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The Ultimate Guide to Social Media Marketing for Trade Shows

Trade shows are an inherently social form of marketing — you engage with attendees one-on-one and build relationships in real life. That’s something static ads and direct mailers just can’t compete with. You can boost the social aspect of trade show marketing by using – you guessed it — social media! Makes sense, huh?

Social media is perfect for boosting your trade show presence. (Heck, the two were practically made for each other). Without proper planning and execution, however, this perfect marriage of marketing tactics won’t mean a thing. That’s why we whipped together this handy guide, to help you execute effective social media strategies and get more bang for your marketing buck at your next trade show.

If you truly want to leverage social media for your trade show, you’ll need to use it before, during, and after your event. You can’t just post “Hey, we’re at the trade show now” on Facebook the day of your event and say that you “leveraged” social. You won’t find success posting in this way.

Here are some tips to help you engage your audience and drive traffic to your booth using social media. Let’s bring out the social in the most social of marketing events! BEFORE THE TRADE SHOW Get off to an early start

The early bird gets the worm, right? So as soon as you know you’ll be marketing your brand at a trade show, start developing a social marketing strategy and dropping hints to your appearance on your various social accounts. Social media is a buzz-building machine if you use it right, so make haste and don’t be afraid to drop an intriguing Facebook post a few months out. Establish metrics

Most likely your biggest objective in marketing your brand at a trade show is to generate leads, right? When it comes to measuring your success at social media marketing for trade shows, you’ll need to establish metrics beforehand to determine if what you’re doing actually works or not. Some typical social metrics include:

Facebook page likes photo views Twitter followers blog views

Develop a strategy

You can’t just post willy-nilly about your trade show on whatever network you feel like. Once you have firm metrics in place, you can get started on developing a suitable strategy for your brand.

Developing a sound strategy really depends on your expectations and the expectations of your audience. Be sure to determine how much content to create to maintain interest and build buzz without annoying your audience. Update your social profiles

Haven’t updated the About section on your Facebook page in over a year? In order to provide your target audience with the most up-to-date info about your brand, you’ll need to make sure your social profiles are as up-to-date as your website (something you’ve hopefully updated as well). An old logo on your LinkedIn page or ancient Twitter bio isn’t going to do you any good. Engage with attendees and influencers

Want to ensure trade show attendees know who you are, where your booth is, and what you have to offer? Connect with your target audience beforehand via Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and other relevant social networks. Look up the official accounts for the event and any sponsors/big names attached to it and engage in discussions there. You can even start incorporating the official event hashtag beforehand (and if there is no such hashtag, create your own hashtag).

Reach out to attendees and influencers in your industry in advance and you’ll have a better shot at building that much sought-after pre-show buzz. DURING THE TRADE SHOW Engage in real-time

Once the trade show kicks off, it’s not time to put down your smartphone/laptop and stop using social media. Quite the contrary — there’s no better time to engage your target audience on social media than during the actual event.

Continue to use the event and/or custom hashtag you’ve been using to engage in discussions with Twitter users. Reply to questions and comments people leave on your Facebook page. Maintain a conversation with your audience and you’ll come off as a thoughtful, well-organized and hip brand. Oh, and people tend to visit thoughtful, well-organized, and hip brands. Share awesome content

Great content can help you engage with social users, and sharing great content shouldn’t stop just because you’re busy on the show floor. You don’t need to post 10,000 word blogs or in-depth infographics (we’re not that militant about social), but an interesting photo or a bite-sized blog post can help you engage with attendees and users watching from home. Share valuable content and you’ll be seen as a more valuable booth to drop by. Build buzz with contests/giveaways/discounts

Want to know a great way to get people psyched about your brand at a trade show? Give stuff away! Social media lets you announce contests, discounts, promotions, etc. with ease. It sure beats running up to everyone at the show and shouting “Hey, we’ve got a sweet contest going on!”

You could do something as simple as host a contest and have someone on your staff announce the winner via Twitter or alert your Facebook fans that you’ll be giving away freebies during a specific half-hour time frame. AFTER THE TRADE SHOW Connect with people you meet

It might have been difficult to keep in touch with trade show attendees in the past, but social media makes it easy to find and connect with leads. You can friend people you met at the trade show and continue to engage with them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. long after the event has concluded. Just be sure to offer value, not just pitch your product/service. Create more awesome content

Social media can give your trade show appearance a second life. Using content you collect during the event, you can develop engaging marketing materials and easily share them on your social accounts afterward. This is a great way to wow attendees as well as people who were unable to make it to your event. Here are just a few of the types of social content you can create after a trade show:

Upload your best photos to Instagram and/or Facebook Use video footage to develop an engaging YouTube video Write a blog post recapping highlights of the event

Analyze your data

Remember those metrics you established before the trade show? Once the event is over, you can use this data to determine how successful you were in meeting your social marketing objectives as well as improve your strategies. For example, you could look at Facebook Insights to see which posts your audience found the most engaging and use this info to power your next trade show marketing campaign.

Social media is an essential tactic in the modern trade show marketer’s toolbox. Make it an essential part of your next trade show appearance and drive engagement through the roof.

