Monthly Archives: December 2016

Top Trade Shows

Trade shows have always been a big factor in the success of many businesses. They are so important, in fact, that people have spent a lot of time deconstructing the science of what goes into a successful trade show. For vendors and the event hosts, trade show success has been measured by simple metrics. For vendors, the amount of sales generated at a trade show was always thought to be the most important factor. For the industry or event space, number of attendees has always been the number they look to as an indicator. As trade shows have been analyzed, however, it has been determined that these might not be the best long term indicators of a trade show’s success. These quantitative factors may not be the only measures of the quality of a trade show. For example, how does a business measure how effectively it communicated the message of its brand at the trade show? One way that vendors and hosts are finding to measure the long-term effectiveness of the event is by tracking the leads that are generated. These leads can lead to long-term sales that dwarf the figures accumulated at the actual event. Companies are providing the events and the individuals themselves with tools, like a tradeshow badge scanner, that allows this long term success to be tracked by scanning the badges or bar codes of attendees and potential customers.

 

Of course, the more people in attendance, the more leads can be tracked. For that reason, attendance is still a crucial factor in an event’s success. Here are a few industry trade shows that are generating a lot of attendance and thus a lot of sales and leads for the show’s attendees.

 

CES

 

CES is the name given to the major technology industry trade show. It is hosted annually, in early January in Las Vegas by the Consumer Technology Association. Held over the course of several days, CES is an international trade show that combines all aspects of consumer technology. There are over 3,000 exhibitors at this trade show and it is attended by roughly a hundred thousand people. Among the tech industries and products that are on display at CES are video games, video and audio products and even drones. The CES trade show is truly the place to go for the very latest advances in an industry that is known for its rapid pace of innovation.

 

Atlanta International Gift & Home Furnishings Market

 

tradeshow-badge-scanner

 

The Atlanta International Gift & Home Furnishings Market is held annually. As its title conveys, it is held in Atlanta and is a showcase for the latest trends and products in the gift and home furnishings sector. Last year, it had over 2,000 exhibitors and registered an attendance figure of nearly 90,000. The event is hosted by AmericasMart Atlanta. Among those who attend the event are buyers from small, medium and large retailers, designers, event planners, buying groups and media members and bloggers covering the home furnishings and gift industries.

Types Of Barcodes

Barcodes are more than just a series of digits below some black and white parallel lines. Sure, they look simple enough. The processes they are involved in can be simple as well. Mostly, barcodes are used to keep track of inventory by associating a particular item with a particular series of numbers and parallel lines, computers are more easily able to keep track of the status or location of the item. Barcodes today, however, are being used for increasingly complex functions. To help carry out these functions, many companies offer scanners and software that are designed to work with barcodes. Barcode rentals and rental equipment and software are usually offered for customers who only need to work with barcodes on a temporary basis. Beyond this equipment, another thing that helps businesses and individuals take advantage of barcodes is understanding the different types of barcodes that are available. That’s right; there is more than one type of barcode. While you might not need to become a barcode expert to achieve business success, it may be beneficial to have a handle on the barcode basics. With that in mind, here is a look at the two broad categories barcodes can fall into.

 

barcode-rental

 

One-Dimensional

 

Most barcodes fall into the category of one-dimensional barcodes. These barcodes are also referred to as 1D barcodes. These barcodes represent data by uniquely spacing a set of parallel lines in association with a particular data point. Most of the barcodes you are familiar with, especially if you are an adult, are 1D barcodes. Among the subtypes of one-dimensional barcodes are UPC barcodes, those used to label and scan the goods you buy. EAN barcodes are another type of one-dimensional barcode that are very similar to the UPC code. EAN codes are used mainly in Europe. A barcode known as Code 39 is used to label goods in industries like the defense and automotive industry. Code 39 is different from the first two barcode types mentioned because it allows for the use of both numbers and characters below the parallel lines, not just numbers. There are even more subtypes of one-dimensional barcodes for different purposes, locations and industries.

