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April Trade Shows: Broadcasting and Recycling

March 20th, 2012

NAB 2012

The National Association of Broadcasters’ annual convention, NAB 2012, set for April 14-19 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, is among the premier electronic media shows and the primary one covering film, cable and TV. With a full range of trade show convention rentals – everything you need to make your best impression from booth to breakout session – CRE will help you get the most from this event.

Since everyone involved in creating, producing and delivering content across today’s multiple channels – TV, satellite, cable, smart phones, the Internet, the iPad, etc. – will be there, you need to be there, too. NAB 2012 combines 90,000+ attendees from over 150 countries with 1,500+ exhibitors, creating what it calls the “ultimate marketplace for digital media and entertainment.” From creators that use CRE’s render farms to communications firms streaming those creations to every sort of digital device, NAB 2012 is a true melting pot of innovation and progress.

Entice show-goers into your booth with an interactive presentation on a bright LCD touchscreen monitor rental. In the “interconnected world” of the 21st century, the NAB event has become renowned for solutions that, as the group explains, “transcend traditional broadcasting and embrace content delivery to new screens in new ways.” If you need some “new ways” to promote your firm more effectively at this trade show, contact CRE about NAB rentals.

ISRI 2012

The Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries will take over the Mandalay Bay Resort from April 15-19 for the ISRI 2012 Convention and Expo. Invited experts, attendees and exhibitors will take part in over 40 workshops, “spotlight” meetings and general sessions. That doesn’t even include the exhibits, where renting a 65″ plasma display will support your efforts to reach the 5,000+ attendees from 50 countries.

ISRI 2012 is the world’s biggest recycling industry event, with more than 250 vendors using 300,000 square feet of exhibit space to reach thousands of industry professionals. With so many people in constant motion, consider supplementing your booth outreach. Rent interactive kiosk technology to capture attendee contact data in convention areas you cannot cover with Sales staff.

The expo floor is always the centerpiece of ISRI’s yearly get-together, and organizers work hard to keep the attendees in front of the exhibitors. In fact, the Exhibit Hall Opening Gala Reception and a couple of other smaller events will be held right on the trade show floor. In addition to your booth and kiosk “virtual assistants,” your convention team will find that tablet PC rentals and other tools from CRE contribute to a successful team effort.

In addition to everything you need for conferences, CRE offers straightforward advice and solid solutions for digital workflows. From A/V equipment and powerful workstations to special post gear like the AJA Io HD, we’ve got you covered. One call or e-mail (or a few clicks on our Quick Rental Quote form) and we’re on it!

7 Things to Do After a Conference

February 2nd, 2012

You collect a lot of information at conferences, and in a lot of forms. To Do List Keynote speeches and breakout sessions produce lots of notes – digital ones on iPad rentals and/or analog ones on paper – and you are likely to have scores of business cards, brochures and USB thumb drives. It is easy to toss the analog stuff in a pile and the digital stuff on a backup drive (where it may or may not be safe) after which you may simply forget about it all. There’s a better way.

Your post-conference to-do list

1. Report – Send in the post-conference survey. Tell the organizers the truth (what a concept) and you can help them make the next conference better, even if you don’t go.

2. Reflect – Your head will be spinning when you get home. Give it a few days (no more than week) to sink in. You can be swayed by great speakers into buying a concept, product or service that isn’t right for your firm. Don’t rush things.

3. Review – Organizing your notes, like filling out the survey, forces you to think about what you learned. If you had a booth with CRE trade show convention rentals, write a short report on your experiences to keep with your conference notes. Discuss your findings with colleagues.

4. Share – Whether you are a presenter or attendee, going to conferences marks you as someone with passion for the topic. Writing a blog, or making a presentation to company execs on a dramatic LCD touchscreen monitor rental, establishes you as someone with both expertise and initiative.

5. Connect – Don’t surrender to PCLS (Post-Conference Laziness Syndrome). The most valuable “stuff” you brought home wasn’t the knick-knacks and logo-stamped thumb drives, but contact information. Among the business cards, brochures and notes on your team’s tablet PC rentals are new prospects, potential employees and possible partners. Put the info to work, and soon.

