AGENCIES
Delicious23 (1113) supplies promotions staff and models for fashion shows, advertising campaigns, corporate brochures and videos. Those seeking to develop a profitable link with sport should talk to sports marketing specialist the Havas Agency (714), which handles the Renault F1 relationship for Hanjin Shipping among others.
AWARDS
Crystal Impressions (Purple Zebra Products) (801) will be showcasing a number of new awards shapes, some suitable for surface engraving, and has introduced a range of bespoke metal awards for top end clients. Laser Crystal (837) uses laser technology to engrave a unique 3-D design within crystal, from logos to buildings, vehicles and photographic images.
CAMERAS AND OPTICAL
Alongside The Camera Company (UK)'s (904) range of single-use cameras, digital cameras, and webcams, take a look at its novel foldable card binoculars for a cost promotion with impact. They can be fully customised in up to four-colour process print and weigh just 10g.
CORPORATE AND DESKTOP
Filofax Corporate Sales (605) will be showcasing products including the entry-level Filofax Domino organiser range, the Viceroy range of solid silver fountain pens, ballpens, rollerballs and pencils in a variety of finishes, and the Retro range of solid silver fountain pens, ballpens and pencils with a textured resin barrel.
Charles Letts (605) offers personalised products from a low minimum of 50, including The Economist Diary. Other accessories include pens and pencils.
Card Scan's (719) Contact Management System synchronises with Outlook, Windows mobile devices and smartphones. The palm-sized scanner scans mono cards in about five seconds and comes with a travel pouch. Other options include the Executive model with desktop scanner and a networked Team version.
ELECTRONICS
Fresh from its victory over Toshiba in the Blu-ray/HD-DVD tussle, Sony (UK) (711) will be displaying a range of products including Blu-ray, from digital still cameras to audio/visual equipment and camcorders, many of which will only just have been released on to the retail market.
FOOD AND DRINK
Diverse Hampers (1045) offers a smart range of what it calls "Tower" hampers - stacked gift boxes tied with ribbon featuring a range of hamper-style goodies. Just a Drop (845) supplies branded bottled mineral and spring water for promotions, conferences and events.
Chocaholics might like to cut out the middleman and make for the Home Chocolate Factory stand (1121), where they'll find everything they need to make chocolates for pleasure or profit including chocolate moulds, chocolate boxes and bags, bulk chocolate, chocolate tempering machines and more.
GADGETS
Thousands of us now have a collection of digital snaps on a PC or laptop that rarely get seen by friends and family. So it's just as well that digital photo frames are starting to become much more common. Digital Frames Direct (104) offers customised frames with client branding to both frame and box, as well as uploading corporate videos and slideshows to play on start-up. Clients include Mercedes, Orange, Barclays, Total, Chevron and RBS.
Eastmore Marketing (935) could be a life-saver with its Pocket Socket brand of portable chargers - including phone chargers, solar chargers, solar model kits and solar keyrings. Phone chargers have six interchangeable heads, covering 95 per cent of mobile handsets.
Three new products from Print Run (300) include an eight-inch WiFi digital photo frame which will receive your images from email, mobile phone and WiFi, and the cunning USB Mug that plugs into your PC to keep your coffee warm as toast.
As its name suggests, Baby USB (815) offers all things USB, including drives; USB mice and photo frames, portable music and video players, and high-tech travel kits, containing items such as a mouse, USB 1.1 Hub, earphones, microphones and assorted cabling. A custom shape service is also available.
Minispeakers (327) has a whole range of high-specification minispeakers, iPod accessories, chargers and cases. It also supplies the mi-vox audio book - which includes a pre-loaded media player, earphones and battery.
GREEN GIFTS
Boosters (839) can source quirky items such as Flower in a Can - a real living flower bulb in a ring-pull tin - and Litterbuggy, a pocket waste basket with a patented brush opening. Meanwhile, the Eco Incentives (322) range includes the Vegetal Pen made from cornstarch, solar-powered mobile chargers and the bamboo optical mouse. Meanwhile, M&S shoppers facing a 5p charge for plastic bags will love its eco bags made from jute.
Keepme Bags (715) is providing PME's 3,000 official visitor bags this year. The lightweight, non-woven eco PP bags are 100 per cent recyclable and are printed with environmentally friendly, water based inks.
The Ecobutton, from suppliers including Assento (232), fits into a PC USB port and puts the computer to sleep at the touch of a button whenever the user leaves their desk. As a bonus, its software records how many carbon units and how much power and money has been saved.