How much does social media play a role in your trade show marketing? Tell us your thoughts in the comment section below.

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How to Retain Your Best People with the Right Cloud Tools

People are not machines, and employment engagement is a clear example of the difference between them. A machine is either on or off, but for employees engagement can run the whole gamut of ‘totally onboard’ to ‘barely there’. The stakes for organizations concerning employee engagement are high. Companies whose employee engagement is in the top 25 percent have been estimated to make more than twice the revenue of companies where engagement is in the bottom 25 percent. Also, there is four times as much chance that the less engaged employees quit compared to the more engaged employees.

Bottom Line Impacts

But the problem doesn’t stop with a less engaged employee leaving. If the organization wants to replace the employee, it will need to spend time and effort to find the new person, while dealing with possible internal disruption, reduction of knowledge and lower morale. Figures of six months to repair the damage and a third of the departing employee’s salary to locate and bring onboard a replacement are all too common. Keeping employees engaged is more profitable and less expensive, especially when they include your best people.

What’s Your Theory?

How to reinforce engagement is a question that has kept HR departments busy for years. Maslow’s and Hertzberg’s theories are perennial favorites. Their ideas also carry over into new business contexts such as mobile working and cloud business process environments. Both of these recent developments extend employer-employee relationships beyond the traditional workplace, with the possibility of accentuating both the positive and the negative. Good cloud tools in particular can help boost positive engagement.

Mixing Social and Professional in the Cloud

More employees are now expecting and claiming the right to change the way they work – if not completely outside the organization, then at least in parallel with it.  With BYOD (Bring Your Own Device), they use the same computing device for both their social and their professional lives. It is the organization of the information inside that device that demarcates one mode of use from the other, although social interaction is increasingly blending with professional activity. As consumers they expect to be able to access information they need instantly, independently of time and location. This expectation is now spilling over to the workplace.

Any Time, Any Place

Cloud work tools that support this new work paradigm are the ones most likely to find favor.  At the lower level, facilitation of mobile connections to resources such as project management applications is a first step. Single sign-on for secure access to all authorized PM applications is the next. Increasing the sociability of project management work with social media style tools is yet another way to deepen positive engagement, allowing companies to retain employees longer.

Don’t Just Retain – Attract Too

There’s further potential advantage to be had as well. A web presence with the cloud portal described above can demonstrate how an enterprise has embraced the new model of working. Cloud-based talent will then naturally gravitate towards that enterprise. Instead of scrambling to replace employees who leave, a business will be able to retain them and then expand at its own pace, hiring in more of the best via the cloud.

Contact LoadSpring today to find out how we can help with tools like our cloud portal SpringBoard 7.0 and mobile tool LoadSpringMobile. Call 978.685.9715 or send us an email [email protected].

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Press Release | B2W Software Takes Flight with Construction Software for the Cloud

Partnership with LoadSpring Lays Foundation for Web-Based System Easing the Full Construction and Maintenance Lifecycle

Portsmouth, NH – March 10, 2014 – Continuing to re-define the future of construction operation software, industry leader B2W Software today joined forces with LoadSpring to bring its powerful technology to the cloud. The agreement will create a streamlined, unified process for estimating and bidding, field tracking and analysis – as well as resource planning, dispatching and maintenance.

B2W’s ONE (Operational Networked Elements) Platform is the first suite of construction management software that provides everyone from office managers to foremen in the field with direct insight into the construction process. Four separate modules create one unified suite – including B2W Estimate, B2W Track, B2W Dispatch, and B2W Maintain. The end result is a single point of data entry, enabling instant cross-module resource visibility and collaboration – as well as significantly improved operational efficiency and accuracy.

Taking ONE even further, SpringBoard 7.0 will deliver a powerful and flexible cloud interface to promote even higher levels of project management, control and flexibility. The SpringBoard solution allows B2W customers to tap the power of the cloud – with an intuitive user interface, real-time geo-site mapping, and full project management via a private, assignment-based messaging system.

“At B2W, we’ve always been ahead of the curve – providing customers with the most efficient and cost-effective software to manage the construction lifecycle. And the same holds true as we roll-out our cloud-based offering,” said Paul McKeon, CEO of B2W Software. “With LoadSpring, we’re able to ensure the highest levels of security, availability and services – all while eliminating labor-intensive provisioning and deployment. The end result significantly enhances the quality of service and control for our customers.”

The combined solution increases both the breadth and depth of customer usage opportunities by creating a scalable, flexible, and cost-efficient full service product line. Deployed in a hosted environment, B2W ONE for the cloud enables customers to more rapidly implement the software, scale users as needed, and provide secure remote access for all team members. This drives significant improvements in operational efficiency further driving new revenue opportunities.

“As a well-established service provider offering cutting-edge technology and unmatched market knowledge, we’re well positioned to help B2W customers realize new levels of productivity and profitability,” said Eric Leighton, President and CEO of LoadSpring. “With our rapid time-to-deployment, unparalleled IT efficiency and dramatic service levels, SpringBoard 7.0 is the ideal solution to meet B2W’s use of cloud technology.”

B2W will launch its new cloud-based offering in Q2 2014.  For more information on B2W software and the company’s revolutionary technology, visit B2W on Facebook, LinkedIn – or at http://www.b2wsoftware.com/.

