The same philosophy guided me when I worked with Event Marketer magazine on our first Trend Tracker last year.  As professionals in this industry we all have something in common – much to do and not enough time. So when is there time to read whitepapers and catch up on trends? I always say I’ll do it at “lunch,” but I think the last time I had a non-working lunch I was carrying a Strawberry Shortcake lunch box.

With our fellow time-starved event friends in mind, we created Trend Tracker to be very quick and easy to read.  The 40 trends are organized in four categories to make skimming easier: marketing, budgeting and planning, technology and design. Take a look and learn what other companies are doing to differentiate and connect with their audience.

We are all in this together. We are all smart, hardworking people who want to do well for our companies and ourselves. We have great ideas and we can share what works without totally giving away our “secret recipe.” If you’re interested in a live Trend Tracker presentation, just let me know in the comments below.

I hope you enjoy this year’s Trend Tracker.  And if you really want to enjoy your brownies, try adding mascarpone cheese, extra chocolate and a little orange oil. That’s the “secret.”

Download this year’s Trend Tracker by clicking the picture. Feel free to add to the list of trends by responding below!

During my career, I’ve had the opportunity to manage global brand activations for many clients, and I’ve developed practices that provide the best opportunity for success.

Here are my top four that you need to know if you’re exhibiting internationally:

1. Understand Terminology and Practices - In the U.S., structures are referred to as “exhibits” or “booths,” but internationally they’re referred to as “stands.” In the U.S., local union labor sets up your exhibit; internationally, however, where there is no union labor, the carpentry team that builds the stand typically travels to the show and actually sets up and dismantles the property. In the U.S., utilities run directly underneath your carpet and pad, but internationally, due to electrical fire concerns, raised platform floors are used and utilities are run under the floors. It is also useful to know that sustainable practices vary from country to country. Outside North America, a onetime use stand – usually referred to as a “build and burn” – is a common option and may be the most cost-effective approach.  As hard as it is for us to believe in the U.S., these stands may actually be built right on the show floor and then thrown away at the close of the show.

2. Know Your Conversions - Outside of the U.S. exhibits are configured in square meters instead of square feet so it comes in handy to know that there are 10.7639 square feet in a square meter. In Europe, electrical voltage is 220 versus 110 in the United States. Depending on the voltage rating of your electrical equipment, appliances and fixtures (some are made to run only on 110 volts while others are rated for voltage from 110 to 240) you may need a power converter, also known as a transformer. This helps appliance to run properly and prevent damage. You probably know that the electrical sockets are different in many parts of the world and you’ll need adapters so U.S. plugs can fit in these sockets. Be aware however that most of these adapters do not convert voltage so you may need a power converter too as discussed above. Here’s a link to a useful tool for global electrical conversions.  Finally, you’ll need to convert U.S. dollars to whatever the currency is in the country you happen to be visiting so this currency conversion tool is a must have when traveling internationally.

One of our clients in Barcelona, Spain.

3. Keep A Steady Pace- In the U.S., expos are open an average of three days with the show floor open for an average of six hours each day. It’s not uncommon for international shows to run for a full week or more with the show floor open for 8 – 10 hours each day. This can be a grueling schedule and since international stands don’t have double pad and carpet to help alleviate tired feet, it’s important to pace yourself in order to avoid fatigue and burnout. Generally, U.S. exhibits are designed for maximum engagement between booth staff and attendees with the focus being on product demonstrations or explaining the services offered. Internationally, however, stands are designed for more social interaction where the attendee may linger for 30 to 60 minutes or more. Many stands serve food and even alcohol to facilitate the social aspect of the exhibit and to keep attendees in the space allowing booth staff to nurture and solidify relationships.

4. Communication Barriers- To keep you from feeling disconnected while you’re abroad, use this helpful tool for calling codes. Make sure to take advantage of free Wi-FI and your phone. Use mobile apps to get you through your journey.  For some quick tips, here’s a blog I wrote about some of my favorite travel apps. Also, don’t forget to “close out” your apps and save yourself a huge data overage. Here’s a blog from my coworker where he learned the hard way. And if you don’t speak the same language as your attendees, don’t get discouraged. Use non verbal cues and body language to read their interest in your exhibit. Try your best and they’ll appreciate the effort you’re making.

Remember, no matter how well you think you understand a country and its culture, there’s always more to learn, so make the effort to build and nurture personal relationships. Stay tuned for my next blog revolving around the international planning process!

