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Filed under: ASI Shows, Editorial, Fun, Travel
Hey Y’all! (See, I’ve still got my Dallas on!)
So I just returned from a rollicking, rave-worthy ASI Dallas Show that was one for the books (along with my bar tabs…). I’ve always loved Dallas, since way back when PPAI used to have its shows there, so I truly look forward to this ASI event each year. As you’ll see from the voluminous amount of photos below, a grand ole time was had by all (I’m looking at you, Billy Booe, Julie Ditchik and Scottie Nussinow)! My favorite parts? Meeting new friends like Proforma’s Kelsey Anthony, who I’ve talked to numerous times on the phone and via e-mail, but had never met in person, and spending time with those I don’t see as often as I’d like to — my gal pal Lisa Horn, Polyconcept North America’s Melissa Lehman and Sweda’s Kellie Claudio, for example.
The show itself was an undeniable success: 3,600 distributors in attendance, an increase of 8% from last year, and record-breaking attendance for first lady Laura Bush’s keynote address, with more than 600 people packing the ballroom of the Dallas Convention Center to hear Mrs. Bush speak.
And I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention ASI’s second-annual Women’s Summit, held at the magnificent French Room in the Adolphus Hotel. Networking with my favorite industry ladies, sanctioned mid-day drinking and a keynote address from the lovely and inspiring Mrs. Bush. What more could you ask for?
Hope to see you all soon at the next show, where my goal is to keep the good times — and optimistic mood we’re all in — going!
Cheers, and more soon!
– M
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| Here I am at the Dragonfly restaurant, located within the very swanky Hotel ZaZa in Dallas, with (from left) Mark Hobbs, president of Pacific Coast Golf, Nadine Panetti, vice president of PromoBiz USA and Christian Brandt, executive director of ASI’s distributor sales department. Their aliases, by which they’re better known, are McDreamy (for obvious reasons), the Saucy Aussie (Australia’s most sassy export!) and Tigerbeat (my colleague who all the girls swoon over like teenyboppers). When Christian and I go out with Mark and Nadine, we always have a memorable evening (followed by soul-shattering hangovers the next morning). |
I really can’t remember if Nadine was patting Christian’s face in an affectionate, sisterly way or preparing to give him a slap for being a smartass. Either way, it was hilarious. |
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| I love that at the haute Hotel ZaZa in Dallas, the maitre’d greeted everyone — in lieu of traditional candy or nuts — with a martini glass full of fruit loops. Which, considering my dinner companions, is irony at its finest. |
Have you met Jake Krolick (“Jakey,” to you and I), ASI’s uber-creative and weapons grade-wacky marketing manager? Jake says I have a talent for taking photos of him that showcase his libertine, rock-star self and this one is no exception — he looks sketchy, but in a fun way. Want to know how to use social media to create off-the-charts innovative marketing? Jakey’s your guy. |
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| Murray Siegel (left), marketing manager for Towel Specialties, is the face of the company and one of the reasons it continues to win Counselor Distributor Choice awards year after year. Murray and I have known each other for years, having bonded over the sheer brilliance of the movie Diner, and its fabulously sardonic dialogue. Here, Murray joins Brad White, vice president of sales for Counselor Top 40 distributor Boundless Network, for some cocktails. See you on the Chisholm Trail, Murray! ; ). |
Here’s a funny story for ya: So Brad White overwhelmingly wins the Supplier Salesperson of the Year award from ASI’s Supplier Global Resource magazine (as voted on by distributors) for his above-and-beyond service and salesmanship with the San Diego-based supplier AddVenture for 14 years, and promptly becomes a distributor, joining Boundless Network as its vice president of sales, much to the chagrin of his distributor clients, who simply adore him. Here he is with his award, which he so richly deserves for his sheer enthusiasm and sales talent — Brad will always be one of the best, regardless if he’s a supplier or a distributor. Next to him is my girl Jilly Albers, who you’ve met in this blog many times before and is director of business development for the OH-based distributorship Shumsky. Jilly always stays with me in my hotel room when we’re at shows together, and we always have a blast. I don’t have a sister, but if I did, it’d be Jilly. |
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| Sweda’s Paige Millard (inexplicably looking as though I just kicked him with my stiletto in an especially sensitive area) and Jilly each stand well over 6′ feet tall and make someone like me, 5′4″ in heels, look like I should be baking snacks in the Keebler tree when I stand next to them. I call Paige and Jilly my “leaf-eaters.” Love them both! |
ASI’s senior vice president of professional development and editor-in-chief of its magazines, Melinda Ligos, in the midst of a delightful dinner at The Palm — hosted by supplier sales rep Mary Sells and ASI’s executive management consultant for ASI Canada, Fred Oesen — with Billy Booe, vice president of business development for Charlotte, NC-based distributor Bluegrass Promotions. Billy was on my “Secrets of Successful Self-Promotions” education panel earlier that day and made it a huge success. He is as charming and fun as he is smart and creative! |
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| Having just celebrated his 8th anniversary as ASI’s president and CEO, Tim Andrews (center) welcomes the very vivacious Leslie Austin and Loren Hudson, new suppliers who own MojoGlo, and an awesome company with tres cool products. (Check them out at www.mojoglo.com) Also shown, Pinnacle Designs’ Julie Ditchik. More on Jules momentarily… |
Tim, one of the smartest people I’ve ever worked for (and second in sassy snarkiness only to me), poses with the one and only Julie Ditchik, director of sales for the CA-based supplier Pinnacle Designs. Jules and I have known each other for years and she is a whirlwind of energy. More accurately, she’s a pistol — without a silencer. LOVE her! |
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(From left): Typically, you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone more raucous than Jules and I at a gathering, but this guy — Bill Miller from BCG Creations in Canada — made us seem like wallflowers at the prom. Here’s Bill and Jules, with one of my two “work husbands” (the other is Christian “Tigerbeat” Brandt), Ron Ball, ASI vice president of supplier sales — another “introvert.”
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Bill Miller and his lovely wife, Sharon, from BCG Creations. I was lucky enough to have these two firecrackers at my table during a dinner in a private room at The Palm, making for a very entertaining evening. |
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Mary Sells (center), one of ASI’s hosts for a very memorable dinner at The Palm, celebrated her birthday with her guests, including Bluegrass Promotions’ Billy Booe (to her left), with some singing and cake.
