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Tuesday
May 7, 2013 In a New York State of MindFiled under: ASI Shows Everything moves a little faster in New York City. Even when you have no place special to go – you still feel an urgent need to get there. This week, ASI® employees are moving at warp speed, setting up the two-day ASI Show at the Javits Center kicking off Wednesday. In a new twist, ASI Education is offering classes on both days, to help members earn even more credits toward their ASI Certification. You’ve got plenty of options to choose from, whether you’re interested in boosting sales or increasing your social media presence or are a new owner looking for a class geared specifically to your business. The ASI Show® takes place Wednesday and Thursday in the North Pavilion of the Javits Center, a few blocks from Penn Station on the city’s west side, which is packed with plenty of new restaurants and easy access to subways you can take uptown, downtown or to Times Square and beyond. Be sure to stop by the ASI booths while you’re there for the latest product demos — and for answers to any question you might have on ESP, catalogs, mobile, education — you name it and we’ll tell you all about it. Of course, it wouldn’t be Manhattan without a hot party to attend, and ASI is hosting its latest one yet – starting off at 11 p.m. Wednesday at the rooftop nightclub 230 Fifth, featuring an incredible view (see pic at right) of the iconic Empire State Building. If it rains, we’ll move the party inside to the 20th floor lounge, which is just as stunning. At the party we’ll celebrate the 49 innovators on the 2013 Counselor® Hot List, who you can check out in advance by clicking here. A dedicated “foodie,” I’m also really looking forward to our keynote Thursday morning by local entrepreneur Buddy Valastro Jr., known to millions as “The Cake Boss” from TLC’s hit reality show. Valastro began working alongside his father at the family’s business, Carlo’s Bakery in Hoboken, N.J., at age 11. After his father died, when Buddy was 17, he became the new “Cake Boss,” eventually launching the Italian bakery into the reality TV stratosphere. While I’m interested in what business tips Buddy can offer us during the keynote, I’m also dying to see the cake he’ll present to ASI in the Exhibit Hall at 1:30 Thursday (sponsored by Showdown Displays, asi/87188). Be sure to stop by both events, which are free (napkin included!). If you’re with us in New York, let me know what you’re looking forward to most by posting a comment or e-mailing me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube. Make sure to check out www.asicentral.com for complete coverage of the show, including blogs and videos. And don’t forget to check out the next ASI Show in Chicago (Tues., July 16 through Thurs., July 18) at McCormick Place, which features a keynote by Christopher Gardner, the inspiration behind the award-winning movie “The Pursuit of Happyness” starring Will Smith. On August 12, we’re hosting a brand new show in Dallas called Promotions Southwest, sure to be the place to prepare for those all-important fourth-quarter sales. The Advantages Roadshow, the industry’s No. 1 traveling roadshow, is in Canada May 14-16 before taking a break until starting again in early August. To learn more about exhibiting or sponsorship opportunities for 2013, contact Karen DiTomasso, vice president of sales, at kditomasso@asicentral.com or register today at www.asishow.com.
