Last night, the USO of Metropolitan Washington (USO-Metro) held its 9th Annual Stars and Stripes Night at the Sheraton National in Pentagon City. We were honored to attend the event and provide PR support, as we have for years. Each event that we attend reminds us how much we love to be involved with this wonderful organization!
The focus of the night was the Circle of Stars presentation, where USO-Metro President Elaine Rogers announced the top corporate sponsors for USO-Metro. The 30 sponsors provide generous funding to support USO-Metro’s mission to lift the spirits of military service members and their families.
The fundraiser reminded us that USO-Metro’s generous top corporate sponsors make it possible for USO-Metro to serve their mission each and every day, providing a broad range of programs to our service members and their families, including programs for children with deployed parents, support services for spouses and emergency housing programs. We had a wonderful time last night, and are humbled to be involved with such a fantastic organization!
Advice Unlimited
Friday, October 12, 2012
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Trade Show Success Tips: Don’t Forget the Basics
This month I had the pleasure of attending the AFCEA TechNet Land Forces East trade show in Baltimore, MD. This is one of three regional shows that used to be combined in one show; since this was the first year for this change, I was interested to see how exhibitors and attendees were adjusting to the change in scale.
Many of the key exhibitors were there, supporting this new approach. There were some booths at the show that had great displays and there were some that fell short. Following are my thoughts from some of my observations, and some gentle reminders of ‘do’s and don’ts’ for booth display and personal conduct at a trade show. We expect the trend to smaller exhibits and more regional and smaller shows will continue; with smaller exhibits, these basics become more important, as it becomes harder to stand out among a sea of 10 x 10s.
Do’s
1. Use Large Font and focused, concise messaging in your display. The most effective background displays used only a few words that described the product or service represented. You should also WRITE YOUR KEY MESSAGES IN LARGE FONT SO PEOPLE CAN READ THEM. People at trade shows are walking around all day through what sometimes feels like a maze of booths. It is easy to get lost or overwhelmed by all the displays, so a potential customer could walk right by your booth without understanding a single thing about the company or the product. Using large font to highlight a few key words about the company and the product near the top of the display will help catch the eye of a passerby more than a paragraph-long mission statement or product description. You want the passerby to look and think, “Yes, I need that!” Once you’ve drawn them in, then you can review the details of your service, discussing your features and benefits that align to their needs.
2. Color choice matters – the most eye-catching displays were also really easy to read.
3. Interactive displays are always better than static displays. While not always possible, whenever you can bring in an interactive demo, that’s more appealing than static signs and ‘boxes.’ iPads seemed to be a big hit – this might be a relatively inexpensive way to make the demo and description of your products and services more engaging. Many attendees seemed to be drawn in by the ability to play with an iPad for a little while.
4. Giveaways still work, and they don’t have to be expensive. One of the biggest hits at the TechNet East show was the booth that was giving out free popcorn. Popcorn and candy are great ways to bring people into the booth where your representative can then interact with the customer. Fun toys also still have their place – there’s a little bit of a child in most of us. A giveaway that I have used in the past with great success is the Slinky - everyone loves a Slinky! And they come in lots of different colors, providing great eye candy for a clever display to help pull people into your booth.
While there were some interesting booths and sophisticated presentations, I was surprised to see some booths and representatives that evidently had skipped “trade show etiquette 101”. Following are some reminders that everyone attending a trade show should know – but some folks need reminding:
Don’ts
1. PUT THE SMART PHONES AWAY! There was no bigger turnoff than walking by a booth and seeing every single representative sitting around playing on their smart phones without a clue there was someone that might want to learn something from their booth. It is understandable that booth representatives need to check their phones, but step aside from the booth for a moment when you know that a colleague has you covered; don’t get into an absorbing email session or use your phone as a shield so you don’t have to interact with potential customers walking the aisles. There were more than a few booths where I saw all of the reps behind computers or in a deep gaze into their smart phones.
2. Don’t look so unhappy to be there. Not only were the people on their smart phones not being helpful, several of them looked so bored and unhappy to be there that no potential customers would ever want to bring themselves over to such a boring and dead environment. Booth representatives need to be at attention, happy and prepared to help any person with any question. Sometimes it is not the booth display that draws people in, but the positive environment and interaction with people that looks so welcoming and makes people think, “I wonder what is going on over there.”