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Mark Bruk (left), vice president of CFS Promotions for Now!, once convinced me that it was a good idea to join one leg of an Advantages roadshow to “experience life on the road.” Consequently, because I stocked the tour bus with beer, wine and various “spirits,” and encouraged suppliers to drink through the Midwest with me, my liver still quivers at the thought of it. Thanks for the memories, Mark! Next to him is Barry Hermanson, the owner of Aunt Beth’s Cookie Keepers.
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I love going to dinner with ASI’s sales reps, because I always get to meet interesting, new people outside of my usual lunatic fringe of kooks and degenerates. At this particular dinner, I was able to meet Frank Rocco (left) from Marathon Prestige and Ray Mancari, with Aunt Beth’s Cookie Keepers.
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If there is a male version of me, in his deep, deep love of wine and the superhuman capacity to consumer large quantities of it, it’s Stuart Johnson, president of CFS Promotions for Now! Should we ever be at a vineyard together, we’d cause more devastation than locusts. ; )
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| Leslie Austin of Mojoglo and her stunning, so very Texas Christian Louboutin stilettos, which were red suede and rhinestone. I stand in awe of these shoes and this chica wore them well! |
These boys, who are responsible for the livelihood of many a bartender, are some of my favorites. (From left): Scottie Nussinow, vice president of marketing for Points of Light; ASI’s Christian Brandt and Bluegrass Promotions’ Billy Booe. |
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| Joe Hoffman (left), vice president of business development for Jetline, who wears a perpetually amused smirk that conveys he knows everybody’s secrets, is shown here with Loren Hudson, from Mojoglo, as we all partied at the bar at The Palm, post-dinner. |
You know how they say “a picture speaks a thousand words”? This one speaks two: “delicious” and “trouble.” (From left): Points of Light’s Scottie Nussinow; ASI’s social butterfly and executive director of the ESP Information Team, Candace Hershey; and Dan Townes, owner of Shepenco/Shelbyville Pencil, with whom I once went on a legendary 15-hour bender in Hong Kong. |
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| Some of my awesome ASI colleagues: Christian Brandt; Angela Wright, manager of ASI’s electronic advertising; and Freddy Oesen of ASI Canada — or, as I call him, The Prime Minister. |
My pal Scottie Nussinow and the beyond-delightful Megan Erber, the mid-Atlantic sales manager for Jetline. Megan, a martial arts expert, could incapacitate you more swiftly than Spock with his Vulcan Death Grip, incidentally. |
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Here’s Joe Haley, ASI’s managing editor and star of The Joe Show, channeling his inner Golden Girl and hiding behind his alter ego, Betty White.
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My sista Jilly and one of my industry faves from way back, Eric (“E,” to you and I) Johnson, co-owner of the MN-based supplier Halls & Co./IDLine. True story: E and I met 14 years ago at my very first PPAI Dallas Show. Not knowing any better, I was walking the show in 4″ stilettos and wanted to die after about six aisles. I spotted E in his booth and noticed he had an extra chair, which I promptly commandeered after introducing myself. Now, at every show where we’re both in attendance, E gets an extra chair for me in his booth, where I plant myself for extended periods of time — like a lawn dart. |
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| Freddy Oesen, head of ASI Canada (and the aforementioned “Prime Minister”) held a private dinner at famed chef Stephan Pyles’ restaurant, which he graciously invited me to attend. Two of the many awesome guests were my pal Harry Fotopoulos, sales manager for OraLabs, and Kirsten Olson from Showdown Displays. |
Stephan Pyles’ famed restaurant in Dallas was just stunning, and the food was off-the-charts. The only thing better was the fabulous people in attendance.
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| Two people who define “life of the party”: ASI’s Candace Hershey and OraLabs’ Harry Fotopoulos. |
The host with the most at our private dinner at Stephan Pyles’ restaurant, here’s Freddy Oesen (center) with Gigi Grein and Richard Bubis from the Canadian supplier Fersten.
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| My ASI colleague Angela Wright was seated next to the very charming and cordial Jeff Firkser, from St. Regis Crystal. A native South African, I could have listened to Jeff’s accent all night. |
Kharl Douyon with Fersten sat next to me at dinner and is one of the most interesting people I’ve met in quite some time. Born in Haiti but living now in Canada, Kharl’s family still lives in Port-au-Prince. |
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| A little background for this photo: Kharl Douyon, who was born and raised in Haiti, shared with our table that he had never had tequila before and was curious as to its allure. Now note Dan Townes — who never met a bottle of tequila he didn’t love — sitting at the table as well. Quicker than you could say “Patrone,” we each had cordial-sized shot glasses filled to the brim with tequila. Because, as Dan rationed, “I’m just trying to be hospitable.” Yes, Sweetie. |
Held in the famous French Room of the Adolphus Hotel in Dallas, ASI’s second-annual Women’s Summit was a smashing success, with over 65 of the best and brightest ladies in the industry gathering to meet former first lady and Texas native Laura Bush and hear her deliver a keynote speech on empowering women on a global level. With an hour of cocktails and networking and a fabulous lunch in addition to that, the event was not one to be missed. |
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(From left): ASI president and CEO Tim Andrews greets Laura Bush and Fran Ford, executive vice president of J. Charles Crystalworks, one of the sponsor’s of ASI’s Women’s Summit.
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The Shumsky & Boost Rewards’ ladies — the Blonde Bombshell Wrecking Crew, as I call them — give Laura Bush a warm welcome. |
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| Tonia Allen Gould (left), owner of the distributor TAG Marketing, spends some quality time with one of my faves, Bonni Shevin-Sandy, president of Dard Design, vice president of Dard and one of this year’s “10 Women to Watch,” as voted on by suppliers and distributors. The ASI awards were presented at the Women’s Summit. These two ladies exemplify the phrase role model. |
Executive vice president of Castelli North America and one of ASI’s 10 Women to Watch, the always-delightful Missy Kilpatrick (left), shown here with my pal Lisa Horn, the founder and chief content officer of the boutique marketing and PR firm Content Matters. Big kudos to Missy for also being the first runner-up for Supplier Global Resource’s Supplier Sales Rep of the Year, as voted on by distributors. You rock, girlfriend! |
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Filed under: ASI Shows, Editorial, Fun, Travel
Hi Everyone!
Despite the sketchy weather on the East Coast, I’m back from the ASI Orlando Show, where multiple records (number of distributor attendees, exhibitors, education day participants, etc.) were shattered. This proves to me that the sense of resurgence and recovery I felt at the PSI Dusseldorf Show two weeks ago wasn’t a fluke: The industry’s bad days have passed, and, as they say in NoLa, laissez les bons temps rouler! Trust me — the good times in Orlando were plentiful and memorable.