 

Two-Dimensional

 

Two-dimensional or 2D barcodes also represent data. These barcodes, however, use two-dimensional symbols and shapes, as opposed to the linear, one-dimensional barcodes; this allows 2D barcodes are able to represent more data per unit area than 1D barcodes. The most common type of 2D barcode is the QR code. QR codes are being used increasingly in advertisements that encourage viewers to use their smartphone to scan a barcode in or around the ad for more information. These are used in similar ways on business cards and magazines. These codes are increasingly popular for their fast readability, size flexibility, free cost and high fault tolerance. They are unable, however, to be read with laser scanners. Of course, there are even a few different specific types of QR codes that support different modes of data, but that would probably be too much information about barcodes in one sitting.

Best Tradeshow And Convention Cities

Trade shows are a crucial aspect of building a business, especially at the early, formative stages. They are a unique opportunity to build your brand, generate sales leads and of course to generate actual sales as well.

 

While trade shows have always been a big part of operating a business, the tools available to make sure that trade show’s are a successful experience for their vendors have never been more advanced or diverse. For example, a vendor attending a trade show now would want to invest in or rent a tradeshow scanner. A tradeshow scanner is a piece of electronic equipment that is used for scanning barcodes or badges. In a trade show setting, such equipment allows you to keep track of valuable sales leads that you acquire at the show. While tracking sales is obviously important, leads may actually be a better indicator of trade show success and thus tracking them via these types of scanning equipment is important.

 

In addition to advances in electronic equipment, there have also been advances in the effort of cities to make sure they are attractive destinations for trade shows and conventions. Cities are realizing that these trade shows and conventions are not just economic engines for the industries and companies themselves: they are also drivers of economic activity for the cities they take place in. Here are a few cities that have had the most success and experience with trade shows.

 

tradeshow-scanner

 

Las Vegas

 

Las Vegas, perhaps more than any other American city, thrives on its reputation as a destination city for all types of visitors.  While you might first think of Las Vegas as an entertainment destination, it is also increasingly becoming a place that draws people for work. The many trade shows and conventions it hosts are proof of this. While the trade shows themselves are business settings, the ability of a company or industry to have a business event in Las Vegas with the opportunity to engage in the entertainment the city has to offer either before or after the event is a major factor that makes Las Vegas such an attractive setting for these events.

 

Orlando

 

It might not have been your second guess, but Orlando is home to the second most trade shows and conventions after Las Vegas. Like Las Vegas, Orlando is chosen for its convention centers, hotels and other event centers suitable to host high-attendance events. Also like Las Vegas, it offers a lot of entertainment options including Universal Studios and the Kennedy Space Center. The beaches and weather also allow Orlando to be a destination for companies and industries seeking to turn their show into both an event and a vacation for the attendees.

 

Indianapolis

 

One city that it would take awhile to guess is a popular trade show and convention destination is Indianapolis. The capital city of Indiana is the twelfth largest in the United States and one of the top 5 and rising cities for these types of events. One reason is due to its large convention center which is connected to its professional football stadium, Lucas Oil Stadium—the home of the Indianapolis Colts. The walker-friendly layout of the downtown Indianapolis area also makes it a popular host of big events.

 

 

 

Understanding Inventory Software

Tracking inventory has historically been a relatively straightforward process. Anyone with a pad and paper has been able to operate at the cutting edge of keeping track of stock and inventory. One imagines that, in the general stores of times past, the task of keeping inventory could have been performed by children.

 

While the basic task of keeping inventory has remained the same—the process of keeping track of how much stock you have of a given product—the processes by which people keep track of inventory have grown increasingly sophisticated and complex. The source of the growing sophistication and complexity of inventory is related to automation. Inventory is now tracked electronically. Of course, all electronic systems receive constant attention from the brightest engineers and entrepreneurs seeking to make electronic processes more useful and efficient.

 

When a process as straightforward as keeping inventory is automated, there are certain to be a great number of benefits in terms of increased convenience and efficiency. There is a risk, however, that those used to doing things the old-fashioned way will be left behind by the ever-changing innovation that occurs when a process becomes automated. Here are a few concepts that everyone needs to remain familiar with when working with barcode inventory software to stay on top of current progress.

