Bridal Showcase Exhibitor News

Wedding University - Andy Ebon, The Wedding Marketing Authority, comes to Richmond, Washington and Baltimore

2010-10-17T19:09:00.010-04:00

Tuesday, November 16 in Richmond: Details at http://richmondbridalshowcase.eventbrite.com

Wednesday, November 17 in Washington: Details at http://washingtonbridalshowcase.eventbrite.com

Thursday, November 18 in Baltimore: Details at http://baltimorebridalshow.eventbrite.com

If you want BRIDES to invest in you, shouldn't YOU invest in you?

Would you like 2011 to be your most successful year ever? Make plans to attend this informative seminar, and you'll be taking the first step toward making this goal a reality.

Wedding University will be tackling all of your hard hitting questions and more, including: What makes selling to a bride different than selling to anyone else? What are the most cost-effective ways to reach her? How can you make the most of every advertising dollar?

Attend this fast-paced, intensive seminar and you will unlock the secrets of selling to the lucrative wedding market. Fresh from the Wedding MBA Convention in Las Vegas, marketing experts Andy Ebon and Marc McIntosh will share their knowledge and help you dramatically improve your marketing to brides.

Your Speakers:

Andy Ebon, The Wedding Marketing Authority, spent more than 25 years as a vendor in the wedding industry. Building on that experience, Andy is now a public speaker, writer and marketing consultant focused on the wedding industry.

Andy has presented at local, regional, and national conferences, including NACE (National Association of Catering Executives), ISES (International Special Event Society), The Special Event Show, Wedding MBA and more. Andy publishes TheWeddingMarketingBlog.com, one of the most respected industry blogs, and has contributed chapters to The Power of the Platform series, including "Blogging Your Way to Success" and "Building a Focused Social Media Strategy." He is a monthly columnist for WedLock Magazine, the wedding marketing journal.

Marc McIntosh has spent his entire career in the wedding industry, first as a wedding vendor and for the past 17 years a producer of bridal shows. His company, Showcase Events, produces the highly successful Washington Bridal Showcase as well as shows in Richmond, Baltimore and Houston.

Marc has shared his practical advice with thousands of wedding professionals throughout the U.S. and Canada. Most recently, he spoke to a capacity crowd at Wedding MBA in Las Vegas. He has also served as a keynote speaker for NACE, the Association of Wedding Professionals, the American DJ Association, and the Association of Bridal Consultants.

The Details:

The Showcase Events is presenting this seminar at a nominal charge as a service to the local wedding community. Admission to our networking luncheon is included in the price of the ticket. Bring plenty of business cards as this will also be a great opportunity to network with other wedding professionals. Space is limited, so reserve your seat today. Your investment is ONLY $49 if you register by November 9; after that it increases to $69.

Schedule of Events:

8:30am Registration and networking

9:00am Morning Sessions

Improving Your Website Usability: When selling to today's bride, your website is the centerpiece of your marketing efforts. Virtually every prospective customer, even those who were referred to you, will visit your website before contacting you. In this session, we will analyze a variety of websites, including some from right here in the local area. You will discover how to improve your website to make it a more effective sales tool.

Print Advertising That Drives Leads and Sales: Print advertising, whether a magazine ad, a brochure or a bridal show handout, is a key element to increasing your sales. Learn how to make your ad dollars work harder by enhancing headlines, graphics and content.

12:00pm Networking Luncheon (provided)

1:00pm Afternoon Sessions

The Myths of Selling to Brides: How do you cut through the clutter to find out what really matters to the bride? In this presentation you will discover what works and what doesn't when selling to her. Find how to better target the bride and maximize the effectiveness of your advertising dollars. What you thought was working might just be missing the mark and costing you business.

The 10 Steps to Bridal Show Success: Arranging face-to-face contact with potential customers has become increasingly difficult, making participation in bridal shows even more important than ever. We'll show you dozens of innovative, cost-effective ways to maximize your results from bridal shows, including a step-by-step plan for designing your booth, motivating your staff and converting the leads you generate at the show into sales.

Social Media Strategy for the Wedding Professional: Just "having a blog" or "being on Facebook" is not enough. This session will demonstrate how different social media tools, including Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, interact and support each other, helping you to crystalize an effective Social Media Strategy. You'll discover numerous ways take your social media presence to the next level.

4:30pm Seminar Concludes

Have questions or want more information?

Call us at (703) 425-1127 or email to info@BridalShowcase.com.

Tuesday, November 16 in Richmond: Details at http://richmondbridalshowcase.eventbrite.com

Wednesday, November 17 in Washington: Details at http://washingtonbridalshowcase.eventbrite.com

Thursday, November 18 in Baltimore. Details at http://baltimorebridalshow.eventbrite.com

As I suspected ...

