Licensing Expo missing its Tony

I am addicted to trade shows because it is a great way to meet people who enjoy conducting face-to-face business meetings.

The tradeshow industry has allowed me to shake hands or at least be in the same hall with some of the biggest names in film, televisions, sports and politics.

With the Licensing Expo taking place at the Mandalay Bay this week I could not help but feel a bit sad with the absence of one of the most gracious men I have ever had the chance to meet in person.

Tony Curtis had been one of Las Vegas most popular residents but he was more than just and actor. He was an author and artist as well. Although a bit frail during the last few years of his life he continued to make public appearance. He was a regular celebrity at the Licensing Expo held every year in Las Vegas.

As ill as he may have been he still managed to show up to promote his artwork, sign a few autographs and say hello to his fans. Unfortunately, last year was his final appearance at the Las Vegas trade show.

Curtis, the son of a Bronx tailor and star of such films as "Sweet Smell of Success," and "The Defiant Ones," passed away Sept. 29 of last year. He was 85.

I enjoyed watching him sitting in his wheelchair, talking with his fans and still able to flirt with the many women who waited in line to get an autograph, a kiss and a photo with the American film actor.

I was in awe of him because I had always been a fan of his films. “Some Like It Hot” is one of my favorite films. I liked all of his films and I have tried to watch as many of them as I could.

For years I thought he was Harry Houdini until I began to understand what films were all about. I even liked his guest appearance as Stoney Curtis on the Flintstones cartoon series.

That episode debuted in 1965 but I caught it in syndication in the early 70s as a youth growing up in Los Angeles.

I know his presence at Licensing Expo is missed. There is  an empty booth where he would have welcomed attendees to his table.

I did managed to say hello to him while taking his photo at the show bit I could never get close enough to shake his hand.

Although his brand is not include with the list of exhibitors at this year’s show, hopefully his brand will return to the show so that a new generation of fans can continue to become acquainted with Curtis.

John Wayne, Elvis and Jim Morrison are still popular draws for fans so I am sure Curtis will always have his following.

U.S.A.! U.S.A.! not just a chant but also a brand

I am addicted to trade shows but when I received an invitation to attend the 11th Global Travel and Tourism Summit held in Las Vegas last month, it was hard to pass up.

I confess I did not originally know what the Summit was about but I this was a great chance to attend a an event at the Aria Resort and Casino, so I managed to procure a press credential for the May 17-19 gathering of leaders. The list of speakers and guests was a Who’s Who of Global travel leaders that included CEOs and VP’s of various international hotel, travel and tourism companies, members of President Barack Obama’s cabinet, heads of various internet travel companies and the President of Mexico Felipe Calderón.

This was the first time this Summit was held in Las Vegas and just the second time the United States hosted the annual meeting organized by the World Travel & Tourism Council. It was a great opportunity for Las Vegas to showcase itself to the Global travel community.
Representing and welcoming nearly 1,000 delegates from 65 countries to Las Vegas were Mayor Oscar Goodman and Rossi Ralenkotter, CEO and President of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.

“But basically what Las Vegas is all about is it’s about fun in the evening and about doing serious business in the during the daytime,” said Mayor Goodman as during his brief time on the stage.

One press conference I attended was by the Corporation for Travel Promotion membership panel who discussed what it is doing to bring more tourism to the United States. It is a fact that the U.S. has seen fewer overseas visitors every year since the Sept. 11 attacks.
People used to come here for the mountains, beaches, cities, cuisine, historical monuments, or just to take in a baseball game or a Broadway play. People have their own reasons for visiting the U.S.

The U.S. did not need to promote itself but lately many tourists have been perhaps afraid or unsure of traveling to Los Angeles, New York, Miami or even Las Vegas.

The new Corporation for Travel Promotion is trying to increase travel to the States and have formed a public and private partnership between the government and the tourism industry, including the heads of Diamond Resorts International and Walt Disney Parks and Resorts in Orlando.

Its board members say every state needs to pull behind the power of the U.S. brand to entice people visit.

But the question seems to be just how do you promote a country as large as the United States?

“Each state is still going to promote itself and its iconic landmarks,” according to Caroline Beteta, president and CEO, California Travel & Tourism Commission.” Beteta says the CTP will also promote those same icons to attract first-time visitors.

"We need people to be thinking about America," says Beteta, who is also the vice chairwoman of the CTP. "If they're not thinking about America, they'll never consider California.”

Las Vegas has a lot to market to the global travel community beyond the casinos, sun and swimming pools. Las Vegas is a one-stop global tour with its own Statue of Liberty, Eiffel Tower and erupting volcano.

