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We had such a great time at ACCI! Thanks to all of you who stopped by the booth. It gets me so excited that our  industry has grown so much in the past few years! As always, my favorite part of this industry is the sheer kindness and helpfulness of just about everyone.

I want to give a huge thank you to all the folks at Memories Community/Memories Expo, who made it possible for us to be there. Sandra, Dave, Denise, and EVERYONE else - thank you, thank you, thank you! Check 'em out at http://www.memoriescommunity.com

Because we were a little late in registering, our booth was a little off the beaten track, *but* we were about 10 feet away from the "Comfort Zone" - couches equipped with free foot massagers. So, in our eternal optimistic fashion, we decided the "pro" made up for the "con" - especially considering that we were on our feet for three days straight! Check out our photo below of us lounging on the couch!

We learned a lot, met a lot of great people, and have the
following update:

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Guerilla Advertising Tips - Tested By Us
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GUERILLA TIP 1
Though you're not allowed to distribute flyers or advertise outside of your booth, we noticed some high-profile companies who placed a few random flyers on the tables in the food court. We took our "one sheets" (info on our business and products) and placed a few on the tables.

DID IT WORK?
Yes! We had several people say that they saw the flyer, and that's what brought them to the booth. I can't say I endorse this method legally, only that it worked.

GUERILLA TIP 2
I was so impressed by my own cleverness at our banner ("Got Profits?" in huge letters; then "Success Solutions for Your Scrapbooking Business - Books and Products To Help Your Business Grow"), that I didn't realize people would just pass by quickly, not realizing who we were and how we could help them. So I drew a sign on white paper: "Do You Own a Scrapbook Store? Then You Need Us! More Customers, More Loyal Customers, More Profits!" and taped it to my shirt. Presto! A human billboard. I wasn't allowed to walk around in my DIY advertising gear, so I stayed in the booth and waited for people to read my front.

DID IT WORK?
Yes! It definitely drew in many people who would have just walked on. It also made people smile and laugh - which is a great thing! This may not be for people people who are easily embarrassed, but like I told one onlooker, "You gotta do what you gotta do to put the food on the table!"

GUERILLA TIP 3
We placed our books on the couches across from us with a note saying, "For your reading pleasure. Please keep them here for others to read."

DID IT WORK?
Hard to tell, but it *was* fun to see so many people reading our stuff!

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Innovative Press Kits
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As a member of the press as well as an exhibitor, I was able to enter the media room, where smart business owners had left their press kits. Wow! We've come a long way since pocket folders, baby. Some that stood out:

Media kit on CD-ROM
Therm O Web - http://www.thermoweb.com
Saves money on paper/printing, as well as shipping. Easy for press to grab and carry around. As one of the few CD ROM-only media kits, it definitely stood out from the crowd.

Corporate video on CD-ROM
Universal Laser Systems Inc. - http://www.ulsinc.com
Taking the CD-ROM concept one step further.

Unique packaging
JewelCraft LLC - http://www.jewelcraft.biz
This importer and distributor of embellishment products decorated each press kit folder with their products: sequins, beads, and rhinestones.

Perfect use of product as press kit
Jotters - http://www.jotters.net
Jotters, an archival journal designed for scrappers to jot down their memories and store them directly with their photos, designed a "Press Jotter." The journal looked like the other items in its product line (wedding, vacation, etc.), but also included a press release, company biography, and more.

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Business and Products Update
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Scrapbook Stores Across America - new magazine - a scrapper's guide to the best scrapbook stores in the nation.
http://www.storesacrossamerica.com  435-586-1576

Suburban Paper - acid free paper, cardstock, vellum, eyelets, and more. *Really* cool "metallic" paper.
suburbanpr@aol.com  317-803-8868

Jotters - acid free 5 1/2" x 8 1/2" journals to jot down memories before they are forgotten. You can store them directly with your photos. Available in baby, wedding, vacation, and more.
http://www.jotters.net  877-568-8371

ColorCutter - a magic marker that cuts as you draw. It lets you draw a shape on a piece of paper and then remove the shape from the page. You've got to see it to believe it!
http://www.colorcutter.com  954-587-6777

Folded Memories - specialty folding papers, project kits, and books for scrapbooks, cards, and more.
http://www.foldedmemories.com  425-673-7422

O'Brien Solutions - POS systems include customized Scrapbooking Database with more than 9,000 SKUs and more than 250 vendors.
http://www.obriensolutions.com  714-342-1904

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More Fun Advertising
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Crop In Style, a company I consider to consistently have some of the most innovative and unique advertising concepts in the industry, had a bookmark placed in every copy of the Show Directory. It said, "Hi! I'm a bookmark. I can hold your place. Let Crop in Style(R) hold your stuff! Got it? Wanna get it? Booth 3200." Follow their example - have fun with your marketing - think outside the box - make people smile.

See you at next year's show!

Now it's picture time! Please click on the pics to view a larger version.