2010-07-27T12:28:00.003-04:00

Remember my earlier post about the "big" Boston bridal show scam? Supposedly, hundreds of exhibitors had registered and thousands of tickets had been sold before the producer disappeared with the money. I disputed these numbers based on my experience with shows. According to an article in the Boston Herald, an arrest has been made in the case. The producer sold 57 exhibitors into the show but only sold a few tickets. I thought that the numbers thrown about by the prosecutors sounded suspect, and that has proven to be the case.

Just Announced - Spring Seminar Schedule

2010-05-14T17:14:00.007-04:00

You’re invited to a FREE seminar sponsored by Showcase Productions. Reserve your seat now!

Bridal Marketing Boot Camp

Houston, Texas - June 2 and 3, 2010

Alexandria, Virginia - June 15, 2010

Beltsville, Maryland - June 16, 2010

Do you sell to brides?

Would you like to sell to more of them?

Are you sure you are getting the most out of the money you spend on advertising?

How can you increase your sales (and your profit margins) in these tough economic times?

Our Bridal Marketing Boot Camp is coming to Houston on June 2 and 3, Alexandria on June 15, and Beltsville on June 16. Invest just two hours of your time (but none of your money, because it’s free) and we will show you how to dramatically increase your wedding business ... even in this uncertain economic environment.

At this seminar, you will discover why selling to the bride is different than selling to anyone else. Learn cost-effective ways of reaching the bride and turning her into a valuable customer. We guarantee that you will walk away with dozens of innovative ideas and strategies that you can put to use immediately. These are fresh ideas ... not the tired ones used by your competition!

• Where are the most effective places to advertise? This list is different than it was even a year ago.
• What are the seven myths of selling to brides, and how do they impact your marketing?
• Why are brides ignoring the traditional wedding planning timelines? What does this mean to you?
• How should I integrate Facebook, Twitter and You Tube into my marketing program?

Plus, you will learn why bridal shows should be a part of your marketing program. Find out how shows work, why they work and how to make them work for you. Learn the 10 steps that will ensure show success and the 10 things that you must avoid at all costs. Discover how to make your booth do the selling for you, and how to maximize your results both during and after the show.

If you are serious about selling to brides, this will be two hours well spent. Admission is free and there is no obligation. These will be our only seminars of the year and space is limited. Reserve your seat today!

Houston Sessions:

Wednesday Evening, June 2 or

Thursday Morning, June 3

Ashford Oaks

2022 Wilcrest Dr

Houston, Texas

June 2: Doors open 5:30pm, Seminar 6pm-8pm

June 3: Doors open 8:30am, Seminar 9am-11am

Northern Virginia Session

Tuesday, June 15

Hilton Alexandria Mark Center

Alexandria, Virginia
Doors open 8:30am, Seminar 9am-11am

Maryland/Washington Session:

Wednesday, June 16

Sheraton Washington North

Beltsville, Maryland

Doors open 8:30am, Seminar 9am-11am

RSVP Now ...

Space is limited and advance reservations are requested. To reserve your seat, please email to marc@bridalshowcase.com with your company name, the date you will attend and the names of the attendees. Limit of two attendees per company, please!

Bridal Show Scam in Boston

2010-03-08T07:22:00.004-05:00

Anyone remotely associated with the wedding industry has no doubt heard about the Boston Bridal Show Scam. This story was picked up by media literally all over the world. I guess that wedding-related bad news makes for a good story. Bridal shows come and go all the time, and many new shows are announced that never happen. Most aren't scams, just business failures. The Boston show was probably a scam from the beginning, since the promoters never even booked a date at the convention center, but I think that the media has blown this way out of proportion. Here's my take:

The situation in Boston is truly unfortunate, and I feel sorry for the brides and vendors who were taken in by this scam. That said, I think that the numbers thrown about by the media are grossly inflated. Through my years of experience in producing shows, I know that only 20 to 40 percent of attendees purchase their tickets in advance, and more than half of those sales come the week of the show, and the majority of those two days prior. Applying these percentages to this situation, if they had sold 6000 tickets a week out, their total attendance would have ended up as as high as 25,000. There are only a few bridal shows in the entire country that get even 5000 attendees (remember, we're targeting only the one percent of the population that is planning a wedding), and these are long-established shows with lots of television, radio and print advertising. I highly doubt that a new show that was promoted only online would have had anything close to these attendance numbers. Likewise, wedding vendors tend to have a healthy degree of skepticism, and even in shows where we have a 15 year track record, there are very few who would pay by phone or Paypal without some sort of documentation. When the smoke clears, I believe that you will find that, at best, they sold a couple hundred tickets and a couple dozen booths. Still unfortunate, but not nearly as bad as the press has described.

I Love This Article!

2009-09-28T22:11:00.005-04:00

Once in a while I come across a really great article, and I'd like to share this one with you. The author is Meghan Baillargeon, owner of OFC Consulting, a company that helps wedding businesses become better marketers. Click here to read a guide to exhibiting at bridal shows written by someone who does NOT produce them.

An Innovative Exhibitor Promotion

2009-09-16T18:36:00.005-04:00

I am always captivated by exhibitors who come up with something innovative for generating interest at their booth. At our recent show at the Dulles Expo Center, The Knot photographed brides holding up large testimonial signs. Check out the slide show by clicking here.