6. Forecast – Going to next year’s conference? If you haven’t been one already, contact the conference organizer about being a presenter. Of course, you can also plan your own breakout session with Audience Response Systems Rental (ARS). Whether in front of the entire assembly, or some subset of it, plan to increase your exposure on your “return engagement.”

7. Apply – Not everything at the conference will be new to you, but you will likely have a few epiphanies and perhaps a very good idea or two. Someone else may have had the same insight, so kick it around – then get on it, or you may regret it.

You won’t regret contacting CRE with a call or e-mail, or making a quick visit to our Quick Rental Quote form. CRE can help you with post-production gear, conference needs, office equipment rentals, computers and more. We have the expertise to devise the best, most cost-effective and highest-quality solutions to your unique challenges.

Auto & Health Conferences in February

January 24th, 2012

NADA 2012

The National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) represents around 16,000 dealers of new vehicles, both domestic and foreign. Over 90 percent of new-vehicle dealers in the U.S. are members, and representatives from most will be at NADA 2012 from February 3-6 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. The many tech breakthroughs in computer and communications are being embraced wholeheartedly by makers of transportation technology.

For the first time, NADA 2012 will be held in conjunction with the American Truck Dealers (ATD) Convention and Expo. Exchanging ideas, getting updates on new marketing approaches and networking with other dealers are invaluable experiences for attendees. With the right setup – a LCD touchscreen monitor rental to engage exhibit hall visitors, breakout session aids using Audience Response System (ARS) rentals, etc. – you can make an impact at the event that puts the new vehicle industry in your sights.

This year’s conference promises a powerful conference with such heavy-hitter speakers as President George W. Bush and Fiat-Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne. Everything on the NADA 2012 program is geared to pushing dealerships to new levels of success.

Catch the “mobile health wave” at HIMSS12

The Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society is holding its 2012 annual conference and exhibition, HIMSS12, at the Las Vegas Convention Center from February 20-24. The leading group to approach healthcare from the information technology (IT) and systems side of the equation, HIMSS is focusing this year’s conference on “mobile health IT” and the integration of such mobile devices as a smart phone or iPad rental.

With education sessions, special programs and wide-ranging exhibits, health IT and systems professionals from around the world will have their eyes, ears and minds wide open for new tools, techniques and services. With our plasma display rentals you can capture the attention of passersby and draw them into your booth. Of course, there are a lot of people you can miss that way, so you should rent interactive kiosks and place them strategically to capture attendee contact information.

HIMSS12 is the premier location for promoting products and services that empower healthcare professionals to speed workflows, deliver patient care and make educated decisions on technology. A “conference within a conference” event, HIT X.0: Beyond the Edge, will introduce you to hundreds and hundreds of special health/medical applications for smart phones, Wi-Fi gadgets of all kinds and tablet PC rentals running Windows, iOS or Linux. It may help to outfit your conference team members with an iPad rental as well as a Windows device to do “test drives.”

A single call or e-mail puts an experienced Account Executive on the job for you, while our Quick Rental Quote form will save you time when you know what you need. Either way, we’re here and ready to help.

CES and NAMM: Big Trade Shows in January!

December 7th, 2011

CES 2012

The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) draws huge numbers to annual events of exceptional, ever-increasing quality, and CES 2012 will be no different. By all possible measures, CES is truly incomparable – the number and quality of exhibitors and attendees, the intense media focus, the incredible variety of markets represented and the unique special events. If your firm needs to be there – the Las Vegas Convention Center, Tuesday January 10, 2012 through Friday the 13th – CRE can help you make your best impression.

CES has options for all marketing strategies, and so do we. If you want to show off your product or service to one and all, consider an Open Booth Space with one of our large-screen plasma display rentals showing your eye-catching invitation. If you prefer to meet and greet new and existing clients in a more private setting, then CES’s Meeting Place or Suites may be the spot to showcase new product offering using iPad rentals.

