The Event Trends That Aren't Trending Anymore

Not all event trends are made equal. Sometimes, things don’t work out. In 2017, several event décor elements have been shelved. Today’s planners are yesterday’s industry enactors, and they’re retracing their steps to fortify 2017’s best options. Below, we’re sharing the played-out décor options a lot of marketers have left behind.  

Ice Bars

Ice bars were big in 2016. In fact, a small tidal wave of experiential ice-based events popped up. They’re cool, but they were overdone. Ice bars and sculptures can be truly artistic, but a fully ice-themed display network is need. Event managers are shelving the ice trend, as it’s simply too hard to secure. Often, thousands of dollars, alone, are needed to secure a viable location.

Paper Flowers

Event leaders like Brian Worley of YourBash! are doing away with paper flowers. Tossing away paper flower displays may be petty, but there’s a method to the materialistic madness. Paper flowers are eye-catching, when installed correctly. That said, they’re difficult to navigate. Event marketers, now, are realizing the legwork needed to create a substantial, laser-cut paper flower display. Modern art only goes so far, apparently.

Gif Booths

What gives? In 2016, digital gif display booths were all the rage. In 2017, however, they’re being left by the wayside. As it turns out, shared photos are losing out to all-new VR experiences. 360-cam features, live-action displays and three-dimensional sets are taking over. Already, well-curated Instagram feeds are focusing on the modern guest’s attention to immersion. Gifs, simply put, are becoming outdated. They won’t necessarily disappear in 2017, but they’ve certainly fallen from good graces.

Anything Shiny

Strictly décor-speaking, we feel shiny surfaces deserve a mention. We enjoy sparkling tables, backdrops and sequin table linens, but we’ve noticed a reduction in overall shine-play. Leaders like André Wells of Events by André Wells have spoken out, and their message is clear: Stone, marble and other organic materials are on the rise. Unfortunately, there just isn’t enough room for anything shiny.

Don’t fret, however, because you’re still “in the game” if you’re using the above-mentioned décor and technology options. For every experiential cultural shift, there’s a counterculture. You won’t need to stick with the flow if you’re banking on classic attributions. Tread lightly, however, because several décor options are certainly being stripped away. Whether you’re an event planner, a business marketer or simply researching new ideas, it’s a good idea to stay updated. Listen to today’s creative directors, because they’ve seen it all. Sometimes, critical eyes are needed to keep the events pruned and looking good.

How to Create the Ultimate Trade Show Booth

Everyone knows: Trade shows are about the booths. If you’re managing an event, you’ll need to stick out to garner attention. Fortunately, 2017 is a year of creativity. A lot of today’s conferences have drawn attention to crowded show floors, inspiring event-goers with astounding exhibitions. Buckle up, and check out these ultimate trade show booth ideas.

Idea One: Virtual Reality

Today’s exhibitors, like Intel, are utilizing VR to engage event-goers without spending money on expensive equipment. Sure, an Oculus Rift or Vive might cost some money, but it’s little compared to the cost of a live-action car display, a hotel tour or a roller coaster ride. If you can get your guests to don headsets for at least five minutes, you can educate them with interactive games.

Idea Two: Custom T-Shirt Design Creation

You can help your event-goers craft custom T-shirts with a digital design booth. If you can pack the colors, the threads and a few iPads, you’re in business. Use the display to promote your company’s products, and help your brand’s biggest buffs implement your logo across a variety of clothing options.

Idea Three: A Home Theater Option

By presenting educational presentations via a digital display, you can outfit your trade booth for the 21^st century. Your company can live-stream a variety of sessions, launching different product options across high-quality video. Companies like Philips are taking advantage of real-time streaming, showing event-goers high-quality sessions via Periscope. If you’re really dedicated, hook your digital theater up to social media sharing resources.

Idea Four: Large-Scale Chalkboard Engagement

While your event-goers won’t necessarily be up for study sessions, they’ll still engage your brand if you let them leave notes, make company connections and interact with one another via chalkboard. Invite your booth visitors to post sticky notes, comment on industry trends and leave their own art. You’d be surprised by the amount of care some attendees will give. Every chalkboard engagement, of course, should prioritize your brand’s adaptability. Let your event-goers have fun, but offer your business’s offers through every note and connection.

Making the ultimate trade show booth takes time. Fortunately, you have a lot of elements to play with. Customers want far more than generic samples, business cards and information pamphlets. Give them an experience, and connect them to the digital world when possible. By connecting your users with Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, you can promote a sense of community from within every booth. Today’s trade show operators are working hard to promote their overarching brand. If you want to compete, you’ll need to offer something unique and exciting.