About LoadSpring

Founded in 1999, LoadSpring® is a Project Management Solutions company that’s totally dedicated to project management software and the people who use it. Our intuitive, user-friendly SpringBoard™ Cloud Portal combined with the Professional Services Group makes life simpler and easier for Project Managers and IT teams, who see us as major problem-solvers helping them make smart business decisions. LoadSpring supports Fortune 100 companies in the following industries: Architecture; Engineering and Construction; Manufacturing; Real Estate Services; Financial; Gas; Energy/Utilities; City, State and Federal Government; and Healthcare.

About B2W Software Headquartered in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, B2W Software (fka BID2WIN Software™) is a premier provider of enterprise-class construction software, services and solutions that is redefining the future for streamlined operations. Powered by our unique ONE platform, B2W solutions effectively leverage the latest technologies into a unified system for estimating and bidding, field tracking and analysis, resource planning and dispatching, equipment maintenance.

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For more information, please contact:

Kevin Brown

Bid2Win Software Direct: 603-570-2541

[email protected]

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Facebook’s Company Pages Strategy and How-To

This article will guide you in how to set up a company Facebook page as well as strategies for how to manage it.

While Facebook may have lost a step with the cool kids it is still America’s go-to social network. If you don’t think your company or brand need to have a Facebook page(s) consider this: chances are your competitors already have them. This is a lost opportunity to increase brand awareness and drive revenue. If that’s not enough think about the multiple social outlets willing to give voice to your clients opinion about an experience with your organization. There is no need for you to be unaware of publicly posted complaints about your organization. Setting up a page is easy. While there are fifteen steps to setting up a Facebook page for your company (we know three more than an addiction recovery program) it shouldn’t involve tears.

Facebook Company Page Setup Instructions:

Go to Facebook.com and make sure you are logged into the account you want to manage this new page from- probably your personal account.

Click on the “Create Page” option

Choose what type of page you want to have. This will be generally either be “company” or “brand/product” depending on your needs.

Choose the category best describing your industry. Be careful, you cannot change your company category unless you delete the page once chosen.

Type in the name of your company; no capital letters in the middle of a word. For example, Facebook would have been acceptable but not FaceBook.

Check the “Agree to Terms” box (perhaps you should have a lawyer for this part)

Click “Get Started”

Add a description of your page. Keep it clear and brief.

Add websites your clients will be able to access from Facebook page.

Facebook wants to know if your organization is real, we’ll leave this one up to you.

If you answered “Yes” Facebook wants to know if it is your company. This is where you can add administration privileges so you can potentially prevent the intern from posting photos of what they looked like after happy hour.

Upload your company logo. Follow Facebook’s specifications.

Add the page to your favorites on your Facebook account and your web browser for easy access.

Ad posting. This will be the first of Facebook’s many attempts to separate your organization from some of its money. Skip this for now

Voila, you have a Facebook page.

  Your Facebook Company Page Strategies

We do not recommend posting every minute to your account. Consider how often you want to be updated on social networks from your clients when deciding to post a message. Until your page has thirty “likes” and you have access to Facebook’s analytical tools (data about your customers browsing habits), block search engines from finding the page. Make it a perk for your biggest fans and favored clients to have the first look at your Facebook page and “like” your page and make suggestions to spruce it up. Once you are confident everything is in working order unblock search engines and let anyone “like” you on Facebook.

There is a variety of content that can be posted to Facebook. You can link to sections of your website, photos, videos, product information, blogs, customer testimonials and more. Most of your content should be about your company, but feel free to post client content, acceptable humor, unsung employee heroes and the occasional viral video.

Don’t forget to play good defense. Set up Facebook pages for names like “(Yourcompany)sucks” and use your imagination as to what anyone with an ax to grind can dream up to follow your company or product name. You may want to have a duplicate page for common misspellings of your page name as well. Follow these tips and with the new business your page brings in you may be able to afford a social media department!

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Affordable and Fun Gift Baskets to Give as a Wedding Gift

Gift baskets are fun to put together and also fun to receive. Whether you are the giver or the recipient, read on to learn about some affordable and fun baskets you can put together and give as a wedding gift.

Lotsa Pasta

Who doesn’t love pasta? Put together an Italian themed basket. Include specialty noodles (which you can find in the pasta aisle of your local grocery store for a dollar or two extra than traditional ones), jar your own tomato sauce, toss in a few pertinent dried herb bottles (like basil, oregano, and garlic powder-many stores offer them at 3 for a dollar), add some olive oil, and even pick up some cooking tools like a slotted spoon, and mini strainer, and a cheese grater. You can also find some barely used cookbooks that are in excellent shape for a very low price on some online market places that you can place in it as well! Mangiare!

Wine a Little

Pick up several bottles of wine that are on sale at your local liquor store. Print out several labels on your computer that highlight the couple’s potential firsts-First House, First Baby, First Anniversary, First Fight, etc. Type up an explanation of the basket and place it in a dollar store frame. Explain to the couple that they are only to open each bottle of wine when a first moment has occurred! If you have some extra dollars to burn, place cork stoppers, a wine aerator, and even personalized wine glasses inside as well!

