"Best of Show" Award Voting Form

Vote HERE For the Inaugural “Best of Show” TSNN Event Excellence Award!

We were so thrilled to receive several amazing submissions that we decided to choose FIVE nominees for TSNN’s inaugural “Best of Show” award. It’s pretty simple – cast your vote below for what show you think is BEST. One vote per e-mail is allowed. The winner will be announced at the 2011 TSNN Event Excellence Awards Nov. 4-6 at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in D.C.

The deadline to VOTE is OCTOBER 25^that Midnight EST.

	First name
	Last name
	Email Address
	Job Title
	Company Name
	AIBTM - The Americas Meetings & Events Exhibition Reed Travel Exhibitions already had established brands overseas, including EIBTM and CIBTM serving the European and Asian markets, but they decided to take a chance on launching in the U.S. market at their recent show held in Baltimore. Some of the highlights of the event that brought together buyers and suppliers in the meetings and events space included a thorough buyer qualifying process with a commitment to meet with at least eight suppliers; a dedicated CEO education program was offered that had an overwhelming response; several high-end networking functions, including 1,300 tickets given away for a U2 concert, as well as Visit Baltimore hosted reception; and more. The result was more than one-third of the exhibitors rebooked onsite for the 2012 show, which was called a “staggering success” and buyers also gave the event high marks. Please click HERE to see the full submission.

	Vote for AIBTM - Americas Meetings & Events Exhibition
	What made the AIBTM event so outstanding? • Highly successful launch of a North American Hosted Buyer trade show format based on proven success of European event model • New Experience: one-to-one pre-scheduled appointments between buyers and exhibitors coupled with traditional trade show format • Guaranteed appointments, group destination presentations and qualified impromptu appointments • Dedicated CEU accredited Education Day that did not interfere with show hours and met the needs of all attendee types from buyer to exhibitor • Solid focus on building in networking opportunities both formally and informally • Result - Successful rebooking percentage; overwhelming praise for new show format New Launch to Reed Travel Exhibitions: AIBTM 2011, part of the RTE (Reed Travel Exhibitions) portfolio of shows, was launched June 21- 23, 2011 in Baltimore Maryland and delivered the largest and most comprehensive Hosted Buyer program the U.S. meetings industry had ever seen! New Experience: AIBTM opened its doors to deliver a brand new experience to the industry; over 11,400 pre-scheduled one-to-one meetings between qualified Hosted Buyers and exhibitors took place during the two-day exhibition not including the thousands of impromptu appointments that also took place on the show floor Fully audited attendance figures allowing us to publically verify our visitor statistics. Guaranteed Appointments, group Destination Presentations and qualified Impromptu Appointments: Our proven format provided top level buyers with the opportunity to apply to attend as an AIBTM Hosted Buyer and were individually qualified by an independent research agency against strict qualification criteria. Hosted Buyers represented all market segments (Association, Corporate, Agency), throughout all regions of the US, Canada, Mexico and abroad. • Result: Identification of key planners with upcoming business needs for AIBTM exhibitors. Once successfully qualified, Hosted Buyers received complimentary travel and accommodation for the length of their stay. • Requirements: Each Hosted Buyer was required to pre-scheduled eight meetings per day with exhibitors of their choice and attend one group Destination Presentation. They are also had the opportunity to schedule additional appointment with exhibitors using our online appointment scheduler. • Dedicated Education and Networking: The CEU accredited education program held one day in advance of the exhibition was dedicated to Hosted Buyers, Trade Buyers and Exhibitors. This program coupled with our valuable networking opportunities was highly commended by all attendees. • Education: Based on insight from the AIBTM Advisory Panel, the AIBTM program was created to be run on a separate day from the exhibition. This concept allowed Hosted Buyers the freedom to attend CEU accredited education without the burden of choosing between that and their required one-to-one meetings with exhibitors. Additionally, education was designed to include exhibitors who truly appreciated the opportunity to step away from the show floor and focus on their own personal career development. The result was an overwhelming attendance of the education sessions with standing room only in many of the rooms. Nearly 2,000 attendees took part in one education session or more. • Hosted Buyer Ice Breaker Reception: AIBTM kicked off its networking programs on Tuesday night with an exclusive Hosted Buyer Ice Breaker Reception at the Maryland Science Center. The event was designed expressly for the Hosted Buyers who had traveled in from all over the world - a unique opportunity to network as a group of industry VIPs. • Wednesday night saw two major networking events happening; first, the Visit Baltimore welcome party which was the precursor to the ultimate VIP networking experience - an opportunity to see U2 live as part of their AIBTM experience. AIBTM gave away over 1,300 tickets to AIBTM Hosted Buyers, Trade Buyers and Exhibitors to attend the sold-out U2 360Ëš Tour. A series of sweepstakes leading up to the show and Social Media scavenger hunts built a huge buzz around AIBTM and the unique and amazing opportunity we were able to offer our attendees. AIBTM exhibitors were able to offer their top-level clients an unmatched experience that will not soon be forgotten. To add the final VIP touch, AIBTM also provided police-escorted transfers from the Baltimore Convention Center to the stadium for all ticket holders. It was the experience of a lifetime for many as they watched Bono, The Edge and the rest of the band for two hours of sheer fun and excitement all with industry friends and colleagues!! Success equals rebooking for 2012: The idea of conducting a years worth of business over the course of two days is the perfect solution for exhibitors in the industry. Exhibitors get the best of both worlds, the luxury of pre-scheduled appointments before they even arrive in Baltimore and the ability to network in a more traditional fashion with impromptu walk-by traffic. In fact, exhibitors found AIBTM 2011 was so successful that over one third of our 2011 exhibitors rebooked on-site for 2012 which is a staggering result for a launch show. In addition to exhibitor successes, Hosted Buyers overwhelmingly praised and embraced the time effective format of the appointment based show. Post-show feedback applauded the show for creating a new and energized trade show experience that balanced education, networking and true business opportunities.