Our 2009 Television Commercial

2009-09-10T23:44:00.002-04:00

This is actually one of a few versions we are running. Some shorter, some longer, all designed to maximize frequency and exposure for the show.

Check out the end of this commercial

2009-09-10T23:27:00.003-04:00

One of the many ways we are promoting our shows is with tags on commercials for "Who's Wedding Is It Anyway". Check it out!

Washington Bridal Showcase kicks off this weekend!

2009-09-09T17:01:00.002-04:00

The Washington Bridal Showcase fall season starts this Sunday at the Dulles Expo Center in Chantilly. With 250 exhibitors, this is the largest show in the region. After that, our show moves to Martin's Crosswinds in Greenbelt on September 20 and to the Bethesda Marriott on Pooks Hill Road on October 4. Exhibit space is still available in all of these shows.

Houston Wedding Showcase a HUGE success!

2009-09-02T21:14:00.004-04:00

The Houston Wedding Showcase on August 29th was a HUGE success. With a 25% increase in exhibit sales which gave us a substantial promotion budget. Our attendance was more than 3000 and we had nearly 1300 registered brides. This attendance was actually larger than our FEBRUARY show ... a feat that doesn't happen often in the bridal show business. Thanks to all of our exhibitors and attendees who made the show a success. Our next Houston show is February 27th at the George R. Brown Convention Center.

Houston Wedding Showcase - Surprise Visitor

2009-09-02T21:10:00.004-04:00

Looks like EVERYONE attended the Houston Wedding Showcase. Check out the name on the coupon that was redeemed at the door. If you're from Houston, you'll recognize it. Coincidence?

Wedding Giveaway in Houston a HUGE Success!

2009-08-22T09:22:00.004-04:00

We just wrapped a wedding giveaway associated with our Houston show. We have a $20,000 wedding to the most-deserving couple, based on an essay. This contest generated lots of publicity for the show and for the participating companies who provided the wedding. Click here to read the winning entry.

A big "Thank You" goes out to all of the companies who provided their products and services for this giveaway! We have a similar promotion launching in a few days in Washington, in conjunction with WJLA-TV 7 and NewsChannel 8.

Here Comes the Fall Show Season!

2009-07-27T08:43:00.005-04:00

Our fall bridal show season is just around the corner. We begin with our show in Richmond on August 9, then our Baltimore show takes place on August 16. From there, we move on to Houston on August 29. After that, our Washington area shows take place on September 13 at the Dulles Expo Center, September 20th at Martin's Crosswinds and October 4 at the Bethesda Marriott.

Exhibit space is still available in all of these shows. Our shows provide a cost-effective and time-efficient way to introduce your business with hundreds of brides. If you would like more information about exhibitor opportunities, call me at (703) 425-1127, visit our website or simply click here.

Which side are you on?

2009-07-26T22:59:00.016-04:00

While everyone knows that most consumers are watching their dollars these days, brides are still spending on weddings. As a bridal show producer, my primary job is to help to make that connection between the bride who is looking to spend and the business who is looking to sell.

I have always found it interesting when bridal show producers do television, radio or newspaper interviews where they actually tell brides not to spend with the businesses who make their bridal shows possible, or tell them how to cut corners by eliminating the products or services provided by their clients. Click here for an example.

I do lots of media interviews, but you will never hear me tell brides not to spend on their wedding. The words "don't use the caterer, get Happy Meals for the kids instead" will never be part of my vocabulary. There are many places where the budget bride can learn how to pinch pennies, but she won't hear it from me!

Interesting wedding video

2009-07-26T22:42:00.006-04:00

Not sure if it's real, or just staged to make a big splash on You Tube (which it did, with 7 million plus views thus far). Of course, by posting it here, I'm sure to add three or four more views to the count :) I'm sure that almost everyone has seen it by now.

Review of Secrets of Selling to Brides Seminar

2009-06-01T06:57:00.003-04:00

I just returned from Houston where I gave two presentations of my Secrets of Selling to Brides seminar. One of the attendees was kind enough to write a review of the presentation, and you can read it here.

Attend our FREE Seminar!

2009-05-21T23:37:00.003-04:00

The NEW Secrets of Selling to Brides

You’re invited to a FREE seminar sponsored by the Washington Bridal Showcase

Do you sell to brides?

Would you like to sell to more of them?

Are you sure you are getting the most out of the money you spend on advertising?

How can you increase your sales (and your profit margins) in these tough economic times?

The Secrets of Selling to Brides seminar is coming to Washington in June. Invest just two hours of your time (but none of your money, because it’s free) and we will show you how to dramatically increase your wedding business ... even in this uncertain economic environment.

At this seminar, you will discover why selling to the bride is different than selling to anyone else. Learn cost-effective ways of reaching the bride and turning her into a valuable customer. We guarantee that you will walk away with dozens of innovative ideas and strategies that you can put to use immediately. These are fresh ideas ... not the tired ones used by your competition!