A special shout-out to my supplier panelists who shared their secrets for success (and mistakes they’ve made along the way) with their supplier peers at a free luncheon on set-up day: World Wide’s Kim Newell; Counselor Top 40 supplier Hit Promotional Products’ C.J. Schmidt (huge congrats to Hit, this year’s ASI Supplier of the Year!); MediaTree’s Rob Watson; and Shepenco’s Dan Townes – all of whom were simply spectacular!
Were you in Orlando? Post a comment below sharing your favorite moment(s)! (You’ll see some of mine in the photos below…). Couldn’t make it to the show? Meet us in two weeks for the ASI Dallas Show, where we’ll keep the good times and optimism for the industry’s success in 2011 rolling!
Cheers, and more next week!
– M
PS: If you will be at the ASI Dallas Show, check out my Education Day session on how to create effective, measurable self-promotion campaigns (Wednesday, 2/16, from 9:45-10:45 a.m.), with my superstar panelists Brad White, vice president of sales for Counselor Top 40 distributor Boundless Network, and Billy Booe, sales & self-promo guru at Bluegrass Promotions, one of Counselor’s fastest-growing distributor companies.
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| Some of my fabulous ASI colleagues (from left to right): Managing Editor and star of The Joe Show, Joe Haley; Computer Support Specialist Jason Cissorsky; Manager of ESP’s Data Processing department, Sharon Pullins; Advantages‘ editor, Kathy Huston; and one of my two “work husbands” (the other is vice president of supplier sales Ron Ball!), Christian Brandt (aka, “Tigerbeat”), executive director of ASI’s Distributor Services. |
My second-favorite publisher (after ASI’s executive vice president and publisher, Rich Fairfield, my boss), Matty Barnes, publisher of Promo Marketing (left) and his industry BFF, Jeff Lederer, president of Counselor Top 40 supplier Prime Line. |
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My colleagues Phyllis Mutnick and Suzanne Rozick, ASI supplier sales reps, hosted an awesome dinner at the Palm restaurant in Orlando for their clients who were the winners and finalists of the prestigious Counselor Distributor Choice Awards. I was honored to host a table, and imagine my delight when I discovered it was me and six gregarious and hilarious men. Here, meet the very charming Tim Hanson (left), president of Ball Pro, and Kent Davis, the regional sales rep for Counselor Top 40 supplier Vantage. I couldn’t have asked for more wonderful and entertaining dinner companions. To say we were raucous is putting it mildly… ; )
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After 14 years, it’s a rarity that I meet someone new in the industry whose quirky hilarity and Dionysian excess makes me giggle with delight. Pleased to meet you, Michael Moore (national sales manager for supplier Bay State Specialty Co.), hope you guess my name. Partying with you is like dancing with the devil — sinfully fun. Michael and I drank martinis and wine like it was our job.
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My pal Jason Grindall (left) of Graphco Line, with whom I once did a legendary week on an Advantages roadshow (complete with a fully-stocked bar on the bus and $200 worth of fireworks… Oy. Don’t ask…), and his colleague, David Byrne — equally as cool and lots more fun, I suspect, than the Talking Heads frontman of the same name. ; )
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My ASI colleague, the always-effervescent Candace Hershey, executive director of the ESP Information Team and my pal Paul Kory, director of sales for Counselor Top 40 supplier Vantage, the winner of a Distributor Choice Award for Best Decorated Apparel. Mucho kudos to Paul and his team! |
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| As I decided to drink my dinner at the Palm, Graphco’s Jason Grindall kindly stepped in and ate my filet like Fred Flintstone with a slab of brontosaurus. |
Bay State Specialties’ Michael Moore, my new favorite person in the industry. Witness the sea of empties at our dinner at the Palm… From that moment on, I was entranced, intrigued and utterly enthralled by his love of excess, second only to my own. If you haven’t met Michael, take my advice: Search him out at the next show and invite him to your dinner party. His entertainment value does not disappoint and he reminds me of how Lady Caroline Lamb once described Lord Byron: “Mad, bad and dangerous to know… .” In all the good ways. ; )
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| Here’s my pal Paul Kory from Vantage, with the thing that used to be me — before a demon overtook my body and made my eyes look like that — downright frightening. I think I was inhabited by the ghost of Hunter S. Thompson that evening in Orlando… |
Ah, Mr. Bistocchi. Michael Bistocchi (left), the senior vice president of sales & marketing for Clegg Promo, and I go wayback, to the old days when we carried on like Keith & Mick. But we’re so much more mellow now. Really. We are. Swear to God. Michael’s the driving force behind Clegg’s success and its win of the Counselor Distributor Choice Award for Best Glow/Light-Up Products. Next to him is his new employee, Chris Gohl, Clegg’s southeast account manager. Isn’t he the cutest thing (asks the creepy cougar…)? |
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| Billy Booe, sales expert and self-promotion aficionado extraordinaire with one of my favorite distributor companies, Bluegrass Promotional Marketing in Charlotte, NC, and the hilarious Kent Davis of Vantage. |
Some of my ASI editorial crew (from left): Andy “Captain Killjoy” Cohen, editor of Counselor; Kathy “Give me wine or give me death” Huston, editor of Advantages; and Nicole “Don’t make me impale you with my 5″ stilettos” Rollender, editor of Stitches and director of education. I couldn’t ask for better — or more delightfully kooky — colleagues. |
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| Ladies and gentlemen, meet Joe Haley, ASI’s managing editor, star of The Joe Show, and my editorial “handler.” Next time you see Joe at a trade show, buy him a drink — as his office is next to mine, he needs it! The Joe Show is now so popular, Mr. Haley was asked for autographs at the Orlando Show! Seriously. |
It’s a bag, it’s a pen, it’s PromoMan, ASI’s new mascot for the industry! Fans couldn’t get enough of PromoMan’s spongy muscles and sense of truth, justice and the ad specialty way. |
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At the Peppermint Twist event, starring music legend Joey Dee of the Starlighters, this festive couple began dancing the minute they entered the room. Love it!
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Here’s my editorial girls doing the Peppermint Twist (from left): Nicole Rollender; Senior Vice President and Editor-In-Chief Melinda Ligos; and Kathy Huston. |
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One of my favorite people in the industry, Tim O’Boyle (“Ringo” to you and I…), who runs the Polyconcept North America company JournalBooks, which his family founded, took me, Jamie Raynor, JournalBooks’ director of sales and operations, and Scott Anderson, national sales manager of Counselor Top 40 supplier Polyconcept North America, to Christini’s, an Italian restaurant that’s an institution in Orlando. Between the amazing food and company, that meal ranks in my top five of all time.
