knowledge

Whether your goal is to increase your standing in your industry or announce a great new product to the world, creating a winning exhibition is a vital step to reaching your objective. At the typical trade show, there are hundreds of trade show booths for guests to visit. It's important to create an appealing display that is eye-catching and that will stand out. Selecting a sharp, focused theme for your trade show booth will help your business put its best foot forward.

Choosing Your Strategy

Before deciding on a theme for your trade show booth, it is important to determine your strategy for the event. If your goal is to win over guests with your polished sales team, you may want a booth that gives you more access to the crowd. If your goal is to gain recognition, larger displays will stand out and attract visitors to your booth.

Types Of Trade Show Booths

In order to gain exposure for your company and its products, it is important to rent a booth that will complement your goals. Here is a look at some ways to strategically choose between different booth designs.

Linear Exhibit Booth - Linear booths provide plenty of wall space that can be used to display logos and pictures of products. Linear exhibits allow you to create an appealing visual experience for guests. The one drawback is that this arrangement can "box in" your representatives and prevent them from interacting with the crowd.

Peninsula Exhibit Booth - The peninsula booth is surrounded by aisles on three of its sides. This allows your business an opportunity to showcase its visuals and meet with guests at the same time.

Island Exhibit - If sales is your main objective, consider the island exhibit. This type of booth is surrounded by aisles on all for sides. An island booth gives your sales representatives the freedom to interact with passing guests and promote your products and giveaways.

Choosing the Right Trade Show Booth Displays

Finding the right combination of displays can help you to fully compliment your booth. Trade show displays help you show off your products and market your business. Here is a look at booth displays that are commonly featured in trade show booths.

Modular Displays - Using a modular display is a great way to get your exhibit noticed. Modular displays are designed to fit within the parameters of trade show booths, but they are tall enough to rise above the crowd and project your logo across the room.

Pop-up Displays - Pop-up displays are portable for a convenient set-up, but they give the solid appearance of an additional wall. These displays work well with island booths and allow you to display your products and services while freely interacting with the crowd.

Table Displays - Well-placed table displays can be used to provide detailed information on products or services. When guests view a table display, they are close enough to be able to focus on its message. Table displays are also a great way to highlight product giveaways and special offers.

Banner Stands - If you have a new line of products that you want everyone to see, banner stands are a great way to advertise. Placing high quality images of your product on a banner stand will catch the attention of guests who are passing by.

Whether your goal is to increase sales or promote brand visibility, creating an appealing trade show exhibit can help. Renting the right type of trade show booth and strategically arranging your trade booth displays will allow you to create a memorable exhibition.

Digital Scrapbooking: Is it for you?