America Health Plan; Institute 2011
AHIP recently experienced a very successful first run incorporating QR codes into their event. This medical industry event drove traffic to their mobile app with QR codes, allowing attendees to easily access session, speaker and logistic information. The QR codes were established and printed on clear peel-and-stick labels affixed on signage during move-in. Using the stickers, rather than printing on graphics, gave the client last-minute leeway for QR code changes and hence provided peace of mind. They also instructed attendees (via cards handed out onsite and general show signage) how the QR codes could benefit them and how they worked. As a result, Attendees commented how pleased they were to see the organization embracing new technology tools. Please click HERE to see the full submission.

	Vote for America Health Plan Institute 2011
	AHIP recently experienced a very successful first run incorporating QR codes into their event. This medical industry event drove traffic to their mobile app with QR codes, allowing attendees to easily access session, speaker and logistic information. The QR codes were established and printed on clear peel-and-stick labels affixed on signage during move-in. Using the stickers, rather than printing on graphics, gave the client last-minute leeway for QR code changes and hence provided peace of mind. They also instructed attendees (via cards handed out onsite and general show signage) how the QR codes could benefit them and how they worked. As a result, Attendees commented how pleased they were to see the organization embracing new technology tools. Please click HERE to see the full submission.

Craft & Hobby Association 2011 Winter Conference & Show
Despite a severe hit to the craft and hobby marketplace during the past few years, which impacted the Craft & Hobby Association's Winter Conference and Show, the association took several steps to make its 2011 show a success. Some of those steps included renaming the show to emphasize the conference component, aggressively marketing the new location in Los Angeles, recruited celebrity crafters, a TV studio on the showfloor, a matchmaking component and much more. As a result, the show saw overall growth in exhibitors and showfloor size, as well as drew strong attendance. Please click HERE to see the full submission.

