Social Media to Market Your Event

The rise of social media has changed the landscape of marketing, and event marketing is no different. Facebook's invitiation facility and the event listing section on Linkedin, along with Twitter's meatoric rise in popularity in the last few months mean that you would be crazy not to use these varied media to publicise your event to a huge audience, for FREE. What's more, the instant-ness of applications such as Twitter for i-phone means that attendees are marketing and publicising events for you, in real-time! UK based events website TSNN.co.uk are running a free webinar this month to guide you through the process of harnessing social media to market your event. And InfluentialMarketingBlog have a great post on how you or or your guest can utilise Twitter during an event to connect with those not in attendance or gain instant, online PR for your event. Check out Scott Monty's blog for an insight into the variety of markets which can be reached through these channels, from Generation Y-ers to 'Mommy bloggers'!

Applied Signs & Display find Work Life Balance at the European Parliament

Earlier this month the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions held their 'Living and Working in Europe Event' at the European Parliament. Applied Signs & Display's involvement was to produce and set up various portable displays at the parliament buildings in Brussels.

Topics covered at the event included migration, flexicurity, active aging and working time.

This was an impressive job which used the space and light of the building well, and by all accounts it was fun to set up too (especially for the alpinists who hung the hanging signs!).

The Apprentice Final - And Other Recent TV Appearances!

Our work has once again appeared in TV3's The Apprentice, and God were we proud! Our Swift Banner Stand produced for Temple Street Children's Hospital was placed beside finalist Nicky as she made her introductory speech. It didn't help her to win the series but Nicky's team raised €18000+ for the hospital during the charity auction, and we like to think that the curl-resistant, ultra-matte finish Swift Banner didn't hurt!

We can also be seen on your screens at the moment, on the ad for Jason Byrne's new DVD, The Byrne Identity. We produced the colourful backdrop stand - its amzing how versatile and imposing a simple flat pop up stand can be.

12 Pain-Free Ways To Cut Exhibiting Costs...

... without sacrificing your success at the event.

1) Take a smaller space at the exhibition and maximise your impact with extra lighting, which has been shown to increase awareness of your display by 30 to 50 percent. Lighting can be hired from just €50 per event.

2) Another way to maximise your presence even in a small display space is to use some movement. Exhibitor Online claims that people are naturally drawn to moving objects such as product demonstrations, gobos and spinning signs.

3) Save shipping costs by choosing the lightest possible stand material - Aluminium weighs just 25% what timber or laminate weighs.

4) For a multi-panel stand, include one complimentary-colour panel at the design stage which can be replaced in future without worrying about colour-matching with the rest of the panels. You may not plan to change a panel now but a many exhibitors will have new product or event to promote over the years, and will save by replacing just one panel rather than reprinting the entire set.

5) If you want to impress your competitors and potential clients with a new stand at each event, hiring will greatly reduce your costs. You can have an L-shaped stand at one event, an S-shaped stand at the next, a plasma display at another, and if you and your designers are clever you might not need to purchase new graphics each time. This will also rule out any storage problems or costs.

6) Remember that theft can be a problem at trade shows and protect your valuables accordingly. Investing in some lockable equipment and security cables for larger items with save money in the long run. Keeping expensive products and samples on display inside your space will keep them secure and entice clients to enter your booth.

7) Look after your display equipment. Avoid dropping any hardware as this can loosen screws and springs, and cause chips or cracks which age the stand. Graphic elements are the most vulnerable part of your display so follow guidelines for maintaining graphic panels to keep them looking fresh and professional. You will get years and years of use from your display with proper care.

8) If you use a set up service, plan ahead to allow the fitters plenty of time to set up, at a time that suits them. If access is only available after hours, or you organise this service at the last minute, you may have to pay overtime fees increasing your overall cost. The same applies to graphic design & production charges.

9) Buy a display system or stand with a decent warranty, and one that can be mended in your home country to save time and shipping costs.

10) Buy a stand that is made of connecting parts or components - you can learn to set these up yourself, saving on set up fees, and each can be replaced separately if needs be, saving you a fortune compared to replacing an entire single-piece display.

11) If you are looking for a bigger or newer display, use your existing elements as a base. With a skillful exhibit company, you can reuse, revamp, upgrade or disguise your existing equipment in a whole new display, at a fraction of the cost of starting from scratch. (Especially true if you have invested in quality items to begin with).

12) Re-use what you have in terms of graphics also. When getting new design work done, check your existing files and artwork for high resolution images, logos and backgrounds that can be reused, tweaked and incorporated into your new design. In the hands of an experienced designer, these can be transformed into something totally new, and providing these elements will save you on stock photography and redrawing fees. If you are unsure about what can be used, send everything you have to your designer to sort through.

A Retrospective - The CEO Forum Through The Years

As we have done for 14 years now, we recently had the pleasure of supplying the backdrop for the Enterprise Ireland & Deloitte CEO Forum in Dublin Castle.

The return of the event got me thinking of the various designs and venues through the years, and I thought it would be fun to post up some of the photos we have of the backdrops we have produced and built over the years. There are some gaps in our photo records which I will try to fill in if possible. Which is your favourite?

