by tradesmeninsights | Sep 18, 2014 | Events/Trade Shows
Rachel Kerstetter, PR Engineer
The 30th edition of IMTS (The International Manufacturing Technology Show) 2014 was the fourth largest IMTS in history and the largest six-day show ever with registration of 114,147 representing 112 countries. [Read the Press Release Here]
I was able to attend IMTS two days last week and the one main impression that I walked away with is that IMTS is a huge show. Although I made a point to visit all four halls at McCormick Place in Chicago (North, South, East and West), I regret that I could not see it all. I spent most of my time with one of Sonnhalter’s clients in the North hall and kept busy most of the time.
IMTS takes place every two years and the 2014 show stats are impressive:
- 2014 registration was 13.9% higher than 2012
- 2,035 companies exhibited
- Exhibits covered 1.282 square feet
- 17,767 students, educators, administrators and parent chaperones (double the 2012 numbers)
I had the opportunity to talk with exhibitors, attendees and media at the show and all of them had similar comments on IMTS being an impressive and very positive show. Here were some of my personal highlights from the show:
- Every client booth that I visited was busy and their teams reported gathering quality leads
- There were a lot of students who visited the show and they asked excellent questions at the booths such as, “What does your company do?” “How does this machine work?” “Where would I see your products in my everyday life?” and many more. The exhibitors were more than happy to answer their questions.
- Manufacturing growth and technology advances were evident everywhere I turned, from the world’s first 3D-printed car [more on that here] to highly advanced machines and robotics and many other areas that I’m excited to learn more about.
- Having an Insider’s Guide to a trade show city is incredibly helpful. It can be intimidating to find a place to have dinner or grab a drink when a city, like Chicago, has so many options. The Insider’s Guide to Chicago definitely helped many IMTS attendees find some great places.
Did you attend IMTS this year? What were the highlights of the show for you? Will you be at IMTS 2016?
by tradesmeninsights | Sep 11, 2014 | Events/Trade Shows
Thanks to all that supported Sonnhalter’s 5th Annual Tool Drive to benefit Habitat for Humanity.
We recently completed our fifth annual Sonnhalter Tool Drive to benefit Habitat for Humanity. Thanks to everyone’s generous support, we received more than $35,000 in tools and building supplies. Since Sonnhalter began its efforts in 2010, it has collected more than $141,000 in donations.
We thought we’d share some highlights.
Organizing the donations that arrived at our offices to fit in the Habitat for Humanity truck on collection day.
Trade industry participants included Contractor Magazine, Council Tool Company, Gerber Plumbing, KNIPEX Tools LP, Lakeside Supply, Osborn, RIDGID, Samsel Supply, Sutton Industrial Hardware, WD40 Company, Welch Packaging, Wolff Bros. Supply, Woodhill Supply and Work Area Protection Corporation.
Work Area Protection’s donation of traffic cones.
Gerber’s donations of plumbing fixtures.
Loading the RIDGID donation during the round-up.
Community participants included the Berea Recreation Center, Café Ah-Roma, Cuyahoga County Public Library-Berea Branch, Edward Jones Investments, Perk-CUP! Café, St. Mary’s Church of Berea, St. Mary’s of the Falls, Sylvester’s Auto and Light Truck Service, Tony K’s Bar & Grille and many community members.
Pick up from one of our community drop-off locations at Perk-Cup Café.
Round-up stop at community drop-off location Berea Branch, Cuyahoga County Library.
It was a huge success and we are very thankful for the generosity of everyone that helped!
Sonnhalter employees are not afraid to get their hands dirty during the tool round-up.
Click here to read more about the Sonnhalter Fifth Annual Tool Drive.
by tradesmeninsights | Sep 3, 2014 | Events/Trade Shows
Are you heading to Chicago this month to attend the IMTS/IANA, ASPE or NECA trade shows? If so, check out our exclusive Insider’s Guide to Chicago! Use this guide to help you get around town during your free time while attending the various trade shows being held in Chicago in September.
– Want to know where the locals like to eat and drink? We have the insider information from our friends in Chicago.
– Need tips on nightlife and sightseeing? We made a list of shouldn’t-miss recommendations.
– Have you ever driven in Chicago? We have you covered with taxi and limo services.
See you at McCormick Place…or at one of the great places in the guide!
by tradesmeninsights | Jun 12, 2014 | Events/Trade Shows, Marketing Trends
By Matt Sonnhalter, Vision Architect
I recently attended the Business Marketing Association (BMA) global conference which was held in Chicago May 28-30, 2014. The largest B2B marketing conference in the world, BMA14 was attended by a record 950 B2B marketers from 450 firms, 33 states and 12 nations.
The 2014 BMA conference also deployed two digital platforms—Livecube and ISEBOX—to enable speakers to take polls and attendees to ask questions, follow tweets, share photos and access conference content. If you are in charge of planning live events/conferences, I would suggest checking out these two resources.