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Scott Anderson and the lovely and talented Jamie Raynor, enjoying the exquisite wine ordered by Ringo during our sumptuous dinner at Christini’s. |
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| You had to hear it to believe how great it was, but this accordion player at Christini’s did a dead-on version of Zeppelin’s Stairway to Heaven. Kid. You. Not. |
Scott Anderson, looking quite fetching with one of the roses the waiter at Christini’s gave Jamie Raynor and I.
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| The fantastic Rick French, sales manager at Polyconcept North America, upon returning from the Universal Orlando Harry Potter theme park, where the ASI Show had its gala. He loved it… |
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Filed under: Editorial, PSI Shows, Travel
Hi Everyone!
I’ve just returned from Europe, where I attended my favorite show of the year, PSI Dusseldorf. It is a HUGE event in the European ad specialty marketplace, where you’ll see trends that will have an impact on the North American industry in the coming year. Trust me: No one does packaging, fashion and design better than the Euros.
Optimism permeated the show floor, with business, sales and moods rebounding after two years of doom and gloom. The German Association of Promotional Products, for example, announced that sales of ad specialties in that country reached 3.43 billion euro ($4.61 billion US) in 2010, up from 2.97 billion euro ($3.99 billion US) in 2009. Another sign of good things to come? The European arm of Polyconcept, the world’s largest ad specialty supplier — PF Concept — once again held its grand party, which had been on hiatus for the past few years. Billed as “Imagine: The Party of the Century,” the fetewas back and better than ever, courtesy of Cees Martens, the Netherlands-based CEO of PF Concept International, with help from the supremely organized and capable Annette de la Rie, the Goddess of PF Concept. (See more on the party with tons of photos, below).
The PSI Show itself, the 49th annual event, is Europe’s largest ad specialty trade show. Held from 1/12-1/14, it showcased 849 exhibitors from 30 nations, covered 35,000 square meters of floor space in five halls, and drew 17,122 attendees, up from 16,464 last year. Michael Freter, PSI’s managing director, noted that while this year’s show numbers “are by no means record-breaking,” they do allow for “careful optimism.” “PSI is a barometer of public opinion … and reflects the performance of the manufacturers and distributors of promotional products,” Freter said. “The signs are positive that this year’s PSI Show will be carried by the current economic upswing.”
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| Taken from the vantage point of the VIP Lounge at the Messe Convention Center in Düsseldorf, the show had yet to open, but Hall 10 — which contained some of the largest suppliers in Europe (PF Concept, MidOcean and Senator) — readied for the crowd of 17,000+ attendees. |
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| Even the lighting fixtures brought in by the exhibitors to decorate their booths at the PSI Düsseldorf Show are aesthetically amazing, as evidenced by this chandelier made from wine glasses and these multi-colored light-up spheres (right) that alternated blinking lights. |
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That sense of optimism for increased industry sales carried through to the show floor, with distributors and the heads of Europe’s largest suppliers, such as Polyconcept’s Chairman Philippe Varnier and Senator’s CEO Michael Nick, indicating increased sales in the second half of 2010 and high indicators for a successful 2011.
Product trends from the show floor include an emphasis on creative eco-friendly packaging, such as sports drinks in toothpaste-shaped tubes constructed of recycled material and vegan bags constructed from vegetables. Earth-based, rustic colors such as bark brown, pine green and leaf orange were the hues shown most prominently. Additionally, QR (Quick Response) codes are ubiquitous on the show floor, on suppliers’ booths, on attendee badges and exhibitor catalogs. Intermed Asia Ltd. attracted crowds to its booth with a video demonstration of a new application that allows logos to act like QR codes; by merely scanning a company’s logo on a bag or mug, for example, a client can launch additional promotional messages.
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So how cool is this? To tout its new “Verve” pen, the clever folks at Senator built this vending machine into their booth, with each slot housing a brightly colored pen and corresponding descriptive info. Prior to the show, Senator reps send out tokens to select clients and prospects, asking them to stop by the booth and redeem the token for a coin to get a Verve pen from the vending machine. Of course before attendees were give the coin, they got some face time with their Senator rep. Brilliant! Further tying in their promo, the booth’s bar (all the large suppliers have bars built into their booths that serve complimentary coffee, tea, water, soft drinks, champagne, wine and beer… Kid You Not) they had a special cocktail concoction named for the Verve pen that was so potent, I’m convinced it was designed to keep one in the booth as long as possible. If you’ve never met Michael Nick, Senator’s CEO, put getting to know him on your “to do” list.
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Each year at the PSI Düsseldorf Show, Philippe Varnier, Chairman of Polyconcept, and his team nicely let Rich Fairfield, ASI’sexecutive vice president and publisher, and I stay on the River Queen, a huge boat (it sleeps over 100 people and has a bar, a restaurant, a workout area, etc.) they bring in and dock on the Rhine outside the convention center in Düsseldorf. It’s very convenient and very, very gracious of them to let us stay aboard with the PF Concept team. Here, everyone’s favorite multiline rep from San Diego, Jodi Friedman-Antonelli, who now lives in Lucca, Italy, and my colleague Ed Koehler, ASI’s associate publisher, yuck it up in my cabin. |
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| At one of the booths on the PSI Show floor, a man was doing caricatures of attendees who stopped by. Witness, then, the truly terrifying drawing of my boss, Rich Fairfield, who in this picture looks like he should be lurking under a bridge with the other trolls, waiting to eat billygoats attempting to pass. |
Now this, my friends, is how you build buzz for your booth and attract hoards of attendees: Have a mid-day fashion show, as Bella did, with a bevy of Euro beauties strutting their stuff to Ke$ha’s “Tik Tok.”
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Another clever way to lure soccer-crazed attendees? Have a pro soccer player do tricks in your booth.
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Have you met Ed Koehler? He’s ASI’s associate publisher and a great person with whom to travel. His baritone-rich voice is so deep, it resembles Lurch from The Addams Family. http://www.addamsfamily.com/addams/yourang.wav |
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My fun group at the PF Concept party at the Sofitel Hotel in Düsseldorf (from left): Rich Fairfield, Jodi Antonelli, Ed Koehler, Polyconcept’s Shanghai-based sourcing director, the lovely Michelle Armstrong and Karen DiTomasso, ASI’s vice president of sales for the ASI Show. Karen is officially my new favorite person to travel with!