1994
1995
2000
2004

2005

2006

2007

Free Tradeshow Toolkit - Prepare and Assess

Two of the areas integral to exhibiting are often over looked - the 'before' and the 'after'. Companies are often quite gung-ho about exhibiting, and when they are at the show, they often do a very good job and fulfill their targets regarding prospects, leads, sales etc. However, there may be a lack of planning - sometimes the decision to exhibit is taken at a late stage, so time for planning was sacrificed. Sometimes there isn't sufficient time to order the display stand you want, so you sacrifice the look or your space. Sometimes we are just so eager to get going and meet the right people that we don't set out clear, quantifiable goals and targets. And oftentimes we are so shattered and relieved when the show is over, or busy fielding sales enquiries and gearing up for the next one, the last thing we are about to do is analyse in depth our experience at that tradeshow.

The Center for Exhibition Industry Research realises this, and they have a provided a free, onlinhe resource to help exhibtors with both planning and analysis before and after shows. Their website provides what they call the 'ROI Toolkit'. The name is important - this tool is going to help you ascertain the Return On Investment you get from exhibiting, and this the crux of your experience at the show. Was it worth the time and money invested? What worked and what didn't? What will we do differently next time? How will we go about implementing these changes? Essential questions to ask. Check out the ROI Toolkit to explore this tool.

New Design & Rental Libraries to Help You Choose the Perfect Stand

We have just launched two great new tools to take the pain out of choosing an exhibition stand design, whether you will be buying, renting or augmenting your existing equipment! With the new Nomadic Design Library and the new Nomadic Rental Library, both available online, clients can search by a variety of categories to focus their search and easily explore different options at the click of a button.

Search Filters include:
- Size: From 3m to 12m Plus
- Shape: Inline Stands, Island Stands, Peninsula Stands, as well as Counters, Kiosks and Others
- Minimum & Maximum Price
- Add-ons/Features Including: Height up to 4.87m., Backlighting, Lockable Conference, Storage or Meeting Area, Computer Workstation & Product Display

If you have any questions at all about using these facilities, don't hestitate to contact us on 01 8712300 or info@appliedsigns.ie.

Nomadic Display's 24 Hour Lifeline for Customers in a Jam!

After seeing the recent post on Nomadic Display's blog about a Belgian Company whose C34 Pop Up Display Stand was lost by their freight company on the morning of an important show, I was reminded of the huge value of the 24 Hour Customer Lifeline available to Nomadic Display's customers.

This service is not simply a telephone answer line which will be answered any time of day or night - it actually allows customers to receive new or replacement products, repairs, graphics etc. anywhere around the world and without worrying about time differences. So if you have travelled to the US to take part in a large scale expo and half of your equipment goes astray, or an accident befalls your shiny new laminate panels as they are being unpacked, you can have your products replaced, repaired etc. in record time. This is possible due to the extent of Nomadic Display's dealer network. Unlike display companies claiming worldwide coverage with a presence in 18 countries, Nomadic Display have authorised distributors in a staggering 30 countries, all with the in depth product knowledge and high production criterea to meet Nomadic Display's standards.

This is yet another advantage that Nomadic Display have over other producers, and one that is unfortunately often over-looked. With international trade growing in importance each year, it is a service which will become increasingly important to customers and will continue to single out Nomadic Display as the premium provider of display and exhibition solutions.

Click here to read this client's first-hand account of the 24 Hour Helpline in action...

Planning a Training Event

Our first guest blogger, Aaron Downes of Optimum Training, gives his take on planning a successful training event, great info for those planning and budgeting for the coming year:

"A company serious about the learning and development of employees will invest a considerable amount of time in the planning of a training intervention. First and foremost it is essential to understand the organisations requirements, what are the training objectives (what performance improvement do you wish to see once the training is complete) and what metrics will be put in place to determine the success of the training.

A complete training needs analysis will enable the organisation clarify goals, set training objectives and provide potential solutions to the training need.

Training has the potential to improve staff motivation and build the skills to compete in today’s business environment. Therefore a training event must deliver above and beyond the expectations of the organisation and the participants to ensure return on investment.

The following checklist will ensure a successful training event;

• Location/Timing – make best use of participant’s time!
• Evaluation Process (Pre and Post) – Ensure targeted performance improvement training.
• Custom Fit – Tailored training delivers on company’s expectations.
• Reputable Trainers – Ask for trainer CV’s, look for previous experience.
• Certification – Look for accreditation, ILM, HETAC etc.
• Creativity/Innovation – What new learning methods are being applied?
• Costs – The cheapest provider may not deliver the most value to your business.
• Training Style – Look for a blended approach, trainer focused and learner focused.
• Follow Through – Training will only be effective once behaviour in the workplace has changed.
  

Training and Development is about adding to a company’s bottom line, creating a training event which makes participants feel good about their jobs and has an impact on performance, ensures sustainable competitive advantage."

“Optimum Limited specialises in the provision of Business and Management Training and Process interventions within the Corporate and Community, Private and Public Sectors. Our training programmes are designed to increase proficiency and competency in personal and business development skills. Our Business support initiatives anticipate and respond to the changing needs of our many clients.
As a preferred choice provider too many of Ireland’s leading businesses, we have learned that the key to our success is putting their success first. Our focus is on building lasting partnerships that offer the company positive business outcomes and the individual a rewarding learning experience. Our commitment to quality is enhanced by the enthusiasm of our team and our recognition of the standards you set. Combining Innovation with flexibility, the Optimum Way leads you to meet your challenges and achieve your potential”

To discuss your training requirements in further detail, please contact;
aarond@optimum.ie

www.optimum.ie