Have any questions on international exhibiting? Share them below and my team and I will answer them!

I appreciate the effort our team puts into making “Take Your Child to Work Day” a memorable event for the children of our dedicated team members. I had the privilege of kicking off the day by sharing what our company does and the fun activities we had planned. It made me happy to see their excited faces as they began to solve the mystery of what their parents do all day.

The kids started the day shadowing their parents, followed by a tour of our full-service warehouse, graphics depot and National Servicenter. During these tours they learned about the functions of each area and they were able to see firsthand the important work that their parents do for our clients. Their day ended by participating in interactive games, winning prizes, and enjoying a pizza lunch with their parents.

Creating positive experiences for our kids is our job as parents yet our “day job” can get in the way if we let it.  Work – life balance is important to me, and I also promote this to my team. It needs to be a priority in every professional’s life.

Here are two things I do to balance life and work:

1. Start traditions with your family- Whether it’s game nights on Sundays or Friday night pizza and a movie, traditions build memories and ensure quality time. And during these times, it’s important to be present. I do my best to step away from my phone and computer.
2. Keep communication open on the road- FaceTime and Skype are what keep me connected even when I’m on the other side of the world. It’s one thing to hear your child’s voice, but seeing their face, and your child seeing yours shortens the distance between you.

I hope your children enjoyed “Take Your Child to Work Day” as much as the children of GES. Even though my daughter wasn’t quite old enough to attend this year’s event, (she’s turning five this weekend), it was a wonderful experience to be a part of. A big shout out to Beth Blackwood and Salina Santiwan for coordinating our day of activities, you did an awesome job!

Have any more tips to add work and life balance for our readers? Share them below!

My conversations with Congressman Heck were simply refreshing. I’m not much of a beltway insider and I don’t interact with politicians on a daily basis, but I came away from the meeting impressed by his knowledge of the challenges show organizers face when attracting international attendees to their U.S. trade shows and the downstream effect on participating exhibitors when a key international buyer cannot get a visa to attend.

What’s the “JOLT Act?” It stands for, “Jobs Originated through Launching Travel.” The JOLT Act is bipartisan legislation that was introduced by Representatives Joe Heck (R-NV), Mike Quigley (D-IL), Mark Amodei (R-NV), David Cicilline (D-RI) and Michael Grimm (R-NY) to leverage the benefits of inbound travel to the U.S. to increase not only economic growth, but also create jobs, generate additional tax revenue and boost U.S. exports.

The JOLT Act would impact OUR industry in – four significant ways:

1. Modernize and expand the, “Visa Waiver Program.”
2. Facilitate the use of secure video conferencing to expedite visa interviews.
3. Reduce visa wait times.
4. Expand global entry.

I was encouraged when Congressman Heck mentioned that due to the bipartisan nature of the legislation, he’s getting support from his colleagues whose states also depend on tourism. Additionally, he explained that the districts that depend on manufacturing goods and selling products abroad have a vested interest too.

If you’ve been in the exhibition industry for as long as I have or even if you’ve recently joined, you know there is no better way to connect buyers and sellers than trade shows. Shows offer exponential value in connecting international buyers and sellers who normally wouldn’t be able to meet in their everyday life. If the U.S. wants to double exports, as stated by the President, there’s no better way than making it easier for international buyers to attend U.S. trade shows.

Being that Las Vegas is the premier business, conventions and meetings destination in the world, it is only fitting that the LVCVA continues to lead and support the greater meetings and tourism community by hosting these discussions. Please contact your congressman or senator to voice your support for the JOLT Act!

What potential do you believe the JOLT Act has to affect our industry? Share your thoughts below!

Did you know that there’s such a thing as a water footprint? Much like a carbon footprint which measures the amount of green-house gas emissions produced by a certain activity, a water footprint measures the amount of water used to do any number of things, from brushing your teeth or washing your hair, to making a hamburger.

Our client, TOTO, raised awareness on water conservation at the 2013 Kitchen and Bath Show (KBIS) this past weekend. TOTO recruited attendees to take the “People, Planet, Water” pledge and asked them to agree to one or two ways in which they could reduce their water footprints, such as reducing shower time to five minutes, refraining from running the water while brushing teeth or shaving, and installing low flow shower heads, faucets or toilets. Additionally, by signing the pledge attendees agreed to raise awareness of Earth Day and water conservation across their social network by using the #PeoplePlanetWater #hashtag and changing their Facebook profile picture to the “People, Planet, Water,” image.

