Now you can carry your vertical holders and neck wallets with ease!

Cheers can be heard nationwide! Is it because of the start of football season? Or the kids are back to school?…Not quite!  These cheers are from Meeting Planners once they got word that a NEW neck wallet organizing system was available!

For years Meeting Planners have been voicing a need for a neck wallet transportation/organizer/display solution. As far as we know, pc/nametag® is the ONLY supplier that took on the challenge! Double Cheers!

The Redi-Reg™ Deluxe Combo Case is actually two organizers in one. Exclusively designed by pc/nametag®, it provides a 90-Attendee Neck Wallet solution in addition to a 90-Attendee Vertical Nametag Holder solution, in one case!

Since a picture is worth a thousand words, why not check out our product profile video and see what the cheers are about! We guarantee you’ll gasp!

At pc/nametag® we love creating products that give Meeting Planners a hand – almost as much as we love getting a hand! Cheers!

So Many Travel Apps, So Little Time!

The iPhone and other smart phones are changing the way we stay in touch.  More and more people are leaving their notebooks at home or the office and traveling light – with just their smart phone.

One scary thought though is having your travel plans upset by weather and suddenly you are scrambling trying to find new flights and a hotel to stay for the night.  There are over 200,000 apps for the iphone and most business people don’t have the time to dig through all of the applications to find ones that will work for them.

We found a great site that takes all the travel applications and puts them on one site so that you can determine which ones might be most useful to you.  The site is http://meetingapps.com/.  It categorizes the various sites into 23 categories such as airlines, hotels, restaurants, GPS and global maps, sparts activities, travel, and even meeting management.

Each category has about 20 applications so you can quickly see descriptions of some 400-600 websites, if you care to, but most likely you will find 3-4 you might want to add to your phone.  Imagine being able to go to hotels.com at 11PM when your plane lands at O’Hare and you’ve missed your connection.  Pull out your iphone and do a quick search.

A great tool.

Tote at MPI WEC in Vancouver

The MPI WEC was a great hit in Vancouver as over 2500 people attended. The weather was superb with temperatures in the high 70s during the day (that’s about 20 degrees Celsius for those of you who haven’t adapted.)  The opening reception was held at Canada Center where the second flame of the Vancouver 2010 Olympics were held.

pc/nametag is again the sponsor of the tote bags and the lanyards at the 2010 Meeting Professionals International WEC meeting in Vancouver Canada.  Our TEC tote bags were warmly received by attendees at the event.  They liked the functionality and style, and the many pockets.  Click here to see the Tech Exec Compu Brief. People stopped by the pc/nametag booth and told Angie Brown and Nick Topitzes that they loved the bags.

Custom PC/NAMETAG Big Meeting2 Full-Color Lanyard designed for MPI WEC

The lanyard which pc/nametag also sponsored was a recycled material with great color and it used a two point attachment to minimize any spinning.  The fabric was soft and silky and one attendee, a man, told us that a woman he was sitting with liked it so much she wanted to use it to tie up her hair.  Here’s a pciture of Angie’s nametag and the lanyard.  Click here and see the Big Meeting2 Full-Color Lanyard from our PC/NAMETAG catalog.

That huge sigh of relief you just heard? It came from our catalog development team. Twice a year we pile all the additional responsibility of designing, writing and photographing more than a hundred pages of our products on top of their usual duties. It’s a big job – one they pull off with aplomb each and every time. All so that you can find the best solutions to your meeting registration needs in one handy reference book.

Inside you’ll find New innovations to make your job faster, easier and all-around better. With new items in every category, even quicker production times on dozens of our current products, and new thoughtful details that make your pc/nametag® favorites even better! Plus FREE samples so you can see the difference for yourself. View all of our new products for 2010 HERE.

So now you know the back-story to our latest catalog production—Let me know what you think of it.

Insert template help is just a click away.

It happens more often than we like. A harried phone call from a planner the morning of the event. She’s been up late trying to figure out printing the nametags and now it’s really crunch time.

