Some of the recurring questions I get, typically at seminars and conferences is: “What’s the right social media to do first?” or “Should I cut back on print advertising?” or

“How come my website isn’t working like it used to?” or “How do I find the time to understand all the latest technology?”

All these question are, in essence, the same question. “Andy, could you please give me a list of the optimum marketing methods to make my business successful? I need the Magic Wedding Marketing Pill.”

Sorry, no-can-do. Answers in Wedding Marketing are not that simple.

I taught college for eight years, and one important thing I learned is that students were look for THE right answer. Sometimes I would present a real life business situation that I had experienced. Along with the scenario, I would present four or five possible alternative solutions to address the problem. The class would discuss it, and then would vote on the preferred path.

I would coyly try to move on to another subject, and students would interrupt with, “But what’s The right answer?”

With a smile, I would respond, there is not ONE right answer. I can tell you what decision I made, and why. However, there may be several effective choices; sometimes none.

In the same way, as a wedding marketer, you are looking for the Magic Wedding Marketing Pill. You want the correct dosage, the least side effects, and the best schedule to make it work.

When working with a client directly, I can recommend one or more courses of action. Even then, if you don’t take the pill on schedule, or take too many, all the recommendations are useless.

Many marketing wizards believe that you should be spending up to 50% of your time on marketing (that should include selling). Perhaps a more efficient and effective person might be able accomplish the same level of sales with a 35-40% commitment. Typically, improving marketing/sales efficiency come with plugging holes in the leaky boat.

Beware of the Bright Shiny New Object: This is the axiom for we ADD business marketers who fail to follow a strategy to its fruition because we get distracted, drop the ball, and move on to something else.

• One blogs, perhaps somewhat effectively, but get distracted by trying Twitter. With no goal or strategy for Twitter, we drop the ball on both, and fail miserably, announcing that New Social Media doesn’t work.
• The new bridal show or wedding publication comes to town. They can’t sell booth or advertising space at retail, because they have no track record, but manage to attract commitment. Let someone else waste their money on testing these new shiny objects. If you wouldn’t pay retail for them, why should you bother with them, at all. Stay with what you know, and improve your ad, or booth exhibit.
• I’m not sure whether to focus on Facebook or LinkedIn. Facebook seems like more fun. I think I’ll do that.

Marketing is an endless set of alternatives. How many phone calls to you make? How many emails or postcards do you send?

Here is the solution: Measure the effectiveness of everything, and then start optimizing, based on results.

If you don’t have the tools or methods to do that, you better get started. Otherwise, you are engaged in seat-of-the-pants-marketing. And that, my friend. is like rolling the dice.

Spoken like a true Las Vegan!

Andy Ebon
The Wedding Marketing Authority

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In ceremonies held at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, MN, BSPI (Bridal Show Producers International) presented awards for Best Print Ad, Best Exhibitor Marketing Piece, and Show Aesthetics.

Member businesses, worldwide, competed for these honors. In the category of Best Print Ad, honorable mentions were earned by The Wedding Fair (Minneapolis, MN, Matthew Trettel and Bruce Vassar) and The Wedding Show, Forever Bridal Productions, Raleigh, NC, Laura and Dominick DiGirolamo.

The award for Best Print Ad was earned by The Wedding Show (Lisa Charles, Auckland, NZ).

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For Best Marketing Piece, Honorable Mentions went to: Black Tie Bridal Showcase, Sioux City, SD, Kari Black and Bridal Spectacular, Las Vegas, NV, Debra Hansen.

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The Award for Best Marketing Piece was earned by: The Wedding Show, Forever Bridal Productions, Raleigh, NC, Laura and Dominick DiGirolamo.

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The award for Show Aesthetics was presented to The Wedding Fair (Twin City Bridal Association, Minneapolis, MN, Matthew Trettel and Bruce Vassar).