HOUSEWARES
The Coaster Company (1101) provides traditional coasters and placemats, boxed sets, glass kitchen boards, ceramic mugs, acrylic coasters and fridge magnets. Le Creuset UK (515) offers upmarket kitchenware including cast iron, stainless steel, stoneware and silicon bakeware.
MOTIVATION
Movie marketing and promotions company Filmology (607) arranges bulk ticket offers, on-pack promotions, corporate hospitality events and business gifts, as well as providing cinema theatres as venues with a difference for hosting roadshows, product launches and other events. PME sees the company introducing the Cineworld Unlimited Pass to the B2B market for the first time.
Armchair football managers can thank Fantasy League (804) for creating its first fantasy league in 1991. The company can create and run a fantasy game designed specifically for your company, with a dedicated game website, based on a wide range of sports including football, rugby, cricket, F1, golf, tennis, superbikes and world rallying. Non-sports fans are also catered for, with games on anything from property and finance to films and music.
OUTDOOR AND SPORT
Cowdray Park Golf Club (225) combines polo, golf and shooting with top-notch accommodation and catering. Bespoke packages are available for corporate and business users.
When you're out and about, you need the right gear, and Gelert (630) has everything for the outdoors, including sleeping bags, rucksacks, walking accessories and lamps such as head-mounted lights for climbing or caving. The less active might go for the festival-oriented Quick Pitch SS Tent, which it claims pitches in just a couple of seconds and can be put down almost as quickly.
It makes sense that a Swedish company supplies a range of stylish, high-performance earmuffs that were used at the most recent winter Olympics. Available in a range of standard patterns and colours, they can be custom ordered. And now ear bag's (301) original bandless ear warmers can come with earphones, making them compatible with MP3 players and other personal audio devices.
PAMPERING, LUXURY AND HEALTH
The Seriously Scented Candle Tins range from Best Kept Secrets (114) comes in a range of fragrances that burn for a minimum of 60 hours. Other products include fragranced crystal gems, votive-style candles and glass candles, in scents including wild rose, fresh lavender, hot cinnamon and watermelon. Or if you need some aroma-free therapy, try a blast of fresh oxygen from OXYfit (420) to combat stress or tiredness.
Boudoir Belle (1117) designs silk merchandise for clients including the Royal Opera House, Sanctuary Spa and the Wallace Collection. Its range of plush lifestyle accessories, such as its embroidered silk zipped purse, padded with silk lining, can now be customised.
PENS AND PENCILS
Newell Corporate Gifts & Promotional Products (719) is the new identity for Sanford Brands and offers a wide range of top pen names to the incentives industry including Parker, Waterman and Paper Mate. Meanwhile, tourist traps everywhere would be the poorer without the legendary 'floaty' pen from Eskesen (414), which also supplies acrylic key tags with embedded images. More 3-D floating pens are available at the Pens That Communicate stand (234).
PRESENTATION AND PACKAGING
APS Presentations (727) creates bespoke presentation and packaging solutions with a twist in a wide range of materials, including PVC, paper over board, polypropylene, leather and aluminium.
SERVICES
Spread the risk of your promotional activity with the services of fixed-fee provider VCG - The PromoRisk People (713), which has handled promotions for clients including Tesco, Cadbury, Walkers Crisps and Budweiser. Other fixed fee providers at the show include Fotorama (520) and PIMS-SCA (625).
Meanwhile, specialist transport operator Pace Network (410) invites PME visitors to take advantage of a free advice clinic on import and export procedures (see Don't Miss ..., page 8).
SPECIALIST PRINT
Specialist printer Denny Bros (220) is behind the Fix-a-Form multi-page leaflet-label that can be placed on-pack, off-pack or in a package. On a more nostalgic note, old embossed strip label maker Dymo (719) is still going strong, now showing its range of up-to-the minute LabelWriter printers and electronic label-makers.
Kyp Systems (214) is creator of the iKyp novelty information storage system, featuring wheels that line up to reveal the answer to questions or provide useful reference information. Electronic features (such as radios) or bespoke extras (such as bottle openers) can be incorporated to ensure it is kept and used for longer.
TOYS, GAMES AND SPORT
This year the Wentworth Wooden Jigsaw Co (118) has produced puzzles for clients including Rolls-Royce, BP, Sony Ericsson and The X Factor TV show. New developments include the ability to fit puzzles within a CD or DVD case and a wider range of packaging options.
Bedlam Puzzles (723) will be ringing the changes on its range of cube-based puzzles with the Bedlam Treasure Chest in gold and silver variants. With only nine pieces and 37 solutions, it boasts it could be harder than the cube. Not tough enough? Specialist metal puzzle manufacturer Professor Puzzle (317) claims its tough "Metal Mayhem" range will test users' puzzling powers to the limit.