But we hate the idea of our customers waiting for help until the office opens. Especially when you don’t have to. We’ve actually posted our Complete Instructions for Microsoft Mail Merge in our Online Resource Center. And we’ve got Video Tips on assembly, and design at your disposal 24/7.

While we certainly don’t wish any midnight disasters on you, at least now you can get help as soon as it happens.

Have any midnight disaster stories of your own to share? Let your fellow planners laugh along by posting them on our facebook page.

Did you know your kindle is fully compatible with international travel?

Blessed are we the techno un-savvy, for we have folks like GaiaGeek to clue us in to the finer points of using our high-tech tools. A recent entry taught me how to figure out which carrier my Kindle was using on the road. And it occurred to me many meeting planners may not even realize that their high-tech com gear is as useful, and serviceable outside the country as is in the states. In the case of your Small Kindle this little tip can give you access to Amazon, and perhaps more importantly Wikipedia, wherever your travels take you.

What's the question Jeanne gets asked most? Find out now.

One of the many benefits of having seasoned staff is the amount of knowledge they can share with our customers. It’s especially valuable when the customer is new to meeting planning – or when an experienced planner bumps into a last-minute problem and needs to shoot from the hip.

One of our most experienced Customer Service Reps. is Jeanne. Before joining us all the way back in 1997 she had spent the previous decade as a meeting planner.

With that much time “in the business” folks are constantly asking her for advice. That’s why we were so happy she agreed to sit down with us on camera and walk us through one of the most common questions she gets over the phone. To see what it is – and what the answers are, watch here.

International events call for a welcoming feel all their own.

Ever since we were confronted with stories of the ugly Americans travelling the world, I think we as a nation have gotten better at being respectful of other cultures and their languages.  Sure, we could always do better, but in my travels to Europe and Asia, I think other nations may have even  taken our place at the top of the list of Ugly Travelers. 

One thing that really stands out in my mind is that the Europeans and Asians who want our business really work at learning English.  Granted it is becoming the language of business but what is interesting is that most Europeans don’t just learn English, they learn two and three languages beyond their own.  In a sense they are blessed with the proximity to different tongues.  But they also see it as a way to advance.   Walk in to a restaurant and it’s relatively easy to find and English-speaking member of the staff to service you.  And most places have a menu in English as well as the native language.  Many even have French, Italian, German, and other translations all available. 

So what does this have to do with meeting planning? I always try and learn some of the language in the land I am visiting so that they see I at least am making an effort to understand, but you have to admit we all feel instantly more welcome and comfortable when  that person caters to me in my native tongue – or finds someone who can.

And I think there’s a lesson for all of us meeting planners in this. We all feel more welcome when others reach out to understand us.

For years, I’ve thought US stores and restaurants should put up the little flag decals on the windows of their stores when they had someone who can speak a foreign tongue. The same could go for your even staff. Many cities are blessed with thousands of students who are required to have taken a language ­- that’s an outstanding opportunity to take advantage of when you’re looking for event staff and translation resources. And when you’re hosting an international crowd wouldn’t it be great if we could reciprocate and offer menus in their languages and staff that could help them.  Little pins on uniforms with German or Spanish or Mexican or French flags would bring smiles to the folks who come for your event but would love to speak to someone in their own tongue.  Oui?

Lights, camera, assembly! We’ve got the helpful “how to” videos you need.

Even after 30 years in the meeting planning business I find there’s still plenty to learn.

That’s why I’m thrilled to introduce pc/nametag® Nametag U – a series of E-mails dedicated to the ins and outs of name tag design and assembly.

Over the next few months we’ll be covering topics like speeding assembly, different techniques for segmenting and identifying guests, hassle-free onsite printing and more. In print and video so you can get the knowledge the way you learn best.

We’re also giving you a chance to win the praise of your fellow planners by posting your best name tag tips on our Facebook Wall – we can all learn from each other, get the job done faster and easier.

Look for the e-mails in your in-box or, if you don’t currently receive our pc/nametag e-mails, sign up here.

The Red Carpet Club. My refuge on the road. Photo: Erik Charlton

Most of the places I go to in my 100,000 miles per year are major cities.  The airports are generally jammed with people since most of the cities are either airline hubs or major destinations, particularly at the end of the day when people are trying to get home or to their next morning business destination.