Luring tourist to America will be the task at hand for Jim Evan, who during the Summit was announced as the CEO to run the Corporation and develop all the marketing programs to attract millions more visitors to the U.S.

Evans is a long-time industry leader with strong marketing and CEO experience and a successful record of coalition building, which is extremely important given the need to align the priorities of 50 states, hundreds of destinations.

Currently the CTP is launching "Destination America" — an international ad campaign including TV spots, print ads and websites to educate the world about the rules for entering the United States.

The 12th Summit is scheduled to take place in Tokyo on April 17-19, 2012. That is a bit too far for me to travel.

However, after a few days at the Global Summit I was convinced I needed to see more of America myself. I think I will start with Red Rock Canyon, Mount Charleston or the Bellagio Fountains.

Huffington Post: Keith Olbermann's New Right-Hand Man

 

		Keith Olbermann's New Right-Hand Man
	Keith Olbermann has named David Sarosi as the executive producer of the new incarnation of "Countdown." Olbermann and Current TV, where the program launches on...

National Hardware Show 2011

National Hardware Show 2011, a set on Flickr.

Steven Spann Trash Artist at HD Expo 2011

A few moments with Rossi Rallenkotter during the

Global Travel and Tourism Summit held recently in Las Vegas.

Hardware versus IT Clouds

I am addicted to tradeshows, which is why the month of May is so much fun and yet so busy.

 

Both the National Hardware Show and Interop were in Las Vegas and I managed to spend a little time at both. It was interesting to see the differences between the two tradeshows.

 

Sure there are the obvious similarities of the aisles of graphics, booths and carpeting but it was the differences that stood out as I went from the Las Vegas Convention Center to see grills, drills and staple guns and over to Mandalay Bay Convention Center for fiber optics, clouds and data management.

 

Interop is great for computer networking, technology and security systems but I felt a bit lost understanding the future of IT. This was a show for Windows people and I have always been a Mac man.

 

I always enjoy the NHS for its tools, garden decorations and the latest in garage technology. It is like walking into a huge hardware store without price tags. I understand do-it-yourself projects and I like to know there is new heavy duty cleaning wipes available to help me clean up.

 

What I like about Interop is how well the press is treated. There are plenty of computer stations to file a story and lunch is catered.

 

At the LVCC I had to settle for slice of pizza at the food court but the NHS media relations staff does send out plenty of stories to keep me up-to-date with information.

 

While at the NHS I got to meet NFL Hall-of-Famer Jack Youngblood from the Los Angeles Rams and I took photos of television star and Sears spokesman Ty Pennington. Celebrities always bring attention to a booth.

 

Interop General Manager Lenny Heyman spent a few minutes with me to talk about his show. I also sat down with Michael Kushner, the vice president digital media strategy for UBM Studios, to discuss the future of virtual tradeshows. UBM is the company behind Virtual Comdex and is on the cutting edge of virtual events.

 

I also notice a difference in the noise level of both shows.

 

The Las Vegas Convention Center is a cavernous facility but I had no problem talking with exhibitors and hearing the various presentations being delivered.

 

The exhibitors at Interop, meanwhile, seem to be competing for attention. Every exhibitor must have had a stage with microphones, visual aids, speaker systems and models ready to sit you down for the next presentation. The noise level was a bit much and it was difficult to hear or understand a few of the presentations I sat down to listen to.

 

As for tchotchkes, I walked from Interop away with T-Shirts, USB drives and a small beanie dog. From NHS I received a cap, a tool apron, and toilet cleaning tabs. I also came home with a small MAG-Lite flashlight but I got that from ONPATH Technologies — an Interop exhibitor.

 

This week is aimed at tourism and hospitality with the Hospitality Design Expo Show at the Sands Expo meanwhile over at Aria Resort & Casino in City Center is The Global Travel & Tourism Summit.

 

See you on the floor!

Ty at NHS

Taken by Trade Show Expo http://www.flickr.com/photos/38099572@N02/5713456519

Dog day Friday

Taken by Trade Show Expo http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3557/5713457627_dc6f3b8cd6_b.jpg

http://www.flickr.com/photos/organize/

Taken by Trade Show Expo http://www.flickr.com/photos/38099572@N02/5574646414

Moss

Justice finally served

I am addicted to tradeshows but I always keep my eye on the news and when the news hits the fan it is hard to concentrate on other things in life.

News of the death of Osama bin Laden was a huge victory for the United States and should change the course of war in Afghanistan and Iraq.

it is a mess over there and I am glad to be an American living in Las Vegas.

