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Tuesday
January 29, 2008 Northern ExposureFiled under: Travel Hi again from the PPACanada Show in Toronto! The second day of Canada’s largest trade show kept its steady pace, much to the delight of exhibitors, all of whom had just one complaint — they didn’t bring enough catalogs. (Listen to my pod cast with Leslie Oesen, vice president of ASI Canada and expert on the Canadian ad specialties industry, who sat down with me yesterday to discuss trends and changes in the marketplace.)
Monday
January 28, 2008 Baby, It’s Cold Outside… But Hot at the PPACanada Show!Filed under: Travel Hi from Toronto, where — despite the fact that it’s a mind-numbing 10 degrees — everyone is in great spirits here at the PPACanada Show. Even after two major North American Shows this month — ASI Orlando and PPAI Vegas — it’s great to see how psyched everyone is to be at another show and ready to do business. The show opened yesterday and was packed! The show’s organziers anticipated 3,000 distributors but after talking to many exhibitors — all of whom were already out of catalogs and samples — the consensus is that the show exceeded those numbers.
Friday
January 18, 2008 I Love the Vegas Nightlife (Kind of…)Filed under: Travel The industry parties, which seemed to dissipate for a while a few years ago, are back and better than ever. My colleague Christian Brandt, referred to often here at ASI as my “handler” (those of you who know me can empathize with that particular level of Dante’s hell…), were on the circuit, with Christian keeping us on schedule like the maniacal drill sergeant from Full Metal Jacket.
Wednesday
January 16, 2008 Bright Lights, Big Crowds & High Times in Sin City…Filed under: Travel Well, there is no question about it – PPAI’s Las Vegas Show is the event of the year, drawing huge crowds (over 15,800 pre-registered attendees) of visitors and exhibitors taking up what felt like enough space to occupy Texas. Everyone, of course, was in attendance, and the mood was positive, upbeat and productive – even on the last day when exhibitors are surviving on what I call the “ine” diet: pure adrenaline and caffeine.
Friday
January 11, 2008 Partying in Dusseldorf!Lest you think I’ve totally lost my luster and missed out on the social events, there were two of note. The World Advertising Gift Exchange (WAGE) celebrated its 50th anniversary with a festive reception that drew over 100 attendees. Polyconcept’s annual party on the boat they bring in especially for the occasion. Philippe Varnier and his team invite clients, friends and competitors, all of whom clearly revel in the open bar, sumptuous buffet and electrifying band.
Thursday
January 10, 2008 Hello from PSI DusseldorfFiled under: Travel Hello Everyone – Welcome to my first blog. Now, when I travel to every show – in the U.S. and abroad — you will be there with me, for the good, the bad, the wacky and the (really) weird. I am here in Dusseldorf at the PSI Show — Europe’s largest show — which today, the opening, saw a 5% increase over last year’s attendance. The show, as always, is the epitome of appearance. From the booths (see photos) to the exhibitor staff, these people treat the event as if it were a fashion, design and hospitalty extravaganza. I don’t think it’s any secret for those of you who know me, that Europe is my happy place and this show is my favorite of the year. |
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