Everything a Kid needs

Nursery products inspired by Princess Charlotte's Royal Nursery,
designed by celebrity designer Vanessa Antonelli at the 2015
ABCKids Expo in Las Vegas, NV October 18th-21st.

The ABCKids Expo (All Baby & Child), founded in March 2003, is a partnership of juvenile industry manufacturers and retailers organized for the purpose of promoting the children's products industry.

"The main objective and purpose of the corporation is to act as a business league that helps organize and put on trade shows to be held for the benefit of juvenile products manufacturers, specialty store retailers, distributors and manufacturers' representatives of juvenile products. With nearly 1000 exhibitors utilizing 3,300 booths in nearly one million square feet of exhibit space, it is currently the fastest growing trade show in the nation and ranks 47 out of the 100 largest trade shows in North America". (Trade Show Executive 2013)

Walking through this show almost made me wish I had a little one to spoil with all the cutest clothes, toys and gadgets I saw at the show! I said "almost". :)

Check out this Origami Stroller from 4moms. How

awesome is this??? I wish they had this when my kids

were little. This stroller is so amazing that it can even

recharge itself and your cell phone. Folds itself with a

one-touch button, lots of storage, pathway lights, LCD dashboard 

with thermometer, speedometer, trip and lifetime odometers. Wow!

Here is just a short clip of the 1hr fashion show for kids and

moms-to-be at the ABCKids fashion show hosted by

emcee Hilary Billings, Miss Nevada 2013.

Here are some highlights from the fashion show that included maternity wear, baby carriers, diaper bags, sarongs, children's wear, toys and nutrition:

It seems that the trend for kids products and apparel are all about being green and organic. There were quite a few products in the market that have these initiatives. Here are some of those brands that stood out at the show:

Apple Park was founded in San Francisco with
a vision to create environmentally responsible
and luxurious products for babies and children.
Apple Park's Picnic Pals were inspired by
classic children's toys, reinvented with
the finest eco-friendly materials available.

Finn+Emma toys and apparel are made from
100% G.O.T.S. certified organic cotton and eco-friendly
dyes. Our toys are hand-knit or made from untreated
wood. On top of that, they are manufactured in
fair-trade settings that focus on social and economic
independence for local people, women especially,
who love style as much as sustainability

Green Toys make safe, earth-friendly playthings for kids, 

as part of the solution for a more sustainable world. 

By creating products made free of harm to children 

and the planet, we nurture young minds and bright futures.

The Honest Company's Founder, Jessica Alba,
"When I became a mom, I finally became
the person I am, that I always should have been,"
she says. "It's the most satisfying job in the world.
But, it can also be overwhelming and confusing.
I created The Honest Company to help moms
and to give all children a better, safer start."

Babyganics Founders, Kevin & Keith, "When we
started families of our own, we found we shared a
“grown up” mission: to help parents like us create
a baby-safe world. We’d do this by creating
a world of products made to go wherever babies go

Chewbeads, mommy chic, baby safe. 100% SILICONE
PRODUCTS NO BPA, PHTHALATES, LEAD,
CADMIUM, OR METALDISHWASHER SAFE
SOFT ON BABIES GUMS AND EMERGING TEETH

I have to highlight a couple more entrepreneurs that I met at the show. I love to hear stories on how these entrepreneurs start their business. If you follow my blog, you know I have a soft spot for entrepreneurs:

Interview with Lindsay Herron, CEO of Buckaroo Organics.

I am a believer! Thank you Lindsay for giving me a sample

of the Tough As Nails Organic Skin Care, the product

really worked on my eczima rash that I had on my arm 

I also loved the defense blend lip balm! 

I had the chance to speak to Alex Leach, the
inspiration for the reason that his Mom,
Jamie Leach started the Leach Co. 20yrs
later, this company is 1 of the leading makers
of products that make motherhood better.

Sit 'n Secure is the newest version of the original
product that inspired the birth of Leach Co.
I love that this company is still a growing
family business, inventing really smart products
for moms and moms-to-be.

That's all for now. I hope you enjoyed and continue to read my blog. Please share with your followers and don't forget to subscribe. Lastly, if you need assistance with your trade show planning, please message me.