Event Decor: How to Create a Memorable Floor

Yes, your event’s flooring is important. Whether you’re installing high-tech pads, decorative carpets or subtle comfort areas, your marketing event’s bottommost layer will need to be spruced up. Event-goers may look up, but they’re bound to check out the floor when navigating traffic. If you want to harness today’s latest, greatest marketing techniques, you’ll need to reinvigorate your space from the ground up. Here’s how.

Use Bricks for Branding

Don’t worry: You won’t seem too old-fashioned. Even if you’re promoting technology, all-brick displays promote class, timelessness and security. Check out your local provider’s offerings, and find a space for sponsor information, logos and branding images. This is an exceptional option for outside events, too, as you needn’t worry about these branding images being washed away. Check out gardening bricks, too, as garden bricks are excellent opportunities for complex images.

Install a Glass Floor Over a Pool

There’s a reason today’s nightclubs and bars are turning to glass pool covers. When lighting is prioritized, the effect can be stunning. You needn’t make the pool accessible, either. Simply add lighting, install a design or two, and cap it off. Make the area a dance floor, and install your brand’s innovative demos off to the side—near the wet bar. If you really want to shine on event-goers, install a neon sign, flowers or displays beneath the glass.

Install a Plexiglass Cover

If you don’t have a pool, you can still get the glass-bound effect with plexiglass. Designers like Preston Bailey offer unique, all-glass dance floors. Capable of hosting an event “focal point,” these floors can harness high-tech lights, art and even flowers. Your guests will love it, and they’re hype up your future events, too.

Create Digital Demo Booth Floors

If you have the money, try installing high-tech picture floors. Fully digital, these floors can present images and movies. They even have slideshow capabilities. They’re constructed with dense materials, so you won’t need to worry about event-goers shattering any television screens. Flash your brand’s image, write notes and—if you’re feeling creative—create a touch-sensitive space for your event’s premium guests.

Paint 3D Art

Floor-bound 3D art is becoming incredibly popular. So much so, in fact, businesses are hiring 3D landscape artists to create immersive, intuitive and funny event floors. While 3D art only pulls off its effects from certain angles, it still offers incredible photo opportunities. If you rep the 3D art, you’ll present your company’s creative side. Why not let the guests have a little fun?

In most cases, the areas your event-goers traverse will be your event’s most memorable aspects. Don’t skimp on the flooring. Align it with your event’s walls, ceiling and décor. You’d be surprised how well a high-tech floor can tie things together.

Attracting the right Trade Show attendees

From November through March, there are trade shows in Miami every week. Industry events and conventions are common in this city that has so much to offer. There are many details to putting together a successful trade show. You'll need the right venue, logistics, vendors, ticketing and so much more. Trade shows however, cannot succeed unless you are attracting the right trade show attendees.

Certainly there are the traditional sources of marketing like trade magazines, but there are some additional ways to attract the right attendees. Let’s take a look.

LinkedIn

By its very nature LinkedIn is almost custom made to attract the right trade show attendees. Look for like-minded groups or start your own. LinkedIn is all about networking and trade shows are certainly a great vehicle for that.

Facebook

Make sure you have an event page and you invite people to it. Every day talk about the variety of events and vendors that will be at your event. Be sure to mention some of the other lures of the city, including South Beach.

Create a Trade Show App.

There are companies that can customize an app specifically for your trade show. These apps can offer discounts, keep attendees updated, encourage referrals, and build anticipation. They also have a variety of uses during your event, like sending reminders and promoting vendors.

Don’t Forget Regional Marketing

While your trade show may attract attendees from throughout the country, you can market to those within driving distance. These people will find attending the event more cost effective. This can be done through press releases to regional media, and of course by targeting like-minded companies within the region directly.

If you are looking for the premier multi-purpose event space Miami has to offer, we invite you to tour Soho Studios. Our 65,000 square foot facility has been used for events for such globally recognized companies as Puma, Evian, Ford Motor Company, Telemundo and America Apparel.

Our staff of experienced professionals will help you create an event that will be positively reviewed for months to come. Contact Soho Studios for a Miami, Florida trade show that will impress!

The key elements to an unforgettable trade show booth

Trade shows are one of the best marketing tools you can use for your business. Setting up a trade show booth is a good way to attract attention from potential customers, network with others in your industry and demonstrate what you company can do with its newest products and services. A trade show booth only works effectively, however, if people notice it in the first place.

Creating an unforgettable trade show booth means doing everything necessary to stand out from the crowd. Trade shows can feature hundreds of companies grappling for attention from the same target audience.