Movie Night

Write a little note that describes the intent of the basket-for cozy nights in on the couch. Add a blanket; some Oscar nominated flicks, bags of microwave popcorn, flavored popcorn mixes, milk duds, licorice, (or whatever candy is on sale at the store). It’s a sweet and thoughtful gesture, which is light on your budget and which the couple is sure to appreciate.

Picnic Basket

Picnic baskets can be very expensive. You can absolutely make your own, based on your budget. Pick up a basket that closely resembles one of these romantic, recreational baskets at your local dollar store or flea market. Add in some basic white plates, silverware, a thermos, a checkered cloth to sit on, and some wine glasses. All items can be purchased two for a dollar at most bargain stores, and you can even scan flea markets for cheap but beautiful lace napkins, placemats, etc.

Now that you have your basket all ready, deliver it with a lasting impression that counts. Starting at just $9.95, add a custom printed fun balloon as the center piece. Quality printers like Mimosa Digital can take any photo, from an old print to a digital photo, add words if requested, and print it on 11″ round or heart-shaped balloons. Best of all, you can order yours online.

Consider putting together one of these fun and affordable gift baskets for your next upcoming wedding!

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Heart to Heart – Five Reasons Why You Should Host a Valentine’s Themed Engagement Party

If you’re newly engaged, you’ve probably started to discuss how you are going to make your big news official, in front of your beloved friends and family members. One of the best things about getting engaged during the holidays and early winter months is that you can throw a Valentine’s themed engagement party! Perfect for couples who are pinching their pennies; here are five reasons why you should totally consider hosting this fabulous, fun, and festive affair.

Reason #1-Carnations are Cheap!

Carnations are a very popular Valentine’s Day flower that are ultra-affordable and are in season. They can fill vases on tables and a bar, or even be handed to each guest as they walk into your party (everyone loves getting flowers!). You can find them virtually anywhere. In fact, they are widely stocked in grocery store floral departments and cost a fraction of the price of what you’d pay at a florist’s shop.

Reason #2-Candy, Candy, and More Candy

Valentine’s candy can serve as part of your décor, can be used as dessert instead of a cake, and can serve as your party favor. Whether you buy heart shaped chocolate boxes in bulk, or set up a serve yourself dessert table; all candy put out at this time is designed in classic red and pink colors, is budget friendly (strips of heart-shaped pops cost only a dollar); and are just fun!

Reason #3-You Can Do Fondue

If you love fondue, you can totally get away with hosting a dipping party for your Valentine’s event! Fondue is relatively affordable to put together and super simple to cook up on your own. Plus, it can be extremely romantic if pots are placed intimately at each table, or a lot of candles are lit around your set-up. Opt to serve a cheese appetizer in place of an entrée; as bread cubes, crackers, and veggies will not break the bank!

Reason #4-Love is in the Air

If you wanted to have an engagement party around any holiday, Valentine’s Day makes the most sense. You can create a playlist filled with the most romantic love songs of all time, decorate your venue with heart decorations, and your happily married guests’ love for one another will contribute to the overall vibe and ambiance. An added bonus? Your single friends and family members will not be alone on this Hallmark holiday and can even be set up during your event!

Reason #5-Valentine Invitations

How cute would it be to send a Valentine as an invitation in lieu of a formal, printed one? Valentines are only a few dollars a box and will set the tone that your engagement party is clearly going to be held on or around this holiday, and is sure to be casual, creative, yet fun!

These five reasons alone will get you in the mood to celebrate your love with others who are in love around you!

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How do you leave a lasting impression at your next Trade Show?

How do you leave a lasting impression with the attendees at your trade show?

Start by not letting them forget you! Sounds easier than it is… Chances are your attendees have seen every cheesy sales pitch and demonstration of how a product or service could possibly be used in a marketing departments' dream world. Try the old fashioned way. Mail out a personalized thank you card to prospects and current clients and create the warm and fuzzy feeling that goes with feeling appreciated. Sure they will probably throw your mailed card away as soon as they receive it, but they WILL see it. This will help them remember your name. Have your sales team follow-up not just to pitch a sale but ask questions too. Attendees like to feel as though their opinions matter- which they do! Listen to their feedback and let them know how their input helped your business.

To leave an impression with exhibit attendees appeal to all five of their senses at the same time as attendees learn, are entertained and persuaded by different methods. We will not lecture you about using boring graphics at your booth. If you would avoid your booth as an attendee, go back to the drawing board. It’s always a good idea to hand out a little literature about your business, but it should be interesting, people do not want to pick up PowerPoint presentation prints.

Provide refreshments like warm fresh-baked cookies. This can be a sweet reminder of home as your target attendees may have traveled over a thousand miles to see to attend the show. If you want a healthier option, try to offer trail mix or nuts to give them the energy they need to stay for the whole show! If you are allowed open beverages on the trade show floor, consider offering cold water or lemonade.

Even if your business is only in the cloud, figure out a way people can physically interact with your product. People like to reach out and touch so don't forget to appeal to the sense of touch. You can appeal to their sense of touch by mounting iPad with which they can interact with your service. Booths can be noisy- if you are doing it right, so have plenty of staff available to field inquiries, and listen to the attendees. Consider streaming a scheduled live audio presentation over the web to have exclusive access to the ears of your target market at scheduled times during the show.

