70-inch LCD TV... Bigger is better?

Is bigger necessarily better? Just when we thought the TV screen had reached its limit. Now I wonder just how large these works of wonder will be years from now?
Samsung has just created the first 70-inch LCD TV panel! That's right you're not reading things. 70-inches! Unbelievable really...
Personally, my 60-inch is entirely too big. Well, not entirely. Especially when its football season, NFL to be exact. There's actually nothing like watching your favorite team, the 5-time World Champion Pittsburgh Steelers, wage battle on the big screen while your utilizing the picture-in-picture option to keep tabs on your fantasy players. That my friends is a little piece of heaven. In actuality, if I had it to do over again I would have purchased a 42-inch plasma after all the reading and screens I've viewed here lately. But, I digress.
Samsung's 70-incher will be the largest on the market with a 65-inch diameter! It will boast the full high definition resolution (1920/1080p) and have a 180 degree conical viewing angle. With a contrast ratio of 2,000:1 it will also offer over 1 billion colors. Finally, the price tag is expected to be in the $12,000 range. What more could you ask for... right?
Well, who in their right mind would purchase such a luxury item? Your everyday millionaire probably will place this on their wishlist or just add it to their 5,000 square ft game room. But, for the average working man, this will be a bit out of their league. Though, 70-inches would sure be nice. Who said bigger isn't better? The pessimists obviously never saw a screen of this size or the NFL in HD for that matter.
I guess we'll wait and see how big the screens will be this time next year or how about 5 years from now. Who knows where the technology will take us. Only time and money will tell.
Until then, may the movie and sports fan in you find the large screen that best suits your needs and your wallet and may your waves never end.

Trade Show Giveaways and Trade Show Marketing

The whole purpose of a trade show display is to attract attention to your booth. But, in order to attract the most attention possible you should consider the use of promotional items.
The primary use of promotional items is to draw attendees to your booth space and thereby transform them into active participants in your brand messaging.
So it makes sense that the more people you draw to your booth the more potential customers you can appropriate. With that said, think of promotional products as an extention of your booth. They are very much the bells and whistles needed to put you ahead of your competition. For it is not necessarily the best display that wins but the best prepared display. For the best prepared exhibitor engages their customers and delivers their memorable showcase of product or service.
Further, to be the best prepared, you must realize you have but 3 seconds to grab the attention of those potential customers. In order to best impact that audience you must bombard them with as much eye candy as possible. The promos/giveaways offer an irresistible selling point that a typical display can not offer. Your audience has to want, as well as, believe they 'need' your promotional items.
It's been proven that tradeshow exhibitors who provide attendees with those 'needed' promotional items are in fact the most successful. Why you ask?
Because those who have chosen to do their homework before the show are the most prepared and the most organized. They know what to expect at the show and how to attain a greater percentage of the customer base. That homework will propel them into the competitive driver's seat at the show.
The promotional item assists with that targeting by offering both universal appeal and a one-on-one interaction between your sales people and the customer. Remembering to add your company name and/or logo to the items will make them even more memorable.
For the fact is quite simple. If you didn't add the attendee as a customer at the show, your window of opportunity shrinks exponentially once it has concluded. So, whatever you can do to keep your company name and brand in their minds and on their short list longer would be in your best interest.
In closing, do your homework before your big engagement and make sure your promotional items have met the necessary criteria to make you more memorable and assist you in gaining potential customers. For the customer's attention span is short and you want to grab them as early as possible. By doing so, you allow yourself a greater probability of closing a higher percentage of future customers. In order to grab that attention you would be wise to utilize promotional items and target your customer appropriately.
Good luck in your future trade show endeavors.

The Green Eggs and Ham Sales Seminar

I would not eat green eggs and ham... Sam I am.

Who knew Dr. Seuss's Sam was a sales guru? One of my earliest reading experiences with my mom and dad was a Dr. Seuss book. Whether it was the colorful characters or the rhyming that made them stand out and forever be etched in my mind, I don't know. What I do know is that obviously that reading set the table for my future sales background.
There were many sales techniques Sam exuded but three in particular should be considered.

1- Staying the course and not wavering
2- Offering potential customers choices
3- Refusing to give up.

