Presidents Message

Spring is in the air, that means it Business Expo time!

Our Business Expo for 2011 is May 21 and will be held at the "Farmers Market" in Blairsville. As usual we have limited space and they fill up quickly so reserve your space now!

Over 100 booth spaces available
Vendor space is first come, first serve
All under cover booth spaces include electricity (bring your own extension cord)
Vendors must be set up by 8:30 am the day of the Expo
Vendors are allowed to sell products and/or services and/or collect contact information
We encourage vendors to offer give-a-ways and/or door prizes

Event will be heavily advertised by:

Flyers
Newspaper Articles & Ads
Chamber of Commerce
Flyers
Road Signs
Facebook
Online

Vendor rates:

1/3 of a space $20 (large enough for a 10 foot table and a couple chairs)
1/2 of a space $30
Full space $60
Outside space $75

This Year's Sponsors:

Over the past 4 years public participation has grown each year. Last year we have over 2,000 visitors. This years advertising is designed to increase that number. Sign up now as space is quickly filling up.

The next Women’s Networking Group will be Thursday,April 21st, 6:00 pm and will be hosted by Becky Arrington, Empower Master Coach and Transchanneler. Meeting will be at 3387 East First Street, Blue Ridge, a former real estate model home, adjacent to the former Indigo Hills Restaurant.
,
Pam Fink
TSBW President

Press Kits Go Green

Everything is going green these days. Direct mail is being replaced by email marketing. Polls show that most people pay their bills online versus using the mail. In public relations the green movement is seeing headway in changing how we do press kits.

Press kits are critical to every public relations campaign. Every client wants a press kit. Much of the media will only consider an interview request if the company or person does not have a press kit. Traditionally most press kits have been mailed out to the media often in bulk with press releases, FAQ's, sales sheets, company information, biographies of key personnel all of which uses a lot of paper. Indeed press kits have not been green friendly.

At trade shows media rooms are set up where exhibitors will drop off hundred of press kits for the attending media to use in hopes that they will to a positive story at the show. More often than not most of the media attending a trade show doesn't even pay attention to the media kits. They have already determined who they want to meet or will walk the exhibit hall and determine who they will interview from what they see on the show floor. Most of the press kits are never used and thrown away by the trade show staff when the show has ended. The amount of paper that is wasted, particularly at larger shows like Comic-Con, Fashion Week and Book Expo, could create a small forest.

Now, press kits and the media rooms at trade shows are entering the ‘green age’. These virtual or online press kits contain all of the information that the hard copy press kits contain. Many trade shows are using virtual press offices. Press kits can be displayed online and the media can download the press kits either at the show or from a remote location. Indeed the media doesn't even need to attend to show as long as they are accredited to download the press kit. The best thing about these ‘green’ or virtual press kits is that nothing goes to waste.

Most media now prefer online press kits that can be displayed online and emailed upon request. Online media kits are more efficient, easy to update and maintain, and best of all eco-friendly. Watch more and more media begin to insist that they will only accept an online press kit in the future. Indeed in the next several years the old press kits and media rooms that we are all familiar with, will have gone the way of the record player and 8 track tape deck.

Laura Ward

Contact Us:

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Board Members
Pam Fink - President
Laura Ward - Vice President
Judy Muir - Secretary
Barb Johnson - Treasurer
Teri Stokes - Member at Large
Bette Sherman - Member at Large
Cathy Wheeler - Past President