	Vote for Craft & Hobby Association 2011 Winter Conference & Show
	Challenge: Like many industries, the craft & hobby marketplace has experienced significant consolidation during the worst economic recession since the great depression. Membership in the Craft & Hobby Association (CHA), the industry’s leading organization, had declined. Since 2008 we had lost 18.4% of our buyers, 29.8% of our manufacturers, and 32.4% of our potential exhibitor companies with a total loss of 23.6% of all members. This was indeed bad news for CHA as we also produce the industry’s leading trade show and conference, which is attended primarily by its members. CHA membership consists of both manufacturers and buyers. The show is also open to non members, but at a high rate of $150 per person. As a result, the CHA Winter Conference & Show had declined from 6,568 to 4,176 exhibitors and from 13,850 to 8,991 attendees. In addition, the 2011 Winter Show in January was moving from its many years at Anaheim, to the Los Angeles Convention Center - a move not welcomed by some of the key exhibitors and attendees. Therefore, the challenge was to convince members that the CHA 2011 Conference & Trade Show was still a vibrant, must-attend event. The “Best of Show’ Solution: Fortunately, the CHA Winter Show has a long-standing reputation among its members as being an outstanding event. As many of the exhibitors offer Make-N-Take demonstrations in their booths and there are several celebrity appearances and prize drawings, there is a constant buzz of excitement on the Show floor. In addition, a comprehensive educational program and stimulating keynote speaker always provides attendees with valuable information on how to improve their businesses. While CHA members know the value of participating in the Show, the challenge was to convince them that despite the obstacles of a challenging economy, an unfamiliar location and the cost of attending, they could not afford to miss the Show. The following steps were taken towards accomplishing this goal: • We renamed the event to CHA Conference & Trade Show (previously CHA Convention & Trade Show) to put more emphasis on the valuable educational sessions, many of which now focused on helping members enhance their businesses during tough economic times. This was done in response to the 2010 CHA Member Satisfaction Survey results which stated that providing educational programs pertinent to the craft industry was in the top two requested member benefits. It was an entirely new conference model that provided them with unlimited access to all 130 educational seminars, workshops and Show events for only $25. This represented a savings of over $200 and answered their objections of not being able to afford some of the seminars. This new business conference model was promoted extensively through ads, PR, direct marketing, social media, and Town Hall teleconferences. Some examples can be seen here: http://ht.ly/6ylks http://ht.ly/6yeiE http://ht.ly/6yeIS http://ht.ly/6yeNM http://ht.ly/6yeVv • Starting many months in advance, we implemented a multifaceted marketing campaign focusing on the desirability of coming to a Show in a revitalized downtown LA. We worked closely with the LA Convention Center and LA Live to extensively promote the new entertainment district and other unique LA features: http://www.youtube.com/user/CraftandHobbyp/u/21/iAIgqetViwk To create additional excitement on the Show Floor we incorporated the following measures: ? Added celebrity crafters Emmy award-winning TV journalist Deborah Norville and best selling author Candy Spelling to our line-up of celebrity industry crafters. ? Created an expanded and enhanced Innovations Showcase and Sneak Peak Media event for retailers and media only. ? Secured Nick Bilton, Lead Technology Writer for the New York Times and author of I Live in the Future and Here’s How it Works as our keynote speaker. Nick’s presentation of The Future of Business: The Impact of Social Media and Technology on Consumer Behavior was a success. http://www.youtube.com/user/CraftandHobbyp/a/f/1/gWcipWXBrNY ? Created an International Reception & Networking Event in the trendy Conga Room at LA Live. ? Added more workshops, Make-N-Takes and demos on the Show floor and in the classroom. ? Created a matchmaking program called ShowBiz Connections to match buyers and sellers prior to the Show and made it easier to coordinate meetings as participation with the electronic scheduler increased by over 400% with more than 1250 companies having used the system. Also implemented the E-connect program, an easy to use online tool for exhibitors to reach out to their buyers and invite them to the winter show as well as follow up with all their leads from the show with a post-show message. ? Created CHA TV – TV studio on the Show floor to interview attendees and exhibitors. This was hosted by CHA spokesperson Terry O and other well known celebrity crafters: http://www.youtube.com/user/CraftandHobbyp/u/5/U-N7Nh23i8w ? Created a special charity event to provide school supplies for LA children in conjunction with the Kids In Need Foundation & KidsSmart. ? Created the Pinnacle Club; a special VIP Lounge for top retailers and long time attendees. The Results • The 2011 CHA Winter Conference & Trade Show proved to be a great success with a total of 5,245 attendees (including exhibitor personnel) filling the aisles and seminars. The number of new exhibitors was up from 12,107 in 2010 to 14,343 in Winter 2011. • The show saw a growth with 8% more retail stores attending the 2011 event compared to 2010. • The overall square footage was up to 193, 827 sq. ft from 185,250 sq. ft in 2010. • Many attendees and exhibitors came away very impressed with LA: http://www.youtube.com/user/CraftandHobbyp/a/f/0/1eb8qFgKAGQ Complete information on the Winter Show success is available here: http://ht.ly/6yh6x