Finally, have an after party, or dinner where your attendees can connect with you and each other about the show. Try not to talk too much about business, and don’t focus on pitching a sale. Building a strong personal relationship can easily turn into a strong business relationship.

Do you have anything else you’d add to the list? Leave us a comment and let us know.

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The Future for Enterprise Project Portfolio Management is Virtually Certain

For some time now, Enterprise Project Portfolio Management (EPPM) has been a black art to people at all levels of an organization. Yet the secret to successful project portfolio management is simple. It’s good communication: having one version of the truth available in real time between the people delivering the projects and the people running the business. When people all managed their projects in the same place at the same time, the conventional centralized PMO, or Project Management Office, was the keeper of all things EPPM. But will this still be true for EPPM in the future?

Coming Down from the PMO Ivory Tower

EPPM must continue: enterprises will always do projects and have to manage them. The future of the project management office on the other hand is less clear. It’s not that the concept of the PMO is wrong, any more than waterfall-style system development is wrong. It’s more that clinging to the traditional PMO as the only way to manage project portfolios is now too limiting. It’s time to get real, with three big reasons to do so: the need to improve communications; the rise of agile projects; and the massive move to mobile working.

Dashboards for EPPM Information

Project managers need a system for entering and updating the information. The same system should also display the information in a way that can be easily customized to individual user preferences: online dashboards and flexible report generation are key items. By organizing access flexibly and securely as well, an enterprise software application like this gets the PMO down from the tower and out among the decision makers and operators. Project news, progress and results can all be made known in a timely way, keeping surprises to a minimum and success to a maximum.

Into the Agile Age

An EPPM portal online also opens up the possibilities for agile projects with their rapid development and feedback cycles. With human beings creating, innovating and driving project activities, and smart software to track project progress globally and individually, enterprises can slice and dice their EPPM as they like. Teams and managers can compare their projects with others, and get immediate data on their return on investment. Customer requirements can be handled efficiently and effectively to stay aligned with business needs that may change as a project progresses.

Mobile EPPM is No Longer Just an Option

Contractors and employees have largely embraced the world of mobile with its smartphones and tablets. They also have expectations of being able to use them to get the information they need, whenever and wherever they need it. The same system that receives, organizes and displays project portfolio management information must now also do this over mobile communications networks. Relevant system features include streamlined user access with solid security, location awareness to improve performance over networks, and social media functionality to encourage remote collaboration and team working.

Welcome to Virtual EPPM

While it’s been on the cards for a while, these three factors of communication, agile and mobile are all moving EPPM fast into a world of virtual teams and asynchronous interworking. Even if there is still a role for the centralized PMO in some projects, and broadband mobile networks have yet to be extended to certain far-flung locations, the future of EPPM is now a virtual one, distributed and online, from anywhere and at any time.

At LoadSpring, we streamline your Project Management decision-making process and bring you the right answers the first time around. So ask away. P: 978.685.9715

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Top 3 Important Things for Your Car Buying Checklis

Even though your credit report may have more detours than a southern city after a snow storm, we performed some magic and now you have the financing needed to buy a car. Wait, you say you haven’t even applied yet! It still isn’t too early or too late to talk with friends, family, perfect strangers or yourself about what you want or need in your next car. We won’t bore you with a list of “250 things you need to before you hit the gas pedal.” Add these three things to your car buying checklist and you will be well on your way to your new wheels.

#1 What will you do with your car?

Now we both know you will buy the car for driving, but exactly what will the car be doing for you? Will your car be only for getting to and from work or will you want to take it for hundreds of miles on the weekends without stopping for fuel? Are groceries the only item you will put in your vehicle or will you need to chauffeur precious and noisy cargo or even haul a boat? Is it more important for the car to protect you in an accident above all or is priority one that the car be as sexy as you? These are some of the questions you will be answering to decide the make and model of your next car.

#2 Decide how much you can spend out of pocket for the vehicle.

Even if not required, try to make a down payment on the car or light truck anyway as it will be less that you need to pay during the loan term. Go over the numbers and be honest with yourself about what you can afford for both the monthly payments and the down payment. Our team here at BlueSky Auto Finance will do everything in our power to get you in the car of your choice. Remember, just because you may have credit problems doesn’t necessarily mean you will not be able to drive home in the car of your choice.

#3 Know what extras you need or want in a car or light truck.

For more on options see last week’s post. Just know for now that your payments will be based on the total price of everything you are getting with the car – not what you and the salesperson shake on before you sit down and talk about extras.

Check these items off your list of things to take care of before you buy a car and you will be ready to roll in no time.

- See more at: http://www.blueskyautofinance.com/Top-3-Important-Things-for-Your-Car-Buying-Checklist#sthash.fsrsRbw3.dpuf

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The videogame industry is full of heroes. Godlike entities of unimaginable power and influence. They’re capable of feats that defy logic and reason while forming the futures and destinies of countless millions of us mere mortals. Nay, dear reader, we do not speak of the gaming protagonists badasses of digital legend, but of the influential superheroes standing atop the shoulders of giants in the videogame industry. Here are, in our opinion, the 7 most influential industry pro’s… in no particular order of course.

