Blogs
Sep 25, 2018
Trade show booths. If this phrase doesn’t excite you, you aren’t alone. We have all been to trade shows and seen countless booths without a single drop of inspiration between them. They are all too often boring. Stale. Corporate.
With so many bland trade show booths out there, it’s no wonder that many people struggle to come up with engaging ideas for their own booths. How do you make something compelling, on-brand and unique when so much of what’s out there is so boring? Where can you draw a bit of inspiration from?
Before you call up your old vendor and resign to a booth as uninspired as… more
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Sep 20, 2018
Events need an audience. That fact may seem obvious, but with so many priorities it can be easy for planners to omit this step. Overlooking your audience’s needs can be detrimental, as the purpose of an event is to create enjoyable and memorable personalized experiences. So, reprioritize. Use audience segmentation to identify attendee needs, wants and interests, and then implement target preferences into your planning process.
Audience segmentation provides a number of benefits and advantages. By including this essential step, you can:
Calculate the investment level needed and strategically… more
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Sep 18, 2018
Fandom conventions aren’t just gatherings for “geek culture,” they’re big business. According to an Eventbrite study, the industry is currently worth $4 billion.
The standard-bearer of these events is Comic-Con. In 2017, more than 135,000 people and north of 725 exhibitors attended the San Diego show, while a record 200,000 tickets were sold to the New York festival. These numbers point to an industry that will only continue to grow in popularity, profitability and participation.
However, bigger doesn’t always mean better in the event industry. As fandom gatherings become more popular, old… more
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Sep 17, 2018
Waste is one of those issues that affects all aspects of the triple bottom line (which measures the social, environmental and financial performance of events): people, planet and prosperity. Fortunately, there are some easy steps to follow that can have a big impact on our performance in this area.
Here are five simple ways to help reduce and manage waste at your next event:
Use less: The first step in reducing waste is to start by using less. When making your purchasing decisions, select only items that are needed to drive event objectives. Maybe this seems obvious, but too often we buy… more
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Sep 13, 2018
Planning a successful trade show exhibit requires strategy and creativity. You’re challenged to engage with potential customers and make a lasting impression – all while surrounded by competition and working with limited space. The big question is, “How do I stand out?” Consider the newest tool being used to create buzz around brands: Virtual Reality (VR).
Demonstrations and Product Training
VR is used to sell all kinds of products – it’s not just for techies. Take, for example, Lowe’s new Holoroom Test Drive. Using the HTC Vive headset and a specially made controller, customers at Lowe’s… more
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Sep 11, 2018
Successful brands must differentiate themselves to stand out to their target audience and from their competitors. For many, trade show marketing is a major component of the integrated marketing mix because it offers unique brand engagement opportunities. Atypical B2B marketer’s single largest budget item is trade show and event marketing – averaging 20 percent of the total marketing budget, according to Advertising Age, How to Triple Your TradeShow Marketing Results.
Trade shows are designed for associations and their members to exchange ideas, share what’s new and important, and help shape… more
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Sep 06, 2018
The simplest explanation of GDPR is that it is a set of rules that protect individuals’ privacy. The legislation regulates the processing of EU residents’ and citizens’ personal data, including collection, use, transfer, monitoring, tracking and even viewing of personal data. It went into effect on May 25, 2018.
Data subjects, as individuals are called in GDPR, have more rights to control their data. This creates a massive compliance challenge for U.S. companies processing data from European citizens.
Does GDPR Apply to You?
GDPR applies to any organization that processes the data of EU… more
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Sep 04, 2018
The world of exhibitions is an exciting and stimulating one, but how do you stand out from the crowd?
Making your exhibit as profitable as possible starts with the planning process. In this guide, we’ll share five tactics to help you create a healthy traffic flow of quality leads and generate a buzz around your booth.
Pro Technique #1: Have an Aesthetically Pleasing Exhibit Booth
Designing an exhibition booth that helps you stand out and creates a positive association is an intricate process. Your stand will act as your shop window, representing your brand and product and driving traffic… more
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Aug 30, 2018
As a fairly new and small company in our niche B2B marketplace, we were faced with a challenge at our first ever conference: displaying our biggest differentiator – customer service.
Many companies talk about how great their customer service is until they’re blue in the face but to potential customers, hearing about great service and experiencing it are two very different things. How would we show, rather than tell, that our customer service really was what we said?
Our answer to this challenging problem was to provide actual customer service to conference attendees in a tangible way, right… more
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Aug 28, 2018
Forbes recently published a terrific article entitled 3 Reasons Why CMOs Should Embrace Experiential Marketing. Lots of areas for agreement. But I think it could have gone a little deeper.
When I get asked the “Why Experiential?” question, here’s my “rule of three” answer:
The Power of DOING something: There is a great Chinese quote (often misattributed to Confucius) “I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand” that social scientists have discovered to be true.
Both emotional and logical memory is vastly improved when someone physically engages with a person, an idea… more
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Partner Voices
Overview:
The award-winning Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) goes the extra mile to make every day extraordinary by offering customer service excellence and industry-leading partnerships. From their dedicated in-house Rigging team to their robust Exhibitor Services, The Center of Hospitality brings your imagination to life by helping you host unforgettable meetings and events. With more than 2 million square feet of exhibit space, world-class services and a dream destination, we are committed to making even the most ambitious conventions a reality.
In October 2023, the Orange County Board of County Commissioners voted to approve allocating Tourist Development Tax funding for the $560 million Phase 5A completion of the OCCC. The Convention Way Grand Concourse project will include enhancements to the North-South Building, featuring an additional 60,000 square feet of meeting space, an 80,000- square-foot ballroom and new entry to the North-South Building along Convention Way.
“We are thrilled to begin work on completing our North-South Building which will allow us to meet the growing needs of our clients,” said OCCC Executive Director Mark Tester. “As an economic driver for the community, this project will provide the Center with connectivity and meeting space to host more events and continue to infuse the local economy with new money and expanding business opportunities.”
Amenities:
The Center of Hospitality goes above and beyond by offering world-class customer service and industry-leading partnerships. From the largest convention center Wi-Fi network to custom LAN/WAN design, the Center takes pride in enhancing exhibitor and customer experience.
The OCCC is the exclusive provider of electricity (24-hour power at no additional cost), aerial rigging and lighting, water, natural gas and propane, compressed air, and cable TV services. Convenience
The Center is at the epicenter of the destination, with an abundance of hotels, restaurants, and attractions within walking distance. Pedestrian bridges connect both buildings to more than 5,200 rooms and is within a 15-minute drive from the Orlando International Airport. The convenience of the location goes hand-in-hand with top notch service to help meet an event’s every need.
Gold Key Members
The OCCC’s Gold Key Members represent the best of the best when it comes to exceptional service and exclusive benefits for clients, exhibitors and guests. The Center’s Gold Key memberships with Universal Orlando Resort, SeaWorld Orlando and Walt Disney World greatly enhance meeting planner and attendee experiences offering world-renowned venues, immersive experiences and creative resources for their events.
OCCC Events:
This fiscal year, the OCCC is projected to host 168 events, 1.7 million attendees, and $2.9 billion in economic impact.
The Center’s top five events during their 2022-2023 fiscal year included:
AAU Jr. National Volleyball Championships 2023
200,000 Attendees
$257 Million in Economic Impact
MEGACON 2023
160,000 Attendees
$205 Million in Economic Impact
Open Championship Series 2023
69,500 Attendees
$89 Million in Economic Impact
Sunshine Classic 2023
42,000 Attendees
$54 Million in Economic Impact
Premiere Orlando 2023
42,000 Attendees
$108 Million in Economic Impact