The digital artwork is making its way into the mainstream; so as the digital scrapbook. For sure, we have certain understanding about digital art, but what about digital scrapbook? Is it the same with digital art?
The two are both similar and different in many ways but we are not here to discuss deeply their differences and similarities. We are here to focus on the digital scrapbooking as an alternative to the traditional scrapbook making.
Traditional scrapbooks are make by hand with several materials such as papers, pens, letter cut outs, adhesives, and other embellishments you can think of. The main principle is; to create a wonderfully decorated page that would give better meaning on the message you want to address. Digital scrapbooking works on the same principle too. You create unique page with decorations to enhance the meaning of the massage you want to address.
What sets the two apart is the method of achieving this principle. As mentioned, traditional scrapbooking uses material such as papers, pens, letter cut outs, adhesives, and other embellishments. Digital scrapbooking on the other hand uses computer graphics that replaces these traditional materials. You may say it is harder to work on the page design on the computer than on the actual page (traditional scrapbook). But, to be honest, it is almost the same.
Take the following for example:
The traditional scrapbook will work on a background or layout (sometimes called a template), pictures, texts, and embellishments. The process goes like this: you place the pictures on the background, place some embellishments of your type, and write some texts.
The digital scrapbook will work on software with all the available digital embellishments and texts. You have scanned pictures to be placed on a chosen background. Put some texts and add more design. Then, with some more editing on the colors and borders, you have created a scrapbook page.
(Speaking of software. There are several software that would let you create digital scrapbooks. These are Microsoft® Digital Image Pro, Photoshop® Elements or Adobe® Photoshop®, Ulead PhotoImpact®, or Jasc Paint Shop Pro®, to name a few.)
Oftentimes, it is much easier to create a digital scrapbook than a traditional one. This is because software that lets you create digital scrapbook with ready to use templates for texts and backgrounds, not to mention the editing tools you need. These features make it easier to create one unique page. Downloadable templates are readily available over the internet to widen up your choices on text, embellishments, and background. This is unlike traditional scrapbook that every thing is yours to make; from the background to the cutting of the decoration.
To further illustrate how does a digital page is created, here are the steps to follow:
-. Create a new image from a blank canvas
-. Define the size of the page you will use.
-. Enter the settings you want to adapt.
-. Add the photo
Photos determine the color scheme of the layout, therefore, you may want to see first what picture will you going to use before determining the mat of the canvas.
To add a photo, you must first save one on a file. You can either scan pictures or take them from your digital cameras.
1. Create the background
Now that you have a determined canvas and photo, it is time for you to select your background. Here, the choices are endless. You can download images from the internet or use your photos to be the background itself. You can edit the texture of the background to match the theme you want to achieve.
2. Create the photo mat
Photo mats let the background and the photo meet on a certain point.
3. Add the text and embellishments
Ready made texts and embellishments are one good feature of digital scrapbooking software. This helps you to put important touches fast and easy.
4. Apply some finishing touches
Final editing is as important as placing everything in order. Make use of built in features such as shadows, emboss, effects, and others. This would help your page look more attractive as it highlights whatever you want to be highlighted.

From IndoExchange.com

In my previous article, I said that there are several things to help your finance every month :

1. Plan your income and expense every month
   
2. Do the plan strictly
   
3. Have reserves fund
   
4. Take some insurances

This article will discuss point 1 and 2.

1. Plan your income and expense every month Starting right now, plan when you will get your salary, how much its amount, and when you will spend your money, what the posts and how much the amount of expenses. The plan called Budget.
   In example, you will receive this much on your salary on 27th, then from that amount you will use this much for this expense, that amount for that expense, and so on. So, if you make a budget first, you will detect on the first place whether there will be deficit or not in the middle of the month. If yes, you can revise the budget to avoid deficit.
   Composing budget is very easy. If you have already known the amount of average income and expense every month, you could also predict how much income and expense for the next coming months.
   
   
   Budget function
   Many people feels uncomfortable to draw up and have budget. They think budget is the same with restrain their shopping desire.
   NO. The function of a budget is to inform if your expense surpass your income or not. If yes, you ocan revise the budget so deficit can be avoided.
   But, if you do not have budget, you will be difficult to know if your family expense has surpassed the income. So, if there is deficit at the end of the month, you just realize it at that time, after all has happened.
   
   
   IMPORTANT
   Include saving in your budget. Usually people save their money later, after their money was spent. So, sometimes they cannot save their money because all of their money was spent for shopping.
   Thereby, it would be better if saving is not included later but earlier. Therefore, when you draw up a budget, insert saving as one of the posts that you must do earlier, at least after you repay your loan.
   
   
   
2. Do the plan strictly. A plan is useless if it is not done. In here, plan of income and expense as much as Rp250,000, if you strictly obey and want to do according the budget, at the end of the month the discrepancy between income and expense of your family will be certainly figured out, namely Rp250,000.
   Thereby, it would be easier to make another plan froward, because you have already known that every end of the month you surely have discrepancy of Rp250,000, which can be used for another purpose.
   However, sometimes people, although have already made up a simple budget, is still unable to meet their budget. If he, i.e. allocated Rp500,000 per month for shopping, the figure could expand to Rp750,000.
   This can be prevented with a harder system, namely 'envelope system'. If you have already drawn up a budget, you should allocate the amount right away according to each post. Each post is represented by one envelope. If the money in the envelope is empty, you don't have to try opening the other envelopes, because you have already known that budget for the related post has touched its limit. Envelope system is a little complicated, but perhaps it is the sacrifice that you should doso that you will not experience deficit. The most important, your expense now is more controllable.

