I will be racking up the air miles in the next couple of months with presentations scheduled in Mexico City, Kenya,
Tanzania and several locations in the U.S.
Observations from my recent travels seems to be that life for many is returning to a new "normal" and the business in the meetings industry is beginning to pick up.
Technology remains a hot topic for our industry as people continue to deal with the rapid rate of change and the
amazing array of options available.
The goal of this newsletter is to shed light on this subject. This issue is filled with new articles, Excel
spreadsheet tools, readers' comments, hot links and news you can use!
Corbin
IN THIS ISSUE:
NEW ARTICLE: Super Badges -- Tech to Improve Networking
NEW ARTICLE: The Power of Email Marketing
9 HIGHLIGHTED BOOKMARK FAVORITES
NEWS: Corbin's programs on the Web and CD
READER COMMENTS: Guarding Against Computer Viruses
NEW FREE EXCEL SPREADSHEET TOOL : Meeting Expense
Tracking Workbook
---
and more!
SPONSORS
Thanks to
the following newsletter sponsors:
Conferon
(www.conferon.com):
Is your marketing reaching your target audience and boosting ROI?Conferon's MRA and Conferonline options help you meet attendance
goals.
b-there
(www.b-there.com):
Twice the efficiency. Half the work. Discover the benefits of integrated online
registration, housing, travel, &
e-marketing solutions.
Bill L. Johnson, CSP(www.billjohnson.com):Speeches
and Seminars, Wireless microphones, Multi-media projectors, Digital Recorders,
Stealth (invisible) and Headset microphones
NEW ARTICLE:
Super Badges: Using Technology to Improve Networking
Humans are social animals -- we love to get together in groups to share ideas. Networking is a vital part of the
way adults learn and do business and is a key reason why face-to-face meetings will remain vital.
However, the current tools we use to facilitate networking often leave something to be desired. The standard name
badge is frequently forgotten, poorly printed, or worn so that it can't be read. "I recognize the face but can place
the name" is commonly heard. People forget or run out of business cards.
We need help in this crucial aspect in the way we meet. Fortunately, there are a number of significant technology
developments coming to the marketplace that will help. This article will cover a number of novel and interesting uses of technology to improve networking.
Reprinted with permission from "The Power of E-marketing," EXPO, January 2002, pp.34-37. Copyright 2002 EXPO Magazine, Overland Park, Kan.
The weeks leading up to the New York City-based Direct Marketing Association's annual meeting, Oct. 28-31, 2001,
at McCormick Place, Chicago, were undeniably the worst weeks in U.S. exhibition industry history. If events
weren't cancelled or postponed, they suffered unprecedented attrition. The DMA forged ahead with its 84th Annual
Conference & Exhibition, which last year drew an estimated 15,000 attendees, but an e-mail marketing blitz was the
only way to get people there.
Personalized e-mail messages cost less to send and get a higher response rate than direct mail promotions. A
carefully crafted e-mail campaign can talk prospects through just about any purchase - from an early-bird
registration package to a post-conference getaway. Using industry best practices and making an offer prospects can't
refuse, e-mail campaigns pull.
This carefully researched and documented article covers trends, case studies, and best practices in this very
important area.
It has just been substantially reorganized, streamlined, and updated. This is by far the most comprehensive listing
of meetings technology web sites on the web.
This is the best international business etiquette site around -- nicely organized with excellent content! It
includes tons of business etiquette tips for more than 30 countries (with suggestions for
negotiation, entertaining, appointment making, gift giving, addressing people, public
conduct, clothing guidelines, conversation).
This is the reincarnation of the EventSource site - one of the major meeting facility databases/RFP (request for
proposal) sites for our industry. It reflects the shift in emphasis to corporate travel (online sourcing and
procurement of hotel space for corporate off-site meetings and transient travel).
Meeting consolidation, budgeting and open-bidding (auction) tools are provided as well as access to their 12,500 site
meeting facility database. Unfortunately, this access is not immediate. One must register and be qualified to see.
This follows a similar trend this last year by GetThere (www.getthere.com)
. PlanSoft (www.plansoft.com) has also
placed an emphasis toward their Meeting Management Solution
and away from their very extensive online database at www.mpoint.com.
