Monthly Archives: February 2014

Choosing the best and most practical binding method for your nonprofit or association’s next book project can be challenging and overwhelming, especially if you take to Google with a quick web search. The number of binding options out there can be off putting and sorting through all of the industry jargon can be painful. To choose which application you truly need, you first need to know that bindery recommendations are often made with two things in mind: use and size of the publication. What are you using the book for? When determining use, you need to decide how the book is meant to be used; this should greatly impact the type of binding chosen. For example, a manual or reference book will be of better use with a coil or twin loop binding as opposed to say tape binding because most readers want manuals to lay flat for reference purposes. This is more…

Planning a large conference or annual meeting can be tough and costly. Sometimes meeting attendees don’t know how much work is involved behind the scenes. It takes a lot of time, planning and more to pull off a conference for a couple hundred people or a couple thousand people. In addition to figuring out all of the logistics, it is important to determine which types of printed materials you should invest in for the event. Here is a list of some of the most beneficial printed materials you should order to make your annual conference a success: 1.    Direct Mail Postcards/Save the Date Cards Your conference planning needs to start well in advance to the actual conference, and your members need to be notified of the event well in advance for their own planning purposes. A direct mail campaign to announce the conference is a great way to start.…

When planning an annual conference it is easy to consider things like giveaways and printed materials as mere extra expenses, but these types of items can be critical to the success of your conference and also add an element of validity and professionalism to your brand. When planning an annual conference, branded-printed materials are some of the most important materials you can get your hands on. If you choose carefully, they can be easy and inexpensive as well. A conference giveaway does not have to be extravagant to get members attention and communicate value. It’s important that the materials represent your brand, service a practical and lasting purpose, are visually appealing, and convey fun. That’s why you should consider such conference giveaways as stickers, notepads, folders, pencils, pens, calendars and day planners as potential giveaways to enhance your attendees’ annual conference experience. In fact, giving away something that is as…

For conference presenters and planners, it can be difficult to get information from academics and scholars who are scheduled to speak. And, unfortunately, not all presenters have the foresight or the time to send in materials early. Because presenters may have incredibly busy schedules, it can be difficult to get presentation materials beforehand. So, how do you get presentation materials beforehand to help ensure a great presentation and a successful conference? Nag the presenters. It really is that simple… To really get the materials in advance, you need to nag the presenters! I know that this may, in some respects, sound terrible. But, most of the individuals whom you will schedule for a presentation, will have other responsibilities and so some gentle and creative nudging, or not so gentle, may be necessary. In order to get materials ready, you can start a small direct mail campaign where you send out…

Anyone who knows about Shepard Fairey’s accidental success stemming from his 1989 “Andre the Giant has a Posse” sticker campaign knows that stickers aren’t just for elementary school success. Stickers can be integral to a successful cross marketing campaign. To get you started, here are 5 good reasons to consider stickers for your next round of printed material giveaways: Branding- How to resonate: Branding is the part of your marketing efforts that stick with your consumer or organization members. Additionally, stickers are relatively inexpensive giveaways, which makes them a great way to brand your organization or product. For example, with Shepard Fairey’s branding, despite his having little to do with the current OBEY clothing line, it is still recognized as his brand. He is the OBEY sticker guy. He has been since 1989. Shareable- It isn’t just for social media: Stickers are shareable! Not only should you give them to…