazine’s HOT party at Christian Audigier Nightclub, so click here to see who’s shaking up the industry. Be sure to turn the music on. I’d love to hear about your Vegas experiences, so post a comment now or email me here. I’m also on Twitter and LinkedIn.
Wednesday
September 16, 2009 We’re Launching a San Diego ShowFiled under: ASI Shows, Community, Industry Initiatives, News About ASI While we’re here at the ASI Holiday & Incentives Expo, I’m announcing some big show news: ASI is launching a new ASI Show this February in sunny San Diego. You voted and we listened, which is why we’re adding this great West Coast location. After months of strategic review, including analyses of distributor and supplier locations, show attendance trends, penetration levels of show attendance and consultation with the show advisory board, San Diego stood out as the clear choice. We also kept in mind two things: we wanted to avoid interfering with PPAI Expo in January, and the SAAC show in Long Beach in August. Here are some very compelling — and perhaps surprising — fast facts about our industry in the San Diego area: — California has the largest single concentration of distributors of any state. — Half the distributor firms in California don’t currently send a salesperson to a show. — California has the largest single concentration of suppliers of any state, and a bit more than half don’t exhibit at a trade show. — California has the strongest annualized growth of any state, in terms of distributors and suppliers, over the past five years. All indications point to the business climate rebounding faster there, versus many other regions. I’m of course very excited about the new ASI Show San Diego and what we believe it will do to serve West Coast promotional products businesses better. I look forward to seeing you there, from Wednesday, February 24, through Friday, February 26, 2010. Education Day will be on Wednesday. Perfectly timed to kick-off the first quarter in Southern California, this show is the ideal platform for suppliers to showcase new products and services to thousands of distributors. Further, it joins a full schedule of ASI Shows, including national events in Orlando, Dallas, Las Vegas, New York and Chicago. To read the press release, click here. I’d love to hear your thoughts about our new show, so post a comment now or email me here. I’m also on Twitter and LinkedIn.
Wednesday
August 19, 2009 Second virtual trade show a successFiled under: ASI Shows, Industry Initiatives, News About ASI Our second free online event just ended, and I’m happy to report we drew over 2,000 attendees – during the dog days of summer no less. More than 20 top suppliers exhibited, including Fields Manufacturing Inc. (asi/54100), Tri-Mountain Inc. (asi/92125) and Maple Ridge Farms Inc. (asi/68680). Distributors enjoyed online ASI Education sessions while all attendees networked and sold in real-time through interactive multimedia booths. Participants may have looked like avatars online, but the deal-making was as real as it gets. Our second show followed our first, held in May, and generated an equally enthusiastic response from attendees. Here’s a sampling of some comments from “real-time” chatters who posted their reactions throughout the day: “Wanted to let you know that I found the ASI virtual show helpful,” said Bob Roof, president of Business Partner of Polaris (asi/152973). “I look forward to hearing back from vendors that I have an interest in.” “Thank you for today’s show,” said Linda Richard, owner of K&B/Print City (asi/470621). “First time trying this. Found it very interesting and appreciate all the work and effort that went into doing something like this!” As you can see from the photos, ASI employees manned the computers in “tradeshow central,” solving issues, making suggestions and answering questions, acting pretty much like online tour guides to ensure everyone who attended enjoyed a fantastic virtual experience. Even if you couldn’t make it today, you can still access the show for a few months more, available on demand at www.asicentral.com/vts, beginning Monday, August 24. If you attended, I’d love to hear about your experiences, so please post a comment now or email me here.
|
