Why Physical Trade Shows Matter

Presenting your product or service live and in person to a group of what amounts to pre-qualified prospects must be an integral part of your marketing mix. Certainly virtual shows have their place and any savvy marketer is using a combination of social networking along with more traditional marketing avenues such as banner ads and email marketing and even print ads and direct mail. However-there's just never been a better time to put the right people from your sales team in a communicative booth equipped with the right message to market face-to-face. You're cutting through the clutter of piles of mail and streams of email and the call that always seems to come when no one has time to talk. Simply put, at a trade show you are in front of prospects who have taken the time and made the investment to come to a conference to learn and are entering the trade show hall specifically to find ways they can improve their businesses. They want to hear from you and you can find out what their needs are and sell what makes sense. Do you want to be the resource that's not there?

At CSI etc. we help our clients organize trade shows that are cost efficient and remarkably effective. We also provide tools that help exhibitors maximize their experience. Success for all. 800.471.7330.

We are Rock Stars!

We're excited to announce our very own Karen May's golf committee has won Committee of the Year from the Arizona Chapter of Meeting Professionals International. Karen chaired the committee with Bill Mesa from OB Sports. We thank everyone who voted for us!!

We're ready to make sure your next Trade Show reaches rock star status too...contact Karen and see what we can do!

CSI etc. Plants a Forest for You!

Did you know that as part of CSI's "Make Your Tradeshow Green" program, for every booth you contract with us to set up at your Trade Show, we will plant one tree in your company’s name through the National Forest Foundation’s tree-planting program. So have 500 booths, then you'll have 500 trees in your name. We can build a forest together. Let's even turn it into a tradeshow contest: "name the tree," "gather the most leaves," etc. We can go on and on.

Now what will YOU name them?? Mr. Green, Ms. Oxygen, Barky...ok, ok, we'll stop now. Let's get to planting some trees and the seeds of some great business at your tradeshow!

EVERYONE at Conference Services International gets wrapped up in our work

Meet Beauregard McGregor May "Mac". You see, we at CSI are very dedicated to our work. You could even say we get all wrapped up in it. Mac takes it slightly more literally than the rest of us, but our dedication is the same!

Want to know how us humans over here respond when our clients need something on the double? Instead of running around and getting tied up in knots, we act. When a client recently wanted to change their header graphic to their entrance unit late at night after set up was complete and hours before their show was to open, our in-house sign shop made it happen (we didn't even let them see us sweat as we switched out the header with attendees almost in sight!)

At CSI, we just get it done - no drama, no sweat, and sometimes just a bit of ribbon : )

MPI Golf Outing a Success!

All of us at CSI want to thank the great participation in the Meeting Professionals International Sunbelt Chapter Annual Golf Classic. Over 100 golfers and great sponsors provided the support that will help allow AZMPI to continue to serve our community, and CSI was proud to be a sponsor, raffle donor, and active in the planning and organizing of the event.

Wow-we were lucky to get cooler weather, slightly overcast skies and, well, perhaps just a tad too much wind (not that it stopped our game-oh no!!)

What's more, we were able to raise some great funds for Wings To Fly 2020 through a spectacular Maui Jim sunglass special! We thank our friends at Maui Jim sunglasses for working with us to help fund a great cause.

It's fun for us to work on projects that support charities in need and the organizations that support our industry's vital programs. Enjoy the great photos of our team from the event (thanks Valerie Linker from Razmataz Entertainment!).

Let us know if you want us to create some fun for your next conference!

You have 6 seconds - meet the Traffic Stoppers

Return-on-investment for tradeshows must now be more immediate than ever. In previous economies, the return cycle allowed for the benefits of brand recognition and pipeline business, but now companies want their show reps to return with leads they can start to work immediately. Accordingly, people who are visiting trade shows are expected to return with resources that can help their businesses start to generate revenue.

In the vast sea of booths, how can the right prospect find the right resource? Well, you typically have 6 seconds to convince the passerby that you are the company they need to stop and investigate, so visuals are everything. In 6 seconds you must grab their attention (enter the splash), deliver just enough information that lets them know you have products or services that they need (real information that cuts to the chase), and provide an inviting entrance to come and talk (let the splash move aside for the real communication to begin).

Want to learn how we can take you from 0 to 60 in 6 seconds or less? Contact Karen May today 602.923.0011.

Hole in One

Mark your calendars: May 20, 2009 is Meeting Professional's International Golf Tournament

CSI cares about MPI and our meetings industry friends so we've committed to support the AZMPI Annual Golf Tournament in lots of fun ways! OK, OK, they are not all fun (making all the phone calls to promote the event, procure sponsorship, paperwork), but they are all necessary and it's our mission to help our community. What's fun? Cigar cutters and lighters (perfectly relaxing after a 100 degree Arizona day of golf), donating 15 raffle prizes (yessir-all helps raise important funds), donating items for the ditty bags, providing Maui Jim Sunglasses at our sponsored hole (!!), and working the whole event.

We want everyone to come, have fun and raise some funds for the meetings industry!