For the full blog with pretty pictures, links and goodies check out

http://www.theultimategamer.com/the-most-influential-videogame-industry-professionals/

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Dos and Don’ts for Engaging with Trade Show Attendees

Trade shows are a great way for businesses, big and small, to engage with a larger audience. Most attendees come to these trade shows to interact with the industry experts and check out any new technology or products on display. Itis important to know the Dos and Don’ts of engaging trade show attendees to make a decent return on your investment.

The Dos and Don’ts

Do: Know the type of people that will be attending the trade show and prepare accordingly. It is always better to engage an attendee with an engaging question, stimulate their mind and get them interested by asking them about their interests and what they are liking about the trade show the most.

Don’t: Avoid typical ‘Can I Help You?’ and ‘How you doing?’ statements. Don’t: NEVER cross your arms! This screams ‘don’t bother me’ to the attendees; you do not want to send that message.

Do: This may sound obvious but always have a smile ready for the attendee. Stand up straight; you must look helpful and interested so the booth visitor can feel comfortable when approaching you.

Do: Stand facing the aisle so that when an attendee approaches your booth you will be ready to engage them in a conversation.

Don’t: Never turn your back to the aisle; it will give your booth a ‘not interested’ vibe and repel any potential customers.

Do: Make sure that your style of communication is personable, informative and entertaining. If an attendee is wearing a name tag then address them accordingly in a respectful manner.

Don’t: Don’t converse in a ‘sales pitchy’ manner nor come on too strong as it will drive the attendees away from you.

Do: When engaging an attendee, always hand them something to remember you by, such as a brochure or business card. If they leave empty-handed chances are they will forget you soon.

Don’t: Don’t think that trade show attendees will call you ASAP. Following up with those who showed interest in your product or services is your job.

Trade shows require a lot of time, energy and resources, so you need to make sure that your efforts pay off. Knowing the important aspects of engaging with trade show attendees is the key to a successful trade show. 

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6 Worst Video Game Concepts of all Time

Our dollars are precious things. They’re precious to us and they’re precious to the companies trying to tantalize us into voluntarily removing from them from our wallets and handing them over, quick smart. This is especially true for the developers that invest countless millions of dollars into gaming products. They hope their products will prove innovative and well-received instead of preposterous and widely rejected.

In 2014, we have the Delta 6 gun controller, the Omnitread and by gum, we’re practically on the cusp of having a fully-blown holodeck in our living rooms. However… the path to the present mecca of peripheral progress is littered with disastrous failware of such epic proportions, some of it literally defies belief. Here are our favorites.

For the rest of the blog with pretty pictures, links and all that fun stuff go here:

http://www.theultimategamer.com/worst-video-game-concepts-time/

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Why a Used Car May Not Be Such a Good Idea

Often when looking to economize on a car purchase consumers will look to save money by purchasing a used car. This advice comes from the fact that once you drive your new car off the lot it has lost some of its value. This is not always a good idea. There is no denying this is true, but there is more than meets the eye.

At a glance that statistic may sound pretty discouraging, but there are other factors that make the difference in value smaller. As we have written about before there aren’t as many used cars as there used to be.  This pushes the cost of a used car higher.  What this means is the average used car has been used for longer than it used to be and therefore may not be as reliable.

It is a very well kept secret in the automotive industry that it costs more to get a loan on a used car than it does a new car. It is not just the interest rate that may be higher. Your monthly payment could be lower on your new car because lenders, including those here at BlueSky Auto Finance, will likely give you more time to pay off your loan.  People are more likely to give their new cars or light truck tender loving care, and as a result are less likely to stop making payments on their loans according to the Transunion credit bureau. New cars are also less likely to face mechanical issues causing the car to stop running.

Many new cars have what is practically a ‘worry-free’ period as many defects will be covered by the manufacturer’s warranty.  On the other hand if you buy from someone you met on Craigslist, the car may be sold “As Is” meaning aside from applicable consumer laws known as lemon laws the seller is making no warranty as to the condition of the vehicle. If your car stops running you will have a hard time getting the money you used to buy the car back, in your pocket. And, you will still have the responsibility of driving the kids to soccer practice and commuting to work in a potential lemon car. This is much less likely to happen with a new car purchase.

One more thing – let’s not forget… it feels good to drive off the lot with a brand new set of wheels because of the peace of mind that comes with the purchase. What are you waiting for? Apply now!