ICE - International Converting Exposition USA
In the middle of a tough economy, Mack Brooks Exhibitions took a leap of faith and launched a new show serving the converting industry, which is a step before the packaging process. The lead U.S. event in this space CMM International had shrunk drastically, so Mack Brooks bought it, renamed it and then had to resell it through a strategy called the “ICE Mentality” as the go-to place for the converting industry. An advisory board was established and the show got to work putting together a unique experience for attendees/exhibitors at the show, including an icebreaker party with Jimmy Buffett, golf tournament, huge ice sculpture, icebreaker breath mints and ICE-branded clothing products were sold, to name a few. As a result, Mack Brooks said the event was a “smashing success”. Please click HERE to see the full submission.

	Vote for ICE - International Converting Exposition USA
	New Ice Age Dawns In Orlando The Challenge: The Mack Brooks Exhibitions Group realized we had only one chance to make a crucial first impression when we launched the inaugural ICE USA in Orlando, April 6-8, 2011. The converting industry, which is the step before the packaging process, had been undergoing significant consolidation and downsizing the past several years. The leading event, CMM International, had nearly 1,000 exhibitors and 32,000 attendees in 2001. By 2009, it had shrunk to nearly 200 exhibitors and 2,000 attendees. During this time period, ICE (International Converting Exposition) was launched as a small European Show and had grown to become ICE Europe, held biennially in Munich. The 2011 Event is the world’s largest converting show with nearly 400 exhibitors and more than 5,000 attendees. We also launched ICE Asia four years ago and ICE Latin America this year. We decided to enter the North America marketplace in 2009 and purchased CMM International. We quickly retired the CMM brand and announced the launch of ICE USA in 2011 as the newest event in the group of ICE events. However, the challenge was to convince the general converting industry that ICE USA was a unique new event combining the best of the world-leading ICE shows with the best of CMM. The Solution: ICE USA Show Management recognized the needed to position ICE USA as an exciting new event to North America, but one with a strong pedigree from very distinguished bloodlines - ICE and CMM International. We knew we needed to create a unique atmosphere onsite that strongly reinforced the ICE brand. Our goal was to make the exhibitors and attendees feel like they were part of a special pioneering group that was coming together to create the first dynamic converting event in more than a decade and to forge a dynamic new business resource for the industry. Although we developed multifaceted marketing and sales programs using ads, direct mail, PR, and social media to convince exhibitors and attendees of the value of the Show, we knew the onsite experience was going to be key in the success of future events. To set the stage for the unique onsite ICE USA experience, our first step was to create an Advisory Board consisting of the industry’s largest exhibitors, associations and trade magazines – most of whom were both CMM and ICE Europe exhibitors and supporters. We met a year before the event in Orlando to get them indoctrinated into the “ICE Mentality” and to have them serve as very influential ICE USA Evangelists. What we believe makes ICE USA the best choice for the TSNN ‘Best of Show’ Award is how we used this “ICE Mentality” strategy and messaging to create a unique personality for the event and launch a very successful trade show. Maximizing the “ICE Mentality” Messaging The ICE acronym allowed us to be very creative in how we gained top-of-mind awareness in a fun and compelling manner. This strategy was very successfully in building the brand in Europe so we Americanized it for the US event. The following are some of the strategies and techniques we used to reinforce our brand and ‘ice’ the competition. • Starting several months before the Show, we played an active role in the key associations’ annual meetings to ensure ICE was top-of-mind among the thousands of the key prospects that attended. We had ICE USA ice sculptures at the cocktail receptions and handed out unique ICE USA ice scrapers, stocking caps and scarves at our booth, which caused quite a buzz in Phoenix and Las Vegas where the meetings were held. And, we sponsored iced drinks and golf balls at the golf tournaments. We followed the same strategy at trade shows serving our target audiences. An estimated 85% of our prospective exhibitors and 75% of prospective attendees come to these meetings and shows, and everyone of them came away with a clear awareness of ICE USA. Creating The ICE Environment Onsite Once we had out target audience “thinking ICE”, we wanted to be sure to carry through the messaging at the Show and create a community of ICE-Evangelist. We accomplished this in the following manner: • An ‘Ice Breaker’ Welcome Party featuring a Jimmy Buffet tribute band and frozen margaritas with ice sculptures and seafood on ice. • An ICE USA Open Golf Tournament was held the day before • A huge ICE USA ice sculpture greeted people at the Show entrance • Free Ice Breaker breath mints were distributed throughout the event • An ICE USA branded merchandise store was prominently located on the Show Floor and exhibitors were given coupons to get free merchandise • Free ICE CREAM sundaes were given to exhibitors the last afternoon of the Show and attracted lines of happy exhibitors to the Show Management office where they could also sign up for 2013 space • Private entertaining was done at the ICE Bar in Orlando where 50 tons of ice is carved into a Winter wonderland and guests wear thermal coats and gloves • We created an ICE USA TV channel to interview people during the show • Social Media engagement featuring ICE factoids took place all three days • The IceCream Show Daily was distributed everyday of the event The Results The inaugural ICE USA was a smashing success. In addition to exhibitors being very pleased with the quality and quantity of leads and the re-emergence of a successful converting focused event, the overall ICE onsite experience created an ICE USA camaraderie among all the participants that will carry through to subsequent ICE events. Many participants left for the airport wearing ICE USA polo shirts, packing ICE USA golf balls and ice scrapers, talking about the free ice cream sundaes, and saying ICE USA was the best converting show they have ever attended. More than 50% of the 2013 space has already been reserved and the participants and media had very positive feedback (see attached examples). ICE USA Examples Ice Scraper, stocking cap and scarf premium items distributed at the ICE Bar and at other ICE events throughout the year. New "ICE" Age heats up for US converting industry (Click on blue link to see full article) 2011 ICE USA Golf Open Warm feedback for ICE USA show (Click on blue link to see full article) ICE TV Attendee Testimonials (Click on blue link. See second video) 'ICE Age' Forecasted for US Converting Industry (Click on blue link to see full article) ICE Age Forecasted for US Converting Industry (Click on blue link to see full article)