3. Stay positive and on message. I really don’t want to hear how much your feet hurt; I do want you to make me feel like you really want to talk to me and hear about what kind of problems we’re dealing with, and I want to hear why you believe your solution will solve my problem. Basic etiquette is always important: don’t use bad language, don’t make potentially offensive comments, stay away from political opinion and no bashing the competitor. Focus on your company’s differentiators and strengths, and you’ll always come out ahead.
Trade shows may shrink or morph, but we strongly believe that these face-to-face gatherings that provide the ability for customers to test drive, demo and ‘touch and feel’ solutions will always matter. Take advantage of these opportunities to really impress and educate your audience, and leverage your trade show investment, by remembering the basics. For information on how Advice Unlimited can help you create and implement a successful trade show effort, or provide support for other public outreach and communication initiatives, please contact me at 301-924-0330 or slevine@adviceunlimited.net.
Many of the key exhibitors were there, supporting this new approach. There were some booths at the show that had great displays and there were some that fell short. Following are my thoughts from some of my observations, and some gentle reminders of ‘do’s and don’ts’ for booth display and personal conduct at a trade show. We expect the trend to smaller exhibits and more regional and smaller shows will continue; with smaller exhibits, these basics become more important, as it becomes harder to stand out among a sea of 10 x 10s.
Do’s
1. Use Large Font and focused, concise messaging in your display. The most effective background displays used only a few words that described the product or service represented. You should also WRITE YOUR KEY MESSAGES IN LARGE FONT SO PEOPLE CAN READ THEM. People at trade shows are walking around all day through what sometimes feels like a maze of booths. It is easy to get lost or overwhelmed by all the displays, so a potential customer could walk right by your booth without understanding a single thing about the company or the product. Using large font to highlight a few key words about the company and the product near the top of the display will help catch the eye of a passerby more than a paragraph-long mission statement or product description. You want the passerby to look and think, “Yes, I need that!” Once you’ve drawn them in, then you can review the details of your service, discussing your features and benefits that align to their needs.
2. Color choice matters – the most eye-catching displays were also really easy to read.
3. Interactive displays are always better than static displays. While not always possible, whenever you can bring in an interactive demo, that’s more appealing than static signs and ‘boxes.’ iPads seemed to be a big hit – this might be a relatively inexpensive way to make the demo and description of your products and services more engaging. Many attendees seemed to be drawn in by the ability to play with an iPad for a little while.
4. Giveaways still work, and they don’t have to be expensive. One of the biggest hits at the TechNet East show was the booth that was giving out free popcorn. Popcorn and candy are great ways to bring people into the booth where your representative can then interact with the customer. Fun toys also still have their place – there’s a little bit of a child in most of us. A giveaway that I have used in the past with great success is the Slinky - everyone loves a Slinky! And they come in lots of different colors, providing great eye candy for a clever display to help pull people into your booth.
While there were some interesting booths and sophisticated presentations, I was surprised to see some booths and representatives that evidently had skipped “trade show etiquette 101”. Following are some reminders that everyone attending a trade show should know – but some folks need reminding:
Don’ts
1. PUT THE SMART PHONES AWAY! There was no bigger turnoff than walking by a booth and seeing every single representative sitting around playing on their smart phones without a clue there was someone that might want to learn something from their booth. It is understandable that booth representatives need to check their phones, but step aside from the booth for a moment when you know that a colleague has you covered; don’t get into an absorbing email session or use your phone as a shield so you don’t have to interact with potential customers walking the aisles. There were more than a few booths where I saw all of the reps behind computers or in a deep gaze into their smart phones.
2. Don’t look so unhappy to be there. Not only were the people on their smart phones not being helpful, several of them looked so bored and unhappy to be there that no potential customers would ever want to bring themselves over to such a boring and dead environment. Booth representatives need to be at attention, happy and prepared to help any person with any question. Sometimes it is not the booth display that draws people in, but the positive environment and interaction with people that looks so welcoming and makes people think, “I wonder what is going on over there.”
3. Stay positive and on message. I really don’t want to hear how much your feet hurt; I do want you to make me feel like you really want to talk to me and hear about what kind of problems we’re dealing with, and I want to hear why you believe your solution will solve my problem. Basic etiquette is always important: don’t use bad language, don’t make potentially offensive comments, stay away from political opinion and no bashing the competitor. Focus on your company’s differentiators and strengths, and you’ll always come out ahead.