Monday
March 25, 2013 Long Beach Show Strikes GoldFiled under: ASI Shows, News About ASI Our inaugural ASI Show in Long Beach, CA was a true success, from Friday’s full day of education through two very busy exhibit days. Suppliers who wondered how the weekend dates would affect attendance were happily surprised by the turnout, and feedback overall was terrific. Stacy Horton, of Dard Products (asi/48500), dubbed the show “awesome” and said she was so slammed by heavy foot traffic she had to call for help in her booth. “ASI did a great job of getting the right distributors here,” she told us. “I honestly think next year many more suppliers will attend and take larger booth spaces. I have so many requests to follow up on.” Peter Zeiger, of Geiger (asi/202900), brought a team of 15 to the show, which he rightly described as an “event,” thanks to education, a Gala Celebration at Gladstone’s, tons of suppliers and big-name keynote Ben Stein. “Attending an ASI Show,” he said, “allows you to take your game to the next level.” We moved the show from its traditional berth in San Diego about 120 miles north so thousands of greater LA distributors could take advantage of a more affordable, accessible alternative. Distributors and suppliers alike said they loved the spectacular waterfront location and easy access to major highways, three airports and first-class accommodations. New shows can be a risk for everyone. Happily, the show delivered, attracting a solid turnout of industry distributors who aren’t ASI® members but who either joined on-site or who likely will in coming weeks. All told, The ASI Show™ Long Beach, which took place Friday, March 22, through Sunday, March 24, at the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center, featured 61 education sessions (attended by 400+), over 300 top-flight suppliers and 11 team-building distributor sales meetings. Our keynoter, Ben Stein (pictured with me, backstage), really packed the house. We had so many people we had to bring in extra chairs. If you only knew Stein through his turn as the stone-faced teacher in the “Ferris Bueller” movie, you were in for a treat. Funny, frank and informative, Stein shared his unique take on small-business success. Click here for an ASI TV interview with Stein, taped after his keynote, and click here for a previously recorded ASI Radio interview. Laura Hook, of EmbroidMe of Cypress (asi/384575), told us Stein made her laugh and cry. “What more could you ask for?” she said. “His point on not taking things for granted was a good one and an impactful one. We cannot sit around and whine about what’s not happening because we are the ones who need to get up and make things happen.” What a great takeaway! Although it was tough to leave 70-degree weather behind to return to a spring snowstorm back East, I’m happy to be home – and eager to hear what you thought of the new show. Please let me know by posting a comment or e-mailing me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube. Important note about Long Beach 2014: it’ll take place during the week, Tuesday, March 25 through Thursday, March 27. And don’t forget: Other upcoming 2013 ASI Shows are New York (May 8-9) and Chicago (July 16-18). To learn more about exhibiting or sponsorship opportunities, contact Karen DiTomasso, our sales VP, at kditomasso@asicentral.com.
Thursday
March 21, 2013 ASI Launches New Long Beach ShowFiled under: ASI Shows, News About ASI ASI® will be on the West Coast this week for our inaugural show in Long Beach, a spectacular waterfront city whose motto is “where the action begins and the fun never ends.” Located less than 20 miles from Los Angeles, Long Beach provides distributor and supplier members from the West Coast and greater LA areas an affordable location along with easy access to major highways, airports and first-class accommodations. The ASI Show™ takes place Friday through Sunday at the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center. We’re expecting over 300 top-flight suppliers, 11 team-building distributor sales meetings, a value-added Education Day featuring 61 business-building sessions – and lots of action on the show floor Saturday and Sunday. Our keynote speaker on Sunday morning is the very smart, very funny economic commentator and “Ferris Bueller” star Ben Stein, who promises to tell us all “How to Ruin Your Life – and How to Make it Great.” If you only know Stein from his famously funny turn as the stone-faced teacher from the 1986 John Hughes movie (“Bueller? Bueller? Anyone? Anyone?”), you might be amazed by his largely conservative insight into some pretty serious economic issues. Along those lines, I’m looking forward to talking to our West Coast members about the California economy, which after five long, hard years appears to be finally turning a corner. According to the local papers, there’s solid evidence of job growth, economic stability, a resurgent