Last week was an exciting time for those who support mainstream and underground arts. Whether your life revolves around music, film, technology, pop-culture or a variation of all the above, SXSW is an exciting time to discover something new and rediscover something classic. See what Brandon had to say about this year's South by Southwest Festival here. 

Every year around the beginning of March, I receive personalized e-mails from friends and acquaintances across the country inviting me to catch up and meet at a conference, concert or film premier. It is sometimes a project someone is associated with but often times it is just an event the invitee will be attending and a chance to connect again. Companies, consider definitely taking a page out of this book and be more personable with meeting your clients.

This post has more to do with two of the east coast's answers to SXSW.

Then first, appropriately called North by Northeast (NXNE) is a week long festival of music, film and much more in Toronto, Canada. Although NXNE does not have the prominence that SXSW has, it has everything that is offered - great new and famous forms of art with a unique place for visual arts, gallery art, art spaces and even comedies. I have worked with the NXNE festival and planning team before and I can tell you from first-hand experience that there is plenty of opportunity to network with bright and creative minds. 

Can't make it to Canada? College Music Journal hosts a week long festival on the streets of one of the largest year-round Meccas for entertainment - New York City. The CMJ Music Marathon is more than just tunes and musicians - it includes debut films at famed Tribeca film theatres, special events at bars and restaurants throughout the city, seminars at NYU (and others) and much more. My last year attending CMJ Marathon was in 2008 and included such events as the national premier for Zach and Miri Make A Porno, an intimate in-studio performance sitting with Broken Social Scene, a small Crystal Castles concert at Webster Hall and a meet-and-greet opportunity with Donovan Frankenreiter just to name a few.

Didn't get a chance to find great talent for your business or find the new best thing in music or film? NXNE takes place June 10-16 and offers something very unique: huge student discounts (over 50% off standard badge prices) and single day bracelets for those who want to experience what is offered without breaking the bank. Details are forthcoming but the initial music lineup includes The National, Buke & Gass, Flag, Mickey Avalon, Joey Bada$$ and much more. College Music Journal's Music Marathon takes place later in the year from October 15-19 and is currently taking submissions for artists, films and art along with other business opportunities. Stay tuned to this website for more details. Both of these will have plenty of opportunities for promotional product hand-outs and informal meetings with industry elite.

From my experience with many promotional products trade shows, I feel that the display plays a very important role. Your trade show exhibit says alot about your company and how you choose to represent yourself. A great display represents cleanliness, knowledge and experience. In my opinion the display must captivate and engage the client to visit your booth. There are many creative and unique ways to set up a tradeshow display. Pop up booths, table top stands, banner stands, full floor kits, tents, and signs, these are just a few of the tradeshow materials that can greatly assist you with standing out in the crowd at a tradeshow. How do you want to portray your brand?

Not every chance to reach consumers requires putting on a jacket and tie. With the coming months, you can expect more music festivals, art shows, park exhibits and other occasions to put together the tradeshow booth outside. 

One such event is very local for those in the Motivators community. The Great South Bay Music Festival is more than just what the title hints at. Through music, art, culture and food, it is a weekend gathering that promotes family unity and the importance of an eco-friendly lifestyle. But unlike other local events, expect nationally recognized (and local) foods and musicians.

Although only the dates are known for the Great South Bay Music Festival, applications are currently being taken for eco-friendly vendors and food vendors. After you submit your application, be sure to check out some of our custom eco-friendly items. These will be guaranteed in before the festival kicks off on July 13 (the festival runs from July 13 to July 15) and there's enough of a variety to find exactly how you want to promote your name. 

Stay tuned for other casual events for networking opportunities.

If you're involved with music to any extent -- whether you're an artist, a producer, or just a music-lover -- you've got to make it to Atlanta, Georgia for the Music Makers Trade Show & Conference, which is scheduled for September 1 - 2. The groundbreaking event will take place at the World Congress Center.

The goal of the trade show, according to creator Perri Farmer, is to "provide a platform for independent artists to be seen and heard; allow the diverse facets of the music industry to network and connect; and introduce the latest in technology. Music Makers will bring the music world together in one venue."

It's an incredible idea, and attendees are excited to discover new musical talent.  Plus, some of today's hottest acts will take the stage throughout the two-day event, as well.