Plus, you will learn why bridal shows should be a part of your marketing program. Find out how shows work, why they work and how to make them work for you. Learn the 10 steps that will ensure show success and the 10 things that you must avoid at all costs. Discover how to make your booth do the selling for you, and how to maximize your results both during and after the show.

If you are serious about selling to brides, this will be two hours well spent. Admission is free and there is no obligation. These will be our only seminars of the year and space is limited. Reserve your seat today!

Three sessions to choose from ...

Wednesday, June 10
Hyatt Regency Bethesda
Bethesda, Maryland

Thursday, June 11
Waterford at Fair Oaks
Fairfax, Virginia

Friday, June 12
Martin’s Crosswinds
Greenbelt, Maryland

Hours ...

Doors open at 8:30am
Seminar hours: 9am – 11am

RSVP Now ...

Space is limited and advance reservations are requested. To reserve your seat, please email to marc@bridalshowcase.com with your company name, the date you will attend and the names of the attendees. The deadline to reserve your seat is Friday, June 5. Limit of two attendees per company, please!

Free Bridal Marketing Newsletter

2009-03-31T15:24:00.005-04:00

For a few weeks now, I have been receiving a newsletter from Rick Brewer. Each week Rick provides marketing advice for companies in the wedding business. I recommend that you subscribe to this free newsletter.

Many wedding businesses struggle with things like ...

Not meeting the Brides who really want to buy. Brides who waste your time because they are out of range for your offering and they simply won’t tell you.

Getting bogged down with brides who are "just looking". Most Brides have not been married before. Could you gain from weeding out prospects who cannot or will not buy from you?

Spending tons of money on advertising to only get minimum results

Not getting their fair share of Brides in the area, only losing them to less qualified competition

If you face any of these issues, Rick Brewer can help. It is his mission to work with bridal businesses and bring them to more effective marketing. By showing them how to get more Brides, they will gain more business and a better life.

To subscribe to Rick's newsletter, click here

Happy New Year!

2008-12-31T17:56:00.005-05:00

It's been a busy few months here at Showcase Productions, and I apologize for not making more frequent postings to our blog. We're gearing up for another great show season, starting with the Richmond Bridal Showcase on January 11.

In spite of the economy, the shows continue to fill up. Luckily, brides are still planning weddings and still spending money. I believe that our shows continue to be the most cost-effective means of promoting a business to the newly-engaged bride. I expect that brides will shop a little harder this year ... and do it at our shows.

I heard a great quote from Henry Ford the other day and want to share it with you. He said "A man who stops advertising to save money is like a man who stops a clock to save time." Words of wisdom in these strange economic times.

I wish all of you a joyous and prosperous New Year. See you soon at the shows!

Photos from Richmond Show

2008-08-15T06:10:00.003-04:00

Here is a nice overview of our August 3rd show at the Greater Richmond Convention Center. Thanks to David at Beautiful Union Portraits for providing these images. Notice our new stage design with the 20' video screen and our carpeted aisles, two of the more dramatic changes to this show.

New Promotion for Washington Shows

2008-08-13T07:29:00.003-04:00

We are thrilled to announce a brand new promotion for our Washington area shows. Starting next week, an easel display that promotes our shows will be displayed in every Mattress Warehouse location in the area (that's 150+ stores!) Plus, we will be giving away free tickets to the show through these stores. This is just one of the new things we have in store for our upcoming shows. Stay tuned!

Richmond Show Sets a Record!

2008-08-04T12:51:00.006-04:00

The first show of our fall season was yesterday at the Greater Richmond Convention Center. In 2007, our August show set a record by a wide margin, and we were hoping to at least come close to matching that number this year. I am pleased to report that we had a 20 percent attendance increase over last year's record! The show looked great, and there were a lot of smiling exhibitors. We hope to continue this attendance trend over our upcoming shows in Baltimore and Washington. Thanks to everyone who made this show an overwhelming success!

The Fall Show Season Begins

2008-07-30T19:28:00.003-04:00

We kick off our next show season with the Richmond Bridal Showcase on August 3rd at the Greater Richmond Convention Center. We have a record number of exhibitors in this show and, based on advance ticket sales, we expect a great turnout. We have a couple of surprises in store for our exhibitors at this show and will share them with you next week. This show is always a good barometer for our other shows in August and September, so I'll keep you posted on the end result!

The Fall Shows are Almost Here!

2008-07-18T20:52:00.005-04:00

Our next bridal show season is just around the corner. We kick things off in Richmond on August 3 and then in Baltimore on August 17. Our Washington areas shows take place on September 7 at Dulles Expo, September 14 in Bethesda and September 21 in Greenbelt.

In spite of the uneasiness in the economy, exhibit space in our shows is selling better than ever. Our shows remain one of the most cost-effective and time-efficient ways to promote a business to brides, so even businesses who are cutting back on their marketing are still participating in our shows.