housing market and rising spirits in a state that was among the worst hit by the recession. It would seem that in a state that’s struggling to find its economic footing, promotional products’ high ROI and relative low cost would be the perfect angle to pitch on any sales call. If you’re at the show, don’t forget to stop by the ASI booths for a demo of our increasingly popular and highly-rated ESP Mobile™ apps for iPhone, iPad and Android, which have topped 10,000 downloads since launch. We know the apps are popular because ESP Mobile for iPhone users, for instance, have awarded that app 4.5 stars. As further evidence of user engagement, product searches in ESP Mobile nearly doubled in the last three months alone. Click here for an overview of cool app features, including speak to search and virtual samples. And don’t forget: Other upcoming 2013 ASI Shows are New York (May 8-9) and Chicago (July 16-18). To learn more about exhibiting or sponsorship opportunities, contact Karen DiTomasso, our sales VP, at kditomasso@asicentral.com. And for complete coverage of the Long Beach show, including blogs and videos, check http://www.asicentral.com/. Finally, if you’re with us in Long Beach, please let me know what you think of the new location by posting a comment or e-mailing me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Friday
February 8, 2013 Dallas Show Ends on High-Energy NoteFiled under: ASI Shows, Members, News About ASI The Dallas show that closed Friday attracted over 500 top suppliers and 16 team-building distributor sales meetings, including Counselor® Top 40 distributor American Solutions for Business’ winter conference. All of us at the show got incredible feedback, which is always great to hear. It’s clear a ton of deals took place on the show floor and during numerous networking opportunities. Here’s a small sampling of reactions: Barry Lipsett, CEO of Charles River Apparel (asi/44620): “We did so well we are going to double the size of our booth next year!” Larry Zavadil, CEO of American Solutions for Business (asi/120075): “ASI Education has been great, and we found tons of ideas on the show floor. Every vendor we’ve come across has a unique solution to offer.” Gabe McGraw, from Gold Bond (asi/57653): “Distributors are coming in with a list, which makes it easy because that translates into orders and everybody benefits. We’ve been so happy with ASI Dallas – in fact, with all of The ASI Shows – because they’re really big producers for us.” The show was such a hit it even attracted the local news. Fox featured ASI Dallas on its Wednesday broadcast, showing off many of the hottest products at the show (despite the unfortunate use of the word “swag”). On Friday, we kicked off the final day with a wonderful keynote by three-time Super Bowl champion and 2006 “Dancing with the Stars” winner Emmitt Smith, who advised a packed house on successful small business strategies (see pic). He was such a nice guy he even posted a photo of the two of us on his Facebook page. It’s amazing to me how many of our keynote speakers turn out to be so gracious. Maybe they know how lucky they are – and how lucky we are to have them share their fascinating experiences and secrets of success! As we reported in a special show edition of Counselor® Promogram®, Smith’s main message was: “Be bold with your goals.” “Your attitude determines your altitude,” he told attendees. “You have to believe in yourself and your own abilities to be able to reach new heights. But, the only way to get there is to write those goals down. It’s only a dream until you write it down. That’s when it becomes a real goal.” Counselor Editor Andy Cohen interviewed Smith after his keynote session to get more motivational advice. Click here to watch the video. In addition to a lot of work, we had a ton of big Texas fun at the show, too. As you can see from the picture of our happy bull-rider, the industry came together at a boisterous Gala Celebration on Thursday night at the world-famous Gilley’s, the inspiration for the John Travolta/Debra Winger blockbuster “Urban Cowboy.” I’m always on the lookout for Hoosiers and was thrilled to spot John Burr at the show (pictured in the Indiana tee shirt with me). John’s an account executive with American Solutions for Business. I first met him 6-7 years ago at an ASI show in Philadelphia and he’s now working in Pleasantville, NY. In many ways, that’s the best part of any show: making – and renewing – connections. Fortunately, many of the people who attended the show are from the Southwest, so they didn’t have any trouble getting home. But many of us who planned to head back to the Philadelphia-NJ area are being delayed by the “Nemo” blizzard. I hope everyone Back East stays warm, dry and safe and that everyone traveling gets home OK. Make sure to check www.asicentral.com for notices of any industry companies affected by the storm. And if you were at the show, please post a comment or e-mail me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube. Finally, don’t forget, on August 12, ASI® returns to Dallas for the inaugural Promotions Southwest expo at the state-of-the-art Irving Convention Center. Click here for more info and to
