Last year, as the economy struggled and many technology shows took a hit, CrossTech Media expanded the reach of its ITEC shows by launching a weekly Web TV show, ITEC TV. Formerly known as the Information Technology Exhibition and Conference, ITEC shows are oneday programs held in 12 cities across the country.

While some shows were just learning how to use Twitter last year, Salesforce.com, a cloud computing solutions provider, was leveraging Twitter and other social media platforms to meet marketing goals for Dreamforce, the company’s annual conference for users, developers and partners.

Two months before the Produce Marketing Association’s (PMA) annual Fresh Summit Convention and Expo, held in Anaheim, CA, in October, organizers realized they needed to do more to address the industry’s most pressing current challenge.

The International Organization for Standardization is working to develop an international standard — ISO 20121 — to promote the sustainable management of events and exhibitions. Expected to be finalized by 2012, the standard will require identification of key sustainability issues such as venue selection, operating procedures, supply chain management, procurement, communication and transport.

With the advent of user-friendly handheld video cameras and editing software that any tech newbie can master, shooting and creating video clips has become easier and easier. So why aren’t you incorporating more video into your marketing strategy?

The Great West Truck Show (GWTS) and the Great American Trucking Show (GATS) attract 16,524 and 44,669 attendees respectively, resulting in some pretty long lines at on-site registration. In order to improve the attendee experience and decrease wait times for the truckers and trucking executives who attend the shows, Randall-Reilly Events Group, owner of the Truck Shows, turned to a technology additional attendee communication or education about it. Each easy-to-follow screen prompted attendees for the necessary information, guiding them through the process.

Sure, you refresh your show or reposition a couple of elements every year. But how often do attendees or exhibitors notice and, more importantly, is it driving attendance or exhibit sales?

At the International Sign Association’s (ISA) 18,000-attendee meeting, the International Sign Expo, the organization’s two member groups — national sign companies and local custom sign installers — are largely segregated, attending different sessions and interacting with different vendors. Many small custom sign installers may never run into the national sign companies who could give them recession-busting business. So, to ensure that they make those important connections, ISA last year launched a special event to bring together its National Sign Company(NSC) and Custom Sign Company (CSC) membership divisions.

Part of the New Orleans’ Ernest N.Morial Convention Center’s greening
effort (a partnership with the city started in 2007 in response to
client demand) called for 210 new recycling bins for paper, plastic and
waste. But instead of sending the existing trash cans to the landfill, convention center employees stepped forward to repurpose and reuse the old ones, saving the center more than $100,000 and diverting mounds of nonbiodegradable fiberglass cans from the local landfill.

Consumer interest in health and wellness continues to spike, and retailers attending the New York International Gift Fair (NYIGF) wanted more from the show to help them embrace the trend. Show organizer dmg world media was more than happy to oblige. In the past year, NYIGF organizers placed a special focus on expanding Extracts, the show’s personal care, beauty and wellness division. The result? The section has seen a 30 percent uptick in exhibitors, with 100 companies slated to exhibit at this summer’s show, compared with 60 in 2008.

As attendees and show organizers both know, sometimes the morning after an evening party or gala can be brutal. Take a cue from EXPO’ssister magazine, Event Marketer, and attract slow-moving attendees the next day with the siren song of hangover food — cold pizza and Bloody Mary’s.