 

Point Of Sale

 

barcode-point-of-sale

 

Point of sale may also be referred to as point of purchase. Each of these terms refers to the actual location from which an item was sold. Tracking point of sale using barcode software can be an important tool for businesses that sell products from multiple locations. Keeping track electronically not only of total inventory volume, but also of the individual point of sale, allows businesses to understand where certain items are being purchased. Not only does this allow them to more quickly and efficiently replenish their stock, but it also provides valuable data that may assist them in sales and marketing strategies going forward. A rental inventory scanner linked up to certain types of inventory software may be of interest to people who think this could benefit their business.

 

Barcoding

 

Businesses have barcoded their inventory for many years. You might think barcoding is as complex as it can possibly get. While this is true to some degree—barcodes are still simply a series of numbers assigned to a unit of your stock—there have been considerable advancements in barcoding software. One way to work with this newer software, which allows you to do more as far as organizing and strategizing with the data provided by barcodes, is to attach a barcode reader directly to your computer. This allows you to quickly integrate the data yielded by the barcodes to be used by the new software.

 

Interactive Reporting

 

Interactive reporting is a feature of a lot of newer inventory control software. Interactive reporting is basically a means making sure your inventory is always balanced. What makes it so advanced is its ability to notice trends in your inventory, such as what is selling quickly and what is not selling very well, and adjusts your inventory based on these factors. For example, if you have only sold 1 of Item #1 and 1,000 of Item #2, interactive reporting makes sure the stock of these is not replenished at the same rate. When an item in category #1 is sold that stock would be replenished by more of Item #2. Advanced metrics would make sure that your inventory is routinely reorganized so that inventory costs are optimized to most effectively meet fluctuating demand.

 

New Barcode Uses

As technology advances at a more rapid pace than ever before, many innovations that were once considered to be on the cutting edge of technology are quickly outmoded by even newer technologies. The hot air balloon is an interesting case study of just such technological development. For the vast majority of human history, human flight was considered the stuff of mythology. Outside of the notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci, perhaps, few humans considered that human flight would one day become commonplace.

 

When the hot air balloon was first beginning to be used in the 19th century it was considered the future of human travel through the air. Not having the context we do now, people assumed that the hot air balloon would remain the pinnacle of technology that allowed humans to travel through the air. People were planning on traveling from city to city in routine fashion in hot air balloons! Of course, we now understand that the hot air balloon was quickly outmoded by the airplane within a century as the future of human flight. While we still use hot air balloons for sightseeing and recreational purposes, they are no longer considered

 

The only way for a technology to survive in this age of rapid innovation is for humans to continually find new innovative uses for the technology. One example of a technology for which we are continuing to find new uses is the barcode. The barcode started out as a simple way to electronically track inventory. Rather than remaining in this relatively specialized area of human life, the barcode has sprawled out to become increasingly useful to many different aspects of human life. Here is a look at a few ways the barcode is proving to be a durable innovation.

 

Inventory

 

While barcodes have always been used for inventory, the way in which they contribute to inventory management is more innovative than ever. Today, many barcode scanners are able to link a physical barcode electronically with inventory management software. Now, not only is the data associated with barcodes stored electronically, but this software allows users to perform a variety of complex data analysis tasks with the data. A barcode scanner rental company, for example, may provide a company with both barcode equipment and software that allows the company not only to track its inventory electronically but also to have its inventory replenished automatically based on inventory fluctuation.

 

QR Codes

 

barcode-scanner-rentals

 

QR codes are another example of how barcode technology has merged with other technologies, in this case smart phone technology, to produce innovative results. For a variety of reasons, companies are including QR codes, a form of barcode, onto physical advertisements of all kinds. Newspaper advertisements, flyers and any form of media imaginable are all being outfitted with these QR codes. The QR codes are intended to be scanned using a smart phone app. Those who have scanned the QR codes with their phones are then taken to a page with more information about the product or event, or perhaps a page where a discount on a certain item may be obtained. In this way, barcodes are helping to bridge the gap between old and new media.