If you stop to ponder those traits they will most likely be the consistent traits for any superior salesperson. Crazy at it seems, not all salespeople posess these traits.

Fisrt, when you are in sales it's easy to lose your focus especially when confronted with the common responses of "no", "not interested", "get lost". But, it is the superior salesman who refuses to heed those responses and continues his/her course.
Second, offering your customer choices will offer several perspectives. Sometimes those unique angles demonstrate your product in an improved or enhanced light.
Third, refusing to give up might be the toughest of those traits to realize. Tough skin is not inherent in all people. But, those who do have it aren't detered when they hear negativity. In fact, they will often feed on that pesssimism and make that sale that much more essential and will go to any lengths to in fact aquire or secure that person as a customer. It becomes a principal goal at that point.
So, take a lesson from my green friend Sam and learn the importance of polite persistence. The most successful sales people ask for the sale seven or eight times and don't give up at the first sign of resistance. For Sam was in fact green with envy... envy over finding a new mark whom he hadn't secured as one of his own... yet.

'Guys Night Out'- Part Two

As was the case with the initial installment of 'Guys Night Out', part II revolves around the rare time old friends share with one another. This week will mark the first time another close circle of my friends, from college no less, will convene since my wedding the preceding August. Well, that's not entirely true as three of the four musketeers gathered for an exceptional event this past February when the greatest NFL team of all time won another Super Bowl to add a fifth ring on their hand.
That extraordinary day aside though, the four amigos, Llama, Mike D, and Xman, and yours' truly, knowing one another a minimum of 25 years, haven't gathered to break bread or share a cold beverage since my last day of bachelorhood. A sad statement indeed.
When you stop and think about that declaration it is remarkable. It is noteworthy, for we invested ample time together from gradeschool through college and then upon graduation life as we knew it seemed to halt and that quality time was pulled in many other directions. It was at though the above-forementioned directions forced our time together to wain and concessions were made with that quality time.
Why then do we tend to distance ourselves from those who mean a great deal to us? Is it simply adulthood taking hold and forcing our hand acquiescing to our habitual routine? Or is it the fact that we grow up, older, and wiser and understand that those persons will in fact understand that we have moved forward with our own individual lives. That advancement doesn't mean we progress without our friends but simply beyond the times we gather. When age and maturity finally catch up, we are reminded our immortality has long since deserted us and we are merely older and hopefully wiser beings who need to reach out and share that time once again with those who supported us in our formative years.
Indeed, our buddies and close friends whom we have not forsaken but simply lost touch with over the years should always welcome us back with open arms.
But, it is our duty then to rekindle the moments shared with our friends to show them that we haven't lost that kinship but meerly set it aside to persue different goals.
This week our time together though brief and long overdue will serve notice that our future meetings will occur on a more regular basis.
So, I challenge you who read this to kindle those friendships again and reach out to those you haven't spoken to in quite a while. Why? Because it is "our" duty frankly to keep those friendships burning as we all grow older. For very soon we will be old and gray and reminiscing about old times and wishing we had invested more time and created more memories along the way.
Until next time...

Trade Show Trends... Are the numbers significant?

These days we are inundated with numbers and percentages pertaining to every facet of our lives, so it would figure there are hard numbers out there for trade show events. Anyone who cares to decipher their meaning is more than welcome to take a peak.
Upon first blush my response was, "hmmm not really that interesting". But, after taking a more tactical view there were some nuggets to be garnered.
We all know trade shows work for those who invest the necessary time and money into their booth. When done properly that booth will convey the image and brand desired by the vendor in order to lure new customers. If not, we wouldn't enter the numbers of trade show displays we do per annum.
Based on that assumption, do we really feel it necessary to know that in 2005, 84% of attendees exhibited Net Buying Influences- percentage of attendees with buying power (final say, specify, recommend) for one or more products exhibited) or that the Traffic Density- number of attendees occupying every 100 square feet of exhibit space was 2.3? NO!
But, knowing the Average Hours- amount of time an average attendee spends visiting all exhibits 7.8 hours was worth remembering. Further, you might know the percentage of those attending and their buying plans was 53%. That piece of information is good to know from an exhibitor stand point knowing you have a better than 1 in 2 chance of closing an attendee each time they come into your booth. The goal based on that number should be to increase that closing percentage!
It should be noted that 53% is pretty high given its still a passive atmosphere where the customer has to make the first move in most instances. Now, that can be manipulated via contests, promotional items, giveaways, or shoe models on premesis but most booths don't go those routes because of the money issue.
Finally, just remember when looking at the breakdowns for the past few years, they're just numbers and you can manipulate the crowds with a little bit of forethought and originality to generate the outcome desired.