Throw in a little bad weather when flights are delayed or cancelled and you’ll find people yourself doing the “airport weave” through a mêlée of people sitting on the floor, folks running for their flights, plus airport carts, leaky roofs, food carts, etc.

I’m fortunate enough that with my 100K status I get a discount for the United Red Carpet Club.  It is my refuge.  Comfortable chairs, electrical outlets, wireless service, television, and free coffee and snacks.  No crying kids, no people screaming at the desk agent.  It is a sanctuary.

Now before you start saying Topitzes is a spoiled, wealthy, elitist who doesn’t travel like the rest of the world – let me remind you about the stress of travelling 100,000 miles a year and spending over 100 days on the road.  That is a lot of uncomfortable airplane seats, back aches, and Chicago style hot dogs.

So the Red Carpet Club is where I get my chance to sit down, make some calls, and log on to view the emails, spreadsheets and dashboards of the day.  Or simply get a chance to read the newspaper and get caught up on the news.  Here’s another benefit. Because most of the people in the room are elite fliers, the airlines put in their most experienced ticket agents – which means quick access to information about alternative flights or seating preferences.

I can also bring in two guests – free of charge.  Occasionally, when flying to a convention or expo of meeting planners, I see a customer or colleague on my flight or sitting at the gate and I invite them to join me.  They enjoy the comfortable chairs and free coffee, and I get a chance to build a relationship.

With around 100 flights per year, it cost me about $5 per visit.  The price I’d pay for that free coffee if I had to buy it in the terminal.  So you see that it is a fairly good deal.

United has the Red Carpet Club, Continental the President’s Club, American has the Admiral’s Club.  All the major airlines have these clubs in their major airports, so whichever brand of the friendly skis you fly, you can have access to a friendly refuge on the ground as well.

So, what tips do you have for staying sane on the road?

Sure it’s cheaper by the boatload, but 6 weeks “on the water” is a long time for things to go wrong.

We’ve heard the claim so often we don’t even question it: If you want the best deal buy direct. Go straight to the factory. Cut out the middleman.

But while it’s true that buying direct can get you the lowest unit price, it could also stick you with the biggest total bill. Here’s why:

Flexibility is (still) king

While we’re incurable optimists about the future of the meeting business and we see signs of recovery every day, we also know attendance numbers are still fluctuating wildly.

Bottom line: Savvy planners are buying as close to need as possible.

When you source direct from a factory in Asia they require up to 90 days lead time. So grab the crystal ball and try to divine what your attendance will be in 3 months. If you overshoot, you’ll be sitting on unusable product and the 30% you saved on each unit will suddenly net out a loss.

Conversely, If you underestimate your order you’ll eat up that 30% savings and then some to cover rush charges on the second shipment.

With pc/n we source globally and print locally to give you incredible order flexibility, fast lead times and great prices.

Does your order conflict with Chinese New Year?

When the savings get lost in translation

You’ve got enough details to worry about without having to know how the Chinese New Year will affect your production time (Answer: whichever factory you choose will be closed for the month).

Same goes for exchange rates, import duties, shipping tariffs, logistics of sea lanes and a myriad of other details. A mistake at any one of these points can easily eat up the savings you were hoping to make.

Put our experience to work for you.

If the intricacies of international sourcing seem a bit daunting, just give us a call. We’ll take the inventory and shipping worries off your hands. And that Printed Planner’s Pick Tote will be one its way to your location in 8 days – a far cry from the 3 months it could take if you go direct. Now, what else can we do to make your job easier?

No more tracking worries with trackthis

As meeting planners it’s a given that the volume of packages increase and the margin for error decrease as the big day approaches. With different vendors shipping with different carriers tracking packages can get incredibly confusing. Did you check them all? Can you find their site? Did you remember the tracking number or is it back at the office? And don’t you wish everyone e-mailed you the tracking numbers like pc/nametag does?

