Conventions

Just LOOK at your hair!  So you hanker after the bright-blue-lips and bangs look? You want to make an entrance looking like an extra from The Lion King?   You like the idea of switching your corn rows for a Russian Imperial Cavalry hairstyle?  Oh, wait, you have a secret hankering to wear a loom on your head?  Oh, you’re just here to hear Musiq Soulchild in concert?  Well, whatever.  At the Bronner Bros International Hair Show you can check All Of The Above. The only trade show dedicated to the care of “black” hair.   As one delegate gushed, “I had a complete blast at the Bronner Bros Show. I live for cosmetology in every aspect! We are a fabulous industry!” This show is Nikki Minaj to the 100th power. Oh, btw, if you opted for the Loom-On-Your-Head look, just be careful about walking through doors…

Sept. 22-24, 2011: Specs, goggles, headlamps… history has thought up a slew of unflattering names for those things four-eyed geeks perch on the bridge of their nose so they can see properly.  But eyewear, as we have learned to call it, got to be a high-fashion zone when the likes of Armani, Dolce & Gabbana, Dior and Yves Saint Laurent decided to smarten them up.  Having seen the sexy new frame designs, visitors to the show were able to bone up on “Electronic Eyewear Selection & Information Systems”,  “Frame Technology – What’s New, What’s Now”, “Managing Difficult Frame Fits”, “Using Ergonomics in Eyewear Selection & Fitting”, and a boot camp on “Frame Adjusting & Repair”.  Now, when I hold up this brochure, how many designer labels can you see?

“GlobalShop is “”The Retail Solutions Event”", and the main things being retailed to these delegates were “”inspiration, innovation and insights”". GlobalShop is supposed to be the largest store design and retail marketing show in the United States. It is the place where retailers and brand marketers can shop for over 10,000 products and visit more than 900 suppliers in one location. The conference program offered 24 sessions led by top retail experts, who provided insight, advice and best practice information on how to create sustainable brands at retail that resonate with consumers. Big topics took in subjects like Lessons of the Recession; Shopper Marketing — a Revolution in Need of an Objective; From Research to Reality — Turning Shopper Insights into Successful Store Design; and Reimagining the Retail Store — The Shopper’s Experience. Sounds like retailers mainly needed to hone their listening skills…
”

Toy Fair purports to be the largest toy trade show in the Western Hemisphere. More than 1,500 manufacturers, distributors, importers and sales agents from 30 countries showcased their toy and entertainment products, from classic toys to interactive entertainment and everything in between. Products included action figures and dolls, games and puzzles, earth-friendly toys, bicycles, tricycles and ride-ons, radio-controlled vehicles, infant and preschool toys, cars, trucks and trains, puppets and plush, electronic entertainment, robotics, computer software and video games, playground and sporting equipment, Halloween, Christmas, books, stationery, party supplies, and plenty more. This was a trade only event; Toy Fair is not open to the public. Buyers eligible for admission included retailers, wholesalers, importers, and buying groups. You didn’t see any squealing kids there, either, as no-one under 18, including infants, was being admitted…. Grinch? What Grinch?
Note on the pics below. The traditional ant farm has a new twist. There is a back light when the ants walk over it, projects onto the ceiling or wall for a “inside” experience.

Back in the 1950s, they apparently used to sell golfing equipment in parking lots. That was before the game of golf had developed into a multi-billion dollar industry and a national obsession, and those informal little selling meets have now evolved into the behemoth that is the PGA Merchandizing Show. It’s now a “comprehensive multi-purpose business platform for 1000+ vendors representing every business sector of golf from market leaders to start-up companies”. Golf industry leaders addressed key issues, there were education seminars and chances to share and discuss best practices. New golf employment initiatives were launched, as the industry tries to shrug off the recent economic unpleasantness. Spirits were high, and the attendees all wandered around with those strangely goofy grins that people get at sport shows and sport celeb encounters.