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Hans-Joachim Erbel, the executive director of PSI, or “Ha-Jo,” as he’s known to his pals. Ha-Jo is one of my favorites, since an infamous night years ago when I threw one of my stilettos at him at a bar in Düsseldorf and he promptly drank champagne from it.
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The host with the most, the Chancellor of All Things Suave, Mr. Philippe Varnier, chairman of Polyconcept and personality extraordinaire. Philippe is as comfortable with a mic as I am at a vodka bar.
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A few German beers in, and Ed Koehler really lets his hair down, as shown here after he commandeered a bottle of Riesling for our table at the PF Concept party. |
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If you’ve never been to the PSI Show, or want to know anything about the European marketplace, these two are my top “go-to” guys: Philippe Varnier (left) and Michael Freter, the stunningly knowledgeable and charming managing director of the PSI Show.
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Manfred Schlosser, the editor-in-chief of the PSI Journal, the association’s excellent monthly magazine. |
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| One can never have too many “Micheles” in their life! Here, Polyconcept’s Michelle Armstrong, Philippe Varnier and I at the PF Concept “Imagine” party. The party, the entertainment and the atmosphere among guests could best be described as “electrifying.” |
How much do I adore Yann Leca, the CEO of Polyconcept’s Supplier Group? Let me count the ways… Here, he takes solace in the arms of The Micheles. |
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| Philippe Varnier and one of his favorite clients, Howard Trilling, vice president of international sales for Counselor Top 40 distributor Staples. Howard attends the PSI Show in Düsseldorf each year, and it’s always so nice to see his familiar face. |
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Next year’s PSI Dusseldorf Show — which, for the first time in years, won’t overlap with any U.S. show — will be held from January 11-13. I’ll be there, and would be happy to be your guide to the show and all the fun events, including an international reception to be hosted by ASI in the VIP Lounge of the convention center at the close of the first show day! From there, we’ll all go to PSI’s PHENOMENAL party at one of the best nightclubs in Dusseldorf. Trust me, it is quite the time. ; For more information about next year’s PSI Show, go to www.psi-network.de.
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PF Concept’s amazing party, attended by nearly 900 people and held at the SofitelHotel (a shot of the room pre-party, to the left) in Düsseldorf, featured gourmet food, alcohol and a surreal and spectacular event that was a mix of kabuki theater and Cirque du Soleil. The riveting theater, told in four acts, regaled us with the story of an Ice Queen who lost her light and the trials she went through to regain it. It was just stunning… And just when you thought it was over, the curtains on the stage parted and a 13-piece disco band, The Boston Tea Party, began playing and didn’t stop until 2:00 a.m.
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| Cees Martens, the Netherlands-based CEO of PF Concept International, was the mastermind behind PF Concept’s jaw-dropping “Imagine: The Party of the Century.” |
Kabuki-esque musicians like this one weaved their way through the crowd at PF Concept’s party, rhythmically thumping their tribal drums to signal an especially poignant moment in the four-act play. |
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Cheers, and more next week from ASI’s Orlando Show!
– M
If you’re a supplier who’s attending ASI’s Orlando Show, please join me for a free luncheon panel discussion on Sunday, 1/23, on the show floor from noon til 1:30 p.m. Take a break from setting up your booth to hear my panel of esteemed suppliers who’ve experienced growth in their businesses and are ready to share how they’ve done it: C.J. Schmidt, vice president of sales for Counselor Top 40 supplier Hit Promotional Products; Kim Newell, president of World Wide Lines Inc.; Rob Watson, president of MediaTree; and Dan Townes, owner of Shepenco.
Wednesday
November 24, 2010
Filed under: Travel
Hi Everyone,
Before I share some fun photos I took at this year’s ASI Power Summit at the beautiful Turnberry Isle Resort in Ventura, FL, last week, I wanted to point out a few of my personal highlights:
* The industry panelists who really spoke their minds and had the cojones to be controversial were among the best. When asked, on the ”Supplier & Distributor Point/Counterpoint” panel, about the issue of distributors trusting suppliers enough to bring them to client meetings, industry veteran Dan Townes, owner/president of Shelbyville, TN-based supplier Shepenco/Shelbyville Pencil, brought down the house with this assessment of the situation: “You have a better chance of throwing a saddle on a unicorn and riding it around than seeing distributors trust suppliers enough to bring them to client meetings.” Bill Korowitz, CEO of Counselor Top 40 supplier The Magnet Group, made this pronouncement during the “Follow the Leader: Meet the Counselor Power 50″ panel, on the topic of inventory issues: “Listen, I’m happy to have a million pieces of something in my inventory if you need it; but I can have a million pieces of everything that you may or may not need in my inventory. Distributors need to do a better job conveying what they need to suppliers. Once we know what your inventory needs truly are, we can help you.”
* During a discussion session I moderated, in which suppliers and distributors broke off into groups and hashed out some of today’s pressing problems, a distributor approached me on the stage and asked me to convey to suppliers that what distributors really want is “significant benefits at insignificant costs” to help them fight inflation and stay profitable. So, good luck with that one, Suppliers! ; )
* ASI’s exclusive new and updated “Advertising Specialties Impressions Study” was released at the Power Summit and is an eye-opener to the power of promo products. The study went global this time, in that we surveyed businesspeople who use ad specialties in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and Philadelphia, as well as London, Sydney, Toronto and Montreal. Click here to see the study and download it as a way to prove to clients that ad specialties really do offer the best bang for the buck.
* Sometimes, what you think will end in disaster turns out for the best, as was the case with dinner on the first evening. It was held outdoors, by the beautiful Laguna pool on the resort’s property. Unfortunately, as ASI’s president/CEO Tim Andrews began interviewing the keynote guest, economist Sean Snaith, it began to rain — hard. Not to be deterred, everyone poured inside and headed right to the bar, turning the event into an impromptu fun fest of networking and cocktailing (the open bar was a definite hit!). And Mr. Snaith’s (who was great, despite having a name that sounds like a Harry Potter villain) predictions on the state of our country’s economy and how it will affect the industry? My editorial colleague Andy Cohen interviewed him inside and the video was shown the next day. Click here to see that interview.
And now, on to some photos I snapped of various behind-the-scenes events and industry friends frolicking. Next year’s Power Summit (from November 6-8) is at the drop-dead-gorgeous Ritz Carlton, Laguna Niguel in Dana Point, CA. Go to www.asicentral.com/psreg for more info!
Enjoy, and Cheers!
