Written on 14 June 2016.

The Secret to Great Trade Show Booth Design

secret

Fun fact: Your brain and your potential customers’ brains process visual information 60,000x faster than text.

And, according to Forrestor CSO Insights, visual information makes up 90% of all information transmitted to your brain.

So, suffice it to say: visuals in all things marketing and branding are absolutely critical. It’s a majority of what your brain processes and what it can take in the quickest, so it must be incorporated into your trade show booth.

No matter how great your product or service is or how carefully crafted the copy is, the visual of your expo booth design creates the first impression that will determine whether or not someone wants to approach your trade show display.

There are a few simple ways to take advantage of this information, including one especially powerful, secret way to really take your visuals up to the next level.

Let’s start with basic details & research-backed info first.

Written on 13 August 2015.

Global Sources unveils plans for robot to greet trade show visitors

Shares in Hong Kong-based publisher and organiser Global Sources reached a 52-week high yesterday (6 August) after the company released its latest results, including plans to introduce a robot to greet international trade show visitors.

"We are pleased with the continued strength of our exhibition business and are excited by the innovations planned for our October shows," executive chairman Merle Hinrich told investors.

"To greet overseas buyers, we plan to introduce Sonia, the world's first customer service trade show robot," Hinrich said.

He also outlined plans to add experience zones for drones, electronic personal transporters and smart homes.

Global Sources shares peaked at $8.49 on the NASDAQ one day after the company reported first-half 2015 revenue of $85.9m, down from $87.5m in 2014.

It posted a pre-tax profit of $18.39m, up from $8.49m for the same period last year.

Global Sources' unaudited results reflect six months focused on capital raising, with the sale of its majority stake in eMedia Asia to organiser UBM for about $9m, as well as a deal to sell its 50th-floor Shenzhen office for about $21.7m.

Meanwhile, the company closed its share buyback tender on 27 July, after receiving about 12.6 million properly tendered shares.

Chief financial officer Connie Lai told investors the company expected about 52 to 54 per cent of its revenue would come from exhibitions in the second half of 2015, compared to 52 per cent in 2014.

Commenting on the company's growth in the second quarter, Lai said the results reflected the sale of eMedia Asia, growth in its April electronics trade shows and the shift of its SIMM machinery shows from the first-quarter of 2014 to the second quarter of 2015.

Written on 06 November 2013.

A week of exhibitions on six subjects: 436 companies from 30 countries

Six exhibitions will be organised by Iteca company and its international partners in several pavilions of the Atakent Exhibition Centre in Almaty between 5th and 8th November 2013. The unified exhibition will present 436 exhibitors from 30 countries: Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Hungary, Germany, Denmark, Greece, Iran, Italy, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Poland, Russia, Slovakia, USA, Thailand, Turkey, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, France, the Czech Republic, Sri Lanka and South Korea.

The week of exhibitions includes six specialised events which are already famous brands in the region:

wfk2013-pr-01

WorldFood Kazakhstan 2013 - an international food industry exhibition, with a 16 year reputation and an established level of event organisation. Many countries in Europe are represented by national stands. New features at WorldFood Kazakhstan this year are: 1.) a separate category for bakery companies, 2.) the organisation of a special event as part of the exhibition – the Retail Centre, which is a platform for B2B meetings between representatives of supermarket and retail distribution chains 3.) a professional food tasting competition with 132 product entries, 4.) the a expanded business programme of events will take part in over two seminar halls.
AgroWorld Kazakhstan 2013 – an exhibition on the subject of Agriculture, which continues to expand its presentation of livestock and poultry. The exhibitors at AgroWorld Kazakhstan originate from 14 countries, with Azerbaijan and the Czech Republic represented for the first time. This sector event is represented by both national and foreign companies. Feed additives have a large representation and farming equipment companies are also exhibiting.
KazUpack 2013 – an exhibiting platform for all types of packaging companies: paper, flexible, tin, glass, plastic containers, film, labelling and PET from 11 countries. Warehouse Equipment will have its own separate section. The origin of KazUpack exhibitors widens every year – exhibitors from Belarus, Germany, Italy, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Ukraine and Czech Republic will display their products.
HOREX 2013 – an exhibition uniting hoteliers, restaurateurs, cooks, culinary tradesmen and baristas.One of the special features of HOREX 2013 will be the broad and varied business programme with a focus on education. 126 delegates from Atyrau, Karaganda, Astana, Almaty, Shymkent and Bishkek have registered for five master-classes. The famous Russian company Restteam will host classes on "Motivation – how to inspire personnel", "Business Hotel organisation", "Kitchen management – five rules of the kitchen", "Sales management in a restaurant – increasing the average bill" and "Organisation of a buffet table in a hotel." Kompleks-Bar, another renown Russian company, will run a range of special events focused on bar and restaurant craft. One of the tendencies of the HOREX exhibition is the presentation of companies that produce IT software for and restaurant businesses. Meetings of hoteliers and housekeepers groups from Kazakhstan will be held under the chairmanship of the KAGIR (Kazakh Association of Hotels and Restaurants) trade association. The KAGIR association will also hold the Best Chambermaid 2013 competition at HOREX 2013.
CleanExpo Central Asia 2013 –an exhibition of the latest cleaning innovations is combined with training sessions and seminars run by world famous industry specialists, with competitions also being held. Some of the innovations due to be on show are, the new generation of Russian VEGA irons and mangles; Swiss professional extra thin steam irons and an odourless and colourless disinfecting and cleaning agent. Exhibitors include, Miele, Krauzer, Asia-Vyazma, Ost-Pharm and Sobek-Service. The Best Ironing Specialist 2013 competition, sponsored by Alfa Equip, will be held on the first day of the exhibition. Horex Training Group also sponsors the event. Leading Italian expert Alberti Angelo, owner of a dry cleaning chain, will also host training sessions at the CleanExpo Central Asia exhibition.
FranchExpo Central Asia 2013 – an annual regional franchising event. This year, franchisers from the United Kingdom, Ukraine and Kazakhstan will attend and around 60 delegates will take part in the activities of the international forum. The subject of the forum is "Franchising – trends in the development of business, education and innovation".

