As a very proud iPhone 4 user, I am entering the world of mobile apps.  And the sheer number of apps seem daunting to assess and comprehend.  Which ones are the best?  How can I choose a good one and avoid a time sink in learning it only to discover it is not what I thought it would be?  And my questions can go on and on.

Earlier this year an independent study came out that found the mobile app industry would grow to $17.5 billion by 2012 with 50 billions in downloads.  The following is from a blog post from MobileBeat:

An independent study has found that the market for mobile applications will increase from $6 billion today to $17.5 billion in 2012. The study was commissioned by GetJar, the world’s second biggest mobile app store.

The study also reported that downloads of mobile apps will jump to 50 billion in 2012, a huge increase from 2009’s seven billion downloaded apps. The average price of mobile apps will also drop from $2.00 today to $1.50 in 2012.

Given the rise of smartphones, and mobile computing in general, these numbers aren’t too surprising. Apple currently runs the top mobile app store on iTunes which has more than 150,000 apps and recently surpassed three billion downloads. Google’s Android Marketplace houses more than 30,000 mobile apps, and Palm is kicking its developer support into high gear with its new Project Ares tool. Apps were also the main event in Microsoft’s recent demonstration of Windows Phone 7 Series.

The numbers also fall within range of a recent Gartner report that predicted revenue from mobile apps would quadruple between 2010 and 2013.

Conventions.net has a spot on their site where we can view iPhone apps which are out there and available for the event industry.  Here is a partial sample of that page:

Now I am curious – what are your favorite apps?  What would you recommend for me and why?  I am looking forward to your coaching on this very important tool in my life.  You will find I am trainable!!

The topic of Green Marketing is predominant on most marketers minds.  As I have been writing the 2010 edition of my eBook, The Secret of Achieving Brilliant Returns at Your Next Event: a Guide to Maximizing Your ROI and ROO, I have been uncovering a wealth of ideas about being “green.”  Let me share one resource with you.

4imprint is a promotional products company out of Oshkosh WI.  Rather than producing white papers they call them – Blue Papers.  4imprint defines the Blue Papers as “Documents to help improve the effectiveness of your marketing initiatives, spark ideas, and stimulate debate.”  Not only are they in a PDF form, but they include a podcast variation.  And they have a vast library of topics which relate to running any business.  I am very impressed with these offerings.

One Blue Paper is on: Green marketing. The introduction states:

Green marketing is quickly making the shift from trendy marketing tactic to cultural movement as more and more consumers demand environmentally friendly products, made in a sustainable way. Green marketing is also about leveraging the green benefits of any product to appeal to the conscientious consumer.

I would recommend that you check out this 11 page Blue Paper and the wondrous library they have!

Please know that 4imprint is one of the sponsors for the 2010 edition of my eBook.  So over time you will be hearing more about them and their offerings.

I am pleased to let you know that you can watch my interview from the IN Zone here – as well as the other ones. Here is the link to see them.

Please let me know what you think and share this with others!!  Here is a good picture of the ringleaders for this effort.

Many thanks to Dana Freker Doody of The Expo Group and Emilie Barta for making this experience soooo enjoyable.

TS2 had some great attractions on the show floor and one of them was the IN Zone.  There are older blog posts that describe what occurred in the IN Zone but for this post I want to highlight the virtual aspect via the broadcast interviews Emilie Barta conducted over the two days.

A Smashing Hit

The concept for effort was the brain child of Dana Freker Doody of The Expo Group.  She and I have talked about the supportive nature of her boss Ray Pekowski who believe in her and this new concept and backed it up with the necessary dollars to create the IN Zone.

Dana was able to elicit sponsors who became her partners in this new venture.  Here are the sponsors for the IN Zone:  Emilie Barta, Digitell, 3D Media Group, Cort Furniture, Innovative Event Production, and MCCA and the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center  provided all electric and Internet needs for the entire 40×50 space.

I have blogged about this effort on the CEIR blog, for another flavor and description of this outstanding event click here and read that post.

I captured a moment of Continuing the Conversation:

I was amazed with the virtual interactions via Tweets and questions posed to the interviewees.  As one who was interviewed, you have to be flexible for any number of questions which could be posed.  One that Michell Bruno asked made me take a moment or two to reflect before I answered.  So you feel like you are on the “spot” to deliver a quality answer.

The interaction was with the live audience on the show floor and the virtual one in their offices.  Emilie did a super job of having each fully engaging both audiences!

This model will be looked at by many show organizers over the next few months and they will assess if they can have something similar on their floor.  But it should be carefully approached.  Dana did a great job of finding the correct suppliers to work with her so that the feat could be accomplished.