 

Health

 

One of the newest applications of barcode technology is in the healthcare field. A city in Japan, for example, is beginning the practice of outfitting patients suffering from dementia with barcoded tags. While this may seem like a frightening scenario for some, it may lead to an increased ability to track missing people who suffer from diseases like dementia.

World’s Most Popular Trade Shows

Trade shows serve an integral function in the growth of many businesses. They are an opportunity for businesses to sell and market their product to retailers and enthusiasts with a particular interest in their market. There is increased attention being paid in the media and in the culture in general to the importance of entrepreneurship and supporting the starting of businesses, and as a result people are increasingly fascinated with what it would be like to exhibit a product at a trade show.

 

wifi-badge-setup

 

The trade shows themselves, however, are interesting feats of organization and planning as well. The logistical skill necessary to host any trade show, let alone one of the massive trade shows we will be looking at in this post, is an impressive display of event planning. With the increased focus on businesses, trade shows have had to increase their focus on providing a successful setting for business to take place. They have done this in several ways. Many trade shows today provide not just the physical setting for the event, but also the physical equipment for exhibitors and attendees to feel that the show was an efficient use of their time. Of course, impressing hundreds of businesspeople and savvy customers with efficiency is no easy task.

 

One piece of equipment these events and organizations are supplying to vendors is called a tradeshow badge scanner. These pieces of equipment are rented by the show and provided to vendors, or sometimes rented by the vendors themselves. This piece of equipment helps them more easily keep track of data acquired at the conference related to sales and sales leads by allowing interested parties to simply scan a barcoded badge. It’s just one of the innovations you would find at the following trade shows, which are among the largest in the world.

 

Buenos Aires International Book Fair

 

The Buenos Aires International Book Fair in Argentina is attended annually by publishing and literary industry professionals as well as bookworms of the general public. In the spring of 2008, this trade show attracted over 1.2 million visitors over a period of multiple weeks from late April to early May. Many famous authors have visited the event, and it is usually a time and place chosen by many writers, publishers, editors, educators, librarians and others involved professionally with books to hold their annual seminars, meetings or conferences.  The Buenos Aires International Book fair has been operating for over 40 years, beginning in 1975.

 

AGRO

 

AGRO is an annual Ukranian exhibition of agricultural equipment. It is organized by the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine and held in Kiev, the capital of Ukraine. First held in 1988, the expo has hosted more than a hundred thousand people in just one year. Its popularity owes to the prominence of the agricultural sector of Ukraine, which demonstrates the connection between trade shows and the economy as a whole. It is attended by those working or interested in the agriculture, agricultural machinery, livestock farming and food industries of Ukraine.

 

Tokyo Motor Show

 

The Tokyo Motor Show is held on a biannual basis in the late fall in Tokyo, Japan. The auto press considers this show to be among the most notable and important trade shows in the auto industry, with other prominent shows held in Paris, Detroit, Geneva and Frankfurt. The show is distinguished from even the other large auto trade shows for its focus on conceptual automobiles as opposed to production automobiles The Tokyo Motor Show began in 1954 and has hosted, in one year of the show, over 1.5 million people.

Short Term Inventory Solutions

If your business requires keeping inventory, and you’ve been in business for any length of time or had any degree of success, you understand the importance of working with inventory data. The efficient recording, processing, storage and transfer of data related to inventory is a crucial part of the daily process for many businesses. Businesses who handle this type of inventory data are well-versed in the latest tools and techniques for how to streamline their inventory operations. For businesses who don’t work with a fluid inventory on a daily basis, however, it can be easy to overlook this process. Businesses that are more seasonal in nature as opposed to similar on a day-to-day basis, or organizations who hold annual events at which things are bought, sold or transferred, like trade shows or book fairs, can be understandably less aware of best practices for keeping track of their inventory. Many of these businesses and organizations continue to keep track of inventory in the same way they have always done it, remaining willfully in the dark regarding new inventory technologies. Others may be intimidated by the potential cost of upgrading their inventory system. For many businesses, this fear is unfounded because for many, a short term solution may be available in the form of rental equipment. Barcode inventory rentals like scanners, printers and software are available and are a perfect solution to the inventory needs for many who work in the following areas.