Click on image for big view

Andy Ebon
The Wedding Marketing Authority

On Saturday, August 21, 2010, Bridal Spectacular producer Debra Hansen walked the aisles of the bridal show to distribute the Dazzle Awards for the best-of-the-best displays at Bridal Spectacular’s vendor booths. Voted the top ten percent by their fellow Bridal Spectacular exhibitors, the following Las Vegas wedding professionals won this season’s Dazzle Awards, 2010 Exhibitor’s Choice Best Booth: AFR Event Furnishings, Aliante Station Casino and Hotel, Canyon Gate Country Club, CLM Weddings and Events, Enchanted Florist, A French Bouquet,  Jovani Linens and Floral Design,  JW Marriott, Marisha Floral and Event Design Company, Naakiti Floral Designs, Red Rock Country Club, RSVP Party Rentals, Santa Fe Station Hotel and Casino, Siena Golf Club, Springs Preserve Weddings by Wolfgang Puck Catering with DJ Harry “O”, and The Secret Garden.

Feel free to browse the photos below to see these award-winning displays and their excited exhibitors. Also, brides, consider using wedding professionals, like these vendors and others you can find through Bridal Spectacular, as you continue your Las Vegas wedding planning.

At the  The Bridal Spectacular at Cashman Center Jan 29 & 30 over 1400 brides attended with their grooms, family and friends.  They were treated to the most amazing displays!  Many of the winners are members of Las Vegas Wedding Network. All of the winning vendors went above and beyond with their booths. We did not get the greatest pictures, but hopefully these will give you a taste of what the attendees saw.  There was one additional winner that we do not have a photo for, Wolfgang Puck at Springs Preserve. Congratulations to all of you!

Integrity is what you do, when no when else is looking.

Truth in advertising is the law! Like any other business,  professional bridal show producers should strive for honesty in their advertising. Unfortunately, some unethical producers inflate their exhibitor and attendee counts in order to deceive wedding professionals and brides.

Competition is the rule in almost any business and it doesn’t have to be a negative.  Multiple bridal shows in a community can certainly co- exist and serve the wedding professionals with quality shows as long as they both adhere to a professional code of ethics especially where their advertising is concerned. In our community, where my show has been in existence since 1991 and is the largest bridal show in town, I stick to the facts as I promote and advertise the event.  If I say 1,000 brides or more are expected that is because I have seen those numbers at a past show.  If I say there will be 180 wedding professionals, that means there will be 180 different companies at the show, a figure based on actual contracts signed.  I see no purpose in misleading either the brides or vendors in quoting these figures.

The key to promoting your show in an honest and forthright manner is to take the characteristics of your show and play them up, not attempt to disguise your show as something other than what it is. If you are the new show in town, why not just say so?  If you have a boutique show, or a hotel show, be proud of it and enumerate the advantages of your smaller more intimate show.   Find something unique and positive to say about yourself without tearing at your competition.  Take a note from political research which strongly suggests that we all hate negative and dishonest advertising!

Creating realistic expectations in your promotional programs and advertising results in brides and exhibitors having a better experience at a show. Don’t say promote 200 products and services when there are only 100 exhibitors.  Many brides are perfectly happy with a 100 exhibitor show, but will be disappointed to find the show is actually half the size they expected. Intentionally deceiving brides is a no win strategy for the promoter, the exhibitors and the brides.

Beware of bridal show producers who use blatantly deceptive advertising practices. One bridal show in my market lists as many as 250 vendor names on its website. In fact, only about 100 of them actually participated in the show. Professionals this is not free advertising for you; it can actually harm you. What does the bride think when she attends the show looking for your business and you are not there?  She will think you are unreliable.

Another sleazy practice is claiming the show has won fictitious awards.  One show actually uses a fake  “Blue Ribbon” logo claiming they are the “best bridal show”. Its phoney, you know it and the wedding professionals in town know it, it just makes you look bad!

As a member of BSPI, we commit to following a professional code of ethics.  One of them reads as follows:

“8.   Use honest and factual information in all advertising and protect the public against fraud and misleading information.”

Now I don’t know who will read this post, but I hope bridal show producers all over the country will see it and take this advice seriously.

• Be honest in your show promotion, its always the best policy and it’s the law!
• Quote only accurate and true attendance numbers and vendor numbers
• Concentrate on what makes you unique and make that the core of your advertising message.  Don’t claim to be something you are not. Take what you are and make it a benefit!