Trade shows may shrink or morph, but we strongly believe that these face-to-face gatherings that provide the ability for customers to test drive, demo and ‘touch and feel’ solutions will always matter. Take advantage of these opportunities to really impress and educate your audience, and leverage your trade show investment, by remembering the basics. For information on how Advice Unlimited can help you create and implement a successful trade show effort, or provide support for other public outreach and communication initiatives, please contact me at 301-924-0330 or slevine@adviceunlimited.net.
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
“Girls Who Code” Program is Good for All of Us in IT
Technology is the future. It is important to keep up with trends and advancements in technology in order to not be left behind. There was a time when it was men, not women, who dominated the workplace, but that has changed. There are more women going to college today then there are men. 57% of bachelor’s degrees are earned by women, but if technology is the future, then it is a problem that only 14% of those degrees are in computer science. There is a new initiative called “Girls Who Code” that aims to fix this problem.
The group will work with girls ages 13 to 17 from underprivileged neighborhoods to help them pursue degrees and careers in science, technology, engineering, and math, also known as the STEM fields. The program will be taught by women who work in STEM fields and will help teach the girls tech skills such as computer programming, Web design and robotics. The program is being backed by technology giants Twitter, Google and Ebay.
This program is important to women in the workplace all across the country. While only 14% of female bachelor degrees are in computer science, women use the internet 17% more then men do. Something that, as a Communications Professional, I found especially of interest: while online, women are dominating the social media/networking arenas – they are responsible for creating two-thirds of the content on social networking websites. Clearly, women are tech savvy; we just need more motivation and incentives to pursue this as a possible career choice.
There was an article recently on dice.com that stated, “Thirty percent of 450 companies in the Harvey Nash poll said their IT departments have no women in management positions at all.” Women are fully capable of doing well in these tech jobs, they just need to be introduced to the industry and taught the technology, which is exactly what “Girls Who Code” is planning on doing. By increasing the opportunities for women to learn technological skills there will hopefully be more women with highly skilled jobs in technology.
Girls Who Code is a program that gets things done – and that elevates the skills, expertise, and number of female knowledge workers across industries. It’s good for all of us – especially us women! Learn how you can get involved at: http://www.girlswhocode.com/.
The group will work with girls ages 13 to 17 from underprivileged neighborhoods to help them pursue degrees and careers in science, technology, engineering, and math, also known as the STEM fields. The program will be taught by women who work in STEM fields and will help teach the girls tech skills such as computer programming, Web design and robotics. The program is being backed by technology giants Twitter, Google and Ebay.
This program is important to women in the workplace all across the country. While only 14% of female bachelor degrees are in computer science, women use the internet 17% more then men do. Something that, as a Communications Professional, I found especially of interest: while online, women are dominating the social media/networking arenas – they are responsible for creating two-thirds of the content on social networking websites. Clearly, women are tech savvy; we just need more motivation and incentives to pursue this as a possible career choice.
There was an article recently on dice.com that stated, “Thirty percent of 450 companies in the Harvey Nash poll said their IT departments have no women in management positions at all.” Women are fully capable of doing well in these tech jobs, they just need to be introduced to the industry and taught the technology, which is exactly what “Girls Who Code” is planning on doing. By increasing the opportunities for women to learn technological skills there will hopefully be more women with highly skilled jobs in technology.
Girls Who Code is a program that gets things done – and that elevates the skills, expertise, and number of female knowledge workers across industries. It’s good for all of us – especially us women! Learn how you can get involved at: http://www.girlswhocode.com/.
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Make a Splash This Trade Show Season!
It’s trade show season again! There are lots of government trade shows in the summer, as we move into the heat of the buying season. There are some important changes in this year’s shows that you will want to be prepared for. One big change is that several of the large trade shows and conferences are being canceled or modified due to the GSA scandal around an October 2010 conference in Las Vegas, which cost nearly $823,000 in taxpayer money. That means no more lavish meals, gifts, or parties. Exhibitors will have to be creative in how they deliver compelling content to their audience without expensive displays, meals and promotional giveaways to draw visitors’ attention. Instead of the big trade shows, government will be focusing on smaller local trade shows that eliminate the high costs of travel and lodging. The change to smaller venues and trade shows is a huge opportunity for companies that may have been overlooked at the larger trade shows to make a compelling presentation and build a name for their company.
