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.

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?

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.

1. Be bold. Bold statements get attention, making listeners focus on what comes next. So when you make a bold claim – “This industry will die by 2015″ or “Your grandchildren will live to 100″ – have your follow-up ready.

2. Ask a question. You can start with a question and use your presentation to answer it. Another approach is to use multiple questions throughout your presentation. By using CRE’s Audience Response System rentals you can capture valuable feedback.

3. Encourage new thinking. Asking people to use their imagination – “Imagine how to reward innovators” – puts them in the middle of the experience. As an “open, non-restrictive demand,” it allows their creativity free reign.

4. Challenge old thinking. People fall into patterns of thinking as well as behavior. “Old” thinking led many technology analysts to forecast failure for Apple’s iPad. CRE’s experience with iPad rentals, like Apple’s with the device’s phenomenal worldwide sales, clearly spells success, and also shows that innovation can be confusing and counterintuitive.

5. Tell a (true) story. People are most convincing when speaking from the heart. Your audience will sense your sincerity when you share a personal anecdote, unless you try to act sincere or lay it on too thick. You want to connect, not perform.

6. Be yourself. If you don’t tell jokes well, then don’t tell any. Make sure your presentation sounds like you, not your firm’s marketing copy writer or product manager. Digital recorder rentals can help you practice and perfect your delivery for a smooth performance.

Of course, you may run into snags. Stuff happens! Since authenticity is an important element of all these tips – and the subject of fascinating new research – be real. If you flub a line or lose your place, excuse yourself and move on. In fact, it is at these embarrassing times that seasoned speakers make use of Tips #5 and 6. Be honest, be yourself, but never forget Show Biz Rule#1: The show must go on!

If you are “putting on a show” we have a full range of convention rentals and the expert Account Executives to put it together for you. If your work involves putting on someone else’s show, we’ve got the render farm rentals and other post-production gear you need for that, too. One call or e-mail is all it takes, or a few clicks with the Quick Rental Quote form. We’re ready to help, right now, the right way!

1. Save trees. Materials can be distributed via Web sites, e-mail or peer-to-peer communication using iPad rentals, WiFi-enabled laptops and smart phones. For everything from pre-event PR to post-event customer follow-up, cross-platform file formats like PDF and HTML make it easy to reach wired and wireless devices of every kind.

2. Make a personal pitch. Whether in a PC video chat, over the phone, in a YouTube clip or, better yet, in person, you need to open your mouth and promote that meeting, seminar or trade show presence. Put promotional materials on the tablet PC rentals that you provide your conference team.

3. Cultivate “enviro-allies”. Share your company’s green statement, or a new one created for your planned event, with vendors, attendees, exhibitors and speakers. Get everyone on the same page and working together toward a mutual goal.

4. The three Rs: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Your efforts to use the three Rs should be visible and accessible. As you reduce the use of paper, also reuse glassware instead of buying disposable cups and recycle as much metal, glass and plastic trash as you can.

5. Energy saving plans. Whether you’re running the show or using CRE’s event production services, you will need to ensure, among other things, that lights and air conditioning are turned off in empty rooms. You can tailor other energy-efficient strategies depending on the event type and building.

6. Eat green. Make local, seasonal produce part of the fare if you are also playing caterer. Fresh, healthy foods are never out of style, and eating wisely is an important part of a positive lifestyle.

7. Save gas and time. For off-site events, keep traveling distances short. The host city should be close to as many attendees as possible, and within that city pick one of the hotel conference centers near the airport.

Meeting planning and convention rentals are just two areas of CRE Rentals’ broad expertise, which ranges from all kinds of computer rentals to serious post-production gear. A simple call or e-mail gets an experienced Account Executive on the job, focused on the solution to your unique challenges. (Know what you need? Use our handy Quick Rental Quote form to start “greening” your next event.)

Gizmodo.com was the first truly popular gadget site, and it’s in the top handful still. In fact, Engadget’s founder left to start Gizmodo. It rivals Engadget in breaking (and leaking) news – including early photos of our latest-generation iMac rentals – but the tone is playful, as opposed to the button-down professional tone of other sites.