Las VegasWedding Professionals: What follows is a list of supposed vendors at a recent bridal show.  This list was posted for at least 3 months leading up to the show.  It totals 254 names.  6 or more were out of business, Only 82 of these vendors were at the show, and the show sold about an additional 23 people either booths or bag stuffers for a total vendor count of 105.  There is no shame in a show with 105 vendors, but there is something not quite right about claiming 254.  Vendors you have a right to tell someone using your name to sell their show,  NO.  Your name on a list when you won’t be there can only cause you negative promotion. Take a stand for honesty in advertising! If you’re name is on this list and you were not there, call and let them know how you feel! This same list also now appears on their next show where they again claim to be the largest and are actually guaranteeing their false claim.  They are selling their show based on you being there, using your good name, without  your permission.

• A Day to Remember
• AAA Travel
• A&A Weddings
• Alexis Park Resort
• Aliante Station Casino & Hotel
• All Events Dj and Photo Booths
• All Night Long Entertainment
• Alligator Soup
• Allyse’s Bridal & Formal
• Altenburg Studio
• Alt-F Photography
• American Laser Center
• Annabelle’s All Occasions
• Anytime Fitness
• Arbonne International
• Ardyss International
• Art Bejarano, DDS, Cosmetic Dentistry
• A&W Photography
• Bartenders Direct
• Baskets by Marmie
• Bed, Bath & Beyond
• Bella Adagio & Just Because
• Bella Brides Maid
• Bella Rosa Mansion
• Big Daddy Productions
• Bishou Dentistry
• Black Mountain Golf Club
• Bobby Wheat Photography
• Body Sculptress
• BodySport Fitness Center
• Boogie Entertainment Dj Service
• Boot Camp Las Vegas
• Border Grill Las Vegas
• Bowtie’s Bridal
• Bridal Room, The
• Brides by Demetrios
• B’s Purses
• Buca di Beppo Summerlin
• Cache Media Works
• Caesar’s Palace Wedding Chapel
• Cameo Photography
• Canyon Gate Country Club
• Captain’s Cove
• Castle of Cakes
• Celebrity Bright Smile
• Chapel at Mandalay Bay, The
• Cheeseburger Las Vegas
• Chippendales
• Chicks who Click Las Vegas
• Christian Pastor 2 You
• CLM Weddings
• CPR Tents and Events
• Creations Bakery
• Cupcakery, The
• Dahn Yoga
• David’s Bridal
• Destination Travel, A
• Di Delights
• Diamond Events
• Digital Studios Photography
• Digs Studio
• Dillards
• Dirty Blonde Cocktails
• DJs TO YOU
• DJ Mikey
• Dragon Ridge Country Club
• Dream Entertainment
• Earth Limo
• Eastgate Parke & Pavilion
• Eastside Cannery
• EDI Photography
• Elements Therapeutic Massage
• Emerald at Queensridge
• Enchanted Florist
• Entrada at Snow Canyon
• Eric Andrew Collection
• Events By Michele
• Executive Floral
• Face Design
• First Dance Cards
• Five Star Travel
• Four Seasons Dental Spa
• Gambler’s General Store
• George Harouni DDS
• Global Flowers
• Go To Wedding Planner
• Good Vibrations
• Gordon Biersch Brewery
• Griffin Events Inc
• Grove, The
• Gubler Dental
• Hampton Inn & Suites (Red Rock/Summerlin)
• Henderson Convention Center
• Heritage Makers
• High Flyin’ Entertainment LLC
• Hotel on Mt. Charleston, The
• Ice Occasions
• Independent Capitol Management
• Innerspace | Lori Simpson Creations
• Isagenix
• Isis Artistry
• Ivy House & Garden Florist, The
• J & E Floral LLC
• J & J Photography
• Jennies and Baking Co.
• John Morris Photography
• Joshua Ian Photography
• Journey Pacific