Yet, it is hard to hear of news from this past weekend and not think back to that awful morning in New York. I was working for a tradeshow publication here in Las Vegas. I was still new to the industry and trying to get my head around pop-up modules and double-deck booths.

The events that transpired that early Tuesday morning will always be fresh in my memory. Everyone remembers where he or she was when the World Trade Center towers came crashing down.

Now everyone will remember where they were when they heard the news about the Navy Seals who stormed a compound in Abbottabad and killed the most hated man in America.

It was justice served.

Perhaps this is not the place to discuss the events that took place in another American city or in a small town in a country I will never visit, but it goes to show the reach that one man had and the effect his decision had on a city this evil man probably never visited.

When the planes hit the Towers in New York all planes were grounded and McCarran Airport and the Las Vegas Convention Center were placed on high alert.

Tradeshows, conventions and tourism came to a halt that day and Las Vegas’ economy was crippled.

Comdex was expected to give its usual boost to the Las Vegas economy but after the attacks there was talk of canceling Comdex all together.

Comdex was expected to draw upwards of 200,00 attendees to its November Show. Comdex picked up some attendees in the days leading up to the show but final numbers came in at 110,000 attendees. The tech boom head reached its peak and in June 2004, Comdex cancelled the 2004 exhibition in Las Vegas.

According to news accounts, McCarran was averaging more than 3 million passengers a month until the number dropped to 2.1 million in September 2001 and remained below 3 million until March 2002.

Gaming revenue for Clark County fell from $650 million in August 2001 to $595 million in September and stayed below year-ago levels until February 2002.Hotels were discounting rates like car dealers to maintain occupancy levels, which had fallen from 90 percent to about 70 percent.

One evil man can be blamed for the dismal economic figures for that year. Now he is gone and while New York continues to rebuild at Ground Zero, Las Vegas continues to rebuild its tradeshow and tourism economy.

It is hard to believe that one man could create such world-wide terror but now that he is gone, it is my hope that we can work to solve other issues that directly effect us as Americans living in Las Vegas or anytown, U.S.A.

As a I watch President Barack Obama lay a wreath at Ground Zero I look ahead with hope for a peaceful future and a prosperous trade show business. I do know there is much more work to do and peace will not come easy but catching Osama is something President Obama can mark off his bucket list.

See you on the floor!

It takes a village to rebuild a resort

I am addicted to tradeshows but sometimes it is good to go where there are no tradeshows and just take in the scenery.

One of my favorite places to visit is Lake Las Vegas located about 17 miles from the Las Vegas Strip.

It is a nice, quite and secluded place to walk around and do a little window-shopping.

Unfortunately there are fewer and fewer windows for window-shopping these days at MonteLago Village Resort at Lake Las Vegas.

Not long ago it seems there was a lot of talk about Lake Las Vegas and all the million-dollar homes surrounding the lake including one owned by singer Céline Dion.

With two luxury hotels, a casino and a boutique shopping area, the resort seemed like the ideal spot for locals and tourist to gather for concerts, events, golf or meetings. My wife and I had a chance to spend a Fourth July weekend there and enjoy a concert and fireworks.

Then the resort was hit with an assortment of financial problems and in March 2010 the MonteLago Resort and Casino shut down and 177 casino employees lost their jobs.
Recently we revisited the MonteLago Village and took a stroll to see how the economy has affected the man-made lake experience.

It was, in a word — sad — but there is hope for the small shopping, dining, and events site but it may take some time for the village to gain the popularity it was building upon a few short years ago.

Intrepid Gaming LLC was recently granted a temporary business license by the Henderson City Council to operate the Casino MonteLago.

Las Vegas-based Intrepid Gaming applied for a non-restricted gaming license and a liquor license in February. According to reports, the Nevada Gaming Commission has not approved the gaming application so far.

The doors are shut and a fence is around the perimeter of the property keeps people away from the closed building. Reopening the casino would be a huge boost for the resort village that has been on a continual rebound since the 3,600-acre Lake Las Vegas development went through bankruptcy proceedings more than two years ago.

A year ago, Pacific Capital Management, acting on behalf of Signal Butte Investors LLC., acquired the condominium lodging operations of Lake Las Vegas’ MonteLago Village Resort from Intrawest Hospitality Management.

Aston Hotels & Resorts was brought in to manage the 210 condominiums that are available as rentals in the three-acre waterfront parcel. Signal Butte Investors has owned MonteLago Village’s retail and restaurant operations since June 2007. MonteLago Village has a total of 347 condominiums.