Absolute Authentic (102) offers customisable autographed sports memorabilia, signed by stars from F1, MotoGP, boxing, football, cricket and rugby.
WEB MARKETING AND MULTIMEDIA
Clevercherry.com (112) is exhibiting Smartsend, an e-marketing tool that enables users to send solicited and legal spam-free emails to clients any time, anywhere with no software to install. The system also performs campaign tracking. MRS Web Solutions (507) offers web design, including e-commerce, content management, search engine optimisation and email campaigns, while CRE:8 Multimedia (122) produces DVDs, videos and broadband TV channels.
THE INDUSTRY FORUM
- Tuesday 15 April
11.30am: Promotions & Incentive Magazine - The Future of Promotional Marketing
Mediator: Hugh Filman, acting editor, P&I; Jonathan Clow, client services director, BD-NTWK; Rob Wilson, strategic planning director, RPM
1pm: BPMA - The Power of Promotional Merchandise
Mediator: Gordon Glenister, director general, BPMA; Kevan Lawton, Kyp Systems; Graham Howarth, P&MM
2.30pm: Is European Regulation good for the UK promotional marketing industry?
Mediator: Philip Circus, Lawmark, The Marketing Law Advisory Service; Margot Parker, European spokesperson, BPMA; Sue Eustace, director of public affairs, The Advertising Association; Marc Lawn, consultant and ISP board director
- Wednesday 16 April
11.30am: Sourcing - how to ensure success, ethically and professionally
Mediator: Gill Thorpe, MD, The Sourcing Team; David Long, Sourcing City; Sophie Howes, Tomato Source; David Cox, SGS; David Cowell, Promo2u.com
1pm: The Voucher Association - gift vouchers and gift cards in employee and customer reward programmes
Mediator: Andrew Johnson, director general, The Voucher Association
2.30pm: ISP - Costs vs Creativity: who is making the decisions on the procurement of promotional marketing services and agencies?
Mediator: Clive Mishon, chairman, ISP Milan Panchmatia, 4C Associates; Craig Donovan, strategic sourcing manager, Coors; Devraj Dhillon, promotions manager, Spar UK
- Thursday 17 April
11.30am: Effective Motivation and Employee Incentives - which solutions will actually result in improved performance?
Mediator: Chris Bestley, ISP consultant; Fran Goble, customer relations manager, staff satisfaction South East, EDF Energy; John Sylvester, director, P&MM; Paul Brown, incentives specialist, Maritz
1pm: Marketing Associations Alliance - how to run a successful integrated marketing campaign
With representatives from the BPMA, ISP, POPAI, DMA, IPIA and the VA
Updates on www.promotional marketingexhibition.co.uk
BITE-SIZED LEARNING
As well as its own seminar session, the Marketing Associations Alliance stand will also cater to time-pressed show visitors by playing host to a number of 10-minute presentations on industry topics during the course of the show, running every 20 minutes, both morning and afternoon, with the 10 topics repeated each day. The full list, correct at time of going to press, is below.
The six associations it represents are the British Promotional Merchandise Association, the Direct Marketing Association, the Institute of Sales Promotion, Point of Purchase Advertising International, the Independent Print Industries Association and voucher industry body the VA.
11.20am: Increasing the impact of premiums on direct mail (DMA)
11.40am: Key considerations in buying better (ISP)
12pm: 10 top ways to win new clients (BPMA)
12.20pm: Knowing who your customers are (ISP)
12.40pm: Innovations in print - be the first to tell your clients (IPIA)
1.40pm: 10 tips for point of purchase (POPAI)
2pm: Mobile marketing (DMA)
2.20pm: 10 great ideas to promote your website (DMA)
3pm: Rewarding resellers and dealers (VA)
3.20pm: Innovation in merchandise (BPMA)
WHAT'S new
- Get Comfy
Brand new exhibitor Chaplin Innovations is introducing the Comfy-grip. Comfy-grip is a promotional carrier bag handle that can be moulded with a company name, logo, strap lines, messages or web address. It can be used as either a branded retail item, or as a giveaway for an exhibition or promotional event. Visitors to the Chaplin Innovations stand will get a free sample.
Chaplin Innovations - stand 1125
- Plug and produce
Ever found yourself on the road looking at a blinking battery-empty indicator on your dying mobile phone? Or have you had vital data to give to comeone but couldn't find a way to connect? Print Run's Phone Buddy could be the solution. It features a three-port USB hub, plus an eight-in-one data card reader, mobile phone and Blackberry charger, complete with a non-slip phone stand.