According to Food & Water Watch, the average American uses 1,190 gallons of water per day. Although we don’t see it, millions of gallons of water go into the products we buy, use and throw away. For example, Grace explained it takes 24 gallons of water to make 1 pound of plastic, 1,320 gallons to produce a pound of cotton and PETA estimates roughly 2,400 gallons for a pound of beef!

Like TOTO illustrated, there’s a variety of ways in which we can each reduce our water footprints, from simple behavioral changes like carrying reusable water bottles and installing water filters at home, to more involved projects such as installing new plumbing fixtures. And naturally, water conservation doesn’t have to end at home. The same principles that help you make better choices at home can be applied to work, travel and the show floor. Everyone has seen at least one hotel that asks guests to hang their towels if they would rather not have them replaced on a daily basis. And most hotels will change sheets every three to four days, unless a guest requests otherwise.

Events offer the perfect opportunity to make big impacts because they often involve big numbers of people, and thus lots of waste.  Choosing a sustainable venue can provide an immediate advantage through active water-conservation measures, such as low-flow toilets and waste recycling. Working with a local caterer to build a menu that is low on beef and dairy can also decrease the water footprint. Any sort of individual packaging, such as bottled water, soda containers and condiments, should be replaced with water coolers, soda fountains and dispensers.

More often than not, hotels and venues are willing to cater to special requests and provide ideas on how to reduce the overall water footprint of your next event. And don’t forget that there are a number of great online resources that can help you calculate your household water consumption and provide ideas on how to conserve more water. I’ve added a few of those websites below, to give you a jump start.

I was so excited to see so many KBIS attendees willing to commit time and effort to conserve water and I would love to know your ideas for saving water both personally and professionally. Please share your thoughts below!

Thanks to Earth Share and Water: Use It Wisely for providing more details for this blog!

Nothing can replace the memories you make at an event, and what better way to extend that experience than through social media? Coachella isn’t just great at social media marketing; they reign supreme.

Here are five ways Coachella uses social media to extend the attendee experience and build a following with those unable to attend. All of these can be applied to just about any event.

1. Multiple Channels- With more than 150,000 music fans roaming the festival grounds, you can only imagine how many people who couldn’t attend “follow” the event. Having such a large audience means that there are all types of individuals who interact differently online. Coachella uses multiple social media channels and publishes a mix of content which allows them to reach a larger audience.

Here’s links to their sites:

2. Practical and Social Mobile Apps- Not only did Coachella use their iPhone and Android app to centralize all logistics and push notifications, but they also used it to allow attendees to create custom line up schedules, locate food, check out what’s going on in the social world and even map out the festival grounds. This is a great example of taking your simple app and making it an important tool.

3. Digital Memorabilia- Forget the traditional souvenir shop; digital memorabilia isn’t only easy for festival goers who don’t want to carry things around, but also for on-the-go attendees. It lets them express themselves and spread the word with little effort. Coachella’s mobile app has a feature where users can create a digital postcard and send it to facebook, twitter or email.

4. Live Streaming- When you decide to stream and record specific portions of your event, you not only extend the experience, but also allow people who couldn’t attend to join the festivities. Coachella also used this to gain a key sponsorship with State Farm. They capture the best performances and encourage attendees to “relive Coachella,” using display ads. Don’t forget to tune here, for weekend two’s key performances!

5. #Hashtags Make It Official- There’s only one way to follow all conversations, guest appearances, etc. if you’re at the event or couldn’t make it –  an official #hashtag. Each #hashtag used by Coachella has a record amount of retweets each year. Follow #Coachella and #coachellalive for live updates this weekend!

I get excited talking about the social marketing surrounding Coachella, but not because it’s one of my favorite events. It’s because they know what they’re doing and that inspires me. Trade shows and corporate events can better capture their attendee’s attention if they socially engage with them through a variety of channels. Hopefully I’ll see a few of you at the Polo Fields in 2014 (crossing my fingers that I get through and get my ticket for next year)!

Is there an event or trade show whose social marketing inspires you? Share your experience by commenting below.

While wrapping up the panel discussion she led at the 7th annual MOD Awards in Las Vegas, Liz Miller, vice president of the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Council explained, “The role of marketing is to convert brands into business.” Brilliant in its simplicity. Powerful in its implications. Most marketing and sales leaders – be it the Chief Sales Officer (CSO) or a manager – are  in one way or another measured on their contribution to the bottom line.

