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.

Coverings 2011 photos on flickr

Taken by Trade Show Expo at Coverings 2011. Lots of stone and great tile.

More photos on our flickr site!

Nightclub & Bar Convention and Trade Show 2011

Check out this video on YouTube:

Nightclub & Bar Show on Vegas.

Change is challenging and necessary

The year is only two months old but it seems to have gone by so quickly.

It has also been a challenging New Year but after two months of planning and designing, we have created a new website for the trade show industry.

Trade Show ExPO has the same web address but we have a brand new look. Perhaps you have already seen it. If not, any one of the headlines below will take you to a new page on our site.

It is never easy to learn the ins and outs of new software for web design but this was a necessary

Our old site was too busy and too cluttered with information. Our new site is cleaner and better organized and much easier to browse.

By installing a content management system we can now offer a better user experience. Yes, there are still changes coming and I am working daily to post news content with more information that is important to the trade show, meeting and convention industry.

Our goal is to become the networking HUB for the trade show, convention and meeting industry with an emphasis on Las Vegas. We want to connect show managers and meeting planners with marketers and vendors who do business here in Las Vegas.

Please take a look at our site and let me know what you think. Send us your news, especially if it has a Las Vegas slant and we will make ever effort to publish and share the news. Look for more changes and join our network by visiting our connector page.

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn — our links are at the bottom of this newsletter and on our home page.

This week is I will be spending some time at the Nightclub & Bar Show at the Las Vegas Convention. It is shaping up to be quite a show with plenty of excitement. I will be posting my share of Tweets and a few Facebook status updates from the showfloor.

Thanks for reading and don't forget to turn back your clocks on Sunday. Yes, Daylight Savings Time begin on March 13.

 

I found this article in SuccessfulMeetings

I thought you would enjoy this article in SuccessfulMeetings December 2010: More Reforms at McCormick Place.

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Tough Questions

I really enjoy the commercials for Las Vegas!

MAGIC Las Vegas 2011

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Photo from MAGIC 2011 at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas

MAGIC Las Vegas 2011

 

I thought it was great to see a lot of odd and interesting art work throughout the showfloor at MAGIC. This squid was in the pressroom at Mandalay Bay.

Jump WMC 0372

Jitterbug at WMC

Check out this video on YouTube:

PCMA Convening Leaders at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas

PCMA Convening Leaders at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas

Tuesday Highlights:

PCMA Convening Leaders

Keynotes from Ford, Cisco, GE and entertainment community top Day 2

LAS VEGAS — A keynote address from Ford CEO Alan Mulally, the Innovation Power Panel with leaders from Cisco, GE and Xerox, along with the first-ever Entertainment Matters keynote panel were the day two highlights of the 2011 International CES. Owned and produced by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), the 2011 CES, the world's largest consumer technology tradeshow, runs through Sunday in Las Vegas.

Friday morning's CES Innovation Power Panel keynote provided a unique discussion with three U.S. business luminaries — Ursula Burns, Chairman and CEO of Xerox; John Chambers, Chairman and CEO of Cisco and Jeffrey Immelt, Chairman and CEO of GE. Moderated by CEA President and CEO Gary Shapiro, the Innovation Power Panel discussion included many issues that affect American businesses' ability to innovate, including the U.S. education system, trade and exports, immigration policy and tax policy.

On education, the panelists agreed the U.S. K-12 system is broken. They recommended a measurable program with ambitious goals that would move the U.S. education to the top five in the world, from the top 30. Panelists agreed that the U.S. needs an immigration policy that encourages the best and the brightest not only to come attend college, but also to start companies in the U.S. and remain. [More at TSE]

TV personalities, sports legends, entertainers to expected to attend CES

LAS VEGAS — Television personalities, sports icons, award winning-actors and government officials will attend the 2011 International CES to showcase and discuss the innovative products and technologies shaping consumer technology. The 2011 International CES, the world’s largest consumer technology tradeshow, occurs January 6-9 in Las Vegas. TSE