Vol. 3, No. 4 | November 20, 2007
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Industry News [[HOT TOPIC]] USSC Sign World USA  Nov. 29 - Dec. 1 Atlantic City, New Jersey Next week, at the Atlantic City Convention Center, the USSC (United States Sign Council) brings its unique blend of exhibiting sign manufacturers and distributors, hands-on workshops, and seminar education to the masses, as the sign community descends on Vegas East for some business and fun. And while some may hit the casino floor after the show to do a little gambling, there is only one sure thing in Atlantic City next week: Sign World USA will benefit your business. In addition to the hundreds of local and national sign companies exhibiting (and selling!) their newest products on the show floor, Sign World USA always offers some of the best hands-on workshops and educational seminars. Here's a few suggestions: Thursday, Nov. 29, 1:30PM - 3:30PM PINSTRIPING (hands-on). Instructor Tramp Warner, Tramps Designs, will review basic pinstriping techniques and the use of the sword striper and striping wheel. Development and practice of Tramp's five basic pinstriping forms and overlay pinstriping techniques will be included. Friday, Nov. 30, 8:30AM - 10:30AM LARGE VEHICLE VINYL APPLICATION (hands-on). Instructor Ward Schneider, Schneider Graphics, will teach vinyl application for vans, trucks, and fleet graphics, including techniques for application over rivets, seams, and curved surfaces, plus accurate matching of large graphic panels. Saturday, Dec. 1, 10:30AM - 12:00PM GOING GREEN, Environmental Design & Sales Issues. Instructor: Craig Berger, of SEGD, presents an exposition of how "green" or environmentally friendly design, fabrication, and installation practices will affect your sign shop. From shop standards, to material selection, to installation approaches, this session will focus on how you can take advantage of this emerging demand for "green" oriented products and services to expand your market, gain a competitive advantage, and even make the world a better place. As always, don't forget about Sign World USA's famous Bullpen, where some of the best pinstripers and sign crafters in the country get a chance to show off their skills and offer advice. Though online registration is now closed, the on-site Registration Area will be open at 8:00 AM every day of the event. (Please remember that ONLY CASH OR CHECK will be accepted for on-site registration payment.) For a full show schedule, lodging information, etc., check out www.ussc.org/main_signworld.htm P.S. While in Atlantic City, the SBI Update staff highly recommends dinner at Dock's Oyster House (www.docksoysterhouse.com). It's a USSC tradition, and the food is absolutely amazing. Trust us! SIGNARAMA Donates Money to Southern California Fire Disaster Relief Efforts In another instance of the sign community coming together to help fellow Americans, SIGNARAMA, one of the world's largest retail sign franchise, recently donated to the Red Cross Southern California Fire Disaster Relief efforts following last month's tragic wildfires that devastated homes and lives in the region. Similar to the efforts of many sign franchises and independent sign shops in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, once again the sign community has shown its mettle. Though headquartered in West Palm Beach, Florida, SIGNARAMA has multiple locations within the wildfire disaster area; fortunately none were seriously affected. Nonetheless, donations were made by the corporate headquarters in an effort to support the communities of the franchisees that they serve. To learn more about the company's efforts to aid those in need following the California fires, or to find out about franchise opportunities, visit www.signarama.com, or call 800/286-8671. Streetblimps Uses Google Earth to Monitor Mobile Billboards Streetblimps Inc., a Garden City, New York-based company that implements out-of-home marketing campaigns, has incorporated Google Earth into its GPS monitoring. The new technology uses satellite imagery to depict a truck's location, within 50 feet. Streetblimps' monitoring system enables clients to track their campaigns in real time. The technology is managed by an independent, third-party to further enhance its credibility. "Our system sets a new standard of accountability," said Doug Frantin, president of Streetblimps Inc., whose company owns its own fleet of more than 80 mobile billboards in major markets throughout the U.S. "The mobile billboard industry has lagged behind other advertising mediums when it comes to auditing. Now, our clients can see exactly where their trucks are whenever they want to." The first independent audit to verify customer reach was conducted in 2000 by the Traffic Audit Bureau, a not-for-profit organization that audits the circulation of out-of-home media in the U.S. Since then, standards have