Wednesday
February 6, 2013 Big News from the Big DFiled under: ASI Shows, Industry Initiatives, Members, News About ASI ASI® kicked off its latest show in Dallas Wednesday – the same day we announced the availability of the The Texas show continues through Friday at the Dallas Convention Center, where thousands of distributors and suppliers will conduct business at a faster, more efficient pace than ever before, thanks to tech innovations like the ESP Mobile™ apps for iPhone, iPad and Android. ESP Mobile downloads have already topped 9,000 since launch – and we’re expecting a new surge now that we’ve unveiled over 40 innovative new features, which we’ll demo in Dallas as well as at upcoming shows in Long Beach (March 22-24), New York (May 8-9) and Chicago (July 16-18). If you haven’t already, give the new mobile app a test drive. Now users can: -Tap to create virtual samples and generate dynamic on-site sales demos I’m really looking forward to reactions from users at Dallas, which features some Texas-sized action. Just check out the big way the Omni hotel greeted show participants this week. It’s a great “sign” of the enthusiasm and professionalism we’re encountering everywhere. In addition to demos, networking and a brand-new Gala Celebration at the world-famous Gilley’s, we’ve got 16 distributor sales meetings taking place here in Dallas. First thing Wednesday morning I welcomed Counselor Top 40 distributor American Solutions for Business (asi/120075), which brought together upwards of 250 sales reps for their winter conference. As I often do, I asked the audience if anyone was from my home state of Indiana – and found a single Hoosier, as well as someone from N.J., where I now live. After all-day education (which includes new classes for owners), the show floor is open for business Thursday and Friday. We’ll start off the last day with a free keynote by former Dallas Cowboy and three-time Super Bowl champion Emmitt Smith, who might be better known in some circles as the 2006 “Dancing with the Stars” winner. Keep checking www.asicentral.com and our Twitter feed for the latest show news, blogs and videos. And if you’re with us in Dallas, 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. And don’t forget – on August 12, ASI returns to Dallas for the inaugural Promotions Southwest show at the state-of-the-art Irving Convention Center. Click here for more info and to register for the new show, timed to help distributors prepare for all-important fourth-quarter sales.
Monday
January 7, 2013 Celebrating the Industry in OrlandoFiled under: ASI Shows, Community, Members, News About ASI We’ve enjoyed one incredible event after another here at ASI Orlando, including a truly fabulous 80th birthday party for ASI® Chairman Norman Cohn, a super-energized crowd at the 2013 Counselor® Distributor Choice Awards and a standing-room-only keynote by expert economist and political commentator Steve Forbes. Turns out, Forbes – a very thoughtful guy who provided us with tons of solid business advice – is also very funny. “It’s great to see so much energy,” he said after being greeted by thunderous applause. “I wish we had such energy in Washington.” A conservative Republican who once ran for president, Forbes was optimistic about the future, despite “headwinds” like an antiquated tax code and a weakened American dollar. “Many amazing things are about to happen,” the Forbes Media chairman told a crowd of about 900 people (so many we had to keep bringing in extra chairs). “We’ll have major advances in health care, and America will become a manufacturing giant again thanks to our brainpower and technology.” Orlando really has been one great celebration after another. Sunday night, we celebrated suppliers at the 2013Counselor Distributor Choice Awards (sponsored by AIA Corporation, Crystal Sensations, Dunbrooke, and Moderne Glass Company). Taking home the top prize was Top 40 supplier The Magnet Group (asi/68507), which was named Supplier of the Year. In accepting the award, Magnet CEO Bill Korowitz graciously thanked his employees in a heartfelt speech. Over the years, I’ve gotten to know Bill, personally and as a member of the ASI Advisory Board, and have come to really appreciate his calm, thoughtful and reasoned side. If I had to sum him up, I’d say he’s just the kind of guy you’d like to have as your neighbor. In business, he’s always willing to try new approaches and on those rare occasions when he’s wrong, he’s always willing to admit it. In addition, over many whoops and hollers from a very enthusiastic crowd, we announced supplier winners in 59 different product categories – including three