Learning for FREE at SPREE.

posted in: SPREE 2010 on August 31, 2010 | RSS

I am a huge fan of how-to books. How to organize, how to start a business, how to invest. If its out there, I have probably purchased a book on how to do it. If I added up all the books I have bought over the years, I have probably spent hundreds if not thousands on my personal “education”.  And, while all those books have expanded my knowledge, some of the information was not as practical as it seemed or didn’t apply to my specific situation. Had I known, I would have saved my money.

That’s why I love the educational seminar program that we offer at SPREE year after year. Beyond the fact that it is always FREE to attend, we make sure that we design each seminar with specialty retail entrepreneurs in mind. We are committing to offering the most practical and relevant information for cart and kiosk retailers and specialty leasing professionals and discussing the topics that matter most when it comes to starting or managing your business and staying profitable.

From choosing your product and setting up your first venture to incorporating social and email marketing into your ongoing business plan, the SPREE educational seminar program gives you all the tools, tips and practical knowledge you need to succeed.

And there’s no need to sign up for the sessions – admission to all the SPREE seminars are FREE with your show registration. For more information on the 2011 SPREE seminar program, visit www.SPREEshow.com/seminars or call 800-936-6297 x20.

SPREE in the Social Media

posted in: SPREE 2010 on August 24, 2010 | RSS

Facebook, Twitter, Linked In…social media has become not only a trend, but the norm. And the interesting thing, is it’s not just “social” anymore. Beyond personal posts, photos and playing games together online, you cannot find a social media site where businesses are not using it to marketing themselves.

As a specialty retail entrepreneur, it can be easy to use social media to gain more exposure. All you need is something to say.

For example,  SPREE has ventured into the social media world through Facebook, Twitter, and Linked In. We use each account in a different way to spread the news on updates of our upcoming trade show including special hotel or show deals, attendee contests and to get a better idea of what our “friends, fans and followers” expect to see at our show.

Rule of thumb…be conversational and interactive. Let people reading your posts, tweets, etc. comment on what they’re reading and make it exciting!

Check out SPREE’s Facebook and Twitter pages for some ideas.

What do you want at SPREE 2011?

posted in: SPREE 2010 on August 19, 2010 | RSS

I’ve been posting a lot of information on SPREE 2011. All about our new global focus and new sponsorship opportunities and we really are planning some great new events and seminars, but I thought for a moment…I wonder what the attendees and exhibitors would like to see at SPREE 2011.

So, I’m officially opening it up for discussion. Is there anything at all…a new product, an seminar topic, a specific company or companies, a social event venue, that you would like to see at SPREE 2011? I would love to hear your feedback and hopefully turn some of these ideas into viable options for 2011.

Global Focus SPREE 2011

posted in: SPREE 2010 on August 12, 2010 | RSS

Specialty retail is a global industry and expanding more and more every year. This year, SPREE has decided to renew our commitment  to the international entrepreneur by rolling out a new “Global Focus”.

Many things are in the works, but the Global Focus will consist of seminars and seminar handouts in foreign languages including Hebrew and Spanish, seminars on how to break into the Canadian and European specialty retail markets, and understanding importing and exporting products.  For more information you can visit http://spreeshow.com/global-focus/

We are also looking for people fluent in other languages that may want to present topics during our seminar programs. If you are interested, please feel free to post a comment.

New Sponsorship Opportunities for SPREE 2011

posted in: SPREE 2010 on August 10, 2010 | RSS

SPREE 2011 is off and running. We already have 110 booths sold (which puts us way ahead of last years numbers at this time) and we’ve created a new level of sponsorship called the Executive Sponsorship which has been a big hit. Obviously, in addition to our Premier Sponsorship & Associate Sponsorship, the new middle level Executive Sponsorship offers a little more exposure for those companies looking to highlight their products at SPREE. For more info on sponsorships, you can visit our sponsorship opportunities page.

Also, in sponsorship news, Bella Pierre Cosmetics has agreed to be our Premier Sponsor for the 2^nd year in a row (They were an associate sponsor in 2009). Bella Pierre, which translates to “beautiful stone”, sells a full line of mineral based makeup and skin care with retail locations in the US and Europe. Be sure to check out some pictures of the 2010 Bella Pierre SPREE booth.