14 speakers are included in the programme and the forum is supported by the Damu Entrepreneurship Development Fund JSC and the Research Institute of Financial and Banking Management at the Ryskulov Kazakh University of Economics. Held on the 5th of November, reports will be made by representatives of government bodies and associations, legal and consulting companies and by the franchisers themselves. The event is co-organised by the Franchising Union Consortium.

wfk2013-pr-02

The exhibiting franchisers include: AJOUR brand (men's and women's underwear, swimwear, clothing for the home), the MAFIA chain of restaurants (restaurant business), Baskin Robbins ice cream cafes, the SkillSet chain of English language schools, a business courier services and logistics franchise and many others.

This year, visitors will yet again see innovations from companies at the national stands of Czech, German, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Poland and South Korea.

The origin of exhibitors has been broadened by three new countries – Companies from Iran, Latvia and Sri Lanka will exhibit for the first time. The Sri Lankan companies will display exquisite varieties of tea.

A new feature at WorldFood Kazakhstan is the provision of a separate pavilion for bakery exhibitors. More than 15 suppliers of bakery equipment, ingredients, raw materials and utensils will congregate from 5 countries (Greece, Italy, Kazakhstan, Russia, Czech Republic).that, accessories and bakery industry consulting will be presented here. The national stand of the Czech Republic will mainly present companies that manufacture bakery equipment.

wfk2013-pr-03

Direct meetings between suppliers of food products and representatives of retail chains and supermarkets will be held by appointment on the 6th of November at the Retail Centre. Companies such as «Magnum Cash&Carry» (Almaty), "Metro Cash & Carry» (Almaty), «GREEN Mart» (Almaty), Kurmysh-Trade (Ust-Kamenogorsk), Joint Kazakh German Enterprise INTERFOOD (Almaty),Timirbayev (Semipalatinsk), Tea Coffee Garden (Almaty), AAS-FOOD (Almaty) and Bulk Trading Company Plus (Kostanay) will be taking part.

In addition, this year, professional jury will be given on 132 products at the Best Product tasting competition. 35 categories have been determined, with the tasting committee presided over by Yuri Sinyavsky, the vice-president of the Kazakh Academy of Nutrition

wfk2013-pr-04

"The time in which we live is a time of changes, a time of possibilities, a time of action! It demands from us the understanding of the new, dynamic decision making, composure and responsibility" – this statement by one of the exhibitors at the last WorldFood Kazakhstan exhibition is the main motto of all six exhibitions held in Almaty from the 5th to the 8th of November 2013.

Up-to-date information about the exhibitions and business programme of the events is available on the official websites:

www.worldfood.kz; www.agroworld.kz; www.kazupack.kz;
www.horex.iteca.kz; www.cleanexpo.kz; www.franchexpo.kz.

Written on 26 November 2012.

Astana – the winning city!

The capital of Kazakhstan was chosen to host the international specialized exhibition EXPO-2017. Astana was victorious. The result was proclaimed in Paris France, at the headquarters of the International Exhibitions Bureau (BIE), on November 22, 2012, after 10 pm Astana time. At the 152nd session of the BIE General Assembly 148 member states out of a total of 161 were present and voted. There was a quorum even though some delegates could not attend. Astana beat Liege in a fair and hard-fought contest by an overwhelming 103 to 44 votes, with one abstention.

