Apple Rock's Weblog

Outdoor events are similar to other marketing events in many ways. The basic guidelines found in the “planning and preparation” tip all apply to outdoor and indoor events. Remember to do some initial research on attendance and demographic records to make sure the outdoor event is worth your investment. The following information will help you to plan your next outdoor event. contd…http://applerock.com/ReadyDesk/ReadyDesk/ar_viewarticle.asp?CID=&KID=20

When you participate in a trade show, many types of people with different objectives will attend your booth.  One of the most challenging aspects of running an exhibit and making sales afterwards involves the qualification of prospects.  Measuring the likelihood that a random lead will result in a purchase is important because your sales team does not have an infinite amount of time to do their job.  Your sales people have a limited amount of time to follow up on leads and wasting their day on a dead-end lead will squander your company’s money…. http://www.applerock.com/ReadyDesk/ReadyDesk/ar_viewarticle.asp?CID=&KID=19

Planning ahead is just as important for trade show attendees as it is for the exhibitor. Attendees have to make sure they are getting the most value out of attending. Planning ahead can eliminate the risk of mass confusion. Make the most out of time spent at a trade show.

 Before you attend the show you need to know what new product lines you are most interested in and what you’d like to purchase. Knowing your company’s finances is vital to staying within budget. Take advantage of all discounts and special offers at the tradeshow while you can.

 Visit all booths that offer the products you are looking for and then compare vendors. It is important to get as much information about each vendor while visiting their booth, otherwise there will be no comparing. Setting an appointment with a vendor is a smart way to seek out information for comparison; it gives you their undivided attention. If it is possible, ask vendors to send you information rather than carrying it around the show. Usually, if you carry it around it ends up lost or in the trash. It may also benefit your company to bring along any employees who could learn from the experience.

Be prepared and bring a flash drive with all artwork if you plan on purchasing any custom work. That way you can show the vendor what they will be working with.

Most importantly network, network, network. Don’t be shy, one key function of the trade show industry is to interact with one another face to face. Bring plenty of business cards to hand out at the show as well.

Going green is a challenge for every company out there. But, we don’t want to be wasteful do we? Trade shows don’t have to miss out on going green, you can do it too!

Your actual display can be smaller and lightweight to reduce your carbon footprint. The smaller your display is, the less material is needed for casing. Lightweight displays are easy to transport and require less labor. The less labor needed for thinks like set-up, the less travel is needed.

Renting your display, or even better renting a small or light weight display, is a green friendly method. Renting is almost like recycling displays in a sense. You are reusing materials rather than using more resources to build a new booth display.

Promotional products don’t have to be left out; they can be green too. Use a USB device to store any brochures, presentations, or handouts rather than printing them out. Printing out these pieces usually leads to a full trashcan. So you can store them items on your USB drive and have them on display at your booth.

Lastly, you can opt for promotional giveaways that are reusable products. Giveaway products such as cups, mugs, sports bottles, etc. with your company logo and colors on it. Not only are you being green when you giveaway these products, but you are able to advertise your company logo as many times as they use the product. These reusable giveaways are really a great investment.

Without the proper shipping logistics services, your exhibit is worthless because it will never see the trade show it is intended for. There are many things to take into consideration when preparing shipments, choosing carriers, and protecting exhibits. The following tips will remind you about the necessary steps to take before transporting an exhibit to an event. http://www.applerock.com/ReadyDesk/ReadyDesk/ar_viewarticle.asp?CID=&KID=15

When you are preparing for your next trade show, one of the most vital decisions that need to be made is whether you will rent or buy your exhibit.  Obviously, if you do one show a year, you will want to rent and if you do ten shows a year, you will want to buy.  But what about all of you who are in between these two figures?  If you attend between two and five events a year, you will need to weigh the pros and cons of renting trade show exhibits in order to make a financially sound decision. Click to continue reading…http://applerock.com/ReadyDesk/ReadyDesk/ar_viewarticle.asp?CID=&KID=21

The way your exhibit is designed plays a large role in determining whether your event experience is an utter failure, or a phenomenal success.  The greatest challenge in event marketing is compromising between a unique, breathtaking design and a cost effective, functional design.  It is also important to find a middle ground between a highly detailed, flashy exhibit that attracts attention and a simple, clean exhibit that allows people to focus on your specific brands, products, services or messages more easily.  The following tips will help you to plan out what type of design will be most beneficial to your organization. to read more click http://www.applerock.com/ReadyDesk/ReadyDesk/ar_viewarticle.asp?CID=&KID=22

Apple Rock Advertising and Promotions, Inc., dba Apple Rock Displays is one of the fastest growing display companies in the country. Apple Rock began its operations as an in-house agency for Carolina Country RV. Early in 1988, Jim Russell incorporated an in-house agency and named it JR Promotions. Early in 1989, Eric Burg and Maxie Rowell were made partners of JR Promotions and the name was changed to Russell, Burg and Rowell, Inc. The agency began working on trade shows and handling outside clients. Russell, Burg and Rowell had the distinction of pioneering the first exclusive RV shows statewide in North Carolina. Contd……http://www.applerock.com/about.asp

By now everyone knows the economy is causing people to watch what they do with their time, what they spend, and who they spend it with. But, this may not be such a bad thing for the trade show industry. People attending these shows are not attending to simply browse around, they are more interested in doing business. Exhibitors may end up with more leads than ever when exhibiting at a trade show. To read more click http://www.azom.com/news.asp?newsID=17785