Cheers,
Li

Written by: Li Jackson

Photography/Videographer:  TerenceJackson

Coke or Pepsi

The gorgeous Monster energy drink girls at the
2015 NACS - National Association of Convenience Stores
expo at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

The National Association of Convenience Stores  is where the food and beverage industry buyers will discover thousands of the latest products and services that c-stores sell and use every day. The expo is segmented into six categories: Fuel Equipment & Services, Food Equipment & Food Service Programs, Candy/Snacks, Facility Development & Store Operations, Merchandise and Technology. All the biggest every day brands that we regularly consume were present at NACS. Names like Mars M&M, Nestle, Wrigley gum, Coca-Cola, Dr.Pepper, Red Bull and Monster, to name a few, exhibited at NACS. Not to mention all the new product launches from hopeful entrepreneurs made their debut at NACS.

Pepsico is a leading global food and beverage company with brands that are respected
household names throughout the world. Pepsico is celebrating its 50th Anniversary. It
is the anchor exhibit in the North Hall of Las Vegas Convention Center during the
National Association of Convenience Stores expo that took place October 11-14, 2015.

Coca-Cola is a global leader in the beverage industry. The Coca-Cola company 
offers hundreds of brands, including soft drinks, fruit juices, sports drinks
and other beverages. Coca-Cola's sustainability initiative is to refresh the world.
The Coca-Cola Company and their local bottling partners are committed to creating new value
for their consumers,  customers and the communities across more than 200 countries and territories.

Best part about NACS is the free samples!!! I give the best sample
giveaway award to Johnson & Johnson! They gave away a nice branded bag
full of Johnson & Johnson goodies that happens to be some of my favorite
products that I use daily. Score!!!

Samples from just 1 day and a couple of hours walking the NACS
show.  I can see how confusing it can be for buyers to choose what
products are best for their stores. If you are a new buyer, I suggest
that you have a game plan and purchase your staple products first,
then check out the new product launches. It's very important to taste
any product that you are interested in, and take a sample with you, make
notes and decide when you get back to your office. If the product is that good,
go with your gut feeling, and order at the show. Most of the companies have
great "at show" specials.

I love meeting new entrepreneurs. As an entrepreneur who has launched a consumer product at NACS 5 years ago, I know the risk that a lot of start ups take in order to be in this show. If you are an entrepreneur thinking about launching your product at NACS, my advise is that you must be ready to ship nationally and be able to support each shipment with a marketing program. There are regional shows that you can exhibit in first, if you are not ready to ship nationally. To exhibit at NACS in a 10x20 space can cost you in the upwards of $30,000 or more including booth, marketing, product, staff and travel. It is an investment that will need a fast ROI for most smaller companies. If you would like to discuss further, feel free to message me at lj@tradeshowlife.com .

I had the chance to interview a couple of entrepreneurs:

Interview with Mark Spoone, CEO of Canna Energy USA,

"A high power energy drink for athletes and hard worker. 

it's an energy drink with good taste!. Step up your life style."

I wish him the very best, because this is a tough category.

However, Mark shared with me that Canna has been picked

up by 20+ Anheuser-Busch distributors. That's pretty awesome!

 

Interview with Brett Anderson, National Account Manager for Rhino Rush Energy, an Ephedra 

powered energy shot company. Here he is pictured with the rest of the Rhino Rush co-founding

team, left to right: Josh Swenson/CEO, Matthew Nu'Uvali/CoFounder, Jordan Kepler/SalesAcctMgr.

Rhino Rush is based in Boise, Idaho and available in Albertson's and many other retailers.

Other product highlights that caught my attention from the show:

Maybe you've seen milk in a box, but what about Boxed Water?
Click on the link to learn more about their mission.

Kill Cliff, a recovery drink, the Natural Alternative to Energy Drinks started by 

a Navy Seal and based in Atlanta GA. Low Calorie. High Quality.

No Sugar Added · No Artificial Colors · No Artificial Flavor · Gluten Free.

If you love Skinny Girl cocktails, then I know
you're going to love these Skinnygirl Mints available
soon through Rivo Mints. 

For all you vegans out there, this is the cookie for you!
Lenny & Larry's cookies, non-gmo, vegan, no dairy, 16G protein.
"The Complete Cookie".

Jack Daniels Jerky!  Tastes soooo good! You
gotta' try it.

Vita Coco Coconut water had an awesome booth.
A tropical beach themed booth complete with its own
Gilligan's Island van with lots of sand and coconuts. They launched
some new flavors, and I loved the coconut peach & mango flavor.

Crunk energy drink is now a part of Bawls Guarana.
They are currently seeking national distribution.

That's all for now.  I hope you enjoy and share my blog with others. Please also subscribe to my blog, and contact me if you need assistance with your trade show planning!