– M
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| This is the breathtakingly picturesque shot at the 18th hole of the Miller golf course, one of two on Turnberry Isle’s property and where those who attended ASI’s fourth annual Power Summit and participated in the golf outing got to play. |
I took this right before the professional photographer we hired snapped his photo of the group in attendance at this year’s ASI Power Summit. His photo, much better than mine, was taken from 12 feet in the air and offers a nice bird’s eye view, which will appear in our event wrap-up in December’s issue of Counselor. |
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| On behalf of my editorial colleagues C.J. Mittica, editor of Wearables, and Nicole Rollender, editor of Stitches, I woke up at 5:00 a.m. one day to oversee a photo shoot on swimwear that will appear on upcoming covers of their magazines. Those of you who know me will understand how much I loathe doing anything in the morning — I operate much like the vamps on True Blood, after dark and with lots of black leather and sass. |
Still, for C.J. and Nicole, I sucked it up. When these photos were taken, it was 7:00 a.m. and freezing in Florida — the poor models, Valeska (in blue) and Harmony, were just lovely and total pros — you’d never know just how cold they were except for their fur Uggs boots, which we cropped out of the shots. Both girls were so tiny, I had to fight the urge to wrap them in blankets and feed them pancakes. |
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| Two of my absolute favorites in the industry: Chuck “Chuckles” Fandos, CEO of Counselor Top 40 distributor Gateway/CDI, sitting on the lap of Ira Neaman, owner/president of Counselor Top 40 supplier Vantage and my wearables “Yoda,” at the lobby bar in the Turnberry Resort. “There’s all-business Ira, and then there’s fun, wild Ira,” Chuckles says. We love wild Ira! |
Scott Pearson, vice president of product development for Counselor Top 40 supplier Sweda, with his friend, Stephanie Leader, president of the OH-based supplier Leaderpromos.com. Both Scott and Stephanie sat at my table for the second night’s dinner at ASI’s Power Summit, during which the Counselor Power 50 list was revealed. Click here to see the full list. |
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| My pal Eric Johnson (“E” to you and I…), owner of the MN-based supplier Halls & Co./IDLine, shown here with Gateway/CDI’s Chuckie Fandos and Sweda’s president, Jim Hagan. One of the first people I met in the industry, E and I have been friends now for 13 years. When we’re both at the same event, I always make sure to seat him next to me! |
Love this powwow of OH-based distributors! Chris Yaw (left) from the Columbus, OH-based distributor Leaderpromos.com, and Mike Emhoff, owner of the Dayton-based distributor Shumsky. |
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| The always-charming Chris Vernon, president of Counselor Top 40 distributor The Vernon Co., who was a panelist at this year’s Power Summit, stops by my table for a visit during dinner. |
Love, love, love Dan Jellinek, now with Counselor Top 40 supplier Magnet, but I missed seeing his equally-awesome wife LeAnn! |
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| Look at these lovely ladies! Meet Anita Emhoff, co-owner of the OH-based distributor company Shumsky, and my girl Jilly Albers, Shumsky’s new business development director. Delightful dinner guests, these blondes definitely are more fun! ; ) |
In what I shall be henceforth referring to as their “prom photo,” here’s Gateway/CDI’s Chuckie Fandos and Sweda’s Jim Hagan sharing the love! ; ) |
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Filed under: Travel
As the winner of Supplier Global Resource’s inaugural Supplier Sales Rep of the Year contest, Brad White, vice president of sales for San Diego-based AddVenture (asi/31940), garnered an overwhelming number of nominations and accolades from the hundreds of distributors who voted. A uniquely creative thinker, profoundly talented at self-promotion & social media, constantly in touch with clients and always on his game, Brad is the sales rep distributors dream of working with – a true renaissance man for our plugged in digital age who makes their lives easy. Read on for his guest blog, and search him out online and at upcoming ASI shows in 2011 — you won’t be disappointed! To read more about Brad, click here.
Cheers!
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| Brad White, vice president of sales for AddVenture Products and this year’s SGR Supplier Sales Rep of the Year. And yes, he is as cool as he looks in this photo. |
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– Michele
When Michele asked me to write a guest blog I was immediately flattered and honored. Now faced with this opportunity, the task is as daunting as it is exciting. How to write a guest blog for ASI about the Supplier Global Resource Supplier Sales Rep of the Year award? I asked Michele (The Chief) for advice and she gave me a list, which included sharing what I’ve learned, talking about the industry, thanking people, and mentioning my social media efforts. I wonder – can I achieve all of that in one blog? Well here goes. This is my “Things-That-Have-Helped-Me-That-I-Would-Like-To-Acknowledge-And-Share” list.
Make friends. Your professional life is easier, better, and more fun when you build friendships. You achieve together, you influence each other, and you help each other grow. Whether you know it or not, you are shaped by your group, so you might want to surround yourself with good people. My group starts with my supplier constituents and colleagues, specifically those that have become dear friends like Cindy Kronen from DLX, John Costelli from Castle Merchandising, Amanda Nannini from Hit Promotional Products, and Devin Piscitelli from Aakron Rule, among others. It’s been a pleasure growing with you and I appreciate your friendship.
Find good partners. Simply put, business happens when people agree to do business together, and the success of that relationship depends upon the contributions of each partner. Every success I have achieved is due to my alliance with strong distributor partners like Sarah Demont at Massive Marketing, Josh Ebrahemi at Jack Nadel Int’l., Gary Cornwell from Shamrock Promotions, Cadi Stephenson from Canary Promos, Brice Dick from Adventures in Advertising, Sarah Clasen from The Kinetic Group and Tom Goos from Image Source. Thank you for contributing your creativity, expertise and effort.
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Brad, his wife Toni, and their adorable kids at the Padres’ stadium in their hometown of San Diego.
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Learn from mentors. Everyonecan learn from somebody. Having a mentor to provide wisdom and encouragement is priceless. I have been lucky to find some exceptional mentors. To be specific, Roni Wright of The Book Company is the best example of positive energy I have ever met. Roni, you light up a room and you have inspired me more than I can explain. Mr. Dan Collins right here at AddVenture. You have been kicking my butt since we first met. Your solid principles and strong work ethic have influenced me tremendously.
Build a solid team. You can operate with confidence when you trust your team to pick you up when you fall, help you find answers, and fight along your side. I have had the extreme pleasure of teaming-up with some talented and hard-working people. Janice Boyd, Kenn Watson, Robbie Gallo, Angela Bankston, and all the other past and present members of Team AddVenture who have made it fun to come to work every day. And of course, the team leader, Mr. Alan Davis – a passionate businessman with a big heart and an open mind, who has always given me every opportunity to grow.
