August Exhibitor Newsletter

Online Exhibit Hall—Beyond the Show Floor

"This new enhanced listing system is better and more user-friendly than any others I have had to use," commented fellow trade show warrior Tracey Schropp, trade show manager from Asymtek.  The new online exhibit hall has received great reviews like this from other exhibitors at the IPC Midwest event. Have you taken a look at all that is available?

Developed as an extension to its existing annual exhibitions, IPC Midwest Conference & Exhibition in September and soon IPC APEX EXPO™ in April, the new online exhibit hall expands the selling and buying cycle to year round, rather than just during the few months prior to or after the trade show.

“We want to better connect visitors with our industry’s top suppliers in order to help them make informed buying or business decisions throughout the year,” said Sarah Martino, exhibit operations manager with IPC. “In developing our new online exhibit hall, our ultimate goal was to create an organized and intuitive site that anyone could navigate with ease.” Visitors to www.IPCMidwestShow.org/exhibitors will discover company information, new product descriptions, photos and even links to audio and video at their fingertips.

Best of all, product searches by category or keywords enable visitors to pull competitive information together easily, without having to travel to multiple sites. “The site is a wonderful way for attendees to prepare for our upcoming shows,” said Alicia Balonek, IPC director of trade show operations. “Unlike other shows which may draw a large number of tire-kickers to the exhibit floor, the majority of the attendees at IPC Midwest and IPC APEX EXPO™ are there to do business and make purchases. So, one of the features we’ve added, called My Midwest, enables attendees to create their own personalized plans for visiting the exhibitors they need to see and viewing all the exhibitors’ pertinent information … even their exact locations on the show floor.”

As an added benefit to all industry members, the new online exhibit hall is accessible even to those who are not able to attend the upcoming shows. “There’s a wealth of supplier information available that makes the search for equipment or supplies so much easier,” said Balonek. For exhibitors, the new online exhibit hall is a value-added benefit.

For more information on all the advanced features of the IPC Midwest Online Exhibit Hall — Beyond the Show Floor, visit www.IPCMidwestShow.org/exhibitors or contact Sarah Martino at SarahMartino@ipc.org.

Extend your presence at the event beyond the show floor through your Web profile!  Include photos, press releases, new products, links to audio and video promotion— and more!

Catch the attention of potential buyers, before they even set foot on the show floor!  The online exhibit hall will continue to be an excellent marketing tool for your company, from now through show time — and beyond!

Deadline:  August 13, 2008

All information included in the printed Show Directory must be submitted through the new online exhibit hall interface by August 13, 2008 in order to be included in the printed Show Directory.

To access your company's listing:

Locate your company password, supplied to you by IPC Show Management.  If you do not have access to your password, please contact Kim DiCianni (+1 847-597-2823).

Deadline:  August 29, 2008

Stand out over the competition and get the attention of qualified attendees even before they walk on the exhibit floor with an ad in the Show Directory. 

Best of all, the directory will keep them calling back—all year long.

The Show Directory is a proven, lasting resource for attendees.  Reserve your advertising space today, and enjoy referrals all year long!

Download the Show Directory Advertising Insertion Order, and reserve your position today! 

Exhibitor Service Manual

The Exhibitor Service Manual is available!  Please note: the manual is only available online. Be sure to place your orders soon, as deadlines are rapidly approaching!

The advance deadline for orders through Viper Tradeshow Services (the General Service Contractor) is August 22, 2008.  You will need the user name and password below to access the Viper Tradeshow Services sections of the Exhibitor Service Manual.

User name:  IPC08

Password:  809002

As you know, a great deal of detailed planning is required when participating in a trade show. Please make sure to thoroughly read all of the forms and work rules included in the Exhibitor Service Manual, as increased knowledge minimizes wasted time and unnecessary expenses. Be sure to review all of the upcoming Deadlines today to ensure you don’t miss those deadlines (they sure can sneak up on you).

Join the IPC Midwest Challenge!

The Midwest Challenge is part of the marketing campaign to “get the word out” about the show – thorough people like you that have direct interaction with those that should attend the event.

Prizes will be awarded to individuals who “bring” the most verified attendees to the IPC Midwest event.

First Place:

Two round trip tickets and hotel accommodations to Hawaii (a $3,000 value)
Prize will be awarded in the form of a $3,000 travel gift certificate which may be redeemed to Hawaii, or any destination.

Second Place:

$1,500 Best Buy Gift Card

Third Place:

$500 Apple Gift Card

All you’ll need to do is enroll in the free program online at www.IPCMidwestShow.org/challenge. After enrolling, you will receive an e-mail confirmation that will contain your own “invitation code.” This code must be entered on the registration forms or through online registration by the registrants you invite. The e-mail confirmation will also include customized link that you can send to any of your customers. This link will automatically input the “invitation code” into the online registration system – so you’ll get credit for that attendee registration, once they are verified on-site.

We hope you and your colleagues will be able to join your fellow exhibitors in this exciting program – please feel free to forward the link below to them. Perhaps a challenge to a nice friendly competition? 

More information can be found online at www.IPCMidwestShow.org/challenge.

VIP Passes/Customer Invitations

Do your customers know about your participation at the IPC Midwest Conference & Exhibition?  Order your FREE VIP Passes/Customer Invitations and make it easy (and FREE) for them to see you there!

As a VIP of your company, your customers and prospects will enjoy admittance to the exhibit hall, show floor reception and keynote for FREE!  What are you waiting for?

To order invitations online:

• Go to www.IPCMidwestShow.org/viporder, and enter your Company ID.
• Or, you can use the electronic versions below:
  • Download the .pdf VIP pass to include in your e-mail promotion!
  • Link directly to the e-VIP pass from your Web site, or send as an e-mail to your customers!

Order as many invitations as you need, at no charge.  The order deadline is September 14, 2008, but don't wait until the last minute!  Order today!

Register your booth staff today!

You will need your company ID, supplied to you by IPC Show Management in order to access the online badge registration.

Daily badge mailing begins August 18, 2008.  The cut off to request badges to be mailed is September 11, 2008.  Badges will not be mailed after this date. 

"Will-Call" badges, corrected badges, late submissions and international badges must be obtained from the Exhibitor Registration Desk in the lobby of the Convention Center during posted hours.

For questions regarding registering your booth staff, please contact Kim DiCianni (+1 847-597-2823).

Hotel Reservations

Deadline: August 21, 2008

Have you made your sleeping room arrangements yet?

Individual Reservations:

Online: www.IPCMidwestShow.org/hotel

By Phone:  +1 847-303-4100 or 800-468-3571

Please ask for the IPC Midwest room rate of $177.00 single or double. The IPC rate is available until all rooms are booked or until Thursday, August 21, 2008.  After August 21, the hotel may offer rooms based on current rates.

Group Reservations:

A group block is recommended for 10 or more reservations. For groups of 10 or more, please complete the Group Housing Request Form and fax it to Cecille Leynes at the contact information listed on the form.

Questions regarding Group Blocks should be directed to: Cecille Leynes at +1 847-303-4179 or Cecille.Leynes@renaissancehotels.com.

Help!

If you have any questions regarding any of the information in this newsletter, or need more information about the event in general, please contact any of the IPC Show Team members. We are dedicated to helping you make the 2008 IPC Midwest Conference & Exhibition a success for your company.