Our Baltimore show is now sold out but space remains in our other four shows. If you need information on exhibit space, please contact me at (703) 425-1127 or by email at marc@bridalshowcase.com.

Happy 4th of July!

2008-07-04T06:42:00.002-04:00

I hope that everyone has a safe and happy holiday weekend. I wanted to share with you an original song by GAZZE, a great band in the Baltimore area (www.thefunband.com). The song is a reminder of the true meaning of the holiday. Enjoy!

Valuable Information Resources

2008-06-11T20:19:00.009-04:00

There are a number of great information resources available to you that pertain to marketing to brides. I have found those listed below to be especially helpful and recommend that you visit them (links are provided).

Wedding Professional Success, a blog by Marc Fuller

Lean Exhibiting, a site for trade show exhibitors with several useful reports

The Wedding Report, a site with demographic and budget data

The Wedding Marketing Blog, by Andy Ebon

Do you know of any other resources that might be useful to our readers? Please post them in the comment field or email to marc@bridalshowcase.com.

Marc attends the annual conference of Bridal Show Producers International

2008-05-06T09:13:00.007-04:00

I just returned from the 2008 conference of Bridal Show Producers International, the trade association for the bridal show industry. This year, the conference was held in Denver where I got to experience 78 degree temperatures one day and snow the next. While there, I also attended a baseball game at Coors Field, which is a nice ballpark. Denver is a great city!

As a member of the board, we go in early to meet and prepare for the conference, so it always means a long week. But, I wouldn't miss it for anything! The conference is always an opportunity to get new ideas, find new resources and renew friendships. Many of the things that you see in our shows were inspired by ideas that I discovered at the conference. But, we also have some fun, as evidenced by the next posting ...

The Annual BIS-PEE Awards

2008-05-06T08:49:00.010-04:00

This year at the annual conference of Bridal Show Producers International, the BSPI Star Awards were unveiled for the first time. Thanks to Matthew Trettel for developing and implementing this new award program. Not to be outdone, I think that some other awards are in order and would like to announce the winners of the unofficial 2008 BIS-PEE Awards.

Longest Time Between Conference Attendances (Welcome Back!)

Andrea Pouliot

Wedding Day Expositions

Boston, Massachusetts

Best Name for a Bridal Show Producer

Micki Love

Here Comes The Brides

Hacienda Heights, California

Furthest Distance Traveled for a Free Cocktail

Lisa Charteris

The Wedding Show

Auckland, New Zealand

Most Likely to be Networking Together

Jerry Russo, 21st Century Royal Prestige

and

Joe DiCiacco, Carico International

Most Efficient Use of Limited Speaking Time

Terry Mikeska

Terry Mikeska Productions

San Angelo, Texas

Opposite of Above

Bosco Rabasco

Bosco's Bridal Fashion Show & Expo

New York

Best Deejay Turned Bridal Show Producer

Too many to mention

Most Dangerous Around Electronics

Buzz Gallardo

Dream Wedding Show

Sacramento, California

Congratulations to all of our winners!

It's not too early to register for the Fall shows!

2008-04-19T17:00:00.006-04:00

Although our August and September shows are a ways off, it's not too early to register. Our shows are now open to new exhibitors and we have some great booth locations available. By registering now, you will have plenty of choices. Wait, and you will have to settle for what's left as the shows fill up.

Our recent shows have been among our largest ever. We've added some exciting new elements to the show and have discovered some new promotion methods. While other bridal shows come and go, our shows continue to enjoy success year after year.

Luckily, weddings are a recession-proof business. Couples will always get married, and they will always spend money on their weddings. The question is: Will they spend with you? Many businesses will use "the economy" as a reason to cut back on their advertising, and this presents a great opportunity for those who to continue their promotion efforts. Our shows continue the most cost-effective and time-efficient way to reach prospective brides.

To receive our detailed exhibitor kit, please click here to visit our web site or call us at (703) 425-1127.

The Knot Unveils Wedding Survey Results

2008-04-17T15:22:00.006-04:00

The Knot recently surveyed more than 20,000 recently married couples across the United States. Among the data found in the survey:

• The average wedding budget is $32,660, including honeymoon
• The top areas of spending are the reception (45%), honeymoon (15%), entertainment (15%) and photography (10%)
• The average wedding planning period is 11 months
• 36% of grooms are "very involved" in the planning and 57% are "somewhat involved"
• On average, couples spent 8% more photography, 17% more on their reception, 18% more on their entertainment and 35% more on their wedding cake when compared with last year.

The complete details of the survey can be found in The Knot Best of Weddings magazine. Click here for an outline of the survey results.

If you REALLY want it, I'll drop my price!

2008-04-08T07:11:00.005-04:00

In this week's Sales Caffeine e-zine, Jeffrey Gitomer discusses the process of closing a sale when a prospective customer asks "How much is it?" Jeffrey calls this question the second biggest buying signal after "I'll take it!" Click here to read the entire article.