It is important that your company makes the right moves to stand out to those attending the show. Effective, proactive PR is a great tool to help you secure attention from attendees. Take the time to really shine - if you’re investing in being at a show, invest the time and creativity to ensure you make a splash. The following steps will help you get the most out of your trade show investment:
1. Make your booth enticing -- have some visual displays that draw the attention of attendees, so they will look closer at the important content at your booth, but remember – nothing extravagant or excessive. Creativity counts – and content rules!
2. Have good handouts- reprints of recent press articles around your company or customers, and information specific to the target audience attending the show. Make sure your booth is organized. Handouts should be very clean, clear and concise in delivering your message.
3. Nominate customers or executives for speaking slots – this is a great way to build credibility and provide educational and insightful information on your solutions.
4. Hold a media breakfast or lunch at the show if you have an important announcement to make there, to ensure you get an attentive audience.
5. Try to time important announcements for the show.
6. Take advantage of the show press room. Find out how they support your efforts, and leverage their offerings.
The new focus on smaller trade shows can be a great opportunity for your company to reach your target audience. Less extravagance is good for your bottom line, and more focus on creativity and content will bring you stronger results and better quality leads. For more information on how Advice Unlimited can help you create and implement a successful trade show effort, or provide support for other public outreach and communication initiatives, please contact me at 301-924-0330 or slevine@adviceunlimited.net.
It is important that your company makes the right moves to stand out to those attending the show. Effective, proactive PR is a great tool to help you secure attention from attendees. Take the time to really shine - if you’re investing in being at a show, invest the time and creativity to ensure you make a splash. The following steps will help you get the most out of your trade show investment:
1. Make your booth enticing -- have some visual displays that draw the attention of attendees, so they will look closer at the important content at your booth, but remember – nothing extravagant or excessive. Creativity counts – and content rules!
2. Have good handouts- reprints of recent press articles around your company or customers, and information specific to the target audience attending the show. Make sure your booth is organized. Handouts should be very clean, clear and concise in delivering your message.
3. Nominate customers or executives for speaking slots – this is a great way to build credibility and provide educational and insightful information on your solutions.
4. Hold a media breakfast or lunch at the show if you have an important announcement to make there, to ensure you get an attentive audience.
5. Try to time important announcements for the show.
6. Take advantage of the show press room. Find out how they support your efforts, and leverage their offerings.
The new focus on smaller trade shows can be a great opportunity for your company to reach your target audience. Less extravagance is good for your bottom line, and more focus on creativity and content will bring you stronger results and better quality leads. For more information on how Advice Unlimited can help you create and implement a successful trade show effort, or provide support for other public outreach and communication initiatives, please contact me at 301-924-0330 or slevine@adviceunlimited.net.
Monday, May 21, 2012
Importance of Mobile Devices Highlighted in GovLoop Report
GovLoop recently published an interesting report on the State of Government Communications. The report highlights the top ten trends in government communications. Some insights I found of particular interest were those around three key areas: the digital divide, social media, and crisis management. We agree these are important areas of government communication, and we work with many of our clients to help them deal with challenges around these focus areas.
A majority of communication now takes place over the web and having access to the web is key to staying in the loop. The boom in social media has made for a tremendous increase in the speed at which information is made public and how quickly that information spreads. It is important for organizations to keep up with social media channels and how the public is accessing the information across these channels. If they do not keep up, they will be left out of the loop because of a digital divide they did not account for - it’s not just about leveraging the web; it’s also about the tools your specific audience is using to access the web. And for some critical demographics, the device of choice is mobile.
There was a very interesting comment posted about GovLoop’s report. The comment pointed out the great digital divide of how different demographics access the web and social media. It noted that personal portable devices such as smart phones are a critical web access point for the poor, the young and people of color. If the government does not expand to make communication possible through a mobile interface, they will be missing out on communication with a large and important demographic.