Where any of you in the virtual TS2 audience?  I would appreciate your feedback if you were.

At the conclusion of TS2 the winners were announced over the loud speakers and one of the awards was bestowed on Bartizan and their iLeads product.  They had won the 2010 Breakthrough Award.  They are my client and I could not have been more proud of this acknowledgment for them.

I had my video camera rolling to capture the moment.

So they thought it was going to be a still photo – too funny!!

The product is gaining traction among exhibitors due to its ease of use.  In fact one show, Cloud Expo almost 90% of the exhibitors were using the product.  Typically in traditional shows usage only a low percentage [30 - 40 % 0verall] of exhibitors rent the lead retrieval devices offered.

If you have not checked it out, follow this link and assess it for yourself.

One of my new contacts is Ian Framson of Trade Show Internet.  His company announced a new service that I believe will be adopted quickly by show organizers.  And exhibitors will be relieved to have an affordable solution for their access to the internet.  Let me share a part of their press release with you.

With Trade Show Internet, Event Organizers Replace “Exclusive” Fixed Line Internet Service with Lower-Cost, Flexible Cellular Internet Option

San Francisco, CA – July 12, 2010 – Trade Show Internet has officially launched the world’s first on-site cellular Internet service for the trade show and meetings industry. With TSI On-Site, a trade show or event organizer receives the company’s on-site technical support, along with delivery and setup of its award-winning Internet Kits. This new service enables trade show organizers and their exhibitors to take full advantage of the technology shift from fixed line Internet service to cellular Internet, making getting online more convenient and cost-effective than ever.

Traditionally, Internet service has been controlled and operated by a hotel or convention center’s exclusive in-house provider – charging an average of $1,200 for a single Internet line drop. Recent infrastructure investments by partners like Verizon Wireless have brought cellular towers to the rooftops and even inside many hotels and convention centers. “At a price of $300 to $400 for an Internet Kit rental, we’re putting a technology solution in the customer’s hands that makes the in-house Internet service obsolete” notes Ian Framson, the company’s CEO.

The company’s Internet Kit rental solution gives customers an easy way to take full advantage of the fast 3G and 4G cellular Internet networks at their events. Customers receive unlimited usage of Verizon’s cellular broadband Internet for up to 4 computers. The Internet Kit provides wired and wireless (WiFi) connection options for a plug-and-play user experience.

TSI On-Site is featured on YouTube with a video showing the service in action during the recent IT Roadmap Conference and Expo at San Francisco’s Moscone Center.

To learn more about this release or Trade Show Internet’s solutions and services please visit http://www.tradeshowinternet.com.

This year I am updating the eBook, The Secret of Achieving Brilliant Returns at Your Next Event: a Guide to Maximizing Your ROI and ROO.  The original book was written in 2008, before social media and virtual events had the predominance it does today.  And there were other sections that needed to be written to make it relevant for today’s exhibit manager.  Thus the need for the re-write.

Now this is where you come into the picture.

As I was writing the Experiential Marketing Chapter, it occurred to me that I was doing what so many traditional marketers do – push information out to an audience.  Yikes!!  Yes, I have been listening along the way, but I KNOW it is important to have my audience involved in the final product.

The timing of this brilliant insight and TS2 are perfect!!

This is my request of you – add examples, tidbits of vital information, and directions and insights gained from your experiences.  Here are the areas where you can contribute  your fingerprints of wisdom:

• Cost cutting efforts – where and how have you cut costs but still maintain the look and feel of your exhibit and produced the results you wanted?
• How “green” have you gone?  What have you started and/or accomplished in greening your exhibit?
• Lead follow up – how do you ensure total follow up?
• Bridging the sales and marketing gap – how have you successfully narrowed that gap?
• Experimenting in the virtual world – have you place your toe in those waters?
• Social media efforts – have Twitter and other social media efforts paid off in driving traffic and attention for your booth?
• Justifying and reporting on your shows – how are you demonstrating to management the “return” on your show results?

By the time I arrive at the show I might have these question turned into a top ten list for each category and then have you provide a top and an example which I can use in the eBook.  How does that sound to you?  This should be fun!!

I want to thank the sponsors who are underwriting this effort.  They are:

• 4imprint
• Alliance Tech
• Bartizan
• Event Technologies
• GetSynchronicity
• PRMconnect
• Skyline Displays
• The Trade Show Coach

You can submit your ideas in written form or via video.  It is my intention to use video throughout the eBook.  I am currently checking on all the technical requirements to accomplish that.

If you have any questions email be @ joycemckee [at] letstalktradeshows [dot] com.  If you are not attending TS2 you can still submit your information to me.