Had a fabulous time bringing #thewonder to the folks at Facebook a couple of weeks ago.
The group was working hard in "lockdown mode" and needed a break. Nothing that 30 minutes of mind reading couldn't fix. A good time was had by all.
Had a fabulous time bringing #thewonder to the folks at Facebook a couple of weeks ago.
The group was working hard in "lockdown mode" and needed a break. Nothing that 30 minutes of mind reading couldn't fix. A good time was had by all.
Saturday, October 29th, we entertained in the VIP Cocktail Reception for Family House's FANGtastic Halloween Gala.
The event took place in the penthouse of The Fairmont, in San Francisco. It was my first time at The Fairmont, which is now one of my favorite venues. The Penthouse offers an amazing view of downtown San Francisco from it's large patio.
There are multiple bedrooms and baths, spacious dining and living rooms, a billiard room. and a cylindrical, two-story library with a history and secrets all it's own.
One of the bookcases is actually a hidden door that leads to the roof. My hostess told me a couple of stories about two former presidents who used that door in very different ways. I'll tell you about it sometime.
There is also one new secret the library now holds -- a pack of cards set for a miracle on my next visit.
On Thursday, October 20th, we were invited to entertain at a book release party for Ken Fulk's Magical World.
The event took place in the lobby and penthouse of The Harrison -- a new luxury condominium in the SoMa district of San Francisco. Interiors where designed in inimitable Ken Fulk-style. We mingled and shared magic with San Francisco's elite.
Have a look at photos here.
Had a fabulous time entertaining the fine folks from the UK and London here for Dreamforce '16. #eventprofs
We're back in Las Vegas (our second time this month!) stopping traffic and building huge crowds for Bitdefender at VMWorld 2016 at Mandalay Bay.
Bitdefender originally hired us in April for RSA at the Moscone Center, in San Francisco. They liked the results so much they invited us back to VMWorld in Las Vegas.
This time they opted for a theatrical-style setting, performing one show every hour. And the crowds were HUGE!
Will you be exhibiting at a trade show this year? Want to build huge crowds and get your message across? Learn more about our Interactive Tradeshow Marketing Program.
Recently, I helped Bitdefender drive traffic to their trade show exhibit at the 25th Anniversary of the RSA Conference, at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, from February 29 - March 3rd.
This was the first time that Bitdefender, headquartered in Romania, exhibited at RSA and they knew it was a huge show and an opportunity to connect with new customers and make a name for themselves. In fact, it’s one of the largetst IT security shows in the world and they had to knock it out of the park.
Three Weeks
About 3 weeks prior to the show it was confirmed that we were on. At that point, trade show clients receive a questionnaire to help me define their goals. They returned the questionnaire about a week later and it was time to get to work.
My first task is to use their answers to learn about what they do and cull useful information. Key phrases, bullet points that may address challenges they can solve, even single key words are helpful to push me in a direction.
In this case, words and phrases like “predict behavior,” “plan & configure” and “mitigate risk” kept popping off the page. Bitdefender also has a great catch phrase: “Unfollow The Traditional.” Yeah, I can do something with that.
Next, with that information in mind I looked at my active repertoire and began to make connections that were relevant.
This is the most creative part of the process and by keeping an open mind I often come away with something unexpected, fun, and useful for each client.
Two Weeks
Two weeks is about typical lead time for this kind of work. And while keeping an open mind is important for creativity, it’s also important to be pragmatic. Experience has shown that if something isn’t working, put it on the back burner and don’t waste time on it. The key is to keep things simple and serve my client’s needs.
At large trade shows like RSA, attendees are often pressed for time. They are running from keynote speeches, to meetings with specific vendors, to breakout sessions. Some people may only be there for the day and want to see as much as they can without wasting time. But my job is to give them a reason to stop and listen to what my client has to say.
Showtime
I arrived at Bitdefender's booth early on day one to load-in my table, step, and sound system, meet with the team, and prep for the opening networking event.
And then it was showtime!
Over the next four days I stopped attendees in their tracks, entertained and educated them on Bitdefender’s GravityZone product, and drove qualified leads on to their sales team.
They also gave away a total of 4 GoPro cameras for those who listened to their full-length presentation and I helped gather crowds for that as well.
As you can see, the team at Bitdefender was extremely happy with the results.
Are you planning to promote your business or product at a trade show? Let’s talk about maximizing your visibility today!
Watch this blog for more magic in 2016!
Big thanks to John Southwell, San Jose Marriott's GM, for the kind words.
Always a treat to be part of your events, John!
Back in 2013, I entertained at the annual gala for Silicon Valley National Association for Catering and Events. Had a great time and made some new friends.
Last night I was booked on an event by the past president of the SV NACE Chapter and before I took the stage, she presented me with this award for Best of the Industry 2014.
Had no idea and it caught me completely by surprise. Flattered and honored. Thanks, SV NACE!