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Monday
January 5, 2009 ASI Show Orlando Posts Strong Attendance | VideoFiled under: ASI Shows, Industry Initiatives, News About ASI This has been a strong show, with preliminary attendance of about 5,200, equivalent to last year, from more than 2,000 distributor firms. Click here to watch a video wrap-up that also features a new notebook made from elephant poo from Spector & Co. No joke. In addition to education, networking and entertainment, attendees were energized by a two-hour business and personal coaching session by Tony Robbins, who has worked with the most successful entertainment, sports and business and political leaders in the world. The 1,200-seat auditorium was packed and much of the session was spent with distributors and suppliers on their feet interacting with each other and Tony Robbins, as he explained how to capture market share, grow your business and flourish in challenging personal and business times.
Jeanne Slack, of JS Promotions, said this: “The best gift ASI could have given the industry was Tony Robbins. I noticed a big change in people’s attitudes today as opposed to yesterday’s show – shifting from being focused on a weak fourth quarter to how strong they can perform in 2009.” Click here for the full press release on our attendance. We also broke news today about a time-saving integration for ProfitMaker that pulls products and pricing information directly from ESP Online right into ProfitMaker. Distributors and suppliers got a chance to road test this integration, along with a new look and feel for the program. Click here for the full press release on the new and improved ProfitMaker. Last night, we enjoyed two really exciting events: the ASI Fashion Show, featuring the season’s hottest new looks in casual wear, and the ASI Show Gala Celebration at Universal Studios. In a word, the thrill rides, food and entertainment were outrageous. I met a number of real characters – and not all of them were in costume! I am really sorry this show has come to an end. But we’re geared up and ready for Dallas in February. Click here for our fashion show photos. As we leave Orlando, I’m sure many of us will be putting into action the advice given today by business guru Tony Robbins, who inspired us to command peak performance from ourselves and our employees. As always, I welcome your input. Post a comment on the blog now or email me at tim.andrews@asicentral.com.
Monday
January 5, 2009 Fashion Show Photos, New Products Videos, ProfitMaker Integrates with ESPFiled under: ASI Shows, Industry Initiatives, News About ASI, Using Ad Specialties All good things must come to a close and today is the final day for ASI Show Orlando. What an incredible three days we’ve had previewing the best the industry has to offer and getting charged up for selling this year. Last night, we enjoyed two really exciting events: the ASI Fashion Show, featuring the season’s hottest new looks in casual wear, and the ASI Show Gala Celebration at Universal Studios. In a word, the thrill rides, food and entertainment were outrageous. I met a number of real characters – and not all of them were in costume! Click here for Sunday’s Fashion Show photos.
I also stopped by Norwood’s booth for more new products for your clients, and click here for a video of some new wine accessories and a solar-powered rotating globe. And, at Leed’s, the supplier of the year, I discovered a new line of heavy-duty, highly colorful Scripto pens – watch here. In breaking news, ASI announced that ProfitMaker, a business management system offered by ASI Computer, now provides integration with ESP Online. The integration electronically links suppliers and distributors and streamlines order flow.
Click here for the full press release with many more new features. Post a comment on the blog now or email me at tim.andrews@asicentral.com.
Sunday
January 4, 2009 ESP Upgrade and Photos From Distributor Choice AwardsFiled under: ASI Shows, Industry Initiatives, News About ASI It’s Day 2 of the ASI Show Orlando, featuring non-stop activities and opportunities for distributors and suppliers to network with each other, learn more so they can sell more and position themselves for 2009. In breaking news, we announced an upgrade to ESP Online that allows suppliers and distributors to network online with peers and communicate more rapidly with customers. Highlights of the upgrade include:
For the full press release with many more new features, click here.
Competition for these awards is intense, since balloting from among the 22,000 distributor firms in the ASI network represents what the industry really thinks of suppliers in individual categories. Also, the nominations lead to the ultimate prize, the Supplier of the Year, which is Leed’s. Click here for photos and to see the list of winners. Post a comment now or email me anytime at tim.andrews@asicentral.com.