Perhaps most importantly, those hoping to break out into the music scene will have an opportunity to learn.  And as we all know, when it comes to the music industry, there's a lot to study.  According to the event's Web site,

Representatives from major record labels will be on-hand to share their knowledge. Educational "How To" seminars relative to composing, publishing, and branding yourself in the music world will be conducted. Top entertainment lawyers will lead roundtable discussions regarding the legal aspects of the music business.

Promoters, DJs, producers, and other influential individuals will be handing out music industry promo items at trade booths, giving each attendee the opportunity to "be one of the first to experience the latest in cutting-edge equipment and products."

If you're an artist who's ready to be seen and heard, mark the Music Makers Trade Show & Conference on your calendar today!

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.

Austin, TX is one of the most up-and-coming cities in the United States as a result of a large influx of twenty-somethings reinventing art forms in the area. 

Nothing is more evident of this than the steady popularity SxSW (South by Southwest) has endured throughout the years. For those not familiar with this festival/showcase, this festival is a week's worth of independent film and local/national music. Last year's festival featured films by Conan O'Brien and Jodie Foster while hundreds of bands graced the many venues of the area.

2012 is already promising to be bigger than last year's festivities. Bruce Springsteen is to be the keynote speaker as well as artists like Talib Kweli, Asking Alexandria and Say Hi as well as hundreds of others that are announced and are to be announced. The best that I've heard is that many "unofficial" showcases and concerts are free and promotional products are in high amounts there.  

You've read several posts here at the Trade Shows Blog that make mention of Apple products.  From Nick's recent post stressing the importance of bringing your custom printed iPod accessories to the Pennsylvania Music Expo to Stacie's entry about apps that are built specifically for navigating through trade shows, it's clear that Apple has had a profound impact on the industry.  Therefore, it's not surprising that when the news of Apple's ex-CEO's death reached a popular trade show outside of Tokyo, attendees were stunned and upset. 

PCWorld reports that at Ceatec, the largest Japanese electronics trade show, big-name companies like Sony and Toshiba exhibited their sleek tablets, designed specifically to compete with the iPad.  It was difficult for trade show attendees to pass the rows of booths without thinking of Steve Jobs and his influence on the digital world.  "Jobs was really the one that had pulled the world along behind him in terms of computers and technology, and his death will rattle the tech world," second-year college student Kanae Tani told PCWorld.

Others took the news of Jobs' death more harshly.  One woman, who claims to have been an Apple fanatic since 1995, said she was shocked by the news.  "I knew this day would come, but I didn't know it would be today," Miyuki Noma told PCWorld.  "I've been crying since morning," she said.

Apple's mobile devices were the first foreign products of their kind to win over a large portion of Japanese consumers.  According to CNN, in May 2010, Apple had grabbed 72% of the nation's smartphone market.

Will Jobs' death impact American tech sales in Japan? Only time will tell as the world recovers from Jobs' untimely passing.

The weather may be cold but that doesn't mean you have to stay in all weekend.

All this winter, the Pennsylvania Music Expo will be happening at the Continental Inn in Lancaster for music fanatics and vendors alike. Records will be on sale in high quantity and for a fraction of the price. Vendors will have the opportunity to sell to a significantly larger market than usual while attendees will be able to get their hands on some rarities only once found on the Internet. Be sure to bring your promotional iPod accessories to jam out to when not at the tradeshow.

The Pennsylvania Music Expo is only will be happening on October 9, November 13 and December 11 at 2285 Lincoln Highway E. (Continental Inn) in Lancaster, PA. For more information regarding the Expo, visit the Keystone Record Collectors site.

Are you desperate to get into the limelight but too nervous to up and leave for Hollywood? Or maybe you're a talent agent looking for the next Zooey Deschanel.

If you want to see your name in lights, the Showbiz Expo is the place to start. Located in the talent capital of the world (New York City) this expo will feature some of the most cutting edge in products and services for showbusiness. What makes this a great show to attend is that there will be guest speakers from the professions you are passionate about, technology showcases, an online job database and even a film festival. This tradeshow is the best place to network so be sure to have plenty of custom imprinted business card magnets on hand and a large custom imprinted business card holder.

Vendors will love the 10,000 attendees expected to show up for the tradeshow and the modest prices for a tradeshow booth. Just be sure your custom imprinted tradeshow items are in order, bring some custom imprinted pens, promotional magnets or custom imprinted t-shirts and sponsor one of the many areas of the tradeshow and you'll have a guaranteed success at the Showbiz Expo.