Showing posts with label Barcelona. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Barcelona. Show all posts

Monday, December 3, 2007

How to turn fair visitors into little children when Santa’s coming

Gadgets, they practically throw them at you when you visit a fair. But once in a while someone offers you a surprising one. We did the test and went out to find the most original gadgets at the EIBTM ’07 fair in Barcelona last week. Maybe we didn’t notice them all, but we had to choose from a legion of pens, lanyards and USB memory sticks - although we saw some interesting designs in that department, like the ones from Visit London (shaped like a credit card) and the Austrian Convention Bureau. Here is our top 3:
1. You might wonder, what’s so special about an umbrella? But this is not your ordinary umbrella. Holland sports its Fresh Dutch Views and this handy instrument that can withstand the power of a genuine storm is certainly the product of such a view. Students at the Delft University designed this product and Time Magazine included it in its list of the Best Inventions of the year 2007. The Netherlands Convention and Visitors Bureau handed out this storm-proof umbrella to the first 100 people who picked up their copy of the first issue of the Fresh Dutch Views Magazine. Eric Bakermans, Senior Project Co-ordinator Congress Acquisition at NBTC, is singing in the storm with his original Dutch umbrella.
2. We didn’t know that you could find the best Belgian chips in Liège. Pierre Alderson, co-ordinator of Liège Congrès, gave this plastic cone with the tricoloured and sweet fries to the people that sat at his table for a talk about the meeting possibilities in his favourite Belgian region. He was happy to pose for our camera with his original gift and with his MIM Magazine cover shoot in the background as well.
3. Usually, the last day at a fair brings nothing new but then I opened the Show Daily newspaper and saw the ad of the austrian business and convention network, which said there was a special Euro 2008 pack waiting at their stand for the first ten people who showed that same ad at the abcn booth. Unfortunately I was too late to be one of those first ten but the nice people at abcn were so kind to show me what that mysterious pack was. It contained a football shirt of the Austrian national team and a football, certainly something you can make the people at home happy with.

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Sex & the Fair

The closer we get to the holidays, the more I tend to hand out presents. It already started at the ICCA Congress in Pattaya where I awarded three meeting people for their nice golden clothes during the Royal Golden Night. And now I suddenly stumble upon a few pictures I took at last year’s EIBTM fair in Barcelona. Some way or another four images with, in my humble opinion, a high content of sex appeal, appealed to me. I’ll list them all and explain what fascinates me in them.
1. The naked man of Norway. I’ve heard that this strong image is a personal invention of a woman who has spirit and humour. That would be Bente Bratland Holm, convention director at the Norway Convention Bureau. Bente, why on earth didn’t you participate in the ICCA Best Marketing Award? With such a healthy man you certainly would have won first prize. And I have to ask something else. A lot of ladies (and a few gentlemen) have asked me if you have the same picture from a different angle as well? After all, the blog has a sexy title! Present No 1 goes to you. I will personally drop off a gift at your stand!


2. Adam & Eve. So delicate, tender, fragile and seductive. The World’s Sexiest Hotel. I’d certainly want to spend the night in that hotel. Who else? That’s our second present.


3. The aquarium boy of [destination unknown]. A nice, fresh, youthful and exotic image. Almost a painting titled ‘Like a fish in water’. That’s our third winner. Would the winner step up during next week’s fair?

[Update:] It turned out that the Jamaica Tourist Board was the proud owner of this aquarium boy.




4. And there always has to be a public award. This one goes to all the visitors of the fair over 60 who still feel young and sexy. My blog readers can decide for themselves if I meet those requirements. Everyone can come to our stand (H156) and tell me.