Shortly after the casino closed the Ritz-Carlton Lake Las Vegas, a five-diamond hotel, closed its property adjacent to the casino and hope dimmed further for the troubled resort community as another 340 employees lost their jobs on May 2, 2010.
There is some good news for the village.

Last September Dolce Hotels and Resorts breathed new life into the property when it announced that it would be taking over the property and unveiled plans to reopen the 349-room nongaming hotel.

Ravella at Lake Las Vegas opened its doors in February and has been busy booking guest and hosting meetings.

During our walk around the village there were a few people from the Society for Human Ecology was holding its conference. It was good to see a few people with conference badges walking about during our walk throughout the village.

There are not many shops open and there is no market at the village. A kite shop and breakfast café are gone and many storefronts are empty. Sections of the walkway and landscape looked a unkept and the lake itself had lost some of its appeal.

Although the casino has been closed, MonteLago Village continues to host special events such as the Village Easter Celebration this past weekend. Jazz on the Lake returns on May 7 and is free to the public. Other events are listed on the MonteLago Village website www.montelagovillage.com.

The Website describes the resort as “the perfect place to spend your weekend or a midweek getaway. … The Mediterranean-styled resort is ideal for family getaways, weddings, business conferences and much more.”

It may be one of the best-kept secrets for meeting planners. I just hope more people discover the old world charm of the village and that better days are ahead.

See you on the floor!

Speakers offer film industry insight

I am addicted to trade shows. This week my addiction took me to the National Association of Broadcasters annual digital media gathering of entertainment professionals.

It is not always a product or a particular show that draws my attendee attention. A celebrity, special guest or specific keynote speaker are also considerations when I attend a tradeshow.

NAB2011 did not disappoint with keynote speakers James Cameron and Kevin Smith making appearances at the Las Vegas Convention Center. I may not be a huge fan of Smith’s but I was really interested in what he had to say and I did enjoy Clerks. As for Cameron, well, this was my first chance to be in the same room as an Oscar-winning director.

Cameron spoke about his favorite film technology at the moment — 3-D.  Cameron has had an interest in 3D long before he created Avatar.  Earlier in the week he announced his new alliance to develop and enhance 3-D technology for broadcasters.

Working alongside cinematographer Vince Pace, with whom Cameron created the Fusion camera system that shot Avatar, the Oscar-winner now plans to “make 3-D ubiquitous over the next five to 10 years on all platforms.”

It was great to hear his thoughts on this technology and I have never been at a keynote where a Hollywood director needed to remind attendees “Glasses on. This is in 3-D,” as he introduced a highlight real of coming 3D films including Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides and Transformers: Dark of the Moon.

Smith has a much different approach to films and drew a packed crowed to the South Hall on Wednesday morning for his keynote address.

Dropping F-bombs throughout his talk was not surprising but his dry humor and insights combined for a very entertaining keynote.

“I don’t like doing films as a job,” Smith said. “You don’t have to be good at something as long as you are passionate. I am proof of that.”

Smith showed a lengthy clip of his upcoming film Red State. It was loud with repeated gunfire and had no shortage of blood splatter. When the lights come back on he was laughing as he tells the audience that it is his wife who gets shot and dies in this clip and he likes watching it over and over.

Smith may have an odd sense of black humor but his humor has been his trademark. Smith has no desire to create a 3-D film and indicted that Red State would be his last film for a while as he delves into other digital media interest.

I am addicted to trade shows because I never know who I am going to meet, see or listen at the next show.

There was just too much to see and too many people to meet at NAB2011 and this is a must-attend for any aspiring filmmaker and broadcaster.

Also on Wednesday, the NAB Education Foundation in partnership with the Broadcast Education Association and Pinkslipmixers.com hosted its annual spring Career Day.

I was able to meet local Channel-8 KLAS-TV newscaster Dave Courvoisier who was a panelist for one of the Career Day sessions.

Career Day was an opportunity for media companies to network with experienced professionals, college students and entry-level job seekers interested in a career in the broadcast industry.

I had have my resume critiqued by PBS Director George Molnar and KLAS-TV News Director Ron Comings. Both directors offered great advice and insight for a better resume.

It was my first time at NAB and early figures show an attendance increase of 5 percent with an total registration at 92,708. I was glad to be one among the thousands.

Too many booths, not enough time

I am addicted to trade shows. I have said this before and I will say it again and again.