I agree with Jeffrey that the "How Much" question is a buying signal, but will also suggest that it is a question that is asked when a customer does not know what else to ask. This is often the case when selling to a bride. She wants what you sell, she needs what you sell, but she has never bought what you sell. Don't assume that the "How Much" question is a sign that the bride is shopping on price alone.

Baseball Season is Here!

2008-03-31T15:14:00.007-04:00

I had the pleasure of attending the opening day of the new Washington Nationals ballpark yesterday. I've had season tickets since their move to Washington and have attended many, many games. The new ballpark is great, with an HD screen that is 4000 square feet! While RFK had a vintage charm, the new ballpark is shiny and new.

The predictions of crowds, lines and parking problems were unfounded. We purchased a parking pass with our tickets and have a space just two blocks from the stadium, and the best part is that after the game it takes all of one minute to get back on I-395 from the parking lot. In seasons past, it was next to impossible to get food or drinks during the first couple of weeks of the season, at least without missing a couple innings. The new ballpark has many more concession stands and the lines were minimal, even with the sellout opening day crowd.

Of course, the highlight of the game was the incredible home run that Ryan Zimmerman hit in the bottom of the ninth inning to win the game (see picture). The Nats were ahead for most of the game, but the Braves tied it up in the top of the ninth. Just when it looked like we were going into extra innings (not a great prospect as it was COLD!) Ryan hit the home run to end the game with a 3-2 win.

I encourage all of you to take an evening to visit this new "Washington Monument".

Wedding Marketing Webinar

2008-03-27T20:18:00.004-04:00

The Knot recently conducted a one-hour web seminar that covered a variety of topics related to wedding marketing. The seminar is arranged in a Q & A format, with questions submitted by wedding vendors. For a limited time, you can listen to this webinar by clicking here. I recommend it as time well spent!

A Great Newsletter ... FREE!

2008-03-25T19:08:00.005-04:00

Jeffrey Gitomer is a well-known sales trainer and author. I have read his columns for years in the Baltimore Business Journal and recently subscribed to Sales Caffeine, his email newsletter. It's a quick read but always full of valuable information for improving your sales efforts. You can subscribe to this free email newsletter by clicking here.

Speak to the Press? "No Comment"

2008-03-12T22:15:00.006-04:00

I was recently interviewed by a reporter writing an article for the Wall Street Journal. When I first got the call, I was excited at the prospects of being quoted in the leading business newspaper in the country. The story was about a retailer that used to be a division of a larger company, but was purchased by an investment group a year ago. The article concerned the changes to this company since the ownership change.

I spent nearly an hour with the reporter and answered his many questions. I gave a very positive review of the company as well as my opinion on a number of changes that have taken place over the year. Imagine my surprise when I saw the article and found a quote attributed to me that was nothing close to what I said in the interview. I had told the reporter that the retailer's recent introduction of some higher-priced merchandise would attract brides who might not shop there otherwise. Somewhere out of that exchange the quote turned into "there are brides who wouldn't be caught dead [shopping at] ..."

I was furious and contacted the reporter immediately. He admitted that he, in his words, "sharpened the quote" to make a better story. I can't believe that a newspaper of the caliber of the Wall Street Journal would condone such journalistic tactics. This blunder might very well cost our company one of its largest clients. My advice to you is that the best answer to give a reporter is "NO COMMENT".

Macy's Bridal Event

2008-03-07T14:42:00.006-05:00

Last night, my friends at WeddingWire invited me to attend a great event at Macy's Tysons Corner. The special guests at this event were Darcy Miller, Editorial Director of Martha Stewart Weddings and author of The Bride’s Guide blog, and Wendy Kromer, co-author of Martha Stewart Wedding Cake. The standing room only crowd got to hear great presentations by Darcy and Wendy.

In the picture, you will see Wendy and Darcy in the middle. I'm the one in the gray jacket, and the rest of this fine looking group are members of the WeddingWire team.

Marc speaks to the Association of Wedding Professionals

2008-02-27T08:10:00.011-05:00

On February 26, I had the pleasure of presenting the "Secrets of Selling to Brides" to the Association of Wedding Professionals. It has been a while since I have attended an AWP meeting and it was nice to reconnect with the long-time members and meet many of the new ones. Once upon a time, I served on the AWP board as treasurer and president. Thanks to Carol Rose, the AWP program chair, for inviting me, and thanks to Larry Glatt for the photograph.

For those of you who are not familiar with AWP, it is a networking organization made up of wedding professionals throughout the Washington area. They have monthly networking meetings that usually include a guest speaker. For information on AWP, click here to visit their web site. (Photo by Larry Glatt).

What to do with all those leads?

2008-02-20T15:00:00.001-05:00

So you've received the bride list from the show ... what do you do with all those leads? Email is quick and free, but much of what you send will get caught by spam filters. Direct mail can be an effective and inexpensive method for contacting prospective customers, and it works!