This year, there are more than a dozen CES TechZones featuring such exciting niches as “green tech,” iOS- and and Mac-specific products, 3D monitors and tablets/e-readers. With our complete selection of event production rentals, we’ve got you covered whatever you decide to do.

NAMM 2012

The annual convention of the National Association of Music Merchants, NAMM 2012, is set for Thursday through Sunday, January 19th to the 22nd, 2012, at the Anaheim Convention Center. Get the inside track on the newest gear, freshest ideas and best strategies for your business. Network with global pros, attend NAMM U development sessions, learn about the latest challenges and opportunities – and put your own best foot forward with the right CRE trade show convention rentals; we are the official technology rental provider for NAMM Trade Show.

At NAMM 2012, there will be some 1,400+ exhibitors from all over the world. In addition to welcoming as many as possible to your own booth – showing a presentation on our special NAMM plasma rentals, or inviting folks to interact with your product demo on one of our LCD touchscreen monitor rentals – you can also “multiply your presence” to capture contact info without wasting “people time.” Rent interactive kiosk technology from CRE and position a unit or two in high-traffic areas (the ones where you and your team won’t be, naturally).

“You can’t get hands-on on the Internet,” as the NAMM promotional materials say. You need to get there in person! Whatever your strategy, CRE can outfit your booth and breakout sessions, and keep you in touch with your team with WiFi devices like iPads or tablet PC rentals.

No matter what size your budget is, CRE can help your strategize a potent presence at CES, NAMM or both. Call or e-mail an experienced Account Executive and let’s work out the best plan for you. You can also use our Quick Rental Quote form if you know what you need. Either way, we’re ready, willing and able to help you put your best foot forward in Las Vegas, Anaheim – and everywhere else!

Impressing Conference Attendees, Part 2

September 22nd, 2011

Yesterday, we dealt dealt with pre-conference promotion and exhibit preparation (check out the post: Impressing Conference Attendees, Part 1) Today, CRE Rentals covers promotion at the conference itself, in addition to the vitally important follow-up after the show.

Promotion at the conference

• Sponsorships and participation – If you can arrange to lead a conference session under the aegis of the host organization or company, it positions you as an expert in your field. Although you would not promote your services in these settings, you will benefit from priceless word of mouth. If you use projector rentals for a presentation, it would be acceptable for you to have your logo or business name at the bottom of the images – but be discreet.

• Giveaways – Consider freebies for visitors to your booth. People do like logos, especially on useful little items like key rings, sticky notes, fridge magnets and such. Do not be cheap. It is better to have nothing at all than a penny mint or plastic wristband. Naturally, be frugal, too. Outfit your conference team with MacBook Pro rentals and your giveaways can be digital, and you can deliver them to other Mac users with OS X Lion’s new Airdrop feature – over WiFi or peer-to-peer.

• Brochures and business cards – You can never bring enough of these. If you run out… never mind, it’s too horrible to contemplate. An updated business card with all your contact info is always the #1 thing on experts’ lists of “what not to forget to bring to the convention.” Don’t be shy about spreading them around, either.

• Touchy-feely togetherness – LCD touchscreen monitor rentals are great for engaging and impressing booth visitors, and you can customize any number of approaches to lead them to the right conclusion about your product or service. With a printer hooked up, booth visitors can print a variety of materials themselves. This guarantees they’ll leave with contact info for your firm.

Post-conference follow-up

This is the “forgotten step” in many conference marketing strategies. It is important to follow up with everyone whose contact information you captured – at your booth, or with strategically placed interactive kiosk rentals – and it is also important to revisit your original invitation list. Since many firms do zero follow-up, you will impress conference attendees with your attention to detail – and your attention to their company! You can use post-conference reports available (for a fee) from the association hosting the event to identify other contacts. “Sorry we missed you at GlobalWorldCon 2011,” you could say, then steer the recipients to your website.