Print Run - stand 300
- Jazzy bags
The Clippykit range of jazzy, brightly coloured bags with transparent pockets for your bits and bobs go down a storm with the celebrity set in Harrods and Selfridges, and now they're being offered to the promotional market. The range covers mini rucksacks, messenger bags, make-up bags and clip files - and the brave can sport the "Pretty Punk Wallet of Joy".
Calypso Rose - stand 925
- Make the case for jigsaws
Not only can you commission a jigsaw puzzle with pieces shaped to fit your brand image (doggy shapes for Guide Dogs for the Blind, say, or the Audi ring logo), and also overprinted with any copyright-approved image, but now Wentworth Wooden Jigsaw Co will pack the puzzle in a CD or DVD case that also contains your corporate disk and can itself be overprinted. Puzzles in this design are viable up to 100 pieces, after which they get a bit fiddly.
Wentworth Wooden Jigsaw Co - stand 118
DON'T MISS ...
Pre-registered visitors who visit P&MM Sales Promotion (505) will be entitled to win two free flights to Europe.
Two thousand selected agency professionals who pre-register for the show will be entitled to a free Eurostar ticket when they visit the Protravel stand (401).
MRS Web Solutions (507) is offering a 10 per cent discount to everyone who orders a website at the show.
Pick up a scratchcard at the Fotorama stand (520) for the chance to win £100,000.
Hand your business card in at the Corporate Presence stand (915), and the company will embed it in clear Lucite to demonstrate its Lucite awards and corporate gifts.
Global transport company Pace Network (410) is offering stand visitors a free, half-hour advice clinic on import and export procedures. Email ahancock@thepacegroup.net to reserve a place.
Visit the Corporate Gifts Co stand (811) to receive a personalised, chrome-plated business card holder.
Promo2u.com (233) is offering a three-for-two offer on its new 1GB recycled twister-style USB flash memory devices at the show.
Head over to VCG - the PromoRisk People (713), where you can play the VCG Kiosk with a guaranteed prize, including a weekend break to Paris and Samsung MP3 players.
Each day, one lucky visitor will find the Print Run (300) catalogue in a golden envelope in their goody bag. The prize is a one-night stay for two at any of the quirky Hotel du Vin chain.
THE ONE-MINUTE EXHIBITOR VIEW
- Sean Creighton, director, VCG The PromoRisk People
"It's a strange show for us, as only about one in 200 of those who come have an interest in what we do, but they will make an effort to talk to us. And our average order size is much larger than a pen supplier, say, so it only takes one order to make it worthwhile.
"Having said that, we did do a bit better at NIS (National Incentive Show) last year than PME - but it's really the luck of the draw who comes to each show. And it clearly hasn't stopped us coming here again. It's always good to get exposure and it's a good training ground for our graduate trainees to learn the industry."
- Danny Bamping, managing director, Bedlam Puzzles
"The PME is now in its third year and we're looking forward to it. We have new products that we are launching - such as the Crazee World and Crazee Sports Ball range - none of which has yet been launched to the retail market.
"We are very excited about showing our customers and potential customers this new range of mobile puzzles and our new mechanism which can turn most 3-D objects into 3-D puzzles.
"We are also looking forward to catching up with some good friends in the industry who we rarely see and enjoy a few shandies with them over the days and evenings."
- Clive Chaplin, partner, Chaplin Innovations
"This is our first ever promotional product, so this is the first time we are exhibiting at any promotional show. We have chosen the Promotional Marketing Exhibition to showcase our product as part of our planned development of markets for Comfy-grip. We aim to target the corporate promotional market and we believe that PME offers us an excellent opportunity to do this. We will be using the product at the exhibition for self-promotion in a way that we believe potential clients may use themselves, and we hope that by being introduced to the product in this way will give them a clear understanding of its potential."
THE ONE-MINUTE VISITOR VIEW
- Julian Goad, director, Blank Canvas
"We represent some of the exhibitors and it's great to see how their offerings are being received by visitors and to network after the show. And as an agency that often requires promotional solutions for clients and brands, we find PME an invaluable source of inspiration that keeps us up to date on developments."
- Paul Farrow, sales director, Reflex Printed Plastics
"I go to the show for two reasons - looking for innovation and trying to achieve a cross-pollination of clients. We offer products to support promotional marketing clients - from packaging and document wallets to lenticular printing - and we like to go to the show to find partners and clients we can work with."
- Ray Jones, head of communications and external affairs, Chartered Institute of Marketing
"As a nationwide specialist educational body, we are always in search of good venues for events, as well as promotional gifts and awards for our top students. The show is convenient for us in terms of its central location, and has a good mix of suppliers, so it's always worth a visit."