Luckily, getting a high-quality mailing piece can be quick and easy. It's not often that I get excited about a printing company, but I like PostcardMania so much that I want to recommend them to you. We've used them for many printing jobs, including postcards for brides and brochures for potential exhibitors.

PostcardMania offers design, printing and mailing services, and they can take your project from concept to mailbox. They have competitive pricing, fast turnaround and exceptional customer service. To receive their information kit, visit their web site at www.PostcardMania.com or call 1-800-628-1804.

Congratulations to our Friends at WeddingWire!

2008-02-19T18:02:00.006-05:00

WeddingWire, a wedding planning web site, was launched in late 2006 and has been extensively promoted through our shows. WeddingWire brings a fresh approach to online wedding planning and over the past year they have added many new features to their site and traffic to their site has grown dramatically.

This morning, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia announced that it has purchased 40 percent of WeddingWire and will be integrating the WeddingWire planning tools on the Martha Stewart website. To read the entire story, click here to read the press release.

Congratulations to Tim, Sonny, Lee, Jeff and the rest of the WeddingWire team. What a great announcement!

The end of another show season!

2008-02-04T10:19:00.000-05:00

We wrapped up our winter show season this past weekend with our two day show at the Baltimore Convention Center. Our attendance was up from last year and we had a very strong flow of attendees over the two days.

A special thank you goes out to all of the exhibitors! Move-in went more smoothly than ever as nearly everyone arrived early. There were very few stressed-out exhibitors moving in at the last minute, and this helped to get the show off to a good start.

This show wraps up our 14th winter season. We'll take a breather for a few days and then focus on our next show which is April 27th at the Patriot Center. This show was very successful last spring and more than half of the exhibit space has already been sold.

Thanks to everyone for contributing to the success of our shows!

Just one thing to say ...

2008-02-01T14:46:00.000-05:00

If all of this rain were snow, I think that we would have our first-ever snowed out show in Baltimore. Doesn't one inch of rain equals a foot of snow, or something like that? Well, here in Fairfax it has been pouring all day. Luckily, the rain will be out of here today and the weather for Saturday and Sunday looks great! Bad weather is always a concern for our January and February shows, but we made it through the entire season without even a threat of the white stuff.

Another Great Show!

2008-01-29T06:02:00.000-05:00

We wrapped up our Washington season yesterday with our show at the Dulles Expo Center. Attendance, while not a record, was very strong and larger than last year. The aisles and the parking lot were crowded all day (we'll work on that parking lot next time). Overall it was a very smooth running show and exhibitors seemed to be very pleased with the new venue.

We had a couple of special guests who presented seminars at the show, and more importantly, did some television and radio interviews to help promote the show. We also received some nice post-show coverage on WUSA-9.

A Great Season Thus Far!

2008-01-21T15:18:00.000-05:00

Our Washington areas shows are off to a great start! On January 13th we were at Martin's Crosswinds in Greenbelt, and this was our largest show there since 2004. On January 20th we were at the Bethesda North Marriott. Attendance at that show was even with last year, which is a great achievement since our primary competitor held their show on the same day just a few miles away. Having competing shows on the same day is never a good thing, but I'm glad that the brides chose to come to our show instead of venturing downtown. We even had brides who went to the other show, stayed only a little while, and then joined us at the better show :-)

This week, we're at the Dulles Expo Center for the last of our Washington area shows of the season. With 294 exhibitors, this is our largest show ever. On February 2 and 3, we wrap up the season with our show in Baltimore.

27 Dresses - Movie Promotion

2008-01-18T08:35:00.001-05:00

Every year, there seems to be another wedding-themed movie. Unfortunately, the timing usually isn't right for a cross-promotion, but this year we hit the jackpot! The movie 27 Dresses just opened, and right in the middle of our show season. Our friends at Mix 107.3 have a special screening of the movie this week and all attendees of the screening will receive free passes to our show. Plus, we'll be giving away lots of 27 Dresses prizes and promotional items at our shows. Who knows, maybe the DVD will be out in time to give away at our Fall shows.

What if it snows?

2008-01-17T11:34:00.000-05:00

As I sit here watching it snow (if I never saw snow again in my life I would be happy), I thought that it might be a good time to discuss what happens in the event of bad weather on the day of a show. If the weather is bad, we really have two choices, and neither is perfect. We can go forward with the show and hope that the attendance is not impacted greatly, or we can postpone the show knowing that we will lose a lot of advertising momentum. Every show involves a lot of preparation and investment by both show management and by the exhibitors, so it's a decision that we take very seriously!

Luckily, we have insurance that covers us and protects your investment in your booth space. Over the years (and 150 shows), we've only had 3 shows impacted by weather. The only show that we ever canceled was not because of snow, it was because of Hurricane Isabel that knocked out the power to our show location. It was impossible to reschedule that show and our exhibitors received a full refund. Prior to that, we had a case where it snowed in the middle of the day and this resulted in a 40% attendance drop. The brides who braved the weather were very serious buyers, so the exhibitors still had a productive show. Even so, we produced another show a few weeks later that was free for exhibitors. In the third case, we had a smaller decrease in attendance and everyone received a credit toward a future show. This insurance gives us options while at the same time protecting your investment.