From IndoExchange.com

A huge earning is usually considered for measuring the wealth of someone. However, why do so many people with huge income frequently end up running out of money in the middle or at the end of the month? What is the problem?
If you have a job now, do you remember the first one you ever had? Usually, the first experience on work is the most unforgettable experience.
Let's take an example. Anto was still living with his family until he got a job at the age of 23, as a clerk in a trading company. At that time, he had just graduated. Although he had to go through a probationary period, Anto was so excited when he knew that he would get his first salary. His salary was Rp 600,000, which he would receive on the 27th.
We can guess what he would want to do: he wanted to treat his family. He wanted to express his gratitude for getting a salary for the first time in his life, and he also wanted to show them that he was independent now.
Let's see: he received the salary on the 27th. On the 29th he took his family out for a meal in an all-you-can-eat restaurant, so each of them could satisfy their appetite. The pre-tax cost for one person was Rp 22,000, and after tax was Rp 24,200 per person. All of his family members were 7, consisting of his father, mother, one big brother and 3 annoying younger brothers. All was 6, plus Anto made it 7. It means that he had to pay the dinner bill of Rp 169,400. Which means, only 2 days after he received his salary, he had already spent 28% out of his salary for that month. So, he had only Rp 430,600 left for the rest of the month.
"No problem", thought Anto. "It's my own family that I treated, not other people. Besides, it's not every day I do that. Once a month is enough." Days went by. One week, 2 weeks, 3 weeks. "Hmm…that stuff in the mall looks pretty good. There is a very interesting looking shirt. Okay, it costs Rp 28,000. There's also this nice pair of trousers to wear for work. Very cheap, costs only Rp 65,000. It won't hurt to look stylish at the office". He then started buying things. "Okay", Anto thought, "one shirt and a pair of pants for this month. The rest of my salary would be used for transportation and food until the end of the month" .
What happened? On the 24th of the next month, just three days before his second-month payday, he had only Rp 50,000 left.
Anto started thinking. Okay...., such was because he spent most of his money to treat his family. Also this was his first time working. Within the coming months, his finance would be better.
The second month, he got his salary again. Still in the same amount. No raise yet. The difference was no more treating the family. Days and weeks went by. A few days before his third salary, he only had Rp 75,000 left.
Three months passed by, he was finally accepted as permanent employee. He got a Rp 150,000 raise to Rp 750,000. "Not bad", Anto thought. This meant that I would be able to "breath" and save a little. But strangely, a few days before even one month period ended, his still had only little money left. The sixth month, the seventh month, the eight month, although he got a raise, but he still ran out of money and could not put any into savings.
As a matter of fact, Anto is not the only one, whose income is under Rp 1m, with this problem. Even people with millions per month income still have trouble saving money.
What is really happening? Many people think that by getting a raise, they will not run out of money in the middle of the month and they can save for sure. Every month they hope that they will get a raise the next months. But after they really get a raise, they still run out of money.
It is clear that the solution here lies not on how big your income is. The amount of your income does not guarantee that you will not run out of money in the middle of the month. The size of your income does not guarantee that you will be able to save. The key here is not how much money you make, but how you manage your income so that it can be stretched in a one-month period.
There is no fixed way on the right method to manage your finance. However, based from experiences, there are several things that can help you manage your finance well each month:

1. Plan your income and outcome every month.
   
2. Carry out the plan strictly.
   
3. Have reserved fund.
   
4. Join insurance plan.
   

In the next number, we will discuss each of the approaches.