CRE has a full range of convention rentals, and decades of experience helping firms impress conference attendees. One call or e-mail is all it takes to get a knowledgeable Account Executive on the job for you, and a couple of minutes is all it takes for you to get what you know you need with our Quick Rental Quote form. How can we help you?

Impressing Conference Attendees, Part 1

September 21st, 2011

Conventions and conferences are tremendous opportunities to reach the right kind of people, the ones that need your product or service (whether they know it or not). Appearing at the right venues will enhance your brand identity and increase your firm’s visibility, while you are simultaneously generating leads and driving new sales. As a leading provider of state-of-the-art event production services, CRE Rentals can not only advise you – we can equip you.

Participating in the right events helps you

• make new business connections,

• keep abreast of industry trends,

• observe your competitors in action and

• hone your marketing and sales strategies.

Naturally, you will want to impress attendees without breaking the bank, and much of the answer lies in the old “4P Method” – Planning Prevents Poor Performance. Remember, too, that most cost overruns are due to excessive revision and redundancy. So (1) do things right the first time and (2) stay on schedule.

Your pre-event checklist

• The first thing that will impress conference attendees is an invitation. You can use e-mail blasts, phone calls, press releases and other approaches in the mix that works best for you. Target existing customers, prospects, business leaders, industry analysts, bloggers and anyone else who may be interested – or should be!

• To ensure you have the right exhibit to fulfill your marketing goals (within your budget, of course) you should check out different booth designs. You will need visual appeal, so CRE plasma rentals should be at the top of your list.

• If you do a little research, you can discover what unique and creative booth ideas generated buzz on the exhibition floor of other conferences. Not everyone you invite will show up, so you must attract visitors to your booth.

• Consider which accessories, lighting setups and audio visual rentals will solidify your brand image. Compelling sights should be used in tandem with compelling sounds – without blasting the neighbors, of course.

• Also: Stock some cost-effective giveaways, make sure your booth staff project a professional image, prepare a talking points one-sheet and be proactive in steering people to your exhibit area.

Two overlooked strategies

Early Bird – Start your pre-conference promotion before the ink dries on your booth contract. If you have sales and field personnel using iPad rentals, make sure they carry PDF versions of your promo pieces, and tell them to spread the news.

Cast a Net – Most industries have numerous conferences and trade shows every year, but many firms cannot afford to go to more than one. If this is your situation, arrange to get your promotional materials to associates in non-competitive industries that are exhibiting at shows scheduled before yours.

Call or e-mail an Account Executive for all your on-site production needs, as well as trade show expertise. Know what you need? Use the Quick Rental Quote form right now!

Don’t forget to check out Part 2 of “Impressing Conference Attendees” on Thursday, September 22nd.

Fall Shows: Oracle OpenWorld 2011, Solar Power Intl 2011

September 13th, 2011

Oracle OpenWorld 2011

Fall is coming, and that means it’s time once again for Oracle OpenWorld 2011, being held October 2-6 at San Francisco’s Moscone Center. Researchers, entrepreneurs, the scions of today’s industries and the innovators of tomorrow’s – representing every imaginable industry – come to OpenWorld from the overwhelming majority of nations on Planet Earth.

If you want to master Oracle technology, this is the place, with literally hundreds of sessions, 450 exhibits, scores of technology demos, numerous breakout sessions and many exciting keynotes from world tech leaders from which to choose. If you want to outfit an exhibit area to reel in interested parties, CRE has the convention rentals expertise to help you there, too.

For 30+ years, CRE has been providing solutions for breakout sessions, presentations and exhibits, and is a veteran of OpenWorld. Our plasma rentals can anchor your booth with dramatic displays and signage, while iPad rentals empower your conference team by putting those same materials (and/or others) right in their hands for “portable presentations.”

As we’ve said of previous OpenWorld events, Oracle delivers “five days of education with insights and connections that will transform your business.” The clincher for 2011? This year’s “Appreciation Event” concert features Sting. How can you afford to miss all this?