The 3-day conference was jam packed with content – featuring 79 speakers and presenters leading 41 sessions—three pre-conference programs, nine panels, 12 keynotes and 17 firestarters. These sessions covered a wide array of topics and trends of critical interest and importance to B2B marketers today. Someone at the conference referenced the amount of information presented was like drinking from a fire hydrant!
Here are a few themes I saw throughout the entire conference:
Big Data
It’s becoming more and more difficult for marketers in today’s environment and I thought one illustration that did a great job of representing our challenge was the Marketing Technology Landscape graphic by ChiefMartec.com. We are surrounded by data, but starved for insights; that is, data does not automatically equal insight. Today’s marketers need to solve both analytical and creative issues as we continue to trend toward extreme personalization…segments of one.
Mobile
Since mobile devices are the predominant way people globally access the web and information, mobile is a critical factor when planning future marketing efforts. Here are a few stats from the conference that help reinforce the importance of mobile:
- Mobile data usage doubled in 2013
- In the US, 1 of every 5 minutes spent on mobile are on either Facebook or Instagram
- More Facebook users globally now engage the site via their mobile device compared to their desktop
- 78% access Twitter via a mobile device
Social Media
Social media continues to be a key component of the B2B marketing mix, with Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube still being the main ones utilized by B2B marketers. There was a great session by Tim Washer from CISCO on “How to bring humor to B2B storytelling.” Just because you work in B2B marketing does not mean you need to be devoid of humor…check out some of these examples shared by Tim:
You can view/download videos and documents from the entire conference here: http://bma.isebox.net/.
by tradesmeninsights | Apr 24, 2014 | Events/Trade Shows
By Rachel Kerstetter, PR Engineer, Sonnhalter
April 25th is set aside each year to honor plumbers. At Sonnhalter, we have a great appreciation for plumbers and the work that they do.
We salute the ones who keep everything flowing, and not overflowing. We’re thankful for the dedicated plumbers who answer the call and don’t recount the tales of what they’ve pulled out of pipes. In honor of National Plumber’s Day tomorrow, we thought you’d enjoy checking out some plumbing history, compiled by Roto-Rooter.
by tradesmeninsights | Apr 23, 2014 | Events/Trade Shows
Following is a guest post about Construction Safety Day from James White from Maxwell Systems.
We all know that safety comes first, but sometimes that isn’t enough. In construction, safety should come first, second and third. That is what the 7th annual Construction Safety Day is all about. One of the most important aspects of the construction industry is understanding the dangers involved and knowing how to remain cautious and safe at all times. During Construction Safety Day, that understanding and knowledge will be at the forefront of every activity and discussion. If we want to make the construction industry safer, the insight that can be gained during Construction Safety Day is a great place to start.
Who, What, When, Where and Why
On April 23, this year’s Construction Safety Day is taking place at the Washington State Fair Events Center in Puyallup. With the priority of keeping everyone in the construction industry safe, this conference will include exhibits, equipment displays and demonstrations among other activities. Just like last year, Construction Safety Day is being put on by Washington’s Governor’s Industrial Safety and Health Advisory Board. And in the name of making the entire industry safer, many construction companies are sponsoring the event, such as the following:
- Korsmo Construction
- Hoffman Construction Company
- Teknon
- Lakeside Industries, and more
What to Expect
With construction picking up again, learning how to prevent injuries is becoming more and more important. That is why we can expect this year’s Construction Safety Day to be an extension of last year’s event. The 2014 Construction Safety Day will introduce and explain the newest injury-prevention techniques, as well as demonstrate the safest ways to utilize new equipment and vehicles. Attendees will also learn proper leadership and communication behaviors to further protect everyone involved within the construction industry. This year’s Construction Safety Day is also likely to include a catered lunch and prize drawings.
Safety in the Construction Industry
The first step in making the construction industry safer is to understand what the biggest threats to everyone’s health are. That is why Viewpoint wants to remind people within the construction industry of the dangers of the job. For instance, the Safety in the Construction Industry graphic breaks down the “fatal four” reasons for deaths within the industry by showing falls were the sole reason for 36 percent of all construction deaths in 2012. Understanding that danger and knowing the risks can encourage people to both be cautious and create new ways to prevent falling.
Another key point of the Safety in the Construction Industry graphic is that nearly 20 percent of all work-related deaths came from the construction industry. Making that shocking number more well-known is the best way to get more people involved in taking action to lower it. The graphic also breaks down the most dangerous types of construction. Gaining the knowledge that 48 percent of construction industry deaths occurred within specialty trade between 2003 and 2012 is the most by far can help people understand where we need to attack safety ignorance in order to prevent deaths. While becoming more educated on the dangers of the construction industry will not automatically make it safer, it is a great first step that has the potential to spur action and raise necessary awareness.
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