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Examples of Amazing Booth Design

It can be said that 20% of the booths attract 80% of the traffic. Why is that? The reason for this is quite simple: amazing design. If you get the design of your booth right, you can attract more traffic than you anticipated. To give you a few ideas of how to go about doing so, here are some examples from the masters. These are real-life trade show booth designs used by industry bigwigs in the recent past: The Android Promo Booth – Mobile World Congress (Google) Just like their search engine homepage, everything about Google’s marketing efforts screams simplicity. Yet, their trade show booths are the diametric opposite. This particular example is of their Android Promo Booth at the Mobile World Congress. There, you would see Google’s booth overflowing with gadgets and machines. Plus, there was a mascot, a slide for the young ones to play on and full-fledged product demos. Needless to say, the booth was a big success. The Ultra-Focused 5-Part Booth – MacWorld 2008 (Apple) This one is an older example but relevant nonetheless. Apple knows how to catch its customer’s attention and they did so through a five-part booth at the 2008 edition of MacWorld. The gigantic size of the booth could have been a PR disaster and a complete failure yet Apple managed to get it right. Each part of the booth focused on 1 product, with staff dedicated to that product serving attendees there. Simplicity paid off big time for the world’s leading IT company. Semi-Enclosed Rooms – ORGATEC (Herman Miller) Herman Miller’s furniture is known for its aesthetic appeal and quality of design. So, the company came up with a way to showcase their strengths at ORGATEC. They had the usual trade show booth bells & whistles, like banner ads and giveaways. However, the focus was on the semi-enclosed rooms they built for the attendees to sit in. Instead of just looking at the pieces, the attendees were able to sit down and relax in them. In short, it was a product demonstration and trial rolled into one. These are some great examples of amazing booth design. As you can see, each of these designs is innovative and creative but in ke

eping with the brand’s image and message. Read More: http://vonazon.com/blog/amazing-booth-design-examples/

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An Overview of Java Technology for the Businessman

This article gives an overview of Java technology for business.  It explains why Java makes programming easier for programmers, so they can deliver applications quicker and at least cost than was possible a generation ago.

It used to be the case that business computer programs were written in a language called COBOL.  These programs were notoriously difficult to read.  One reason for that is it allowed the program to say GOTO meaning leave what you are doing now and go off and do something completely different.  Exactly where that went was not always easy to see. That practice violates programming best practices, which say programs should be created as little packages of logic that you can assemble into something larger.  Such little packages are called functions, objects, and subroutines.  The modular approach makes for fewer mistakes, more robust and reliable code, and easier to debug programs when something goes wrong.

When Netscape first popularized the idea of the web browser, it did not do much.  It displayed nice to colors and text; you could read the newspaper, but that was about it.  Then engineers at Sun came up with the idea of a Java virtual machine, which they could stick inside the browser.  Engineers were excited when Sun made the web browser come to life by creating a cartoon character that danced around the screen.  That showed that the browser had much more potential.  Programmers understood the significance of that; business people were slow to catch on.

People who wanted to learn computer programming back in the 1980s had a hard time, because they had no easy access to computers with which to teach themselves.  They had to sign up for a university course and wait in line to load programs written on decks of paper punch cards into the card reader, where the IBM mainframe would suck them up in one whoosh.  Then the student had to wait an hour or a day for their program to execute as it moved up the queue.  If the program did not work they had to start all over and come back the next day to try again.  These small steps toward automation were annoying sluggish.  It was enough to make you want to pound your head against the wall.  Many gave up.

Then along came Microsoft with their idea of bringing computing to the masses including the ability to write programs, when they invented a programming language called BASIC.  Now any person with $5,000 to spare (That is what the first IBM PCs cost.) could teach themselves how to make the computer do something useful without having to go to school and wait in line at the data center.  In terms of productivity, that was an order of magnitude better than what they had before.

PCs got better with a graphical interface (Windows) giving a platform in which Netscape could run.  Java gave PCs something to run with.

This was the selling point for Java.  It cost nothing to learn, as Sun gave it away for free.  People around the world realized they could find work if they could learn this relatively-simple programming language.  Some did it just out of curiosity.  That was different than, say, SAP, which one could only learn by working on an SAP project or paying for expensive training.  SAP was too large to install at home. Java only required a PC.

Soon companies like BEA took that small animated object dancing around the screen and turned it into something useful, powerful, and scalable.  They invented the application server.  Using that, businesses began to see that you could get rid of more complicated programming languages—like C and C++, more suited to engineering than business—and replace them with Java, which millions of people had taught themselves at home or in the university, no waiting in line.

Soon most businesses were running Java programs to power their logistics and sales, accounting and order entry systems, unless they were big enough to buy SAP or Baan. (Since then, advancements made have driven down costs allowing even midsized businesses the ability to acquire end-to-end SAP solutions complete with managed support.)

While Java was easier to learn at first, getting it to do something useful—like calculate taxes or make a sales forecast—was much more difficult.  One had to learn how to write programs that ran not on one computer but several.  People referred to this as separating the user interface (presentation layer) from the business logic (application layer).  Then there was the need to connect to the database.

All of that has become easy as companies have adopted standards and introduce what are called frameworks.  Frameworks are a bundle of code that make programming much easier once one has learned the framework, a task difficult in itself.  Standards let companies interconnect their computers using something called web services, which is a way to transmit business objects (like sales order) using something that resembles an ordinary web page.

All of this made programming cheaper and more efficient.  Labor costs fell as so many programmers became available. 

To the person using an application in the cloud, on the web, or desktop, it does not matter much whether the program is written in Java or Greek.  But for the person paying the bills for IT projects, they can relax (a little) knowing that the vast majority of programming is done using just two programming tools:  Java and Microsoft.  That standardization has reduced the problems associated with employee turnover and knowledge transfer and has driven down the relative costs of IT projects.  Plus it has resulted in more reliable programs than the monstrous, error-prone, and difficult-to understand COBOL business applications of thirty years ago.