But Way Cool Tools guru and Meeting U founder Jim Spellos has tracked down a tool guaranteed to solve your shipping anxieties. It’s called trackthis and it automatically sends tracking progress reports for UPS, Fedex, USPS, DHL and other packages to your e-mail, SMS, Twitter or Facebook accounts. There’s even an iPhone app! Once you enter the tracking number on the trackthis site the updates are automatically sent to you – no worries, no tracking numbers to remember. So, can you feel your blood pressure coming down?

Hotspots can be risky business

One of the ways the world has changed over the last 20 years is obvious every time you get on a plane. Half the people are carrying a notebook computer. And we’re no exception. As meeting planners we carry banquet orders, room lists, registration lists, speaker all on our hard drives.

And most importantly, that notebook computer is our ability to link back to our other files and our offices.

But when you use your notebook to log in on the road, are you risking security leaks? Hotspots are particularly vulnerable. Here’s Channel Insider’s Top 10 Riskiest Online Cities so you can plan ahead and use caution.

Pantone color? There's an app for that.

Every event planner worth their salt knows getting print and imprint colors right on your meeting materials is critical. And specifying the right color when you order can make or break the appearance of a product, not to mention the satisfaction level of your client. Pantone color guides are the fastest, surest way to identify the specific color you want to use – Red 032 or Green 347, for example.

And when toting the Pantone Fan book along isn’t an option? Now, you can even check or specify the right color while you are on the road or working out of your home office by adding an iPhone app called myPANTONE which sells for $9.99. You can even use it to pick colors for your bedroom!

We’ve all seen them at events and conferences: Corporate logos that seem to consume the entire bag they’re printed on. The sponsor polo that looks like it belongs on the NASCAR circuit and the ball cap that’s being swallowed whole by the logo printed on it.

But do you notice you rarely see those sponsor items after the event is over? That’s because, frankly, they’re ugly and nobody wants to be seen in them. And that does no good for the sponsor when your attendees get back to the office.

To achieve a truly professional appearance with your giveaway items – and guarantee they see plenty of use after the event – we recommend the following steps:

Does your logo fit its destination?

Ask yourself, “Where will this logo go home to?”
What setting is your logo going to be in after the event ends and will the logo treatment you’re considering look natural there?

Attendees at your paralegal conference will go back to law offices so a briefcase or padfolio with a smaller, understated logo looks right for a refined setting. And that means it’s more likely to get used – and more likely to get seen.

This advice is also an invaluable, albeit subtle, sponsorship selling tool. Asking a potential sponsor where they want the product used AFTER the meeting helps them recognize this sponsorship as the long-term investment it is.

Negative space for positive exposure.

Use negative space to draw attention to your logo. Strange as it seems a smaller logo can sometimes draw more attention due to a graphic design concept known as negative space. In this case, the solid space around the logo on our Eco Deluxe Messenger Bag (shown at right) actually pulls your eye in to focus on the logo.

Refined Logo = Higher Perceived Value

Smaller logos can increase perceived value. That’s right, a properly proportion, tastefully-placed logo actually increases the perceived value of a giveaway. Case in point, the Wavelength Jr Padfolio shown at left. It’s priced as low as $3.99 each and, with a smaller better-proportioned logo that maximizes the use of negative space, looks like a very expensive accessory.

A commanding logo demands big space.

Sometimes a logo really should be larger than life. Consider this commanding logo shown at right. It demands to be on a big, broad surface like our Large Imprinted Tradeshow Tote.

Don’t worry, you’re not alone. If it all these logo rules seem bewildering just pick up the phone and give our representatives a call. Our production artists are pros at making your sponsorships look great.

Your turn. Got any sponsor items you’re especially proud of? Feel free to share them with us here.

Candy: The sure-fire way to sweeten them up in the registration line.

Think about it.  Your attendee got out of bed at 4AM to catch a flight at 6AM.  Had a middle seat and a bad connection.  Missed coffee.  Arrived at the airport to find their luggage is lost in the clouds. 

