B-to-B Events

In anticipation of Earth Day on April 22, The Advertising Specialty Institute published its first-ever list of top ecofriendly giveaway items.

1. ELEPHANT-POO NOTEBOOK Yes, it’s made from elephant poop. No, it doesn’t smell like elephant poop.

2. BAMBOO DINNERWARE You’ve seen the utensils, now check out the plates and bowls. 3. SEED-PAPER POSTCARD Branded, biodegradable cards that sprout flowers when they’re planted.

Did you know that most of the surplus food from your trade shows, conferences and events can be donated to food banks—with no liability to either your company or the food service establishment? The Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act, which was signed into law by President Clinton in October of 1996, protects food donors from civil and criminal liability at national and state levels. Yet many event marketers, hotels and restaurants don’t know that they’re covered.

Terminix and kid's museums seem like an odd combination at first. But upon closer inspection (pun intended), they’re a perfect pair. Most kids are fascinated by bugs. And, where there are children, there are family decision-makers. On the heels of a successful museum tour started in 2008, Terminix has hit the road again this year with the help of a new technology.

Most trade show veterans will agree— there are few places less desirable than the back corner of the exhibit hall. After a year of setbacks and cancellations, many brands are struggling to get back the prime spots they once had at their industry’s biggest shows. What to do when life hands you a disappointing trade show location? In most cases, you can file for an appeal. But you may only be rewarded with a better spot next year. Until then, a few alternative strategies.

In our new regular series, EM revisits old event marketing trends to find out where they’ve gone since we first reported on them. Are they old hats and has-beens? Or is that past up-and-comer a future best practice that’s now an industry standard? In this installment, we focus on interactive touch screens, which we first examined in October 2006.