Engadget.com is one of the two or three top gadget blogs (depending on how you measure). It covers all categories and is a prime source for corporate “leaks” and spy-worthy photos of unreleased devices.

Geek.com is like Mr. Peabody’s Wayback Machine in a way, as it evokes the feeling of “OG” (Original Geek). You’ll get the whole spread here, from video games and futuristic flights of fancy to the new Thunderbolt I/O technology found in the latest MacBook Pro rentals.

GeekSugar.com proves what we already knew, that women are as tech-savvy as men. Our render farm rentals and other high-end gear isn’t exclusive to the male of the species, but the chic, stylish gadget gabfest at Geeksugar is targeted to a female audience. It’s the feminine take on tech, and there ain’t nothin’ wrong with that, folks.

TechCrunch.com has carved out something of a niche, with coverage focused on Web-linked or -enabled gadgets. Now that everything from tablet PC rentals to telephones fit the definition, the site’s coverage has expanded – considerably!

CNET.com is more than a gadget blog. The site covers the “big stories,” too, like Apple’s years-long development of the brains and brawn now residing in CRE’s Mac Pro rentals. This is a trusted site with podcasts and videos that actually demonstrate new products as no print review can.

TUAW.com, “The Unofficial Apple Weblog,” covers more than just Apple products, but does concentrate on iPhones, iPads, Macintoshes, iPods, AppleTV – and its library of Steve Jobs’ keynote addresses. You can also trust the site’s comparative reviews, in case you want to see how different computer rentals line up with your particular needs.

Gadgets for workflow, workplace and workstation

Speaking of particular gadget needs, whether yours is for convention rentals or everything required to open up a branch office tomorrow (yes, tomorrow), CRE is your one-stop solution. Call or e-mail an experienced Account Executive, or use our Quick Rental Quote form, and get a workflow, workplace or workstation gadget solution right now!

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!

Listen to the audience

As with other challenges, it may be easier to tell you what not to do. Professional speaker and presentation guru David Paradi surveyed audiences about presentations. Following each negative comment is the percentage of agreement:

• Speaker reads slide copy (69.2%)
• Text unreadably small (48.2%)
• Sentences rather than bullet points (48%)
• Colors unreadable (33%)
• “Busy” graphics, special effects (27.9%)

It’s impossible to list all the good ideas and tell you what you should do, but there are some agreed-upon basics for creating effective presentations. Start here and stay teachable as you look around for more help.

Five steps to a better presentation

1. Successful slides are supportive, giving your message impact and making it memorable. A slide must clarify, reinforce, make an emotional appeal, take the audience to a different “mental location” and/or portray complex concepts simply. Using graphics sparingly maintains their power. Using too many dilutes it.

2. Establish a powerful presence by making your slides readable from the back row. Keep copy simple and follow the “Rule of 66” – six lines of text per screen with six words maximum per line (minimum 24-pt type). Viewing screens with white backgrounds, whether you use monitors or CRE projector rentals, can be like “like staring into headlights” for audiences. Use light text on dark backgrounds.

3. Make your point with “bullets” using the absolute minimum verbiage. Full sentences, if you must use them, should be memorable, brief (15-20 words) and clearly superior to shorter alternatives. Audiences typically remember things with impact, like quotes.

4. Simpler is better for graphs that grab and charts that clarify. Do your fancy effects add to audience understanding? If not, they likely cloud meaning while cluttering the screen. Making clear points is hard enough without annoying people.

5. Show a “map” so your audiences know where you’re headed. You can divide your presentation into sections, using different background colors or icons to show progress and position. Explain the agenda in your opening and never leave your audience guessing.

Don’t dilute your message

Remember, visuals must add power and/or clarity to your presentation or you shouldn’t use them. Used wrongly, they will dilute your message and can even alienate your audience. You should consider one of CRE’s audience response system rentals so you can get real-time feedback on your presentations, in-house and at conferences, for ongoing improvement.