Cheers,

Li

Written by: Li Jackson

Photography/Videographer:  TerenceJackson

Travellers Welcome

The welcoming ladies at #inAbuDhabi booth at IMEX America. 

Welcome to the IMEX America, America's worldwide exhibition for incentive travel, meetings and events, known as the pulse of the #MeetingIndustry.  Takes place annually in October at Sands Expo in Las Vegas. This event features the largest Hosted Buyer Program in North America and attracts thousands of buyers and exhibitors from the U.S. and around the world. The energy at IMEX America is everywhere, connecting everyone with key players, generating innovative ideas and driving business with the force of global opportunities.

Of course the Las Vegas hotels had to represent.
Here are a few of the Cirque du Soleil cast members.
Hotels from Wynn, Westgate, Hilton, Marriott, Trump,
Venetian, Palazzo were all represented.

TCEB booth. Business. Established by Royal Decree in 2002, the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (also known as TCEB) is a public organization tasked with promoting and developing business events in Thailand. Since 2004, TCEB has worked toward establishing Thailand as Asia's premier business events destination, by providing flexible, service-oriented support to meeting-goers, incentives winners, convention attendees and exhibition participants.

Live Sumo performance, Sake and Snacks at the
Japan National Tourism Organisation.

‘England’ pavilion at Visit England in IMEX America.
Yes, those are real people in grass costumes... 

This year's IMEX America was not short of large exhibits of the biggest hotel chains in the world like Hilton, Ritz-Carlton, Marriott, Caesar's Entertainment and Hyatt just to name a few.  As a first timer to IMEX America, I was quite surprised of how large and global this show was.  I would suggest anyone in the events or meeting planning business to attend this trade show once a year. Not to mention how much these exhibitors love to entertain and have a good time.  Lots of open bar and events every day.  Check out the events line up for the week: IMEX America Events.

I had the chance to interview 3 new 1st-timers to IMEX.

Seniors studying Hospitality from Endicott College of

Boston, MA.

That's all for now.  I hope you enjoy & please subscribe to my blog!

If you ever need assistance with your trade show planning,

please message me!

Cheers,

Li

Written by: Li Jackson

Photography/Videographer:  TerenceJackson

All About the Ingredients

Just a few of the samples and giveaways I collected from
Supply Side West (SSW) trade show at Mandalay Bay
Convention Center last week.

Supply Side West brings together suppliers and buyers that drive the dietary supplement, food, beverage, animal nutrition, personal care & cosmetic. If you ever thought about starting a consumer product business, this is one of the most important shows that you should attend.  Great place to learn about new ingredients and meet manufacturers.  Pick up lots of brochures, taste ingredients and mixes and take samples with you.

There were so many companies to choose from, and if this is your first time attending, I would definitely suggest looking at the exhibitors directory and circling the ones that you need to see.  Make sure to see 1 or 2 of their competitors as well.  Work your way from left to right, aisle by aisle, and if you see something that's interesting, stop and grab a brochure or sample.  Here are a few of my favorites at SSW:

Farbest Brands is a premier distributor of food & nutrition
ingredients sourced from the world's most trusted suppliers.
They had the best Mango fiber smoothie I have ever had. No lie, it was so good!

Ingredientsonline.com is the first Global Factory Marketplace for nutritional raw materials and other fine ingredients, connecting customers directly with world-class manufacturers through a unique online platform that delivers factory prices, U.S. stock, guaranteed quality control and best-in-class customer service and delivery. I had a chance to demo this system, and it is truly "user friendly".

Silver Sol Technology  is a multi-patented
skin product tested by certified independent
laboratories. Check their website for online
orders.

These are 2 samples that I was able to take home, and so far
so great.  The smaller tube is a gel comparable to or better
than Neosporin. The Skin Cream is a great moisturizing lotion, that is non-greasy and feels very light on your skin.

With Paul Willis, CEO of Cypress Solutions at
their #Movember photo booth theme, a
Men'sHealth Awareness movement.

I thought this was a wonderful theme. They did a
great job bringing awareness to Movember Foundation
and raising money for the cause.

Interview with Paul Willis, CEO of Cypress Solutions,

"At Cypress we make selenium, but not just any selenium. Our natural food form of organically bound selenium is trademarked SelenoExcell and is standardized to “Gold Standard” clinical research with the National Cancer Institute. We are committed to providing the highest quality product possible in order to with-stand the rigors of numerous double-blinded clinical studies. SelenoExcell is supported by a Clinical Trial Agreement with the Division of Cancer Prevention at NCI. No other product on the market can make these claims."