[vonazon-inc]

Now that You Have the Auto Loan

You have just been through either a quick application taking a few minutes of your time or been through the ringer with a lender that doesn’t value your time and finally have an approval to walk into a dealership and purchase a car as a cash buyer. There are a few things you still need to do…besides driving the car off the lot.

Just because you have a loan approval doesn’t mean you can afford the car. Don’t be afraid to live below your means and get a different make and model. If it is a short time after your loan approval it may require only a quick adjustment to the lending paperwork or none at all, especially if you are dealing with an understanding lender (Hint, Hint).  Now it is time to think about how much of a monthly payment you can afford. Resist the temptation to focus solely on the interest rate; the number that has the most impact on your budget is how much money out of your paycheck you have left after your car payment.

A reason you may not have as much as you thought you would in your wallet is the options you choose for your car. GAP Insurance, which can make up the difference between what the car is really and what your insurance company wants you to think it is worth is essential should something happen to your car. Do not leave the dealership without GAP Insurance. There are many other options including sunroofs, high end audio systems, upgraded tires, leather upholstery and more. Decide what you want before you walk into a dealership and keep in mind that adding a sunroof after your purchase is not for those without an industrial chainsaw and the budget to buy another car. The top of the line tires can be purchased later and possibly for less money. Research the cost of insuring your vehicle and feeding it fuel to keep it running as well, as these expenses will be competing with your auto loan payments.

Money isn’t everything. Once you have the car loan your schedule may change dramatically if you are going from a two-seater to an SUV capable of picking up your child’s soccer club or you may find yourself carpooling with coworkers now that you are no longer afraid everyone will be late to work because your car broke down on the freeway.  Be sure to think about new responsibilities you may be taking on with your new wheels as well. Don’t be scared, Breathe, count to ten and hope your car starts so you can start shopping.

If you don’t have your auto loan yet, click here to apply now! It’s quick, easy and painless.

- See more at: http://www.blueskyautofinance.com/Now-that-You-Have-the-Auto-Loan

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Nine Ways to Heat Up Trade Show Sales Using Twitter

Like first going places you have never been before with a new flame, the seduction doesn’t begin at the trade show.  There are several ways to make your presence at a trade show a success. Woo your potential customers and leads months before by announcing you will be at the event via Twitter, email and other platforms. Then, once the show starts, follow these tips to make your presence a success.

  Give Value

Use Twitter to direct users to content that will give them value first. It could be links to information from noncompeting businesses your target market would find useful. This will encourage your company to be a connector, making money for your clients and put dollar signs in their heads when they think of you.

Mobile Hotspot

Create buzz by having a mobile hotspot and announce the password on Twitter. This will bring people to your booth looking to escape slow Wi-Fi networks or cellular networks even if the event organizer is providing internet access. Allow attendees to connect at the highest speed you can afford but keep the range of the connection reasonable. There is no need for your prospective customer to be able to access your Wi-Fi connection from your competitors’ booth across the hall.

Use unique and specific twitter hashtags

Your organization should register a specific hashtag to draw attention to your presence at the event. Your hashtag should be prominently displayed along with your logo and like the rest of your booth should attract attention. Once again do everything you can before hand to make attendees aware of your hashtag before the fun starts. Once your twitter hashtag has brought people to your booth it is time for your salespeople, presenters and other attractions to shine.

Tweet about fun demos via Twitter

Have contests, prizes and demonstrations that will attract attention to your booth via Twitter. Tease your attendees about this without being too specific before the show. The sweet nothings you whisper via their Twitter account will bring visitors to your booth.

Don’t neglect your other channels

Use what you post on Twitter with other social platforms as well. Facebook, used by almost two thirds of your attendees is the largest social network and a great place to cross-post tweets and draw attendees to your Twitter. Try to post content suited for each social network. Words and graphics should tell the story on LinkedIn, photographs and videos on Tumblr, and photographs for Instagram or Flickr. Have multiple social network accounts to give your target market more ways to connect with you.

Connect with your Twitter followers

At the event, have the participants and staff place their Twitter usernames on their name tag making communication even easier. Communication during the event from attendees can be handled by a combination of your on-site staff and off- site personnel so the on-site staff do not spend all of their time tweeting and losing face time with potential and current clients. This will give prospective clients another way to connect with you and a potential edge on your competition.

Tweet about freebies

Announce freebies and contests via Twitter worth the trip across the hall. Don’t announce free pens on Twitter, people can get those from anybody.  Offer Whitepapers to help them grow their business…with you. Give them a chance to win valuable prizes by providing you with their contact details and get permission to contact them again.

Follow up after the show

After the show don’t forget about your Twitter followers, keep them abreast of developments than can help them, don’t just send Twitter spam to your followers like most of your competition.

By using these tips and more you may have thought of along the way Twitter, and other tools at your disposal can lead to sweet, sweet…sales in the weeks and months to come. Read more:http://vonazon.com/blog/nine-ways-heat-trade-show-sales-using-twitter/