Prior to the voting ceremony, the Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan and Chairman of the "EXPO 2017, Astana” Organizing Committee, Kayrat Kelimbetov, and the Mayor of Astana, Imangali Tasmagambetov, made a closing presentation of the bid by Kazakhstan. A videotaped statement by the President of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbaev, was also shown.

For Belgium, the Chairman of "EXPO 2017, Liege”, Robert Tollet, the Mayor of Liege, Willy Demeyer and the Director General of "EXPO 2017, Liege”, Jean-Christophe Peterkenne made the trip to Paris.

In their presentation the Belgians focused on the advantages of Liege. The Prime Minister of Belgium, Elio di Rupo, greeted the delegates of the BIE in a videotaped message. The Belgian Minister of Education, Marie-Dominique Simonet, also came to support the bid by Liege. They once again emphasized the economic stability of the country, its multi-ethnic character, the backing of other countries and international partners, and the enthusiasm of the Belgian people.

On behalf of the Government of Kazakhstan, Deputy Prime-Minister Kayrat Kelimbetov greeted the heads of delegations of the member states of the BIE.

- Organizing EXPO–2017 around the theme "Future Energy” follows logically from the global initiatives of our President to save the planet. While putting forward the theme "Future Energy” for EXPO-2017, we have taken all necessary steps to make sure that Kazakhstan moves forward towards the practical implementation of a green economy, - noted the Deputy Prime Minister.

- We will strive to make EXPO-2017 in Astana one of the most technologically advanced ever. Thus, Astana will resemble a kind of "City of the Future”. For us, EXPO-2017 will be a new phase in the economic life not only of Astana but of the country as a whole, and the theme "Future Energy” will mean a step towards preserving our planet for future generations.

K. Kelimbetov thanked all the heads of state, heads of diplomatic missions, the secretariat and the delegates of the BIE and all the participants who expressed their support for the bid by Astana. He also thanked the people and the government of Belgium for a fair and honest competition, which brought our two countries even closer together.

In his statement to the BIE delegates the Mayor of Astana, Imangali Tasmagambetov said: - We want to talk about what lies ahead. We want to say that the EXPO will expand its reach to cover a territory that is the 9th largest country in the world. The main mission of the EXPO after all, as is well known, is to be of planetary significance. Hence, the opportunity of holding the EXPO in our capital is a wonderful chance to develop and disseminate this global idea from the very heart of the Eurasian landmass. We aspire to, believe in and are capable of changing the world for the better! This is the real reason why Astana is taking part in this truly grandiose project.

The Mayor of Astana also highlighted the importance of the EXPO for our country: "Holding the EXPO will not only be a test of our abilities but an opportunity to prove to the international community that our city is a success, and is ready to tackle the most complex challenges. Time alone will tell whether today's decisions are the right ones. We in Kazakhstan are convinced that "Future Energy” is the right path forward.”

Then came the long awaited voting ceremony and everyone but the BIE delegates had to leave the room. Thirty agonizing minutes later the delegation of Kazakhstan walked back into the room and immediately saw the results displayed on the screen: 103 votes for Astana, 44 for Liege.

At that historic moment for all of Kazakhstan, people in Astana also awaited the results of the vote with bated breath. Young people from the capital gathered in front of the Media Center in Astana to show support for their country. As giant screens broadcast the ceremony live from Paris, the young let their joy show and chanted "EXPO Astana”.

Following the announcement of the results of the vote, an official reception was held in the ‘Gabriel’ pavilion in Paris, in honor of the country awarded the right to host EXPO-2017. At the start of the reception, the President of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbaev, spoke to those in attendance.

"I want to thank you once again for the decision to organize the EXPO-2017 exhibition in our young capital. I am grateful to all the heads of state and government for supporting our bid. I wish to in particular thank the people and the government of Belgium and of Liege for their fair play. We are fully cognizant of the historic responsibility that has been placed on our shoulders. For the first time ever the EXPO will be held in the very heart of the vast Eurasian landmass”, - said the Head of State.

He pledged that Kazakhstan would spare no effort to make sure that the exhibition meets the highest possible standards. "We will take in to account all of your suggestions, do our utmost to make sure the exhibition lives up to expectations”, - noted Nazarbaev and invited all those interested to visit Kazakhstan.

In concluding his speech the President switched to English. "Thank you for your support. It’s a great day for Kazakhstan”, - said Nursultan Nazarbaev.

November 22 became a decisive and historic day for independent Kazakhstan. From now one there will be a before and an after that day for all the people of Kazakhstan. 103 countries voted for the bid by Astana. This is a further endorsement of the policy conducted by the Government of Kazakhstan.

The "EXPO-2017” team now has a great deal of work ahead of it as it will now have to live up to the confidence expressed in its bid. The exhibition promises to be one of the most technologically advanced ever and by that time Astana will have rightly earned the nickname "City of the Future”.

www.expo2017astana.com