been updated and refined. However, Streetblimps has incorporated Google Earth, so clients can monitor the status of their campaigns in real time. Streetblimps' system provides a detailed, close-up look at where the trucks are at all times. Streetblimps has also significantly expanded the reach of its projection media programs to more than 70-markets nationwide. This alternative advertising technique enables marketers to project still images or 30-second videos onto buildings in high-profile locations throughout the U.S. "Interest in projection media has exploded," said Frantin. "We have responded to the demand from ad agencies by securing locations, creating demographic profiles and delivering scouting reports for projection media sites in more than 70 cities." Projection media is a fast growing sector of alternative marketing, because it is highly targeted, and projection media can be implemented cost-effectively for a few hours or a few days. Additionally, the ads can be projected onto sites where traditional advertising mediums aren?t available. "Projection media surprises people," said Frantin. "It?s a novelty that captures attention. That?s part of why it works so well." Streetblimps' scouting reports now provide detailed demographics for each projection media site. Advertisers can now pinpoint locations to reach highly targeted audiences. An array of national consumer brands have already incorporated projection media into their marketing mix. During the past two years, Streetblimps has delivered more than 5,000 hours of projection media?leading the company to significantly expand its offering. Founded in 1987, Streetblimps is a full-service outdoor solutions company that implements out-of-home campaigns throughout North America. Headquartered in Garden City, New York, the company has offices in Los Angeles, Chicago, and Palm Beach. To deliver faster turn-around, better quality and more reliable service, Streetblimps manages every aspect of its marketing campaigns in-house?from design and printing to owning and maintaining its own equipment. Tulsa Legislates on LED Signs As LED message centers and billboard signs rise in popularity, more and more cities are finding they don't have any existing ordinances to regulate the new proliferation of signage. According to the online journal Newsok.com, Tulsa, Oklahoma, like many U.S. cities, has seen an increase in these signs since they've become more affordable for businesses. In October, the Tulsa City Council unanimously approved a temporary moratorium prohibiting until May 1 the installation of any more signs containing LEDs, or light-emitting diodes. "In Tulsa, when people seek permission to put up a new LED sign, they must appear before the city's board of adjustment," Councilor Rick Westcott told the online journal. "The problem is, right now there isn't any provision for that type of sign." Westcott estimates that the Board has denied requests for about a half-dozen such signs. "And when they denied the applications, those applicants took the next step to appeal the measure straight to district court," he told the online journal. The moratorium was decided as a temporary solution because the board didn't have guidance from the city council and the budget to fight multiple cases in the district court. The moratorium gives the board time to research and bring potential policies and recommendations before the city council. Westcott stress that a moratorium is not a ban and that existing signs are not affected by the measure. Also, the city's moratorium may have no affect on local American Indian casinos that use LEDs to draw attention to their establishments because the city doesn't have authority there. --Lori Andreozzi
New Appointments
Accenta Inc., an international display designer, manufacturer and distributor, and subsidiary of Accenta Display Corp. in Ontario, announced the appointment of Bob Small as the new sales manager of its Northeast Sales Territory. Small will be responsible for selling and promoting Accenta's display product line, including the award-winning Roll-It-Up displays, to dealers and resellers throughout New England, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Delaware.
Meetings and Events
NOVEMBER November 28 - 29: The Strategy Institute?s Third Annual ?Building Your Successful Digital Signage Business? Conference will be held in Chicago, Illinois. To learn more about attending, call 866/298-9343, e-mail registration@strategyinstitute.com (quote priority code: 107028-EB1), or visit www.strategyinstitute.com. November 30 - December 2: USSC Sign World USA will take place at the Atlantic City Convention Center in Atlantic City, New Jersey. For more information, call 215/785-1922 or visit www.ussc.org/main_signworld.html
DECEMBER
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SIGNARAMA Aids Fire Victims
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