Solar Power International 2011

From its previous home in Anaheim, Solar Power International 2011 (SPI) moves to Dallas, TX, for its annual conference, to be held October 27-29. SPI is among the biggest, most wide-ranging solar power exhibits and conferences in the world with some 24,000 professionals from over 125 countries in attendance.

With 1,200+ firms from all of the solar power vertical markets exhibiting across an expanse of nearly a million square feet (gross), SPI is working hard to achieve its goal: to “advance and support the solar power industry and to promote the growth of U.S. solar markets.”

Encounter new products, service providers and prospects while networking with professionals from the broadening horizons of the industry. Draw passers-by into your exhibit area with unique (and fun) LCD touchscreen monitor rentals that engage, educate and entertain. From manufacturers, contractors and engineering firms to utility companies, government representatives, investors and financiers, the connections you need to make will all be there – don’t let ‘em get away!

In addition to Audience Response System rentals and other gear, CRE has tips for a successful breakout session. Want to multiply your presence cost-effectively? Capture information from high-traffic areas with interactive kiosk rentals customized with your message and queries. We are conference and exhibit professionals. We can help! One call or e-mail to an experienced Account Executive, or a few minutes with our Quick Rental Quote form, and your solution is on its way.

Trade Show: This MAGIC Moment

July 28th, 2011

If you’re involved in any way with the business of fashion, the MAGIC Show 2011 is definitely where you want to be from the 22nd to the 24th of August, 2011. Being held at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, the show is Ground Zero for thousands of fashion industry professionals from around the world. The range of people and firms at MAGIC – manufacturers and buyers, fashion leaders and textile designers, marketing mavens and brand builders – is world-class, too.

This year, in fact, the U.S. Department of Commerce and MAGIC will co-host “Sourcing in the Americas” on Sunday, the 21st, the day before MAGIC’s official start. The day-long summit will showcase textile mills, apparel, footwear, component suppliers and service providers throughout Latin America. Attending, exhibiting or both, MAGIC is where you will discover the hot new trends, from design to retailing, while you’re buying, selling and “schmoozing.” This is where it happens.

Display a winning attitude with Plasma Rentals

The popular saying, “Go big or go home,” applies perfectly to the winning attitude you need if you’re heading for the MAGIC event (or any other). At MAGIC, all the companies, big and small, go to great, often expensive lengths to promote themselves with dramatic visual displays, free gifts, breakout sessions and more. CRE can outfit you with big, bold plasma rentals and the other tools you need to get the most from this one-stop-shop event.

If your conference team is small this year, you can multiply your presence with interactive kiosk rentals customized to make your pitch and take contact info from passersby. CRE can help both veteran business owners and new entrepreneurs to “go big” without the “big bucks,” and make things happen at MAGIC. If you host a session, our Audience Response System rentals provide a two-way exchange of information that can be invaluable in helping you focus your branding message and PR.

MAGIC’s Global reach

The seminars conducted at MAGIC are extremely popular because of the top quality presenters and keynote speakers. Outfitted with our iPad rentals, your conference team can take notes (written or voice), snap photos, take videos, stay in touch and access online conference resources. If you work in fashion, you have to be at MAGIC – and if you go, you need to “go big.” There’s no better way to prepare than to get CRE, with its full range of convention rentals, on your side. That’s how MAGIC gets done.

It gets done quickly, too, when you call or e-mail our experienced CRE Account Executives. It doesn’t cost a cent to brainstorm your conference strategy with them, and when you get it nailed down we have the full range of event production services available. One call does it all – but you don’t even need to do that if you know what you need. In that case, use our handy Quick Rental Quote form. Either way, CRE will give you the magic!

Comic-Con 2011 Is No Funny Business

July 14th, 2011

Comic-Con International 2011 is right around the corner. The annual fantasy- and tech-filled event will occupy the San Diego Convention Center from July 21st through the 24th, starting with a special Preview Night on July 20th. Many special events have been put together (so check out the programming info) for those of you lucky enough to have gotten your badges before they sold out!