Make people proud. Want motivation? Realize that people who care about you would be proud of your hard work, ethical decisions, and positive example as a professional. I know it’s a cliché, but I always wanted to make my Mom and Dad proud – I still do. And now with a wife and kids of my own, I feel that desire even more. My wife Toni is my rock. Thanks Babe! I would not be worthy of an award without your support. I would like to thank my family and friends for their impact on my life. My brothers, grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins – and my friends Mitchell Brown, Cam Newlin, Darren Hicks, Adam Sancic, Mike Foote, Kris Sherman and so many other of my trusted crew.
Thank you ASI for this honor. Thank you, Michele, for the opportunity to be your guest blogger.
And thank YOU for reading. If you want to read more, please visit www.whitethreads.com
Well there we go – list complete.
Brad White, AddVenture Products
Filed under: Personal, Travel
What’s that saying about the best laid plans? Well, in my case this summer, they went to hell in a handbasket. As with every summer, I was planning to spend weekends in my beloved Avalon, NJ (“the sunny place for shady people,” as W. Somerset Maugham once said about the French Riviera), attend the SAAC Show (one of my favorites) and then spend a week in Europe at the end of August with my pal Hillary Braubitz, ASI’s award-winning senior designer who lays out our magazines, at the brand-new Pro10 Show (a collaboration of PSI and its competitor, Pro8) in Amsterdam, followed by a weekend in Paris. Sounds fabulous, right?
Enter my mother, Judge Judye (she doesn’t sit on the bench, but is judgmental!) who decided to have an elective surgery at Tampa General (she and my stepfather live in Sanibel, FL) on June 30. The surgery was considered a success, but complications set in and she had to have a second surgery on July 1. Upon speaking to the doctors and my stepfather (who has the early signs of dementia), I immediately flew in from Philly on July 2, and have been here ever since.
It’s amazing how quickly you can adjust to a new reality. For the last month, my stepdad and I spend eight to nine hours a day in my mom’s room at Tampa General and our evenings at the hotel. Remember the famous children’s story of “Eloise living at the Plaza in New York”? My version is, “Michele at the Embassy Suites in Tampa.” That the hotel staff has been phenomenally hospitable, gracious and accommodating has made this whole experience that much easier. If there was ever a case for exceptional customer service winning someone over for life, it’s me and my new devotion to the Embassy Suites.
What’s been interesting to see, because the hotel is situated right next to the Tampa Convention Center, is the different trade-show groups and conference attendees who have come and gone. The good news? They all love ad specialties. What types of ad specialties they love varies according to the personalities of the groups. For example, the Convention of Physical Therapists went nuts for stress balls of all shapes and sizes; the meeting of Anime and Comic Book fans (which sold out my hotel), whose demographic is over-stimulated Gen Y-ers, got their freak on for bright, shiny, blinky items; the Florida Bar Association had its law students taking the bar exam at the Convention Center last week, so they craved pens, notepads, USB drives and coffee for late-night, last-minute cram sessions. The Stephenson family reunion (with over 200 people in attendance!) snapped up custom T-shirts, caps and slankets, all bearing a familial logo designed by a family member, and digital photo frames. And, the guests who attended the huge wedding held at the Convention Center (and corresponding cocktail parties by the pool and brunches at the hotel) were treated to gift bags filled with logoed, personalized candy, bottled water, beach towels, lip balm and sunscreen.
And in answer to the question, “Do recipients take their giveaways with them or leave them in their hotel rooms?” I’ll share with you what one of the physical therapy attendees told me in the elevator one day: “I’d leave my husband behind before leaving the bag of goodies I’ve collected at this show!”
The doctors tell me that my mom, who has been making excellent progress in the last 10 days, may be able to go home on August 9 (my birthday, ironically). Until then, I’ll be here – splitting my time between Tampa General (like the Embassy Suites, another extraordinary staff) and the hotel. How do I get by? As Ringo famously said, with a little help from my friends:
- First and foremost, a huge shout-out to Sharon (Biernat, with the Chicago-based distributor Creative Promotions) and Jilly (Albers, with Counselor Top 40 distributor WorkflowOne). Sharon and Jilly … always my girls. Sharon sent a huge box of my favorite foods and an excellent bottle of wine to the hotel (which arrived on a day when I REALLY needed cheering up); Jilly guest blogged for me (during the worst of my mom’s hospital stay when she was in the Trauma ICU for a week) from the ASI Chicago Show when I couldn’t.
- To PPAI’s Paul Bellantone, who follows me on Twitter and therefore knew of my extended stay here in Tampa and the reason for it. An avid music fan like me, he took the time to send me a link to a site that lists all concerts that are happening in Tampa for the month, in case I was able to get away and have some fun time, if even for a night. So sweet.
- To Dennis Sherman, who lives here in Tampa and regularly asks if he can take me out for breakfast, lunch or dinner, just to give me a break. I don’t have the time for that, but if I did, I’d go. I so appreciate the gesture.
- To Tom Riordan, president of Maple Ridge Farms, who – when I’ve ordered gift baskets to be sent to the hospital staff here at Tampa General – has chosen the most impressive and delicious food treats the company has to offer.
- To Christian Brandt, executive director of distributor sales at ASI, who has repeatedly offered to fly to Tampa, at a moment’s notice, if I need him and to transfer to me (though it’s not possible) his vacation time.
- To the management of ASI who has been unwaveringly supportive, patient and understanding of my need to be here, and my editorial colleagues, who have picked up the slack in my absence – especially my boss, Senior Vice President of Professional Development and Editor-in-Chief, Melinda Ligos, whose preternatural sense of calm lets me know everything will be OK. There are no words for how grateful I am.
- And last but not least, to my BFF Jeremy Young – one of ASI’s IT guys – who has sent me countless packages from Amazon, containing books that have kept me sane throughout this ordeal, and even homemade cookies from his mom. He’ll hate this, but his empathy has shown me he’s not the cranky, cantankerous misanthrope he pretends to be.
More soon from sunny Florida where – on the upside – it’s actually cooler than it’s been in Philly!
Cheers,
Michele
Filed under: Travel
(Read on for a report on the fun side and wild times of the ASI Chicago Show, from Jilly Albers, account executive for Counselor Top 40 distributor WorkflowOne and a member of this year’s Counselor Hot List, who’s filling in for her partner in sugar, spice and all things vice, ASI Editor Michele Bell.)