Text-to-speech (TTS) and human voice-over are integral to many educational institutions and all interactive voice response (IVR) (http://www.plumvoice.com/products/ivr-systems) systems.

TTS and voice-over enable educational institutions to design courses and disseminate them on a large scale. They enable organizations to design call flows for IVR systems and deliver messages to a virtually unlimited number of callers 24 hours a day, every day.

But which is better? It depends on the situation and your needs.

TTS:

TTS is faster…It enables script designers to write and edit their course lessons or call flows and have them up and running almost immediately. Voice-over usually requires more time to hire a voice-over expert and record all the necessary script.

TTS is more adaptable…Because script designers can create and edit scripts at a faster pace, they can keep up with the changes that inevitably occur.

A company may want to change its product offerings or services to react to market demands and immediately incorporate those changes into their IVR script. An educator may need to change a course in light of a new study or technology change (think groundbreaking study that changes the way educators think about a subject or a software update that requires new scripts for a training class).

No need for voice-over talent...Not everyone can do voice-over because it requires a good voice with an easy-to-understand accent (the least amount of accent possible).

Because of that, most organizations need to hire a professional, which takes time and money, especially factoring in changes (you have to track down the original voice talent to keep the voice in a script uniform, and you have to re-record whole sections even if you’re only changing a few words).

Voice-over:

Voice quality…Years ago, TTS messages were very robotic and monotone, and although the technology has improved dramatically in the last few years to become more natural (and will continue to do so), it still at this point has a less human feel to it.

For messaging that requires high inflection and emotions like excitement or empathy (think an educational program for small children who might become bored with a monotone voice or an IVR (http://www.plumvoice.com/) for a mental health facility), human voice is more natural.

Today the tech-savvy planners and event managers use various “meeting technologies” to make their meetings more efficient and effective. There are various platforms and applications that allow the users to get access to loads of information regarding the meeting of the program. Event management is basically one of the coolest areas of development in business. These days the use of Smartphones for business purposes is increasing at a steady pace. That is the reason, the opportunities for mobile meeting management and engagement of the attendees to those events have skyrocketed.

Basically there are two types of event management mobile applications – the ones like Windows mobile apps through which various web-based programs might be accessed through a Smartphone; and the ones that are downloaded or installed to the phones to be used as a platform for doing various related tasks. Irrespective of the types of mobile apps, these can be further divided according to their usage. While there are some mobile applications that are useful for the managers and the producers for organizing events, there are some that are really helpful for the attendees and prospective clients of the meeting.

Benefits for the attendees

Firstly, these mobile applications let the attendees to register to the event and pay for the tickets through their mobile device easily. Such applications are designed in such a manner that the attendees are able to get access to all the information related to the program easily through their cell phones.

Generally, the event management applications are designed in such a manner so that the users has access to all the information related to the program, the speaker, the scheduling, seminar, topic of discussions, and other attendee information. Apart from the exhibition of floor maps, there are various links to the social media platforms. In addition there are GPS enabled platforms that allow the attendees to follow the right route to the venue of the program, track other attendees and colleagues in the program, and get an itinerary and map of the event on the mobile phones.

Cost of installing such apps

The cost of installing event management mobile applications to your Smartphones actually depends on the features and the customizations you require. This further depends upon the type of event you are attending and the activities you need to perform. However, it is sure that the amount spent for installing such a mobile app is much less as compared to the plethora of benefits it provides.

As communication between clients and businesses is important and essential for a successful business-to-customer relationship, the mobile application platforms are also incorporating social networking features. Through such features, the attendees are able to share things of common interest, post and discuss various topics of common interest with the other users and community members.

So, you can see that if you need to attend various events and programs you should install a suitable event management mobile app/a> to your Smartphone. There are quite a few good ones like Event2mobile that will help you to gather information about various programs, guide you to various venues, and will help you to keep track of the upcoming programs.