7 Deadly Sins to avoid when purchasing Promotional Items

For those tradeshow presenters pondering marketing your next trade show display or booth with promotional items, take a gander at a few of those pitfalls to avoid in order to have a successful exhibition and reap it's inherent rewards... new customers and increased sales!
1- Don't purchase throw-aways and/or non-repetitive message senders
2- Target your offerings to those who are key decision makers
3- Don't forget your loyal customer base
4- Buy your items based on quality and not necessarily price
To learn the final four hazards made when procuring promotional items, click on the article title.
You would be wise to remember these simple but important perils in order to project the most professional and impressionable booth at your show!
Further, if you are in need of promotional items for that next show feel free to contact our promotional items guru at http://www.promotional-items-inc.com/

'Guys Night Out'

As I have matured, time spent with close friends, though infrequent, has become more treasured. Maybe it's the fellowship, the feelings of youth rekindled, the conversations engaged, or maybe, just maybe, its simply connecting with those we care about but for one reason or another in this age of time poverty we see less and less.
Whether its girlfriends, wives, families, friends, or work, our 'free time' as it was, has become squeezed. Typically, the first of those referenced above to be overlooked would be... friends. 'Guys night out' just convened recently and I found myself pondering many aspects of that time together afterwwards on my ritualistic nightly jog. The four horsemen gathered at a local watering hole and although it was an excuse to booze, as the saying goes, it was much more.
The group to whom I am referring has known one another for well over 20 years! Adrian, Kevin, Linwood and myself meet infrequently, attempting a once a month summit. But, that predictably doesn't happen based on our frenzied schedules. Ultimately, when we meet, I believe we all feel a bit more spry, young at heart and more animated.
Why you ask? Well, friendships spanning that duration empower each of us to speak our minds, interject thoughts we might harbor for whatever reasons with our daily personal interactions, and allow us to be ourselves.
Our 'night out' started as usual with fraternal handshakes, a bear hug, followed by drinks around the table. All the while, conversation grew from what movies had we seen lately, to books read, to World Cup Soccer, NBA Playoffs, French Open, travel abroad, shoe-model establishments, to reading relationship barometers. But after more beverages were consumed, our conversation transformed to a more serious aire. We established our typical rants on conspiracy theories of old, today's politics, the war in Iraq, into how the media had become an ever-expanding hindrance into our most basic ways of life.
An epiphany struck me at some point during that period of substance and sincerity. Our band of fellowship was much more than an excuse to drink with the guys. It had become a welcome liberation to the customary turbulence that shepherds our daily lives, a time to bond with old friends and become updated with what's transpired between our gatherings. That time, though short, revives us and reminds us of who we were and who we have become to this point in our lives. It is without a doubt a recharging at times of our fraternal batteries and keeps us cognizant of who might be out of sight but never out of mind.

Whats best for my WLAN?

Alrighty then. This will no doubt be a bit boring for most of you. For that I apologize. But some have requested clarity.

That said, I've had a few buddies ask 'after they purchased routers for their LAN' what were the differences between 802.11a, 802.11b, and 802.11g and how did they affect their network capabilities. So, after reading a article and subsequently calling a friend, head engineer for an ABC affiliate station, I figured an overview would assist some, educate others and just iterate to the vast majority what they already knew.

The basic goals of anyone attempting to set up a WiFi area are strength of signal and connection speed. In order to give due justice to the progression over the last few years we will give a little history lesson.

WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network) products are based on standards which were set forth from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). These standards were used to transmit data, video and voice information across radio waves.

In 1997, the IEEE created our first WLAN standard and called it 802.11. This standard had a limited bandwidth of 2 Mbps and used a radio signaling frequency of 2.4 Ghz. This standard is too slow for most of our current applications but the radio frequency is the key point to remember here.