There is just something alluring about walking down an aisle decorated with graphics, lightweight material, computers, modular booths of various sizes and styles, the changes in carpet and flooring every 20 or 40 feet, LED rope lights and banner stands. Perhaps it is the tchotchkes or dishes of free chocolate and candies that make me stop along the way to the other side of the convention floor.

It does not seem to matter whether I am browsing hardware, tractors, gadgets, appliances, spas or pools. or pet products. I just enjoy being a part of the face-to-face industry that is such a huge part the economic structure of Las Vegas. One week I am looking at construction machinery and the next it's popcorn and movie snacks. It is just amazing to see the many shows that move in and out of the convention centers.

Exhibitor offers a special insight into the trade show industry and I enjoyed my time on the floor as well as the time spent in conferences and roundtable discussions. I learn a lot from the people who have been in the industry long enough to remember the days before Face book, Twitter or cell phones. I did have a bit of a withdrawal after the show was over and I did have to reach for a Champion Exposition Services squishy boxing glove, which I found in the bottom of my show bag.

Yet, there is just never enough time to visit ever booth and say hello to every exhibitor. I do try to say hello to as many exhibitors that I can, especially those who may not have the best location on the trade show floor. When I do spend time in an exhibit, however, it is hard to appreciate the time spent creating the experience.

Take for instance the MG Design's Mansion of Mystery exhibit. I can't imagine how much time must have gone into creating this one-of-a-kind experience, which combined emerging technology with a funhouse atmosphere where behind every window a specific top was being addressed. I would have liked to have heard from every one of the "mystery-style" characters that were part of the experience.

If you missed a chance to tour the mansion I have a video on YouTube that highlights the MG Design's use of RFiD and Augmented Reality.  Click here to read about MG Design's manions and view the video. I will be posting other videos soon but feel free to check out my photos from EXHIBITOR2011.

It was an impressive exhibit but it was not the only one that caught my attention but it certainly made a lasting impression. I wonder what will be new next year?

I don't have to wait long for my next trade show dose. Next week I will be wondering around at NAB — the digital media show. It will be my first time to NAB and I am looking forward to collecting some movie tchotchkes.

See you on the floor!

Tag — You're it

Exhibitor2011 seemed a bit busier this year than in recent years. This is good news for the industry and good news for Las Vegas

The booths were lively and the aisles were busy with people conducting face-to-face business. It was good to see so much activity on the showfloor at Mandalay Bay this week.

I always look forward to walking the aisle during show hours of the annual face-to-face marketing event here in Las Vegas.

Traffic slowed down a bit on the third and final day of the show floor but it is hard to blame attendees from slowing down their pace after hours and hours of education sessions while checking out newest trends and products in the trade show industry. There are more sessions on Thurday but the show floor is closed for this year.

What caught my attention most was the use of scanable tags on graphics, post cards and T-shirts. I spent a good deal of time pointing my smartphone to view the marketing messages posted on YouTube and company websites. Technology has come a long way but I wonder how many actually take the time to point and scan.

SeQRets on your smart phone allows you to scan barcodes (QR/UPC/EAN) in real time and link to websites, photos and videos, contact cards, Geo locations, and product information such as descriptions and prices with links to online retailers.

It is a nifty and high-tech marketing device exhibitors and companies are making much more use of today. I can't read a magazine without coming across a few tags and yes, I pull out my iPHone and scan most of the then when I have the time.

If you don't want to take the time to scan the tag you can always take a photo of the tag and save it for later. I managed to save some of the images but I may have missed some of the tags. I like scanning the tags but I need to learn how to organize and bookmark all the tags I come across. 

Overall, I walked away with lots of good information and I was able to meet many new people. Several exhibitors were recognized for their exhibit or product. See the link below to read more. I look forward to seeing everyone return to Las Vegas for the Exhibitor2012.

News from Las Vegas…

CONEXPO-CON/AGG opens in Las Vegas

GOMACO's CONEXPO Exhibit

This is one of the most anticipated shows in Las Vegas. CONEXPO-CON/AGG comes to Las Vegas once every three years and a lot seems to be riding on its success.

According to the various magazines and industry people, the registration has been great and perhaps the best ever. I arrived to the sound of drums beating in the parking lot off of Paradise. The crowds were let in at 9 a.m. and it has been steady business.

I got a great tour of the booth by Gomaco and was impressed by the 1,500 square feet of space. The company has 37 staffer for its double-deck exhibit. There are two board rooms, a dining area and lots of storage for supplies and equipement. I was especially impress with the foot massage unit in one of the board rooms.

 My thanks to Randy Bach, advertising manager, for taking the time to give me a tour of the booth. It was very impressive.