The 2011 holiday season was a mere two months ago, and yet some are already preparing for next Christmas.

This week, Manhattan's Javits Center played host to over 15,000 buyers and more than 1,000 media reps who hoped to catch a glimpse of the 100,000 new toys, games, and other entertainment products on display.  The "largest toy tradeshow in the Western Hemisphere" wowed attendees with innovative new toys and hot trends.

According to Newsday, this year, toy manufacturers at the American International Toy Fair went app crazy:  "More companies are incorporating apps to help enhance the board game experience."  Additionally, Internet sensations, like Angry Orange, are entering the toy market with promotional stuffed animals and key chains.

Unfortunately, if you attended the show and saw an item you loved, you'll have to wait.  For the most part, the exhibited toys will not be available in stores until later this year.

If you're getting ready to exhibit at a trade show, you're most likely trying to determine how to stand out among other companies and organizations.  Some do so by decorating their booths, and others hope to get noticed by handing out fun and fresh giveaways.

One great way to amp up your trade show presence is to hand out bundled promos.  However, the high price of attention-grabbing packaging is often more than what you're willing to pay.  But one unique way to pack products together for less is to utilize wristbands!

As you can see, bracelets can hold together your trade show items easily.  Best of all, the wristbands are extremely affordable; you won't have to spend all of your hard-earned cash on fancy boxes and bags!

How can you differentiate your brand from all the others at the upcoming trade show?  Choose to arrange your handouts together using a promotional wristband.  There's no way your booth will go unnoticed!

What happens to functioning car parts after someone's decided to trash their vehicle and buy or lease a new one?  Unfortunately, many reusable pieces become mountains of waste in landfills if they're not recycled properly.  But one organization aims to bring together auto recyclers across Ontario to limit waste and promote the use of quality recycled green parts.

The Ontario Automotive Recyclers Association (OARA), which was founded in 1992, keeps auto recyclers "informed and involved with input and information into current industry trends and government legislative initiatives that affect auto recyclers."  If you're interested in learning more about the OARA, you're in luck -- the organization's annual trade show and convention will take place March 29 - 31 in Toronto, Ontario.

Unfortunately, if you're an auto recycler looking to exhibit at the show, it's too late.  According to Collision Repair magazine, all spots have already been filled.  Steve Fletcher, OARA's Executive Director, told Collision Repair that this year, exhibit spots filled up quicker than ever.  "We always sell out every year but never this soon," Fletcher said.

For those looking to attend, there's still time to register.  Attendees can look forward to "constructive knowledge sharing and features educational seminars, presentations and industry round tables combined with interactive social events and a busy tradeshow floor."  Plus, promotional bags and other giveaways will be provided!

You might think that if you've seen one pen, you've seen them all.  But those who attended last month's Philadelphia Pen Show know otherwise! 

The annual trade show, which takes place in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, celebrates the convergence of history and pens, as evidenced by the show's tagline:  "Where history and pen lovers meet."

This year's event was sponsored by Visconti Pens, a Florence, Italy-based pen company, and was hugely successful.  According to the Philadelphia Pen Show's Web site, the tradeshow is "considered by many to be the third or fourth largest pen shows in the U.S."

Attendees had the opportunity to participate in calligraphy classes, sit in on educational pen seminars, and browse through collections of vintage fountain pens.  According to a press release, "This year's theme pen [was] the Istos Aracnis or 'Spider' Fountain Pen, a limited edition pen of 888 pieces that has a suggested retail price of $1,950."

Here in New York, we just recently had our first snowfall of the season.  But out by Denver, Colorado, ski enthusiasts and snow-sports manufacturers are already preparing for next winter.  According to the Denver Post, apparel featuring bright colors and bold patterns will continue to dominate next year.

New lines of vibrantly-colored promotional outerwear for 2013 were presented at last week's SIA Snow Show in Denver.  "The brighter the colors, the faster it sells," Colorado Ski & Sports apparel buyer, Mary Mancini, told the Denver Post. "It pops on the snow." 

According to Linda Rodney, national sales director for Sport Obermeyer, the loud looks may be in reaction to our nation's down economy. "When things are gloomy, people like to be bright. A big trend we are seeing is bright and printed bottoms to match the bright jackets that have been popular for the past couple seasons," Rodney said.

What do you think of the flashy colors presented at the SIA Snow Show in Denver?  Would you wear one of these prominent pieces?

Love wrapping up your day with a glass of Merlot? Does your perfect Sunday involve touring local wineries and vineyards? Is this one of your favorite episodes of I Love Lucy?  If you answered yes to any of these questions, chances are you love and appreciate good wine. 

And you're not alone -- according to the Sacramento Bee, upwards of 11,000 wine professionals are expected to attend the Unified Wine & Grape Symposium at the Sacramento Convention Center in Sacramento, California.  The trade show, which kicked off on Tuesday and will run through the end of today, is "built with the joint input of growers, vintners and allied industry members" and "is the largest event of its kind in the western hemisphere."