• Jovani Linens
• Julie Reed Events
• JW Marriott
• Kare Tee’s & Embroidery
• Kennedy Estate, The
• Lakeside Weddings & Events
• Las Vegas DJ’s
• Las Vegas Event Flowers & Decor
• Las Vegas Paiute
• Las Vegas Party Tents & Rentals
• Las Vegas RJ, Celebrations Dept.
• Lasting Keepsakes
• Lawry’s The Prime Rib
• lia sophia Jewelery Advisor Teri Serpico
• Lifestyle Lift
• Lill Studio – Handbag Co.
• Limelight Photography
• Little Pastry Chefs
• LMG Attractions
• Loew’s Lake Las Vegas Resort
• Los Prados Golf & Country Club
• Luxor Hotel Wedding Chapel
• LV Photo Party
• Madame Et Monsieur, Relaxing Weight Loss
• Madelyn R’s Studio
• Maggiano’s Little Italy
• Mai Honeymoon
• Marisha A Floral & Events
• Marriage Can Be Murder
• Mary Kay Inc.
• Mass Mutual Financial Group
• McCormick & Schmicks
• Memory Lane Video
• Men’s Wearhouse
• MGM Grand – Forever Grand Wedding Chapel
• Michelle’s Bridal
• Mirage Hotel
• Mountain West Chiropractic and Integrated Health
• Moxie Hair Studios
• Mt. Charleston Hotel
• Mycki Manning Studios
• Naakiti Floral Design
• Natalie Littlefield’s Catering
• Nevada Eye Care
• New Image
• New Woman Magazine
• Nicholson Photography
• Nite Tours International
• Now Flip This
• NuSkin Enterprise
• Oasis Las Vegas Special Events Center
• Olya Banchick, DDS
• One Luv
• On Location Artist’s
• OnPointe Creations LLC
• Orinoco
• Orleans Hotel & Casino | Gold Coast
• Pacific Dental Services
• Pacific Event Productions
• Palms Casino Resort and Palms Place
• Pamper Divas
• Pampered Brides
• Paper City
• Paradise Realty
• Paris Wedding Chapel
• Party Booths
• Passion Parties
• Perfect Wedding Dance, A
• Photographic Creations
• Photos by Larotonda
• Planet Beach Contempo Spa
• Platinum Hotel
• Prestige Flowers & Gifts
• Pure Romance by Kat & Amanda
• Quest Drape
• Rainbow Gardens
• Ray Anthony Photography
• Realty One Group
• Red Hot Events
• Reflection Dental
• Relaxing Weight Loss
• Reflective Souls Photography
• Renaissance Hotel Weddings
• Renta-Dress & Tux Shop
• ResortStay International – United Nissan
• Resort on Mt. Charleston, The
• Review Journal (newspaper subscriptions)
• Revere Golf Club, The
• Rhodes Ranch Golf Club
• Ricardo’s of Las Vegas
• Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory
• Royal Prestige
• RSVP Party Rentals
• Ruth’s Chris Steak House
• Santa Fe Station
• Sapphire Gentlemen’s Club – Men of Sapphire
• Send Out Cards
• Serenity Weight Loss Spa
• Shape Within
• Shutter Booth
• Shutter Box Photo Booth
• Silverstone Golf Club
• Simple Elegance Cakes
• Simplicity Gourmet
• So Lucky to B Me Clothing Co.
• Stampin’ Up/ Pampered Chef
• Star Studios
• Stripper 101
• Studio ATG
• Suit Envy
• Summerlin Med Spa
• Sun City | McDonald Ranch
• Suncoast Hotel
• Sunnie Affair, A
• Sunset Studio Photography
• Sunstone Dental
• Susan’s Chocolate Wonders
• Tabasa Handmade Apparel by Yuki
• Terrace, The
• Texas Station
• Tivoli Floral
• TPC Las Vegas
• Travers Travel
• Trim Care
• Tropicana Express Hotel and Casino
• TSL Photography
• Tux One and Bridal
• Tuxedo Junction, Inc.
• Ultimate Choice Travel
• Vegas Party Shots
• Vegas Tan Van
• Vegas Weddings
• Ventano Italian
• Victoria’s Event Productions
• View 2-1-5
• Village East Cleaners
• Wedding Design by Cathie
• Wedding Olala
• Wedding Professional Services
• Weddings by VP
• Weekenders USA
• Wild Orchid’s Florist and Event Company
• Wild Truffles
• World Ventures
• Write or Invite
• Xango