You can make sure no one skips your booth by incorporating these key elements:

Use Social Media

Social media is a quick and effective tool for getting the word out about your booth and get people chatting about your company. Use a custom Twitter hashtag and send out tweets about your company booth from the trade show. Post a Facebook update to let people know where you are and offer special promotions and prizes to trade show attendees via your Facebook page. These things will help generate tons of buzz in a short time.

Get Visual

Many people are drawn to interesting or funny videos. You can capitalize on that by running a short video on a loop at your booth. It can be an advertisement for your products or services or it can offer testimonials from satisfied customers. You can pair the video with a memorable tune. All you need is a laptop or tablet with speakers, to get you going.

Offer Swag

Everyone likes getting free gifts. You can't go wrong bringing along plenty of swag for trade shows. Hand out everything from pens to baseball caps. The main thing to remember is to brand each item with your company's logo and colors. It will spread your company name among the attendees and create several walking advertisements for your products and services.

Create Dynamic Signs

Avoid boring signs. Use bright and bold colors. Create a catchy slogan to pair with your company logo. Give people a reason to stop and look when they pass by your signs at the trade show.

How to top last years event

Your event has ended, and the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. In fact, everyone is raving about what a hit it was. At first, you're extremely excited that everyone enjoyed themselves, but then reality starts to sink in.

How in the world are you going to top this event next year?

Get Feedback

While your event may have been a smash, there are almost always ways you can improve on it. To figure out the best ways to make your event production even better, solicit feedback from attendees, employees and vendors to find out if they had heard or noticed areas that needed improvement. Maybe, the lines to get in your event were backed up because you didn't have enough people taking tickets or a concession stand was located in a low traffic area so it didn't earn the income you had expected. Learn from these mistakes and make adjustments and improvements accordingly.

Publicity

If attendance at your function was lower than you expected, your event strategy for next year should include ways to increase your visibility with the public. One of the most effective and inexpensive ways to generate buzz about your event is to utilize social media sites, such as Twitter and Facebook. Fortunately, actively publicizing your event on these two sites shouldn't add any more cost to your event planning budget.

You might also want to consider partnering with a coupon site, such as Groupon or Living Social. These sites will not only help you to generate more interest for your event, but they can also be an effective way to help you sell more tickets.

Choose an Exciting New Venue

If you've been throwing your event in the same old hotel ballroom year after year, isn't it about time that you move your event to a venue with more atmosphere, such as Miami's Soho Studios. Located in the vibrant Wynwood Art District, this 65,000-square-foot structure with its industrial detailing can add an edgy, modern look and feel to your event.

Surprise!

Everyone loves surprises and great ones can really make an event memorable. If you, for instance, hire a special guest for your festivities, you may want to conceal his identity until the day of your event. This could create great buzz and interest in your event as everyone tries to guess who your special guest may be.

What is your event strategy?

Planning an event is only half the battle. You also need clever event marketing techniques that will convince people they cannot afford to miss your event. Marketing your event is made much easier when you turn to the Internet as a resource and craft a digital event strategy. It lets you engage more people while removing time and geographical constraints found in other forms of marketing.

You should consider these important elements in crafting a digital strategy for your next event:

Create Social Media Conversations

Initiating conversations through social media channels is an effective tool for getting people to talk about your event. For your Twitter account, for example, you should decide on all event hashtags in advance. Then start promoting those hashtags on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+ and other popular social media sites. Encourage people to follow the event hashtags for news and information related to your event. Create a pre-event network and allow attendees to submit proposals and offer feedback on your upcoming event. Giving them a voice will make your event more appealing.

Blog about It

You can't surf anywhere on the Internet without splashing into a blog. Still, there is no reason why you shouldn't blog about your event. You can consider a couple of options with blogging. The first is to live blog during the event. You can post photos and offer real-time updates on what is happening. This approach works well with annual events.

A second option is to blog about the event afterward. You can create a post that summarizes the event and link to any other relevant posts covering the event. Incorporate SEO keywords tied to your event so people can easily find blog posts in search engines and share them with their friends.

Engage with Mobile Apps

Create a mobile app for your event. It can offer attendees access to the event calendar or schedule. They can browse through scheduled speakers and entertainers, venue information, ticket prices and everything else related to the event. Mobile event apps will help keep your audience continuously engaged before and during the event so that you can accomplish your goals.

Finding the best trade show venue

A trade show is only as good as the venue you choose for hosting it. Choosing the right trade show venue involves doing your homework so you can make an informed selection. An event planner needs to find a venue that will fit the needs of their event. It's not a stretch to say your choice of venue can make or break your event.

