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“This was AFP’s 48th international conference on fundraising, and ex-prez Bill Clinton was there to talk in a general session about “”embracing our common humanity”" — and he should know about embracing people, after all…. AFP took advantage of everyone being at the show to conduct research on how the fund-raising game is doing in these straitened times of economic downturn and ‘donor fatigue’. A majority of the charities surveyed saw their fundraising revenue remaining stable or actually increasing last year, according to the Survey of the Nonprofit Research Collaborative (NRC), a coalition of six fundraising and philanthropic organizations. The survey also showed that strong fundraising results were more likely when organizations invested resources in fundraising staff and infrastructure, including volunteer management. (Now THERE’s a surprise!). Hey, buzz off, will’ya? I already gave at the office.
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Billed as “The Industry Event”, no less, this is the Travel Goods Show ’11, or just TGA for short. You’d better believe this is “The ideal way to enter the travel goods industry”, as one delegate enthused. Why were they all heading to the New Products Pavilion? Well, manufacturers could gain product exposure with “the best travel goods retailers on the planet” and build buzz by showcasing their products. Meanwhile for retailers the Pavilion was “home to the latest problem-solvers for travelers, the place to discover the season’s Next Big Sellers”. Co-location with the International Home & Housewares Show meant more opportunities for Travel Goods Show exhibitors, since one badge got buyers into both shows. Oh, and wheelie-suitcase makers finally seem to have solved one of the universe’s Great Mysteries of Physics: if you put the wheels further apart, the darn thing stays upright, instead of falling sideways and mashing the ankles of your fellow-passengers…
The International Home + Housewares Show from IHA (the International Housewares Association) reveals first-hand a wide range of consumer lifestyle and product trends for different areas of the home, both inside and out, all under one roof. Houseware products were categorized into four show-within-a-show expos: “Clean and Contain”, “Dine and Design”, “Wired and Well”, (we’re in alliteration heaven here, people) and lastly “Global Crossroads”, which was for all that weird furrin’ stuff that those crazy furriners bring to the International Pavilion. Actually with 6,000 international buyers from 100 countries on 6 continents (North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Australia and Africa), the international contingent made up the numbers quite handily. There were 2,000 exhibitors from over 35 countries. Who’d ‘a thunk America would have that kind of appetite for housewares from “over there”? Sure makes the washing up more interesting…
“As you enter the Show”, we were told, “you are immediately transported to another place as you experience the music, dancing and cultures from worldwide destinations!” The Chicago Travel Adventure Show had exhibits on dozens of exotic and venturesome destinations, with special presentation titles like Europe Through The Back Door, Panama the Best-Kept Secret, There’s Nothing Like Australia, and Get Lost! The Cultural Pavilion featured henna tattoo, face painting, balloon sculpture, cultural custom jewelry, masquerade headsets, and Polynesian heritage showcase. When you gotta go…. the travel bug has gotcha.
MidAm is the Mid-America Horticultural Trade Show, sometimes known by its initials as MAHTS. It’s the Midwest’s one-stop marketplace for green industry people and attracts horticulture professionals from every corner of the industry, including growers, nursery operators, landscape contractors, garden center and chain store buyers, grounds maintenance managers, landscape architects, florists, interiorscape professionals, public land managers, arborists, and golf course superintendents. Oh, and students, who were there in bigger numbers than usual, looking for career openings as well as educational opportunities. Numbers have been slipping in recent years, but they still came to checkout product ranges and prices on the various stands. The “green” items most sought-after seemed to be greenback dollars…
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