From PCs, displays and office equipment to specialized gear like render farm rentals, CRE is your one-stop solution. Call or e-mail an experienced Account Executive, or tell us what you need with the Quick Rental Quote form. We’re ready with your solutions right now!

Training adds value

There are many kinds of training that can empower your employees – one-on-one, small and large groups using CRE’s iMac rentals, offline, online or some combination – and the challenge is finding one that works the best for the majority of the people you are training. Worker productivity increases 88% with assisted training versus 24% for employee self-training, according to a recent report from the American Society for Training & Development (ASTD). Work with your employees to find out how they learn the best.

“Mentoring” was also found very effective in that report, especially as the term is no longer narrowly defined as a one-on-one relationship with private study. Although that’s the way most people think of it, mentoring is now understood as an ongoing process wherein more experienced employees or managers help the less experienced. It can be done individually or in groups – the important thing is learning!

A culture of learning

After investing time and money creating FCP experts to work with AJA Io HD rentals on vital projects, you need to keep them. Microsoft, Hewlett-Packard, Intel and other firms that have invested heavily in mentoring and training have discovered that effective programs nurture leaders, reduce learning costs and help retain valuable employees. If you want to customize your own training, companies like MediaPro offer programs, procedures and tools to do so. But there’s free help, too.

SCORE (Service Corps Of Retired Executives) has 13,000+ mentors in over 500 fields, making it the premier source of free business advice for small businesses. You can connect with them any which way – in person, by e-mail or on the phone. For a group, you can even set up video conference calls on large-screen plasma rentals (one for a small group, or several for a large group). SCORE’s Web site is full of resources, old-time smarts and new ideas. Did we mention it’s all free?

CRE’s expert Account Executives always have new ideas for you, too, whether you need potent Mac Pro rentals or the comprehensive attention of our event production specialists. Whatever your project, simply call or e-mail for assistance, or help yourself with the Quick Rental Quote form if you know what you need. Our job is to help you get your jobs done, whatever it takes.

The PC side

On PCs, that “90% of all computer problems” phrase means that your computer likely suffers from one or more of the following conditions: a fragmented hard drive; Windows registry errors and improper settings; too many programs loading at startup; and adware, spyware, malware and viruses. Bad RAM, dying hard drives, faulty motherboards and other serious problems cause the 10% of cases that require expert repairs.

CRE computer rentals, of course, arrive in perfect working order, but there’s no magic involved, just the generally accepted PC regimen: Use a decent defragmenter (the one that comes with Windows is notoriously bad); use a registry cleaner; get your startup routine in order; and use a well-rated tool for removing adware, spyware, malware and viruses. If you don’t have time to study all the alternatives, a recent PCmag.com article discusses the best maintenance and tune-up tools.

On the Mac

One recurring problem with Mac OS X is programs crashing (freezing). It can happen even with well-maintained iMac rentals, but the solution is easy – press Command-Option-Escape or choose Force Quit from the Apple menu, and select the unresponsive program from the resulting list. Forcing a crashed program to quit will rarely affect other programs or the OS itself, and the application should run fine when restarted. If your Mac is beginning to slow down and feel sluggish, on the other hand, it could be many things – but remember, the chances are nine out of 10 that the problem is among the basic ones we’re discussing here.

At least 20% of your hard drive should be free space (with Windows, too). Check yours by highlighting the drive icon in the Finder and pressing Command-I (Get Info). If there’s not enough free space, throw out garbage, offload files and/or buy a bigger hard drive (internal or external). You also may need to repair permissions, which you do with the Disk Utility program. This application will also “verify” your drives and “repair” a number of common problems with files and volume structures. The same problems that can crash an iMac can bring down the mighty Mac Pro rentals, too – but never fear, Disk Utility comes on every Mac.

Bottom line reminders

If you learn the basic steps in this article, and read the other instructional blogs that we publish regularly, soon enough you will only have to worry about the 10% of computer problems that require expert intervention. Speaking of experts, our Account Executives are ready to reply right now to your call or e-mail. Of course, you can use the Quick Rental Quote form if you know what you need.