Got in line for a cab during a rain storm and stood there for 30 minutes.  Arrived at the hotel to find another long line and then discovered that her room won’t be ready until 4:00.  Now they head toward the registration line, slightly wet, without luggage, tired, hungry, and wondering why on earth they ever signed up for your meeting.  When they get up to the front of the line, you can see smoke coming out of the ears, be it tired smoke.

That’s exactly why you want to have some candy in a bowl at the registration counter.  I used M&Ms or suckers but any candy that’s wrapped  individually will work.  That quick burst of sugar will help get their blood levels closer to balance temporarily and help them feel better.

Have you ever noticed it is very difficult to be upset with someone with candy in your mouth?  Check out our website for individually wrapped candies that can be imprinted with your event name or logo on them.  Give us your tips on how to keep registering attendees happy?

What's in a name? Better manners according to behavioral psychologists

There’s a fascinating effect in social psychology known as deindividuation. Without getting too technical, the idea is that when individuals perceive they are anonymous their behavior becomes less socially acceptable – which is to say they get more aggressive, and lose their ability to empathize with the people around them.

So what does this have to do with meeting planning? Read on.

One of the classic studies on this subject was performed by Philip Zimbardo in 1969. In it participants were told to “shock” an actor posing as another participant each time the actor answered a question incorrectly.

The participant was told the voltage increased with each incorrect answer and the actor showed more and more discomfort as the experiment progressed.

The interesting part of the study for me? Participants who were wearing a nametag were more likely to refuse to shock the actor.

So wearing a nametag holds attendees more accountable to accepted social norms. That means guests are friendlier, more open to being approached. And that means productive networking experience all around.

Sure these are thing all of us have learned anecdotally over the years in the meeting planning business, but it’s nice to have science on your side.

What other strategies do you use to keep attendees friendly and social?

If you have several hundred people attending your event, getting everyone seated and served on time is often a challenge, particularly at breakfast and lunch.  One trick that I have learned is to “reserve” a bunch of tables in the back of the room, those that are closest to the entrance. 

By putting double sided “RESERVED” nametents on your back tables, it forces early attendees to the front of the room, closest to the speaker and the stage.  I always enlist the help of the waiters and captains to move people to the tables that are not “RESERVED.” 

The result is the front of the room’s tables get filled quickly and the wait staff can start service – and have an easier time serving since they are catering full tables instead of 2’s and 3’s.  Also, by serving the front tables early, their plates are cleared and they are less disruptive if you are tight on time and the speaker must start.  The late arrivers and stragglers sit in the back of the room and can be served while the program has begun. 

Use this tip just once and your wait staff will love you for it.  It makes their jobs easier. 

Remember to take the “RESERVED” nametents down one at a time so that the server can take care of a full table.  Try it.  Most hotels have reserved signs, but I find they are generally too small so I print my own on Large Nametent Stock and use their stands to elevate them.

What tips do you use to ease traffic congestion during seating?

Your hard work does get noticed!

As meeting planners we work hard. And it’s always gratifying to know our partners on the hospitality side know and appreciate that fact. Josh baker National Sales Manager for the Sheraton Atlanta Hotel recently wrote about the subject of “Meeting Planner Pet Peeves” on officearrow.com.

Thanks, Josh – from the bottom of our stressed out, harried and detail-oriented hearts.

In an interview of industry leaders not long ago, Steven Hacker, President of the International Association of Exhibitions and Events, made an interesting point.  Hacker was quoted in Incentive, as saying “Travel has been obliterated.  There is no elegance left, no sophistication left in getting on an airplane. I can’t tell you how many people at the airport and on the plane commented to me about how nice it is to see somebody wearing a suit.” 

That statement got me thinking, are we also de-glamorizing meetings by our business casual and casual dress codes?  Are we making it like another day in the office?  Should we be making the meeting something “special?”  Something that you dress in your Sunday best for? 

And from a meeting value point of view, if you make dressing up a little bit more important, does it make the content at the meeting seem more important and valuable as well? Does being in a suit make you feel like one of “The Suits?” And, if so, is that really such a bad thing?  Do we treat people with a more business like attitude if they are in a suit?  Sure that’s a lot of questions to throw at you but your comments are well appreciated.