******
Gist www.gist.com
For you U.S. TV buffs out there trying to make sense of the hundreds of channels your cable company provides. This site
is customizable for your zip code and for just the channels
(or program genre) you are interested in.
This site is a great example of how the web can be used to sort a huge amount of data, in many ways, to provide useful
and digestible information to the user.
******
"Road Warrior" sites:
Air Travel has gotten more difficult since September 11th. These sites will help you fly smarter and safer.
OneTravel.com www.onetravel.com
Several helpful links are found under the left-hand "Advisor" column. The "Rule of the Air" provides concise
explanations to all of the most common questions and concerns surrounding airline rules and regulations -
categorized by airline.
PassengerRights.com www.passengerrights.com
Here's an easy and free way to file complaints without making dozens of phone calls, spending countless hours
researching your rights or finding out the proper process for complaining when you've been mistreated.
AirSafe www.airsafe.com
Although this content-rich site focuses on air accidents, there are lots of safety tips and other info.
Healthy Flying www.flyana.com
Lots of articles on smart, healthy flying.
The Complete Carry-On Traveler www.oratory.com/travel/index.html
Everything you could want to know about traveling light, what to pack and how to pack it.
Those doing lots of international travel? Want to know what
AC adaptor plugs you need? You will find this global database of electrical power and phone standards (with
pictures) a very helpful resource.
NEWS
I am pleased to announce an alliance with Conference Archives, Inc. (www.conferencearchives.com) to provide my programs on CD-Rom and on
the Web. These programs will include high-resolution slides, audio-narration and searchable text. You will be able to stop, pause, and search through the
program with ease. The first program will be “Hot and Emerging Wireless and Handheld Computer Trends for Meeting Professionals.” Pricing information
and other details will be posted at my Web site sometime in the next month or
so.. New programs will be added monthly. Please see my web site or this newsletter for future developments.
READER COMMENTS Stephen Nold, Advon Technologies (www.advontech.com)
sent this comment about an article in my last newsletter:
"I have enjoyed the last 2 newsletters I have received, but felt obligated to provide feedback on a recent article
"Computer Viruses: 5 Easy Steps to Guard Your Data" (www.corbinball.com/articles/art-virus.htm). I
think your guidance is on target but would suggest that the key to protection is more centered around virus protection
software rather than 'not opening certain files prior to contacting the sender'. I cringe at this suggestion since
this overlooks worms involving embedded scripting. To date, malicious e-mail worms have been relatively benign
when compared with what is possible.
Your readers face a false sense of security, assuming that an unopened executable is still a safe email. Again, your
suggestion is not wrong, but I would offer that the emphasis should be placed on computer virus protection
software."
Reply:
Thanks Stephen for pointing this out. Keeping your virus protection up to date and regular backups are crucial - you
never know what will come your way. Indeed, there are viruses that can infect you computer that do not require
opening up files.
The emphasis in my article is that the great majority of viruses these days are being propagated by such
attachments.
McAfee, one of the top virus protection sites, also heavily emphasizes this point
NEW FREE SPREADSHEET TOOL: Meeting
Expense Tracking Workbook
Provided by PlanSoft (www.plansoft.com)
Meetings consolidation made easy. Track your meeting budget, forecasts and actual meeting expenses over several
meetings in this easy-to-use, well planned and documented spreadsheet
This is one of 14 free Excel spreadsheets to make your life as a meeting planner easier. If you have a useful
spreadsheet or other software tool that you would like to share it, please send to me and, if it qualifies, I will
post it with credit.
My speaking and consulting travel schedule for March and April will bring me to: Atlanta, Mexico City, Kenya
(Nairobi and Mombassa), Tanzania (Dar-es-Salaam), Phoenix, Twinsburg, Dallas, Chicago, Ocean Place (NJ), and
Washington D.C. If
you have or know of a group that would benefit from my presentations, please let me know.
http://www.corbinball.com/contact.htm
SPONSORSHIP: Want
to help sponsor Corbin's Tech Talk Newsletter with more than 4,600 subscribers
interested in meetings, events, trade
show and hotel technology?
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