Attendees can look forward to a diverse lineup of expert speakers.  According to the trade show's Web site, wine professionals will share information about facing climate change, the state of the industry, and advertising and marketing.  And of course, those attending will also snack on lots of food while sipping from custom wine glasses!

If you were lucky enough to be one of the more than 10,000 attendees at The 2012 Promotional Products Association International (PPAI) Expo, you know first-hand that the event was an overwhelming success.  During the five-day show, which was held at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, over 100,000 new products were introduced to thousands of excited and curious distributors.

According to Promotional Products Business (PPB) magazine, "With a total of more than 18,350 participants, the overall non-gaming economic impact of The PPAI Expo 2012 is estimated at $19,500,000 by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority."  That astounding number highlights the importance of the PPAI Expo to the promotional products industry.

In fact, the PPAI Expo has been dubbed "the industry's show;" it's the only event that brings eager suppliers and well-qualified distributors together in one place.  Paul Bellantone, CAE, president and CEO of PPAI, told PPB magazine that on a global scale, "The PPAI Expo is the best show for the promotional products industry to bring its products and services to market every year." And this year's event was no exception; in fact, according to Bellantone, its success proves that the promotional items industry will only continue to grow.

It's officially trade show season, and exhibitors are understandably excited about showing off their new products and services.  But be careful; lots of companies overspend in preparation for the conventions and attend unnecessary shows with no gain.  Let's go over some common traps that companies fall into during trade show season:

1.  Too much space

According to CBS News, one of the most common mistakes exhibitors make is going too big.  Just because the booth next door to you is impressive in size, doesn't mean that yours is too small. "Money spent to make that booth look as elegant and professional as possible is generally better than money spent for more real estate and all of the additional expenses that come with it," says trade show veteran Michael Hess.  Therefore, instead of renting out extra space, make sure your trade show tent looks presentable and appealing.

2.  Too many representatives

You may be tempted to send multiple representatives from your company to exhibit at the upcoming trade show.  But remember:  The more people you send away from the office, the less work will get done at home.  Plus, expenses due to airfare, meals, entertainment, hotels, and transportation really add up.  Figure out how many people you can afford to send away, and stick to it.

3.  Too many last-minute changes

A big event rarely goes off without a hitch; there's always going to be something someone forgot to do, bring, or say.  But with proper planning, you can avoid making last-minute (and potentially costly) changes.

4.  Too many shows

Of course you want to show off your product or service to as many people as possible, but more shows doesn't always mean more sales.  According to Hess, "You should always question a show that will mainly put you in front of people you see in the normal course of business."  If your reps regularly see the dealers you'd see at a particular show, you might want to spend your money elsewhere.

5.  Too much inaction

Simply sitting at your booth is not the same as "having a presence."  You've got to engage attendees.  How you draw people in is your choice -- perhaps you want to include a sign-up sheet, or maybe you'd prefer to hand out trade show giveaways.  Do whatever you think will get attendees to act.

Before deciding when and where to exhibit, consider the reasons, the expenses, and whether or not you can afford to miss the show.  If attending is absolutely necessary, constantly keep an eye out for ways to cut waste.

Gaming enthusiasts are no doubt freaking out right about now, and not in a good way.  A couple of weeks ago, Microsoft (the creator of Xbox) announced that this will be its last year at the highly popular Consumer Electronics Show, where it's served as the event's "anchor company" for over a decade.  This week, Sony also revealed some disappointing information regarding its PlayStation gaming system.  

The Wall Street Journal reports that "Sony said it does not plan on making an announcement about a new home console at this year’s E3 videogame trade show, deflating expectation that a successor to its PlayStation 3 will be on its way soon."  Apparently, Sony asserts that the PS3 has a "10-year life cycle," meaning that gamers should not expect a new promo game console until 2016.

The majority of New York-based trade shows are currently held at Manhattan's Jacob K. Javits Convention Center.  The assembly hall ranks only 12th in the nation in size, leaving much to be desired; it's beat out by tradeshow centers in both California and Georgia.  But New York trade shows may soon receive a face lift; last week, Gov. Andrew Cuomo unveiled plans to develop a massive new convention center in Queens, NY.

According to the New York Post, Cuomo, who recently called the Javits Center "obsolete," asserts that the area needs a larger convention center in order to compete.  Mayor Bloomberg has also voiced his support for the privately-funded project:  "All of us have agreed that we need a bigger convention center. Could you imagine what we could do if we had a world-class, appropriate-sized convention center?" he said.

The new hall would be built in Queens between New York City's biggest airports.  Meanwhile, the Javits Center, which the San Francisco Chronicle called "too small ... and poorly suited for the kind of bold, glitzy convention center that would be appropriate for Manhattan," would be converted into office space, housing, hotel rooms, and more.

Not only does the initiative have the potential to create thousands of jobs, but it may also draw in more visitors to the New York region.  What's most exciting about the proposed tradeshow center is its sheer size. "Let's build the largest convention center in the nation, period," Cuomo said.  Imagine the amount of trade show giveaways you could collect at a show in the country's biggest convention center!

What do you think -- would a sparkling new convention hall have you visiting New York more often?