Accessing social media through mobile devices has become increasingly popular. Forward-thinking organizations need to take advantage of social media outlets as a means of spreading their message and information updates. Sometimes the bounty of different social media sites can be overwhelming. The report gives good insight into some of the most popular sites; public information specialists such as Advice Unlimited can help organizations determine which social media outlets will be most effective for specific messages and to reach different audiences.
With a mobile app for every social media site at the fingertips of every smart phone user, there is a great deal of information spreading at an incredibly fast speed. The increase in the speed at which information travels has significantly changed how organizations perform crisis management. Instead of setting up press conferences to update reporters who would in turn update the public on the process and progress in dealing with the crisis, public information specialists need to be proactive and go directly to constituents, using social media and various communication channels the public will look to for information, guidance and reassurance. Our audience will be looking to these social media sites for updates, information, and reassurance – so that’s where we need to be. For example, when the earthquake hit in Virginia last summer, there were updates about feeling an earthquake flooding the news feeds of Facebook minutes before any television media outlet could place a response or update to the public.
To read the GovLoop State of Government Communications Report in its entirety, please visit http://www.govloop.com/profiles/blogs/annoucing-govloop-state-of-government-communications-report. I recently led a workshop on how to use social media in a disaster at the GovSec 2012 conference; if you couldn’t attend and would like more information on that topic or any of the topics discussed in this post, please contact me at slevine@adviceunlimited.net.
A majority of communication now takes place over the web and having access to the web is key to staying in the loop. The boom in social media has made for a tremendous increase in the speed at which information is made public and how quickly that information spreads. It is important for organizations to keep up with social media channels and how the public is accessing the information across these channels. If they do not keep up, they will be left out of the loop because of a digital divide they did not account for - it’s not just about leveraging the web; it’s also about the tools your specific audience is using to access the web. And for some critical demographics, the device of choice is mobile.
There was a very interesting comment posted about GovLoop’s report. The comment pointed out the great digital divide of how different demographics access the web and social media. It noted that personal portable devices such as smart phones are a critical web access point for the poor, the young and people of color. If the government does not expand to make communication possible through a mobile interface, they will be missing out on communication with a large and important demographic.
Accessing social media through mobile devices has become increasingly popular. Forward-thinking organizations need to take advantage of social media outlets as a means of spreading their message and information updates. Sometimes the bounty of different social media sites can be overwhelming. The report gives good insight into some of the most popular sites; public information specialists such as Advice Unlimited can help organizations determine which social media outlets will be most effective for specific messages and to reach different audiences.
With a mobile app for every social media site at the fingertips of every smart phone user, there is a great deal of information spreading at an incredibly fast speed. The increase in the speed at which information travels has significantly changed how organizations perform crisis management. Instead of setting up press conferences to update reporters who would in turn update the public on the process and progress in dealing with the crisis, public information specialists need to be proactive and go directly to constituents, using social media and various communication channels the public will look to for information, guidance and reassurance. Our audience will be looking to these social media sites for updates, information, and reassurance – so that’s where we need to be. For example, when the earthquake hit in Virginia last summer, there were updates about feeling an earthquake flooding the news feeds of Facebook minutes before any television media outlet could place a response or update to the public.
To read the GovLoop State of Government Communications Report in its entirety, please visit http://www.govloop.com/profiles/blogs/annoucing-govloop-state-of-government-communications-report. I recently led a workshop on how to use social media in a disaster at the GovSec 2012 conference; if you couldn’t attend and would like more information on that topic or any of the topics discussed in this post, please contact me at slevine@adviceunlimited.net.
Friday, March 23, 2012
USO-Metro’s Annual Awards Dinner Reminds Us of the Importance of Giving Back
Last night, the USO of Metropolitan Washington (USO-Metro) hosted its 30th Annual Awards Dinner at the Ritz-Carlton in Pentagon City. We attended the dinner, providing PR support, as we have for the past 16 years, and were reminded why we got involved – and stay involved – with this phenomenal organization!
The evening was devoted to honoring outstanding individuals from each branch of service, as well as the exceptional people who support our nation’s service members through volunteerism and USO-Metro’s countless charitable programs, with a special emphasis on the military families served. Attended by senior government and military leaders, celebrities, business and community leaders, more than 500 guests joined with USO-Metro last night to honor our nation’s heroes and their families. This year also included a celebration of the Medal of Honor’s 150th Anniversary.
