Tired of impersonal e-mails that not only clutter e-mail accounts but can cause harm to your computer? You may not be the only one.

Despite a small decrease in letters transferred by snail mail each year, there is a small cult-following of people who prefer paper-cuts and stamps over passwords and attachment sizes. These letters tend to not only be more personal but give the recipient a more secure and binding document than an e-mail or text message.

For those who check their mailboxes outside more than their mailboxes inside, consider attending the National Stationary Show taking place at New York's famed Jacob Javits Center. It's going to be filled with national and international vendors who enjoy and work with paper tableware, custom calendars, greeting cards, invitations and much more.  

From May 19 (Sunday) to May 22 (Wednesday) be sure to grab your tote bag and fill it with the finest paper products. Registering is very easy (especially if you have a LinkedIN account) and there is even a "Newbie's Guide" to the National Stationary Show.

We make our New Years Resolutions in the hopes to better ourselves. Some want to become more healthy, others want to donate time/money to causes they strongly believe in. For others, it is a chance to become something you want to be.

For those who want to strive to take their talents to the next level, you may want to start getting your portfolios together after New Year's Day. The Jacob Javits Center will be the home of FAME. FAME is a world-reknowned junior/young contemporary show with hundreds of retailers on site showcasing the new and innovative designs for the summer and spring. The exhibitor list is still open although you may want to carry your sketches and other designs in a fancy custom leather portfolio. Keep business cards on you and you could start connecting with the biggest names in the business in no time.

FAME provides shuttle service to various locations throughout Manhattan - including Penn Station, The piers on the West Side, the W Hotel in Times Square and the Candlewood Suites in Times Square South. The shuttle continues to run to those locations even after the show ends each night. The trade show also features amenities such as lunch, breakfast, cappuccino/coffee/tea, smoothies and complimentary totes. (while supplies last)

FAME takes place on January 6 and continues until January 8 from 9:00am-6:00pm. (4:00pm on January 8) For more information on attending or getting your company in, visit the Fame Winter 2013 website.

Do you find that most of your time online is on mobile devices such as smart phones and tablets? You may find that the convenience of the Web at your fingertips is beneficial but keeping up with your favorite webpages could have a little bit of a damper. We have great news though.

The Trade Show News Network, a primary source for our Trade Show news and updates, is proud to announce a partnership with a2z Inc. This partnership with the leading provider of web-based event management tools means the coming year will be easier to organize your calendar and your life around the important tradeshows surrounding your area and your industry.

We will continue to give you news about trade shows and events throughout the United States so be sure to add The Trade Show Blog and Motivators.com to your list of homepages on your devices. 

As social media continues to grow in importance and popularity, more and more industries are trying to get in the game. There are many reasons trade show exhibitors might want to take advantage of social networks like Twitter and Facebook. Let's take a look at a few ways you can make your trade show booth more social.

1. Promote your booth via Twitter
   
   According to the Trade Show News Network (TSNN), Tweeting about your booth's "specials, giveaways, contests, new products, special offers, and the like" will help draw in more visitors. It's advised to begin Tweeting as early as two months in advance to help create hype.
   
   
2. Ask attendees to engage on Facebook
   
   Socialnomics suggests running trade show polls and contests through your company or organization's Facebook page. Booth reps can even encourage attendees to visit your Facebook to get involved. Incentivize participation with high-end trade show giveaways.
   
   
3. Blog about presentations and education seminars
   
   Chances are there are people who couldn't make it to the big trade show. Keep them in the loop by live blogging about interesting presentations and education sessions. But remember, the key to a successful trade show live blog, according to Social Media B2B, is to "publish before you walk out of the room." That's when your content will be most relevant!

Looking for more interesting ways to get more social at the next trade show? Check out Gallo Display's "How to Integrate Social Media and Trade Show Marketing" infographic here. And don't forget to comment with your ideas!

Typically, when referring to Austin festival South by Southwest (SXSW) we refer to its prestigious film festival or the up-and-coming bands expected to grace the many stages in Austin. But the impact of this year's festival may stretch further than just film and music.

As reported by Michelle Bruno on the Tradeshow News Network website, South by Southwest is being opposed by a renegade group called the Badgeless. The Badgeless is a group of social media users who refused to pay the price of the SXSW festival. This group, rather than seeing the official films, concerts and keynote speeches of the SXSW festival, put the element of gathering together at top priority. As described by Michelle Bruno, "Badgeless participants didn't get to see the Al Gore or Ray Kurzweil keynotes...but they did get a lot of free tacos and beer and themselves, which is apparently the main attraction for them."

So how might it affect other tradeshows? It is possible that other festivals known for exclusivity or steep pricing could be outpaced by the spread of social media groups. The result could continue to wear at waning participation and pull tradeshow veterans away from the original tradeshow.

Organizers seemed not to be threatened by the Badgeless, acknowledging the group and explaining how each year of the festival has been more successful than the last. With over two decades of success, it'll be some time until the Badgeless can cause a reasonable dent in the participation.

How are you drawing people to your product?

It's a very simple question but the answer to this question can either make or break your company at a tradeshow. Because all too often, companies spend thousands of dollars for prime display space, travel and man-hours and employees spend their time behind the counter, twiddling thumbs and barely saying a word. I've seen it far too often and unless you have a product that is more innovative than the automobile or sliced bread, your tent is just another obstruction in an already crowded room.

Companies at tradeshows are successful if they have incentives, attention grabbers, promotional products and even people of the right attitude. While we at Motivators can't help your employees with their "please's" and "thank you's" Motivators products can certainly help out with getting everyone from new customers to tradeshow veterans checking out your display.

With over 50,000 SKUs for products available over the phone, online and in catalogs, Motivators has a promotional product for every budget and style. All you need is a logo and an idea and you'll have a promotional product incentive that will have people scrambling to get their hands on. And the more one-of-a-kind an item is, the more likely it'll stand out at a trade show. In the same way that two people might wear the same shirt or dress, nothing is more embarrassing than when two companies utilize the same promotional products at the same trade show. But don't be afraid to use the basics, such as promotional pens and promotional water bottles. While quite common at tradeshows, these items do work effectively. Another good idea might be choosing a promotional item that might turn heads as opposed to being directly correlated. In my days of working with a music magazine, I attended a tradeshow and handed out - of all things - promotional yo-yo's. Why? Because I knew that young people (and even those in their 50's and 60's) would play with the yo-yo. And if you didn't play with a yo-yo, you would still have a harder time throwing out something like a yo-yo over a promotional pen or promotional keychain.

Having a difficult time deciding what everyone might like? Motivators also sells some wild promotional download cards - cards that include complimentary music downloads, DVDs or even phone skins. As a company, all you have to do is purchase these cards and print your logo on the card. These cards stay in the wallet or purse until being redeemed and the joy of a new song, new cell phone cover or movie is forever associated with your name and brand. And with very few companies handing these out at tradeshows, it's almost guaranteed to be a hit.

And if that isn't enough for you, put on a show! There are even a few promotional products that can be used by your employees (or interns) to grab peoples' attention. For example, item #27978 is an item called Sonic Rocks. In addition to being incredibly strong magnets with an imprinted logo on the casing, the rocks make an electrifying sound when thrown in the air and join together. Or to visually entice, consider juggling promotional balls or promotional Frisbees. People are drawn by the unique and exciting - and nothing is more exciting than free promotional products and entertainment.

No matter how you choose to use them, promotional products put you ahead of the curve and will have people buzzing about your brand throughout the tradeshow.