Outdoor Retailer
According to Nielsen Expositions’ show management for Outdoor Retailer, the show has revolutionized the trade show business by taking the old b2b, order-writing buyer/seller platform and transforming the 30-yr-old show into an experience that flows from b2b transactional to a b2c experiential must-attend event. From innovative treatments like the Business Community Zones, Adventure Theater and Design Competition to the online tools deployed like the show’s Mobile App, Show Planner interface, 'LiveFrom' video clips and our new customized OR Hub interface, the show has enabled attendees to get more out of the show experience, and network like never before with like-minded but disparate market players. By designing the floorplan with key adjacencies, the show fosters partnerships among the different vertical market forces in the 'zones'. The show enables this not only on floorplan, but digitally with key media partnerships and programs that simultaneously deepen core business connectivity and increase peripheral market opportunity for all stakeholders in Outdoor. As a result, the show has seen significant growth and looks to grow even more into the future. Please click HERE to see the full submission.

	Vote for Outdoor Retailer
	Outdoor Retailer has revolutionized the trade show business... a tall statement, for sure, but let me explain. We have taken the old b2b, order-writing buyer/seller platform and transformed the 30 yr old show into an experience that flows from b2b transactional to a b2c experiential must-attend event. From innovative treatments like the Business Community Zones, Adventure Theater and Design Competition to the online tools deployed like our Mobile App, Show Planner interface, 'LiveFrom' video clips and our new customized OR Hub interface, we have enabled attendees to get more out of the show experience, and network like never before with like-minded but disparate market players. By designing the floorplan with key adjacencies, we foster partnerships among the different vertical market forces in the 'zones' We enable this not only on floorplan, but digitally with key media partnerships and programs that simultaneously deepen core business connectivity and increase peripheral market opportunity for all stakeholders in Outdoor. The experience of OR goes beyond the transactional into the realm of creative inspiration, collaborative partnering and sharpening of business acumen. There are so many ways now to get 'transactional' that don't require a trade show. Future Shows need to lead the way by showcasing applied technology, and showing connectivity to the markets they (we) serve. Results? On a 30 yr-old show, we have grown to record levels of attendance and sq footage for both winter and summer markets by double digit %-ages. We are going for 'three-peat' in 2012 by further engaging technology, deepening our market connectivity and pushing the experience of OR beyond our customers' expectations. The lines of retailer and brand are blurring ever further, and the show is reflecting that reality by connecting with the end consumer while still serving the discrete b2b needs of the wholesale outdoor products marketplace.