USO-Metro presented the John Gioia Patriot Award to Terri Santiago, the mother of retired Marine Sergeant Christopher Santiago, who was severely wounded in Iraq. Terri has been an amazing source of strength and inspiration, supporting her son and others as they heal. The program also included a Special Salute to our Nation’s Heroes, honoring active-duty service members from each branch of service. The honorees this year were Medal of Honor recipients – 18 Medal of Honor winners attended the dinner in celebration of the Medal of Honor’s 150th Anniversary. These service members were acknowledged for their courage and selfless service to our nation.
The entire night was a touching tribute to our service members and their families, and we were honored to be a part of it. The night reminded us all how crucial it is to give back to the community we serve. During this time of transition, supporting our nation’s heroes is more important than ever. Advice Unlimited’s involvement with USO-Metro allows us to give back and pay tribute, and is a constant reminder of the sacrifices these heroes make for us each and every day.
The evening was devoted to honoring outstanding individuals from each branch of service, as well as the exceptional people who support our nation’s service members through volunteerism and USO-Metro’s countless charitable programs, with a special emphasis on the military families served. Attended by senior government and military leaders, celebrities, business and community leaders, more than 500 guests joined with USO-Metro last night to honor our nation’s heroes and their families. This year also included a celebration of the Medal of Honor’s 150th Anniversary.
USO-Metro presented the John Gioia Patriot Award to Terri Santiago, the mother of retired Marine Sergeant Christopher Santiago, who was severely wounded in Iraq. Terri has been an amazing source of strength and inspiration, supporting her son and others as they heal. The program also included a Special Salute to our Nation’s Heroes, honoring active-duty service members from each branch of service. The honorees this year were Medal of Honor recipients – 18 Medal of Honor winners attended the dinner in celebration of the Medal of Honor’s 150th Anniversary. These service members were acknowledged for their courage and selfless service to our nation.
The entire night was a touching tribute to our service members and their families, and we were honored to be a part of it. The night reminded us all how crucial it is to give back to the community we serve. During this time of transition, supporting our nation’s heroes is more important than ever. Advice Unlimited’s involvement with USO-Metro allows us to give back and pay tribute, and is a constant reminder of the sacrifices these heroes make for us each and every day.
Monday, March 19, 2012
Learn How to Use Social Media in a Disaster at GovSec 2012
I'll be hosting a session for government communicators on using social media in a disaster at GovSec 2012 at the Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC on April 4, from 10:30 – 11:30 am.
The session will provide hands-on guidance on how to integrate social media into your disaster recovery communications plan. We will review real-world scenarios, such as the 2011-2012 LA Arson Fires, where social media played a crucial role. I'll also discuss with participants how we, as government public servants, can use social media to help us meet our mission: educating the public, disseminating critical information in a rapid, readable and easily understood format that our audiences embrace, calming fears and dispelling rumors.
Attendees will learn how to evaluate different social media sites for broadness of reach, targeting of specific audiences, and message delivery speed. The session will also include information on how to prioritize and integrate social media goals to ensure the overall communications plan gets implemented in a timely and effective manner, with energies focused for maximum results, especially in the crucial first few days immediately following a disaster or emergency.
This is a must-attend event for those who want to learn best practices in using social media in a disaster, and figure out how to integrate these practices into your organization as appropriate. To learn more about the conference and register, please visit https://www.xpressreg.net/register/GOVS042/start.asp.
The session will provide hands-on guidance on how to integrate social media into your disaster recovery communications plan. We will review real-world scenarios, such as the 2011-2012 LA Arson Fires, where social media played a crucial role. I'll also discuss with participants how we, as government public servants, can use social media to help us meet our mission: educating the public, disseminating critical information in a rapid, readable and easily understood format that our audiences embrace, calming fears and dispelling rumors.
Attendees will learn how to evaluate different social media sites for broadness of reach, targeting of specific audiences, and message delivery speed. The session will also include information on how to prioritize and integrate social media goals to ensure the overall communications plan gets implemented in a timely and effective manner, with energies focused for maximum results, especially in the crucial first few days immediately following a disaster or emergency.
This is a must-attend event for those who want to learn best practices in using social media in a disaster, and figure out how to integrate these practices into your organization as appropriate. To learn more about the conference and register, please visit https://www.xpressreg.net/register/GOVS042/start.asp.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