 

Book Fairs

 

There are many types of book fairs, from larger, industry-related events to smaller-scale book fairs at schools. Many proprietors of these book fairs keep track of purchases the old fashioned way using cash and hard record keeping. Many book fair vendors understand this and make it possible for the individual schools to do so easily through an adjusted price structure. As time goes by, however, keeping records by hand will become the difficult-to-understand process that utilizing technology has been considered for the past few decades. As this happens, book fairs may want to make a small investment in rental equipment to keep track of their transactions. Barcode scanners and software are available to do so.

 

Trade Shows

 

trade-show-scanner

 

Trade shows are a great opportunity not only for businesses to generate sales, but also to market their product. For many, this marketing that happens at trade shows may seem to be an abstract concept, but in fact in can be measured in the form of sales leads. The more effective tool a vendor at a trade show has to monitor its leads, the better. These leads can be tracked through simple barcode scanning devices that may be rented from many companies specializing in barcode equipment and software solutions.

 

Temporary Employment

 

For employers whose employees are full-time and the work environment is somewhat casual, it can be a priority to devise a comfortable yet effective way of tracking attendance. For employers who employee workers on a temporary or seasonal basis, simply recording the exact attendance data, such as clock in and clock out time, and having that data easily accessible is of the highest priority. These employers may want to consider barcode rental equipment for this purpose. This allows employees to scan a barcoded badge and have their doing so recorded. Renting this equipment, which occasionally involves accompanying software, can be a more practical and affordable solution than a permanent, extensive software system and more effective than simple handwriting.

 

 

Latest Barcode Equipment Technology

Though in retrospect it revolutionized the way we access and store data, the advent of cloud-based platforms did not get the mainstream attention that other innovations of the past enjoyed. Perhaps this is because cloud-based storage and retrieval of data is not actually a tangible item like a computer or a cell phone. Then again, the internet or a computer’s operating system are similarly abstract and both are still more well understood by the public than the cloud. Perhaps this lack of understanding is the reason for the scant attention paid to the cloud revolution outside of tech circles. Perhaps it is one abstraction too far for most of us to invest our understanding in. Whatever the reason, cloud-based data storage and retrieval is revolutionizing every process that involves data.

 

In addition to the cloud, data is also associated with barcodes. Barcodes may not seem like a breakthrough innovation, but in their time they also revolutionized the ability to track data. Often, new technology does not supplant existing technology but merely enhances its functionality. This is the nature of the relationship between cloud-based programs and barcodes. With the right equipment, more and more businesses and organizations are quickly able to transfer their barcoded data to the cloud. The warehouse inventory and attendance figures are then available to them more conveniently than ever before. Here is a look at some of the equipment that makes it happen.

 

Barcode Scanners

 

There are a variety of different types and brands of barcode scanners. This equipment, most commonly associated with the grocery store check-out counter, can be an invaluable tool for businesses to quickly scan and score barcode data. These scanners also make it easy to scan certain barcodes and understand crucial information about the piece of inventory. Some of these scanners plug into a computer or mobile device, while some are freestanding pieces of equipment, such as a device that allows for employees to scan in and out for attendance using their barcoded badges.

 

Barcode Printers

 

barcode-printers

 

There are also many types and brands of barcode printers available. Industrial barcode printers are the largest and sturdiest option, designed for frequent use. Desktop barcode printers are a good option when space is limited but a considerable amount of printing still needs to be done. Portable barcode printers are designed for occasional and on-the-go use, and are a good example of how utilizing barcode equipment rentals and options, for one-off events or trial runs, may be a good option for your business.

 

Barcode Software

 

Not only are there seemingly an exponentially-growing number of options for barcode software designed for specific needs, some companies are able to write custom software specifically for the needs of your business. As with any product, it is important to find the right company with the business mindset necessary to truly understand how its product might be flexible enough to creatively fulfill different customer needs. In particular, there are many barcode software programs designed specifically for inventory, attendance and inspection purposes. Usually barcode equipment companies understand you may be attempting to find a new barcode solution, and even the software is available on a rental basis.