And, a second, special conference will be held in conjunction with Comic-Con. The ICv2 Comics, Media and Digital Conference will be at the San Diego Marriott Hotel and Marina, next to the Convention Center on Wednesday afternoon, July 20th. This event brings together leaders in the creation, production and distribution of comics to discuss the powerful new trends shaping the future of entertainment (generally) and comics (specifically). The sorts of folks who use our AJA Io HD rentals and the latest-’n'-greatest Macs (see our recent blog on the newest iMacs) will be all over the place. You’ll feel right at home!

Enhance your presence at Comic Con with plasma rentals

Are you exhibiting and want people to stop in their tracks? CRE has 42” to 65” big-screen plasma rentals or consider renting 3D plasmas to get your booth the attention you want.

Want to cover more territory at lower cost, with 100% dependability (and no coffee breaks)? Use interactive kiosk rentals to “multiply your presence” cost-effectively by giving out your company’s message while “taking names and numbers” from attendees you may have missed otherwise.

iPad rental – the perfect tool for your staff

If your company is attending Comic-Con, make sure your staff is properly outfitted for the right tasks. For those attending sessions where speakers, panelists and attendees consider the state of comics today – how they’re used in everything from TV ads and merchandising to blockbuster movies (or not) – then Apple’s iPad is a good pick. Renting an iPad will help your staff stay in touch, download the conference program, record audio and/or video of sessions, take notes and look “super-cool”.

Everything you need for a successful conference is right here at CRE. A visit to our Quick Rental Quote form is all it takes to get things going. Whether you need to strategize your Comic-Con presence, or get 20+ computer rentals to equip a new customer service department tomorrow (yep, tomorrow), CRE is your one-stop shop. We do it all, we have it all, so look no further – give a call!

How Green are Convention Centers?

June 28th, 2011

Green conventions are much more numerous than they were when we first blogged about them (read our post on Best Practices Checklist) from 2009. More importantly, they are no longer an “alternative” style, but a primary one. Since CRE is the go-to firm for conferences, with expertise in everything from convention rentals and presentations to tech support and logistics, we’re well qualified to point the way to “greener pastures.”

How Green are Convention Centers

Shades of green

Rather than tactics or activities, which we’ve blogged about elsewhere, this is about how to spot a good convention facility to achieve your “green” goal. You cannot assume anything about a hotel or convention center simply because it calls itself “green.” There are no legal standards in effect for using the term.

It’s your responsibility to figure out how to (excuse the pun) greenlight the candidates for your firm’s convention site. Consider this a “profiling” task and look for the following “character traits”:

• Accessibility (real and virtual) – The site, if not itself a hotel complex, should be within walking distance of hotels, eateries and public transportation. You also need access to both your data and your colleagues, so site-wide Wi-Fi is key to keeping your team’s iPad rentals, tablets and other devices connected to the Web – and each other.

• Saving water – The “deep green” convention sites have the latest in forced-air hand driers, low-flow toilets and other water-saving devices in restrooms.

• Serving water – Less waste is generated if the convention center provides glassware and large pitchers of water, rather than costly individual water bottles.

• The paper chase – Convention centers should help attendees reduce the use of paper, starting with Wi-Fi for programs and registration. Laptops, iPad 2, tablet PC rentals – CRE has the right wireless rental solutions for all your different needs.

• Setup and teardown efficiency – Green facilities will have a strategy for reducing utility costs (lights, a/c, heat) during setup and teardown in the exhibit area. CRE Rentals’ setup personnel will handle everything including schooling you in the most efficient use of the latest LCD touchscreen monitor rentals.

• Site-wide efficiency – The convention center should also reduce energy usage by cutting off lights in unused rooms, at all hours.

• Commitment – The convention center should have a comprehensive recycling program already in place and a policy similar to CRE’s own “Green Statement.”

CRE can help you “go green” at a convention or “stay green” right in your office – with everything from energy-saving office equipment rentals to high-end, high horsepower post-production gear that reduces project time to save you money. Ready for lean and green? Call or send an e-mail to an expert Account Executive now. As always, if you know what you need, head for the Quick Rental Quote form and we’ll be right on it!

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