Month: January 2012

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Trade Show Displays

I recently posted about purchasing promotional products to give away at tradeshows, conferences, and other tabling opportunities. My local Chamber of Commerce has a monthly luncheon where I often have a display.

In addition to promotional products, I have recently been shopping for a tradeshow display. I am thinking of getting something blank that I can switch the signage on, corresponding to the seasons and different offers we have. I could just attach the signs with velcro and keep the signs from year to year. This helps save money as they would be generic and reusable.

There are so many types of displays. I am having trouble making up my mind! There are pop up displays and table top pop ups. I guess it can actually be as simple or as complex as you would like. Some can be carried and installed by one person. Others require a whole team of people to put them together.

The pop up trade show displays are the most dramatic and really give you the opportunity to professionally display your item.

I usually travel solo when going out to tradeshows and other events, so what I get must be small and manageable. I carry so many flyers, and promotional items, it can really be a lot to tote!

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Another Blast from the Past

Found another photo that I found on Facebook from back in the day that gave me a blast from the past with lots of memories. This was the Putt Putt golf course, just a few block from the bowling alley where I used to hang out. The Putt Putt was very popular for children’s birthday parties and a nice place for dates on hot summer evenings.

The Putt Putt is also gone now. They built a huge office building in its place. I would hardly recognize the old neighborhood with so many landmarks torn down. I wonder how far the local kids have to go to find a miniature golf course where they can play with their families? Hopefully there is a place within an hour or so drive. To be honest, all I can think of might be the beaches, and those are a half day’s drive.

I’m glad that someone had the foresight to take photos of the everyday buildings and landmarks from those days. I carry my camera with me all the time and never really think to take photos of the grocery store or the fast food places, the schools or the churches. But I know that someone else is doing just that, and one day those photos will be someone else’s blast from the past.

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New Technology

A new year has me thinking about all of the new technology that is available these days. I really need to come into the present which includes iPods, iPads, etc. I need to do some research because I am not very educated on the subject. I don’t even have a smart phone but I see different applications are available almost everywhere I go. You can scan barcodes and download applications instantly. The iPhones are definitely interesting and far more advanced than any cell phone service I have had in the past.

As I am becoming more interested in these products I find it exciting to learn that you can put DVD movies on your Ipad. There are many editing features. You can even extract audio from DVD and download it to your MP3 player. These products and Wifi allow you to take technology with you wherever you go.

My first purchase is going to be an MP3 player so that I can enjoy music in my office. No more do you have to have a large boom box or radio or stereo system. An MP3 players fits into a small speaker system and voila! your favorite music. I love being able to select the songs I enjoy and having them at my fingertips.

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Promotional Products

One aspect I really love about my job is that I attend trade shows and other tabling opportunities where I can advertise what I sell. I get to order promotional products to give away with our company name and logo on them. It’s easy now that you can go online and place an order and much quicker than it used to be to receive the items. One item I have found that I really like are key tags with logo. There are also promotional bags and luggage tags and sunglasses. I have found that people just love picking up a small give away when they visit your table and they take something home with your company name on it!

I enjoy meeting and talking with people at these trade shows and events. I hope that when they look at the gift they’ve received when they get back to work or home they will remember me and what I told them about my company and what I sell. Hopefully, I’ll make some friends and customers at these events.

It can often be long hours and much standing at these trade shows. It is best to have someone with you so that you do not leave your booth unattended for breaks. It is best to stand outside your table area so you are in front to speak with people. It’s necessary to wear comfortable shoes. You can sometimes tire of giving your short elevator speech but after awhile it will be easier for you to deliver. All in all, trade shows can be fun and are a great way to get your company name and product out there.

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Back to work tomorrow

I had a three day weekend for Martin Luther King day, so back to work tomorrow on Tuesday. Thankfully, a four day work week but I have a horrible head cold. YUK! It feels like I have been sick every weekend for months! I am tired of it, I feel like I need Spring to make me feel better! Kinda like solar powered, I need sun and warmth to charge me!

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Internet Service

I have had my AOL account for 14 years now. We started using AOL back in the day when it was dial-up internet. You actually had to pay every month for AOL at the time. Needless to say, I was thrilled when it became free. I don’t really miss dial up, it took too long to connect and I couldn’t use my home phone at the same time. Can you remember the funny noise it made as it was connecting? Our next internet service was cable. It was somewhat faster than dial up. You had to connect a cable into the back of your computer. I had a desk top computer at that time so it wasn’t much of a nuisance dealing with the cable.

We have wireless internet now and I use a laptop. I love that I can use my computer anywhere I want in the house and also outside at my patio table. I’ve taken it with me on business trips and vacations. I have to trust at those times that wireless internet will be available. I am at the mercy of the hotel I am staying at as to whether wireless will be available.

I haven’t quite become the person that carries a laptop everywhere, to malls and coffee shops. I see people sitting in the food court at my local mall or the coffee shop on their laptop. Most are surfing the internet or playing games. I assume those people enjoy being in an atmosphere where people are around even though they are alone. That has been my perception, anyway.