In most companies, marketing or sales (or both) provide funding for shows and events. Both groups have options – they can fund other marketing mix elements and other ways to generate sales. How do executives make decisions about how to invest their budgets and other resources?

Questions they’re probably asking and discussing include, “How do shows and events enhance our brand? Provide positive customer experiences? Convert our brand(s) into business?” In other words, “What value do shows and events provide?”

To provide the most value it’s important that you develop insight into your company’s specific sales and marketing priorities. Questions you might ask are, “What are our company’s key business improvement initiatives? What are our major challenges? What opportunities exist in our constantly evolving marketplace?” The more insight you develop, the more value you can provide.

Marketing and sales professionals’ challenges include:

1. Aligning or realigning value propositions to each specific target audience served.
2. Reducing and optimizing marketing and selling costs.
3. Protecting key customer relationships from increasingly aggressive competitors.
4. Cross-selling to open new accounts and develop key accounts to their full potential.
5. Ensuring customers have positive experiences at every touchpoint in the relationship continuum.

Shows and events are both marketing and sales activities that can address these challenges. To provide the most value you have to know what specific challenges and opportunities your marketing and sales executives are focused on.

A few years ago I asked just over 100 trade show managers the following question, “How many of you know the specific goals of your largest funding source?” Only two people raised their hands. My follow up question was, “Would you be able to provide increased value if you did?” was answered with a resounding, “Yes.” If you don’t know the answers to some of the questions posed above, set up appointments with your company’s sales and marketing executives to discuss their specific challenges and opportunities. Explain that you need to know to better align your show and event program with their efforts. Let them know that one of your goals is to convert your company’s brand into business.

How many of you know the goals of your largest funding source? Share your responses below!

At about ten o’clock the night before the COPS West Show, I received a call from my client, that there was a fire at the Ontario Convention Center. I ran downstairs and across the street, where I saw smoke coming from the ballroom next to the main exhibit hall. I had a bad feeling in my gut because the ballroom overflowed with exhibits and the general session was also scheduled to be there. Firefighters responded quickly, but I feared the outcome wouldn’t be good.

Finally, the smoke started to clear, which meant the sprinkler system was functioning properly (thank goodness). I caught up with my client in the main lobby and we began analyzing the situation and preparing for what needed to be done before the show opened in the morning. I quickly reviewed alternatives and pulled the floor plan from our Servicenter. I measured the hallway between the exhibit hall and the ballroom to determine that we could relocate the exhibits to the hallway if we needed to, and then I held a meeting with the fire department, facility and my client.

In relocating the exhibits to the hallway, we would have to reduce the exhibit sizes from ten feet deep to eight feet deep, and reset the exhibits into two rows with a smaller center aisle. The police exhibit cars could be moved into the lobby and outside the main entrance. After agreeing that this was our only option, I literally put the pedal to the metal and started reaching out to my team to make it happen. Normally, I would never contact my coworkers this late at night, but if the show was going to open in the morning, it was necessary. I reached Jere Vandewalle (regional operations director) from our team in Los Angeles, and the plan was in motion.

On his way to the convention center he contacted Jim Lukins, Local 831 Rigger and soon thereafter, Jim contacted his partner Joel Sanders. I made the decision to not bother everyone at home at midnight and left voice mails for them to hear first thing in the morning. We literally shuffled through one inch of water on the show floor and started moving exhibits to the side. The convention center’s staff began removing water with their scrubbers and the City of Ontario’s facility maintenance department extracted the water, and used floor fans to dry the ballroom, exhibits and hallway.

I’ve always said teamwork is essential to what I do, but I had never experienced teamwork like this.

After finishing the clean up, Jere and I got down to business. We let show management know they could get some rest while we relocated the exhibits. By 5:30 a.m. we had reset the entire show floor. At that moment, I felt proud; proud that my team pulled this off and that GES truly knows the definition of teamwork. There aren’t many companies who could pull this off without a fight or panic.

A special shout out is due to Jere Vandewalle, Jim Lucken, Joel Sanders, Randy Ralston, Joe Kerr and Nita Venegas! Each and every one of them went beyond the call of duty to turn what could have been a negative into a positive for our client and company. Needless to say, the COPS West Show opened on time and the exhibitors and client were very appreciative.

Have you overcome a huge obstacle to open a show? Share your memories below!

Has your annual conference become predictable? Do attendees show up to the general session late because they know it starts with business for 20-30 minutes before the keynote? Predictable meetings and routine conferences aren’t working. Predictable means to behave in a way that is expected and can be predicted; can be prophesied; can be foretold; to declare or indicate in advance; especially: foretell on the basis of observation, experience, or scientific reason.

