For many event marketers and their customers taking the leap into virtual events can feel like a trip to a foreign land. Whether they are using a virtual platform to complement or replace a live event marketers worry that their attendees won’t sign up won’t show up or won’t know how to participate once they get there. But what they may not know is that virtual events are strikingly similar to live events. Yep that’s right Dorothy. It may feel like you’re not in Kansas anymore but rest assured there’s no wizard behind the virtual curtain.

At a time when many brand marketers are struggling to keep their portfolios afloat Hispanic marketing programs are flourishing. Walmart this year unveiled a new concept store Supermercado de Walmart in Houston as part of a strategy to become more relevant to Hispanic customers. The Milk Mustache Mobile Tour is traveling to 10 cities to introduce Hispanic families to the benefits of drinking low-fat or fat-free milk. And Kellogg’s began adding a touch of honey to its Corn Flakes (and noting a “toque de miel” on the cereal boxes) to appeal to Hispanic taste buds.

Even the most elaborate publicity events can fall flat if the hook isn’t worth nibbling on. Adding a Guinness World Record attempt to your program can not only entice fickle journalists to attend it can expand the types of publications and news outlets that might otherwise not bite on your event. To learn more about how it’s done we tapped Reading UK-based The Circle Agency (in June it executed a Guinness World Record event for video game company EA) and the folks at Guinness World Records for some insight.

With more and more people using their cell phone as an all-in-one catch-all web and communication device text-based campaigns have become more prevalent. But pulling off a texting campaign isn’t as easy as blasting out a few texts to your exhibitor and attendee base. We checked in with Kim Dushinski author of “The Mobile Marketing Handbook ” to find out what works and what doesn’t when you want to create an effective text-based communications campaign.

The high cost of travel has caused some consumers to stay close to home this year. So resourceful home-furnishings brands rolled out programs that took everything—including the kitchen sink (well almost!)—to them reaching commuters in Washington and festivalgoers from Newport RI to the San Mateo County Fair.