If there was one adjective that could best describe ASI Chicago this year it would be “hot.” Hot products, hot people, hot “literally.” I believe ASI’s Ron Ball described it best as we stood in a cab line Wednesday evening: “Jilly, this has to be the freakin’ hottest day of the year,” he said. With highs getting up into the 90s, the pavement steam rose as the 40-minute-long cab line snaked around the hotel entrance.
The heat did not stay outside … it was radiating through the show floor, as well. The aisles were packed and distributors and suppliers alike had an infectiously energy about them. Matty Tomb of Promo Fish had a hot new product line on the show floor. These thermo products are perfect for the health-care, food and energy industries. The products help to monitor temperature, improve quality and save costs.
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| Matty Tomb of Promo Fish |
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Following the show Wednesday I caught up with other WorkflowOne colleagues and former Visions Awards colleagues.
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| Mike Krauser, WorkflowOne |
Jay Donlin, Newton Manufacturing; Roy (Bubba) Pleiman, Visions Awards; Travis Pedroza, formerly Visions Awards/Awardcraft |
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| Jill Albers (me) and Mike Riddle, WorkflowOne |
The heat followed me Wednesday evening. I had the pleasure of dining at “WE” in the W Hotel. I was ready for what Josh Goodelman of Liquimark and I call “Uncle Ron’s Legendary Dinners.” It started as I sat sipping a French martini at the hotel bar. The swanky lounge lamps and scantily clad hostesses set the scene for what was to be a “hot” dinner with some of the industry’s best. I was seated by Fran Ford of J Charles, Lori Bauer and Quinten Wentworth of Norwood/Bic Graphic, and Damien Want of Logomark. The conversation turned to old industry stories and memories from shows of the past. Ron Ball had a few great stories… with the combination of his 34-year industry tenor and Fran’s paparazzi-like knowledge of the who’s who… we were introduced to the way “things used to be.” The energy and passion for the industry was prevalent as we dined. I looked around and noticed three people at this table were on my Holiday Card List. Was this an industry dinner or a room of old friends that I was blessed to get to spend time with?
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| Ron Ball, ASI; Melissa Cantor, Poly-Pak |
Nadine, Promo Biz USA; Mark Hobbs, PSG; Josh Goodelman, Liquimark |
As 10 p.m. approached it seems as if we had just been seated. We walked up the grand marble staircase to ASI’s 3rd annual “HOT Party.” The music pumped and glow-in-the-dark necklaces were worn by most. As the night went into full tilt I caught up with old friends and finished the night off at Shenanigan’s (as usual). It was a hot week packed full of hot products and hot people. Now it’s back to Ohio, to set the “hot” ideas I found this week into action with my clients.
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| Joe Haley (left), ASI managing editor and star of The Joe Show, hugs it out with his man-date, Andy Cohen, editor of Counselor. |
Jakey Krolick (left) and Colin Graf, two of ASI’s marketing experts extraordinnaire, are as wicked smart as they are wildly fun! |
Filed under: Travel
So, when Michele asked me to write a guest blog post I was honored, but perplexed. Basically, because many of you reading this have absolutely no idea who I am. I’m just some marketing jabroni. If you attended the most recent Counselor Awards, I was the guy in the kitchen making sure the winners didn’t get run over by the waitstaff when coming off the stage. I’m even surprised Michele trusts that I have the social skills to grace this prestigious space. THE Bellwether Blog … and me.
But, who am I kidding? This blog is like the People magazine of the advertising specialty industry. And the only instructions I received from Ms. Bell were, and I quote, “I’ll never tell you what to write or not to write, just don’t use the ‘F’ word, or any variation there of.” I figure that should be easy enough to f’ing do … OOPS!
So, being the marketing beotch that I am, I immediately started thinking about what product to promote. Should I talk about Spectrum, the new Catalog ROI Program and the benefits to both supplier and distributors?
Maybe all of the new enhancements to the Register Express Box? Digital version, upcoming Gift Box edition in October, new easier-to-use layout…
How about the importance of keeping your information and pricing up to date in ESP? Suppliers with out-of-date info drop to the bottom of search results and distributors can easily remove any suppliers that are not “Confirmed Accurate” from the search all together. (For more information or questions about ESP, don’t hesitate to reach out to me at cgraf@asicentral.com.)
OK, now that my plugs are done, I’m running with this blog thing. I can write about anything, right? I don’t get this chance often. Let’s talk about something that has piqued my interest lately.
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| The Google vs. Apple steel cage death match. Juicy stuff!. |
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In the interest of full disclosure, I own a cell phone with Google’s Android operating system and LOVE it. But I also own a MacBook, which I also love. What has become of Apple? It used to be the hip, cool, cutting-edge company. That was not so long ago, when I purchased my MacBook. No useless software to uninstall, no 10-minute boot-up, and NO viruses. Sweet – sold! Here’s my credit card.
But lately, Google is wiping the floor with Apple, and Apple seems more like Microsoft – the stuffy corporate company that it’s tried not to be. Here are just a few of my gripes and Apple mishaps:
- Apple chooses AT&T as the service provider for the iPhone – a network that is ill-suited to handle the data demands.
- Apple shuts down music-streaming site LaLa and angers a large group of loyalists.
- Apple iPhone and iPad will not support Adobe Flash.
- Speaking of updates, Apple charges for the latest software updates. Google does not.
- Apple must give their seal of approval before allowing applications into their app store.
- Apple launches the next generation iPhone and experiences connection problems during first press conference demo.
- An AT&T security breach exposes 114,000 iPad 3G customer e-mail addresses.
Now on the other hand, Google …
- Google launches Buzz, its own social network that integrates with the rest of your digital world. Facebook, Twitter, etc.
- The Android app market is wide open to developers.
- Google’s newest Android update will support Flash. Website developers rejoice!
- Google cloud setup makes everything available everywhere. Mail, photos, calendar. And with the simple download of an app, I can even stream my entire music library from my home computer to my phone.
- Complete, no-boundary integration. Maps, mail, photos, calendar, chat, social media.
Now I know I’m coming off like a blatant fanboy. And actually, after re-reading this, it seems that I am one. But, Google is churning out user-driven updates, new features and applications fast. Really, right out of the early 2000s Apple textbook. It’s really put Steve Jobs back on his heels. But, the battle has just begun and there is no doubt that we, the end-users, are going to benefit. That’s what makes this so exciting for a geek like me – what new toy will I get to play with in the coming years?
So pick your side and pray that it’s the winner. Either way, we all make out.
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