new categories of blankets, coolers and hospitality items. In all, 42 suppliers won awards at the ceremony, which honor suppliers for their service and dedication to their distributor customers. For more info and a list of all the winners, click here. Before the ceremony started, ASI’s chairman of the board, Norman Cohn, took a few moments to share his thoughts on another industry icon – former ASI president Marvin Spike, who recently passed away. “Marvin was an extremely passionate supporter of the advertising specialty industry,” Norman said. “He will have forever left his mark not only on ASI, but on the entire industry. Marvin cared about each ASI member as if they were his own family. He was a loyal friend, leader and contributor to the entire industry. I am proud to have called Marvin a close friend. His life defined integrity and he will be missed.” Unbelievably, Norman – a very familiar presence at all ASI Shows – just turned 80. On Saturday, we celebrated with a lovely party at the Walt Disney World Resort. While it’s hard to keep anything a secret in this industry, somehow we managed to keep the ultimate destination a secret for weeks. After a champagne toast, the invited guests (who still didn’t have a clue where we were headed) were loaded onto three buses and whisked away to a private backstage-access area at the park. After riding in giant clamshells through an amazing 3-D attraction based on the “Finding Nemo” movie, we were treated to four different buffets of Norman’s favorite foods (including ’50s diner food and his very favorite, pigs in a blanket), 12-foot-tall calypso dancers, dueling pianos and even an enormous dolphin viewing tank, complete with an actual deep-sea diver. As the birthday cake was wheeled out, ASI Vice Chairman Matthew Cohn called the celebration “an intimate evening of things my dad loves. He loves this industry and he loves his family.” As I said in my toast, many of us wouldn’t even be in this industry without Norman Cohn – who really is the sun in our ASI universe. In my favorite moment of the night, Norman thanked all his guests, making special mention of his “trophy wife of 48 years,” calling Suzanne Cohn “the reason I’m so lucky in life.” In true Norman fashion, he was wise, funny – and very, very grateful. “I’ve been active in this industry for 60-plus years and I’ve seen a lot of change and growth,” he told us. “But one thing never changes – my family loves this industry and this business … Hug your family, God bless America and thank you all for being here.” After a rousing rendition of “Happy Birthday,” we got all decked out in light-up hats, lanyards, glasses and rings for a final treat: dessert, coffee and front-row seats to a mesmerizing fireworks, laser and water show. All in all, it was a really special occasion.
Saturday
January 5, 2013 Off and Running in OrlandoFiled under: ASI Shows, Members, News About ASI ASI kicked off the first show of 2013 with something familiar – an opening seminar detailing how to get the most of your trade show experience – and something new: me at the helm. I stood in for ASI Vice-Chairman Matthew Cohn after his plane was delayed and had a terrific time greeting the 230+ gathered for a quick intro to ASI Orlando. The response tells me everyone with us in Florida is eager to hit the ground running. Personally, I’m more excited about the 2013 show season than I’ve been in years. My best advice is to make the most out of your time on the show floor. One way is to spend as much quality time as possible in each supplier’s booth, talking to them about your sales challenges and getting some new ideas on the best ways to sell their products. In short, don’t just scan and go. Look, learn and listen. And if you see a really terrific booth, with innovative signage, an interesting design, etc., vote for it by texting the booth number to 22333 – it’s free. Please also make sure you fill out the feedback forms after each class as we really want to know what worked and what didn’t so we can further improve your trade show experience. And always take home or download your show directory (mobile app: www.asishow.com/orlando) as it’s an information-packed resource you can refer to throughout the year. I’ve already said hello to a ton of people and I encourage all of you to do the same, whether it’s at one of our receptions or events, walking the show floor or stopping by one of three Happy Hours sponsored by Broder, Logomark and Impact Advertising in booths #1501, #801 and #525. When I opened the floor to questions after my talk, the first question was “What are those booth numbers again?” I guess there’s no better way to draw a crowd than free beer! As always I want to know your impressions so if you’re in Orlando, post a comment or e-mail me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube. Here’s to a great new year – and an amazing show. |
latest version of our ESP Mobile™ app.