That's all for now. Please subscribe and come back and visit.
If you ever need assistance with your trade show planning, please message me.

Cheers,
Li

The Gaming Business

Promotional models at G2E "Global Gaming Expo"
Las Vegas Oct 2015 at the Sands Expo.



Do you ever wonder who makes those slot machines, poker tables, chips, roulette machines, bingo games and such?  Well, once a year at G2E in Vegas, it's where you can find all the makers and manufacturers of those machines that you see at every casino across the country, and globally.  Some of the biggest companies exhibiting at G2E were Konami, Scientific Games, Ortiz Gaming and IGT.

Front of the Konami exhibit at G2E. As leading innovators of slot machines and gaming enterprise management systems for the global gaming market, Konami Gaming, Inc. and Konami Australia Pty Ltd have been creating big waves in the gaming industry.

Front and left size of Ortiz Gaming exhibit. This was so big and long, I couldn't
take all of it.  Ortiz Gaming is a leading multinational company in the gaming industry. They provide the finest gaming products on the market, and deliver multi-platform games through Social and Mobile platforms, always bringing innovation and new experiences for players.

IGT enables players to experience their favorite games across all channels and regulated segments, from Gaming Machines and Lotteries to Interactive and Social Gaming. Leveraging a wealth of premium content, substantial investment in innovation, in-depth customer intelligence, operational expertise, and leading-edge technology, their gaming solutions anticipate the demands of consumers wherever they decide to play.

Scientific Games is a leading innovator in the global lottery and regulated gaming industries. Beginning with the breakthrough technology that launched the world’s very first secure instant lottery game in 1974, the company has continued to advance the games, technology, programs, marketing research and security that have been a driving force behind the success of more than 300 customers on six continents over the last 40 years.

 

Our highlight on a New Exhibitor is with Pat, VP of Business Development for

Charge It Spot An uncharged cell phone is everyone's worst nightmare -- the battery drain and impending dead cell phone preoccupies our minds until we can find the almighty charge. A dead or dying cell phone is a modern day distraction universal to us all, hence the creation of ChargeItSpot charging stations for cell phones.

 

 

More Promotional Models for Bally Tech and Aristocrat.

 

 

Best giveaway, chocolate of course, goes to Novomatic  a leading international group that has
grown from its base in Austria .... As a gaming group we bear a
 high social and sociopolitical responsibility ...

 

Novomatic promo models.

Bally Tech and Aristocrat promo models.

 

Just a few snapshots of a Game of Thrones photo booth opp and the food & beverage section sponsored by Southern Wine & Spirits of Las Vegas:  

 

Game of Thrones photo booth at Bally Tech.

Cigar Distributor.

Indie Food Spirits & Wine.

National food group.

 

Fine Wines & Cocktails sponsored by
Southern Wine & Spirits.

Two Rivers tasting sponsored by Southern Wine
& Spirits.



That's all for now.  I hope you come back and subscribe to my blog.
If you ever need assistance with your trade show planning, please message me!

Cheers,
Li

We All Need a Little Security

Definitely not something you want to see at the
post office.

Welcome to the 61st ASIS International Annual Seminar and Exhibits in Anaheim California. This jam-packed four day program offers a year’s worth of education and information sharing, as well as access to the latest security products and service solutions.

If you're not into that stuff, it could be pretty boring to you.  However, there were plenty of fun things to see in the world of security.  If you remember Tom Cruise's movie "Minority Report", it's definitely around the corner.  Like it or not, they're watching you...  From surveillance cameras to weapon training to drones and more, ASIS had it all.  

Sony Security had a toy train track display surrounded
with their cameras. Above the display were the
TV screens showing how strong their cameras
were. The train looked life size on the screen.

Garrett is a worldwide leader in metal technology.
Here they showed a 19 piece training set for police.
Calling it pat-down props.

Ikegami Electronics is a leader in the broadcast equipment technology
world.  Here they are showing one of their new toys.
A drone maybe?  Click on their link to see what they're up to.

Here is the train demo at the Sony Electronics Security booth.

 

Not a great shooter. I need a lot more training.  Here, I'm 

doing police security training simulation

at Off Duty Services. Private security services offering

armed off duty active officers.

That's all for now.  I hope you enjoyed.  

If you need assistance with your trade show planning, please message me!

Cheers,

Li