If bad weather occurs (with "occur" being the key word, as we don't base decisions on forecasts) we will keep you posted on the status and let you know as soon as a decision has been made. You can check our web site, call our voice mail or watch your email. It's unlikely that we would make a decision any earlier than the evening before the show, and perhaps not until the morning of. If you're thinking about calling us two or three days before with a "what if" question, consider holding that thought!

One Down (Actually, One UP!)

2008-01-07T09:04:00.000-05:00

The first show of our winter show season was yesterday (January 6th) at the Greater Richmond Convention Center. With nearly 3000 attendees and more than 1000 brides, this was our largest show ever in Richmond, and an attendance increase of 20% over last year. It is always rewarding to see brides lined up three or four deep at every booth, and the resulting smiles on the faces of our exhibitors. What a great way to kick off the season!

The Richmond Times-Dispatch has a nice article about the show in the January 7 issue. You can click here to read it.

New Year's Resolutions?

2008-01-01T21:00:00.000-05:00

It's the time of year where we all make resolutions. Normally, I don't use this blog to stray into personal things, but I wanted to share something with you in case one of your resolutions for 2008 involves your finances. A few years ago, I came to realize that while I was pretty good at making money, I was pretty clueless when it came to investing it. I started working with Dave Spence, a financial planner with LPL, and he has steered me into good investments and helped me save on taxes.

Last week, Dave showed me a new online planning tool that allows me to pull together all my investments, credit cards, mortgages, even frequent flyer and rewards accounts, into one secure database. This service will not only make it easier to keep up on my finances, it will save me lots of time. You should take a look at this! You can click here to email Dave, and he will give you an online demo.

Happy Holidays!

2007-12-23T09:30:00.000-05:00

These last couple weeks of the year are extremely busy here as we prepare for five weeks of shows in a row. We had a successful schedule of shows in 2007 and hope to continue that in 2008. Remember, 25 percent of the engagements each year happen over the holiday season. Combine this with the brides who got caught up in the holidays and didn't do much wedding planning, and you have many motivated brides about to enter the marketplace at the same time. We hope to see a lot of them over the coming weeks!

On behalf of all of us at Showcase Productions, I'd like to wish you a Wonderful Holiday Season and a Prosperous New Year!

Find new ideas - Visit one of our other shows

2007-12-12T22:17:00.000-05:00

Looking for new ideas for your booth? A visit to one of our other shows is a great way to see what other exhibitors are doing, and you might find some fresh ideas for your booth. We especially recommend this for first-time exhibitors. If you would like to visit one of our shows, click here to send us an email and we will provide you with free tickets.

Wedding Idea Gallery - There's still time to enter!

2007-12-10T06:49:00.000-05:00

This year at our Richmond, Greenbelt, Bethesda and Chantilly shows, we are debuting The Wedding Gallery. This will be a display area adjacent to the show floor where exhibitors can display their signature designs and best work in a gallery setting. We will have sections for floral, cakes, photography and tabletop design. The Wedding Gallery will be extensively promoted both before and during the show, and will be an added opportunity to capture the bride's attention. Each display will include a sign that notes the exhibitor name and booth number. There is a small participation fee and space is limited. Please contact us at info@bridalshowcase.com if you would like to reserve a space in this area.

BRIDESight.com has a Bridal Showcase Video

2007-12-08T07:04:00.000-05:00

We are pleased to welcome BRIDESight.com as a new sponsor of the Richmond Bridal Showcase. BRIDESight.com is a new web site that provides the bride helpful planning advice through short video clips that are available online and through the Comcast video-on-demand service. They have produced a nice video to promote our Richmond show. To view the video, click here, and then click the video screen at the bottom of the page.

New Promotion Idea: Email 2-for-1 Coupons

2007-12-05T15:15:00.000-05:00

This year, we're offering a new promotion program. Exhibitors may receive a 2-for-1 Admission Coupon to the show that may be emailed to brides or posted on your web site. Imagine the goodwill you will generate when you give a customer or prospect this coupon that saves them $10.

We will customize this coupon so that it contains your company name and only the show(s) in which you are an exhibitor. The only catch is that the coupons are not valid during the first two hours of the show (this helps to even out the flow of attendees by encouraging some brides to attend later in the day). These coupons are available at no cost to the exhibitor.

To obtain the coupon, click here to email your request. If you're planning to email the coupon, please request a PDF. If you plan to post the coupon on your web site, request a JPEG version.

Welcome to the Bridal Showcase Exhibitor Blog!

2007-12-02T08:56:00.001-05:00

Welcome to our blog! This blog is especially designed for exhibitors in the Washington Bridal Showcase, Richmond Bridal Showcase and Baltimore Bridal Show and will be used to highlight new information about the show and to provide tips on marketing and exhibiting. Feel free to post questions and comments.