It starts with an Opening General Session (OGS), where everyone is seated theatre style facing the front of the room. At the front is a stage with a couple of screens. Entertainment opens the session followed by a customary welcome, announcement of sponsors, parade of important people and then a keynote presenter or maybe a panel. Following the OGS, there are breakouts. Most of those rooms are set theatre-style too as people passively listen to speakers or panels. Then there is a break followed by more breakouts. Next is lunch, seated in rounds of ten or twelve. After lunch comes guess what? More breakouts. This pattern is repeated for a couple of days with little variation except that there is usually dedicated time in day two and three to visit the tradeshow. And there might be a couple of evening receptions or parties.

How can we change your forgettable conference experience to, “the unforgettable conference?” Three words, the summer camp experience.

I remember as a teenager going to a summer camp in Saranac Lake, NY. It was an unforgettable experience, full of surprise and wow moments. The typical summer camp was turned on its head from the moment I arrived on the bus, being faux hijacked by camp counselors dressed in over-exaggerated clownish costumes, forced off the bus at the camp entrance and then marched around to see the camp’s facilities with a make shift band playing pots and pans. Suddenly, two of my friends were no longer in line behind me. I turned around and saw them whoosh by me on the camp’s water chutes. I then felt the tap on my shoulder and three counselors pulled me aside. They asked if I could swim, if I was afraid of heights and if I was ready for the unexpected. Little did I know, I was going to be put into a harness to parasail on the lake in front of my peers.

Here’s a beautiful picture of camp at Saranac Lake!

It was unpredictable. Camp organizers might wake us up at 2 A.M. for a surprise bonfire, marshmallow roast and impromptu fire walking experience. Or we would have lunch where we had to decode and prioritize a menu that included our utensils and food. It was tough eating green beans without a plate or fork. It was safe, yet thrilling and it was unexpected. I was encouraged to relax, enjoy and go with the flow of the finely tuned well-orchestrated experience.

What about a conference camp experience? Our annual conferences should be like that because we don’t always have to behave like adults, or do we? Fearing change shouldn’t be the reason we make our attendees’ experiences better. I challenge you to shake it up a little and create an annual conference that is unpredictable, unexpected and has a huge WOW factor.

What type of support do we need to shake up the conference experience? Share your thoughts below!

Our brand is defined by our people, integrity, creativity and operational excellence. We work in a unique industry and our creativity and consistency are important to the face-to-face marketing needs of our customers. How does this look on a global scale? No matter where you are, our products and/or services are the same and our clients get one point of contact. With that in mind, our international team announced this past week at International Confex, that Melville Exhibition and Event Services and Melville Data Services will now be known as GES.  Melville Middle East will also become GES later this spring.

As our clients will attest, working with their GES team is often the easiest part of an international project. Working with internal teams that span the globe can be tougher. After splitting my time between a few different continents throughout most of my career, I have some experience on how to make this easier. Here are three tips to get you through the time differences and cultural boundaries:

1. Provide Cross-Cultural Training- Give international assignments that provide basic knowledge of the culture your team will be working with.  From business literature to social anthropologists’, there are many options. Take a look at “favorite” books on Amazon within the international business and cross-cultural communication skills genres.
2. Beware of PowerPoint Boredom- You may come across to them as stuffy or unapproachable if your delivery revolves around PowerPoints. Think twice next time you prepare one that contains more than 10 slides. Actually meeting face to face or grabbing a cup of coffee, tends to work better in international settings. Always make sure to allow plenty of time for informal get togethers around formal meetings. Relationships are key in the global business environment.
3. Facilitate Group Brainstorming- Plan enough time within meeting agendas for idea sharing, questions and answers and feedback. There’s usually a great piece of information that comes from these types of conversations. This could possibly trigger that creative idea that changes the look and feel of an upcoming project.

Being keenly aware of cultural differences often makes the difference between a successful business interaction and an unsuccessful one. Doing business in “foreign” environments is challenging, but is now part of GES’ DNA. Last year we produced projects in 47 countries, including places as varied as Azerbaijan, New Zealand, Iceland, Slovakia, Turkey and Kazakhstan. Chances are, if there is an exhibition venue, we’ve successfully produced projects there or are scheduled to soon.  And now we are doing it all under the global brand of GES!

Here’s a video from our experience at International Confex:

How do you work more efficiently with international teams? Share your tips below!