We are living and breathing in an Age of Integration.
Every action that we now undertake is or can be integrated with the larger system. The only limiting factors being our own imagination and if it is realizable computationally.

Being an informed citizen of this age "requires the ability to apply computational ways of thinking to design, to writing, to experimentation, to artistic expression, and to problem solving – to the very core of human intellectual activity. In this age, our ideas are no longer constrained solely by what is physically realizable, but by what is computationally realizable. {Hence the popularity of de-constructivism in modern architecture} ........An artist is now able to create an artwork that only exists when someone interacts with it – specifying a framework within which each visitor can create a work of art. A chemist is now able to search more effectively for new compounds by modeling them before ever going into the lab. Nearly every discipline is changing, not just because of new tools but because of new computational ideas and paradigms." Source: Congressional testimony of Dr. Rita Colwell, Director National Science Foundation.

In a trade show display design when we go twenty feet high with inset back-lit marquee picture cube performing as way finders, consolidated presentation areas as enthralling engaging elements, towering messaging collaborating with brand performance we can proudly attest to the fact that we have achieved efficiency in economics, engineering in scale and artistry in form. It is in the intelligent integration of form, function and fiscal competence that this booth design as shown above comes alive in a 20'x 20' island space.

Okay, now what? Now that you have an integrated brand architecture dominating your space, how do you leverage your stance and integrate your prospects into clients and your clients into loyal brand ambassadors. Here are 2 directives that usually always works. One, know your audience. This is the key. We are at cross-roads of integrated cross generational and cross-cultural phenomena. Learn cross-generational marketing. Two, know marketing trends impacting events along with the integrating factor of attendee quality trends and exhibit performance trends. Download the white paper Evolving Exhibition Trends and their Impact on the Value of Exhibiting.

Armed with the integrated dynamics of trends and targets you are now set for success at your next captivating trade show event. Good Luck!

In a radical socio-genetic paper that was published in 2003, it was indicated that 1 in 200 men of this planet owe their DNA to Genghis Khan. Profoundly progressive than his European or Asian counterparts, Genghis Khan swiftly conquered, abolished torture, granted universal religious freedom and squashed feudal systems of aristocratic privilege. Genghis Khan acheived this by accurate targeting, disciplined structure and seamless integration.

On a galloping horse hitting his target, armed with the technology of bows and arrows he conquered the largest empire in history. Alexander and Caesar pales in comparison. LaRae Quy, a former FBI undercover agent, says Genghis mastered his art of conquest, retention and expansion by perfecting three things. Sounds familiar. It is all about market share.

First, he developed the power to pull back the thick bow so he could aim his arrow.
Step back – take a broad survey as to who your clients and prospects are. Include age, gender, income, ethnicity, experience and affilation. Be sure to include the non-tangibles: personality, likes & dislikes, reputation and their trigger points. This will help you to decide who you want to deliberately go after.
Second, Chengiz Khan understood the movements of the horse he was riding. When a horse is galloping, there is a moment when the horse is air-borne and all four hooves are off the ground. In that split-second, as he sat in his saddle and sailed through the air in smooth flight, he could shoot his arrow with enough accuracy to hit the target.
A persona gives your team a more tangible, living target to aim for when you create different marketing messages. You can create and target several personas. For example, a car company may have car buyer personas that are driven by status, or economy, or hauling family, or sustainability. In the words of our very own Mike Thimmesch: "When you understand your buyer personas, you can tailor all marketing aspects to better appeal to them. " The key word is targeting with accuracy.
And third, Chengiz Khan understood not only his own strengths and weaknesses, but the strengths and movements of his horse as well.
Unlike, the common perception that the Mongols were ruthless nomadic savages, the reality is; in nearly every country the Mongols conquered, they brought a revolutionary rise in cultural communication, expanded trade, and a blossoming of civilization. The key lesson here: Do not shove your products or services down your clients' throat. Understand, and articulate the problems that are keeping your clients up at night. Armed with this information, target your messages. You will be astonished at the positive performance of your marketing campaigns.

“How relevant is our message for this person, at this point in the customer lifecycle?” This is the DNA of Persona Marketing. When you cultivate personas into your marketing program, you’re understanding the people that drives your market. This will empower you to make your product or service relevant to them at any specific buying stage. "This knowledge, which informs meaningful and persuasive value propositions, is not only the foundation of integrated marketing but also a powerful transformer of product development."

"The strongest principle of growth lies in human choice."

Mary Anne Evans, known by the pen name George Eliot was an 18th century leading novelist, journalist, translator and I would have to add a visionary to that tall order. Nowhere since the recorded history of mankind, were we flourished with so many choices and options with an underlying layer of sameness. The sameness is so monotonous that it looks like the flat lands of North Dakota. To rise above this tedious monotony is our strongest challenge and hence our strongest growth.

Marketers (from trade shows to social media) of today has to be entrenched in this advantageous place that Mike Gospe calls The Marketing High Grounds. When marketing leaders at every level have empathy and profound understanding of their target market, so much so that they become customers' advocate: a connection emerges and a creative path forges that cuts through the clutter and brings home the point across.

Tell Me More. These are the 3 most important words that marketers love to hear from their target audience. All marketers agree that successful selling is not about selling but story telling. And... you got it right. People will pay more attention if the story is about them: if they understand that your product will add benefits and or solve problems in their daily living. Once that is achieved, the world class marketers move on to telling their prospects how and why their products are better than any alternative. The story should always end with a validating success story and an affirmation of the of the benefit statement. Mike Gospe gives us Personas, Positioning and Messaging in his new playbook for B2B marketing professionals: The Marketing High Ground. He states, more is not better. It is normal human psychology to be everything to everybody. Marketers throw a multitude of features and benefits at prospects requiring them to sort out what’s really important. This only confuses the issue and lengthens the sales cycle. "A positioning statement challenges marketers to hone a simple statement that identifies the target market (via the persona), names the product and maps it to an appropriate category, prioritizes a benefit most relevant to the persona, and clearly distinguishes its uniqueness against the nearest competitive alternative."