Fun and funny at the National Restaurant Association Show

The winning Tor Rey bag

Every trade show has its favorite Show Bags–those holders of the still-popular paper brochures, promotional tschotskes and general stuff. At the National Restaurant Association Show this past weekend, the most popular were messenger bags with wide straps worn sideways across the chest with the bag resting on the hips and butt.  I predict the messenger show bag will be everywhere next year—you heard it here first!

Best in show and everywhere: TOR REY, a roomy red messenger bag

Runner up: Front of the House, a lime green messenger bag

Honorable mention: Alibaba, great design on a large, plastic coated orange bag

Now,  of the 20 or so people I stopped to ask about their TOR-REY bags, not one said they were a real prospect for the company’s food equipment products. At least they carried the brand.

Love the buffalo

OK, you gotta love the restaurants that go for the outsized, outlandish and just plain out of this world ways to proclaim their individuality. Hence, the need for life-size, animated characters that speak to you while they are 1) nodding and waving 2) shakily holding a tray of drinks that appear about to fall off or 3) speaking and blowing smoke out of their large  nostrils while waving their head back and forth in a menacing manner –that would be the talking buffalo head.  Characters Unlimited would be happy to supply you with those and dozens more to amuse your guests. I think Charlie Trotters needs to lighten up and go for the smoke-exhaling buffalo immediately.

Tags: Alibaba, Characters Unlimited, Front of the House, National Restaurant Association, NRA Show 2010, show bags, TOR REY

Thoughts from 2010 NRA Show

Nothing could prepare me for the National Restaurant Association NRA Show 2010 at Chicago’s McCormick Place.  Being the  largest restaurant and hospitality show in the western hemisphere, with more than 1,600 exhibitors from 100 countries and a 200-page Exhibit Guide & Program containing all the information you need to navigate the show can be an overwhelming experience.

Here are a few of my favorites and must-see booths and pavilions:

Ashby’s Sterling Ice Cream- A rich, creamy, old-fashioned ice cream parlor with new product ideas and award-winning flavors.  Try the Amaretto Cherry, made with homegrown cherries from Michigan.  Delicious!  Flavor trends also include, pomegranate and a five-flavor Spumoni.

Vienna Beef- It wouldn’t be a Chicago food show without the official Chicago-style hot dog!  Vienna had a line down the aisle with lots of show buzz and excitement.

Taylor – Promoting their new multi-flavor slushy equipment with simple operational features allowed me to mix four different flavors; raspberry, energy boost, blueberry and strawberry into one refreshing slushy.  Every gas station in America should have one of these nifty gadgets.

Red River Valley Red Potatoes- These potatoes are from The Red River Valley of North Dakota and Minnesota and are grown in some of the darkest and richest soil in the world.  I found these potatoes to be firm, sweet and non grainy like most red skins. Impressive.

Grecian Delight-I had the opportunity to sample one of Grecian’s low calorie sandwiches made with whole-wheat flatbread, Lebanese chicken shawarma and skhug- it was love at first bite.

Gluten-Free Pavilion- This trend is definitely here to stay. The section was packed with 33 suppliers of gluten-free breads, crackers, baked goods, pastas and even beer.  Conte’s Pasta had great tasting gnocchi and ravioli to sample, Violet Family Products was sharing their scrumptious pizza crust and Crunchmaster was handing out their multi-seed crackers that had the perfect amount of seasoning on each cracker.

Food Trucks Pavilion- This section promoted the latest in food truck technology for chefs and entrepreneurs who want to avoid the expense of an actual restaurant. Fun idea!

A benefit idea for the recessionista in you

Glitzy galas are not in the cards this year for many organizations…even though keeping people connected to your cause is more important than ever.

One of my charities is taking a page from the Obama grass roots fundraising manual, planning  low cost/high touch “House Parties,”  and “Bar Parties” in six locations throughout the city and suburbs. Each party will be hosted by a board member, and will bring together existing donors and friends, as well as new people who live in or around that party.

Of course, social media will figure prominently in our invitation  and reminder strategy. Our younger donors will go for the bar parties. Others will opt for the house parties. In true recessionista fashion, both celebration types will include modest ticket prices to get in, sponsored drinks and light food and the auction of at least one, truly fantastic item. No black tie, no bands, no venue rental, no floral, fauna or goodie bags. But plenty of good cheer and a pumped-up presentation by a stakeholder who is passionate about the cause. (BTW: In this case, it’s children’s literacy.)

Already, the enthusiasm is higher to help with these small events as compared to the arm twisting we had to go through to get committees together for the “Big Event” model.  If it’s true that necessity breeds invention, maybe we’re learning something important about the future of fundraising.

Tags: Bar Parties, Cause Marketing, charity, children's literacy, fundraising, grass roots fundraising, House Parties, not-for-profit, Obama campaign

Causes take note: Surveys are (still) PR gold

NFPs ask me for easy ways to get press. Here’s an old idea, but one that merits comment. Online surveys.

I find short online surveys on topical subjects can result in terrific news pieces and other related content. Survey Monkey and other similar tools make online surveys easy.

Causes can survey friends of the organization and associates (use discretion with donors) on any number of relevant topics–giving trends, “Top Ten” concerns related to your cause, opinions on current public policy issues. Design your survey, deploy it to your list with a short deadline built in, summarize your results in a release and promptly begin your press contact.

Here’s a business example:

Several times a year CBD deploys short online surveys related to food industry and other trends. Surveys take 5 minutes, max, to complete. We use our own networks and always wind up with at least 100 responses in the demos we want. Results from our last survey on how young women shop for food wound up in three speeches, on our web site, blog posts and in our e-newsletter to clients and prospects. The press release on the results was picked up by top trade and consumer press. That’s PR gold.

Tags: cause PR, not for profit PR, online surveys, Survey Monkey

Causes need PR the most

In the past month, I’ve been to  board meetings for three different not-for-profit organizations—two large and one grass-roots. Very serious affairs. Regardless of size, not-for-profits are worried about giving at all levels: Individual, corporate and foundation. This puts plans and programs in flux. In this environment, it’s easy to view PR activities as non-priority spending. I argue the opposite.

PR is probably the most cost effective way to make sure your group’s message reaches a broader audience of friends and donor partners. Find some great stories about your work, make them personal with a human face and get those stories pitched and placed.

Now more than ever, the community needs to know you are steady, strong and out in the world helping as you always have been. PR can can help your group connect with donors and weather this economic storm, not succumb to it.

Tags: charitable donations, corporate donors, fundraising, grass-roots, not-for-profit, PR spending