New Promotion for Washington Shows

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!

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

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!

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!

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

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

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

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!

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

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!

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!

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

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!

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"

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

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

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?

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!

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!

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!