E-NEWSLETTER
“In the coming decade, tradeshows, meetings, and selling spaces will become more digitally active as technological advances invade the world of international branding. As projection screens get flatter, brighter, sharper, and more affordable, and electronic displays become larger and more flexible, digital media will turn up on more and more available surfaces in designed environments and special event sites. Gone will be posters and signs, even wallpaper and lighting. Flat-panel displays free media designers from the deep, boxy monitors and standard aspect TV ratios. Likewise, projectors are getting much brighter and much sharper … . Eventually, they will likely replace ambient lighting, instead bathing an environment in a sea of color or pure light, or images and messages in full animation.”
This commentary, “After the Internet Wave: The New Technologies of Global Branding” by Vanessa Saunders of International Trade Shows Inc., can be found in its entirety in the January issue of The Communicator, CEMA's monthly e-newsletter, which keeps members up-to-date on industry news and CEMA-specific information.
EVENT CALENDAR SPOTLIGHT
Face-to-Face: Not Exactly
The next meeting in CEMA's Face-to-Face series will be held during the National Association of Broadcasters conference in Las Vegas in early April. The discussion will focus on a variety of marketing components, from Web events to more traditional elements such as trade shows. More information will soon be available on the CEMA Web site at www.cemaonline.com.
MEMBERSHIP BENEFIT
CEMA Summit
Among the benefits of belonging to CEMA is the opportunity to attend CEMA Summit, which convenes this year at Loews Coronado Bay Resort in San Diego, August 4 to 7. The annual summit is a three-day conference offering educational sessions led by nationally recognized speakers and industry luminaries. The educational offerings include sessions on measurement/ROI, trends, best practices, and of course, personal development. In the evenings, you can join your peers for the best networking opportunities available in the industry. Relax and have fun with more than 300 fellow CEMA members. For more information about the CEMA Summit, contact Erik Holden at CEMA at cema@cemaonline.com, or call (508) 278-7966.
AGENT OF CHANGE
Audit Task Force
CEMA's audit task force continues its work toward making independent, standardized audits the de facto standard in the technology event industry. After identifying most show management companies in the technology sector, the next step will be a mail and telephone campaign that communicates this urgent requirement from CEMA members to show management. In addition, we plan to highlight those show management companies that do audits and feature them in The Communicator. In related audit news, Exhibit Surveys recently announced that it plans to provide attendance certification services. Although CEMA does not endorse any particular audit provider, we are pleased that another option is available, along with Audit Bureau of Circulations and BPA International. This news illustrates the increasing level of industry focus on independent, standardized audits. Feedback from some CEMA members who exhibited at Comdex this past fall revealed a much higher level of quality attendees, despite lower attendance. Quality over quantity is always most important, and we hope that this trend continues.