Considering these factors will help your find the right space for your event:

Venue Location

Location matters in event planning. Exhibitors and attendees want to go to a place that is easy to find, easy to reach and easy to leave. An event that makes it a chore to get to and from the venue will leave a bad taste in the mouths of all parties involved. The ideal venue is centrally located, has plenty of parking and offers plenty of transportation options. If you are planning corporate events in Miami, for example, the best event space Miami has to offer will likely be attached to a hotel at a convention center or near an airport.

Venue Space

The size of your event dictates your space needs. You should find a venue that can serve corporate events of all sizes, adding or closing off space as needed. It doesn't look good if you have too many trade show booths crammed into a small venue or a handful of exhibitors spread out over a cavernous convention center.

Venue Services

It's always a good idea to compare and contrast trade show venues and see what type of events they are accustomed to handling. Inquire about what additional services they offer for conference planning or trade show planning. Find a staff that is experienced in handling these types of events and can set up everything from small meeting areas to large conference rooms for your event.

Venue Equipment

Selecting a venue with audio/visual equipment in proper working order is mandatory for ensuring a smooth event. Don't hesitate to meet with the venue staff and request to try it out before reserving the venue. Audio and video problems during your trade show can cause unnecessary embarrassment.

Tasting Event in Miami

During November 8, 9, and 10, Soho Studios will host a tasting event in Miami where fine crafted spirits and beers will be available to taste, while having the opportunity to educate and enjoy the fine art of how these drinks came to be. Jennifer Massolo is the founder of The Liquid Projects and is the former executive director of the Miami International Wine Fair. If your interested in attending the best tasting event in Miami then click here to purchase tickets. Tickets start as low as $25. There's also the opportunity in tasting the finest American Craft Whisky and Dinner with host Chuck Cowdery. Don't hesitate, book now for the ultimate tasting event in Miami.

Jennifer has explored the world of craft spirits and will bring what she has learned to Miami through a rare and common selection of drinks during this tasting event in Miami. Jennifer has a hope of bringing women together with a desire to educate and empower them so they have a better understanding of where, how and why these craft drinks are made. This tasting event in Miami should not be missed!

Interviewed on Comcast News Makers, Jennifer explains the importance of tasting white wines and wines that she would like to introduce to people that are different from the rest.

You may ask why women? Jennifer explains;

"Historically, the world of making and appreciating spirits, especially darker spirits - whisky, rum, brandy etc. - has been populated by men. That is changing, as more and more, women are sharing that same appreciation, not only due to our refined palates, but also because we are interested in a unique and sophisticated experience. Craft spirits are increasingly present in our restaurant experiences, our shopping choices and in the many unique cocktail bars we like to visit. It's hard to know what's what sometimes. Why craft spirits? Let's consider the farm-to-table food movement we have watched grow over the past decade. Why is it so appealing? It's appealing because we care about taste, supporting the smaller producer and the quality of what we put in our bodies. There are passionate individuals involved and traditional methods practiced at the core of craft spirits. That's worth supporting!"

Want to find out more information then check out regularly for updates. You can also keep in touch with Jennifer's updates through her Spirited Sirens Blog.

If you are interested in becoming sponsor or want to contact Jennifer for the tasting event in Miami you can email info@craftspiritsandbeer.com

Trade shows in Miami

Trade shows are one of the most effective marketing methods available today. They provide the opportunity for businesses to introduce new products, sell existing products, connect new customers, and establish new business relationships. Every year there are thousands of trade shows held through the US and the world, with millions of attendees, and in almost every industry imaginable.

When it comes to trade shows Miami is an international hot spot. The combination of tropical splendor and cosmopolitan conference facilities attracts some of the most prestigious associations and corporate meetings, conventions and trade shows from business around the globe. Venues such as The Miami Beach Convention Center, The Westin Diplomat, Soho Studios and many others are host trade shows from a wide range of industries. Check out this list of some trade shows happening in Miami…

TRADE SHOWS IN MIAMI: Fiatech Leadership Inc ET EXPO SNM Annual Meeting International Floriculture Expo Shoe Market Of The Americas Swimshow FIME International Medical Expo Miami Beach Antique Jewelry and Watch Show Distribution Technology and Innovation Summit Spring 2012 HD Boutique America Consumer Electronics and General Merchandise Show Miami International Wine Fair The Great Bridal Expo-Miami Showeast MiaGreen Expo and Conference Tissue World AFP

No matter what industry you are in, a trade show in Miami is a great place to be a part of the marketing mix. You will increase your exposure, meet some great people and spend some time in The Magic City in the Sunshine State.

If you're planning a trade show in Miami, Soho Studios is a perfect location for an event large, small, or even for multiple days. Call today to schedule an appointment and you'll be surprised about all we have to offer your trade show.