Saturday
January 3, 2009 ASI Show Orlando | New Order Management SystemFiled under: ASI Shows, Industry Initiatives, News About ASI
The show’s buzzing with news we’ve a new multimillion-dollar initiative to create a seamless order management system linking distributors, suppliers and industry service providers across ASI’s full product suite – a system designed to save you time and money. Designed based on continuing industry feedback, our effort has been under way for about a year, and in the test phase distributors placed over $10 million in orders with suppliers. So far, the results have been phenomenal and have provided consistent order structure, content integrity and order delivery. Click here for the full press release with more benefits of the initiative. Tonight I’m heading to Hard Rock Live at Universal Studios for the Counselor Distributor Choice Awards, which recognizes the industry’s top-performing ASI suppliers and names the Supplier of the Year. Check back on the blog for a link to the photos and exclusive list of winners. As always, I welcome your input. Post a comment on the blog or email me at tim.andrews@asicentral.com.
Monday
December 8, 2008 Media Agrees That Promo Products Work, Now Grow Your SalesFiled under: Education, Guest Blog, Industry Initiatives, Media Coverage, Research, Using Ad Specialties From Scott Fuhr, director of corporate communications at ASI: Results from the effectiveness of advertising specialties study from ASI have appeared in multiple outlets over the last several weeks, and Newsday in New York also published an article about how companies should continue investing in corporate gift-giving. Readers of these stories were likely surprised to learn that:
Below are links to some of the stories. I recommend that you forward them to your clients and prospects so that they understand that their message will reach more people when they use promo products. If you have ideas for stories for the media, or know reporters who enjoy covering the advertising business or promotional products, email me at sfuhr@asicentral.com. Watch TV clips of products from ASI Shows, by clicking here.
Tuesday
November 25, 2008 Happy HolidaysFiled under: Members
I value your relationship with ASI, and look forward to many conversations ahead through email, at ASI Shows and on this blog about the direction of our industry and how we can work together. While celebrating the many reasons to be thankful, let’s also keep in mind people and families that could use our help. At ASI, we’ve volunteered to work with the American Red Cross and its Adopt-A-Family program again this year to buy and deliver gifts to families who would otherwise not have them. So far, 17 teams – representing a large percentage of our staff – volunteered to help. We’re also collecting food and supplies for the Boy Scouts’ annual effort to provide necessities to those living at homeless shelters. Have a Happy Thanksgiving and a joyous holiday season. Feel free to email me anytime, about most anything, at tim.andrews@asicentral.com.
Monday
November 24, 2008 PowerPoint of Ad Specialties Study (With Video) for Your UseFiled under: Education, Research Readers have been asking me for a presentation with the results of the advertising specialties effectiveness study from ASI that they can use for training their sales staff. The PowerPoint presentation that introduced the study at the ASI Power Summit is now available online, and it includes 12 videos of objections you may receive from end-buyers and how to overcome them. Here’s what to do:
Key findings from the study include:
You can download a PDF copy of the study at asicentral.com/study (reproduce it anywhere, but credit Advertising Specialty Institute as the source). An exclusive ASI Education webinar is also available anytime online by clicking here, and at ASI Show in Orlando we’ll be providing more results of the study to sales reps who register for the exclusive Million-Dollar Sales Summit. Also, click here for the press release announcing the results of the study, and I encourage you to forward it to your local press, customers and prospects. Tell me what you think anytime – post a comment now on the blog or email me at tim.andrews@asicentral.com. |
The new time-saving features allow distributors who use ProfitMaker to access ESP Online’s product images and pricing information and to import the information directly into ProfitMaker. These features are available at no additional cost for ProfitMaker users who are ESP Online subscribers, and a low-cost subscription is available for ProfitMaker users without ESP Online. 
As we prepare for our annual Thanksgiving traditions with family, friends and business associates, I’d like to take a moment to wish you the best this holiday season.