Then in 1999, 802.11b hit the scene. This supported a larger bandwidth of 11 Mbps (greater speed) and also used the same radio frequency of 2.4 Ghz as the original. Key point to be remembered, this frequency is utilized by most household appliances: microwave ovens, cordless phones, etc. What does this mean to me? Well, if you've set up your network in a house with these items they could interfere with your connection.

The development of 802.11a occurred simultaneously with 802.11b. 802.11a supports a larger bandwidth, up to 54 Mbps, but uses a radio frequency range of 5 Ghz. The higher radio frequency limits your range of your network primarily because it makes it harder for the signal to penetrate walls and other household obstructions. Further, due to 802.11a and 802.11b using two different frequencies they were NOT compatible.

What I've told some friends trying to decipher the differences is some manufacturers out there offer network 802.11a/b gear which will allow compatibility. But, then I follow that response with the fact that just a couple years ago, 802.11g was introduced. This option attempted to combine the best of both a/b worlds with bandwidth up to 54 Mbps while utilizing the 2.4 Ghz radio frequency for increased range of their signals. Further, backwards compatibility exists between g and b, meaning g would work with b network adapters and vice versa.

Now, in terms of pros and cons, 802.11a pros consist of the fastest speeds, supports more users and the smaller radio frequencies prevent signal interference from other household devices. Its cons are highest cost and shorter signal range. 802.11b pros include lowest cost and best signal range and not as easily obstructed. Cons are slowest speed, supports fewer simultaneous users, and interference from appliances is greater. 802.11g pros are fastest speed, supports multiple users and signal range is best and not as easily obstructed. Its cons are costs more than b and appliances may interfere.

In closing, I hope this little lesson gave some clarity and understanding as to the history of the 802.11 standards and which one offers the best answer to your WiFi network questions.

Birthday Girl

Today is a special day for my family. This monumental day marks the birthday of my mother-in-law. Now, I know what some of you are thinking out there. But, that old sterotype doesn't hold true in this instance.
I could could not have asked for a better mother-in-law ('beauty in purple' standing next to her lovely daughter). She welcomed me into her family the first time we met and to this day still puts up with my personality flaws... of which I have a couple.
Now, I'm not much of a birthday celebrater but in this case I gladly make an exception. Mary Ellen is an amazing lady who is constantly giving of her time and talents. Teacher by day and mother both day and night she is constantly using those called upon talents to aid her family and friends.
Mother of two girls and one boy and oh yeah married for 32 years, she is constantly in the middle of the soap opera we all know as "our lives".
Whether making a full course meal for a holiday or consoling one of her children, she pours her heart and soul into every occurrence.
As she is in much need of a vacation, her summer respite from school and the students is almost within her reach.
In closing, Mary Ellen I pray your birthday was both entertaining and satisfying.
Your son who loves you much!

New Projection Screens better investment than LCD or Plasma? YEP!

For those of you unaware of the new style projection screens out there... be aware! You will start viewing these screens with more and more regularity at future trade shows. They are proving to be a better investment based on weight, ease of use, and looks.

The newer screens are much lighter than your LCD or Plasma screens(hereafter referred to as competitors) out there and can be hung almost anywhere within your display area. The competitors can only be placed in certain places and often need to be accompanied by costly stands!

The projections screens are virtually indestructible and only a quarter-inch thick. Their advantages over the competitors are many: light weight, easy travel features, ease of set-up, many size options and low costs. Also, projections screens can be set up quickly to display products, services, video, Power Point presentations or advertisements looking every bit as crisp and clear as their competitors.

Plus, unlike their competitors, they emit no glare, reflection or washout and light cannot shine through. The screen's matte material provides an intensive translucency, making presentations appear to pop off the screen.

Screens come in a variety of sizes, shapes and custom cuts up to 6.5' x 10'.
Finally, for renters, a small projector and a screen are easier to handle and less expensive than a plasma screen TV.

For inquiries please take a look at c-techsolutions and then call us smashhitdisplays. We'd love to outfit you with a projections screen to make your next show a crystal clear success!