Promoting at big exhibitions and conferences is a great way to get your product or brand out there – and Markex is an event not to be missed.

Exhibitors have the opportunity to man a stand and market their brand making use of the latest marketing material, like banners, podiums and stands. With the thousands that attend every year, it is a great way to grow your brand recognition, and get valuable product and competitor information.

What Is Markex?

For 26 years Markex has been a premier exhibition event in South Africa. Located at the Sandton Convention Centre, it specialises in sellers (as well as buyers) of corporate clothing, conference and exhibition venues and solutions, promotional gifts, design and décor as well as event planners and management.

2011 saw over 10,000 visitors attend the event. This is the ideal playground for business owners and entrepreneurs to take advantage of a captive audience. Exhibitions have a strong influence on buying decisions and result in many successful business deals and transactions.

Some of the main attractions of the exhibition include: The annual Road show of the Loerie Awards; USB Speakers Pavilion presenting top business speakers; Pendoring Awards promoting the best in Afrikaans advertising; and the Trade Section where wholesalers and resellers get a personalised setting to conduct business.

Get the Most Out Of Your Marketing

When at a trade show of exhibition you’ll be exposed to a lot of traffic. It’s key to attract them and convert that traffic into sales. Here are some pointers:

• Have Giveaways – Nothing pulls in a crowd like free stuff. Have giveaways or samples of your product. Once you attract the crowd, get them interested and make the sale. Be prepared to handle volume and don’t let any big fish get away.
• Competitions – Having a competition or lucky draw is always a good incentive for people to be interested in your booth. With every purchase give them an entry to a big draw prize. It keeps people interested and incentivises sales.
• Stand Out – Make sure your booth stands out from the rest. Have eye-catching banners and backdrops to attract the consumer. A well situated podium will let them know you’re available to answer questions.

When attending a trade exhibition like Markex, do the research and put in the effort to maximise your returns. It’s a golden opportunity to get your brand or product out there.

Make a Splash with PVC Banners for Outdoor Sports Events

Nothing brings people together like a good sports event. As a business owner you could do great marketing with PVC banners for outdoor sports events.

South Africa has many mass participation sports events that draw in crowds totalling in the tens of thousands. If you have a brand (particularly associated with sports) using PVC banners for outdoor sports events is a great way to establish your brand.

Why PVC?

You might ask why PVC banners for outdoor sports events? When it comes to outdoor banners the most commonly used material is heavy weight vinyl which is technically known as PVC. PVC stands for polyvinyl chloride and is a plastic which is the third most widely produced in the world. It’s a very popular material since it is cost effective, durable and easy to work with.

PVC banners for outdoor sports events are especially eye catching and used to advertise a product or simply as brand building, emblazoned with a company or product logo. There are several types of PVC banners which make use of separate design techniques in their production:

• Digitally Printed Banners – The design on a digitally printed banner is applied with a water based ink. They contain durable pigments and materials making them UV and fade resistant when used outdoors. This is the most popular choice for PVC banners for outdoor sports events.

• Banner With Vinyl Letters – This design technique makes use of individual vinyl elements cut out by a vinyl cutter (which is computer operated). It’s then applied with an adhesive to the banner to form the design.

• Screen Printed Banners – This makes use of screen printing to put the design on the banner. Screens making up a stencil are used to lay down multiple colours. High performance presses can print large volumes in an hour and makes it a suitable choice for large volume PVC banners for outdoor sports events.

PVC Banners for Outdoor Sports Events: Where to Use Them

South Africa is a country that loves its sports, not only to watch, but to participate in. If your brand is sports related it’s a no brainer that it should make a presence and capitalise on the frenzy. If you’re looking for events with massive crowds to expose your brand to there are a few that are a must:

• The Comrades Marathon – This 90 kilometre road race is an annual event that takes place from Durban to Pietermaritzburg. It is the world’s oldest (started in 1921) and largest ultra marathon race with participation exceeding 23,000.
• Cape Argus Pick n Pay Cycle Race – Know as ‘The Argus’, this cycle race is 109 kilometres long and is an annual competition taking place in Cape Town. As many as 31,000 cyclists take part as it stretches from Cape Town, down the Cape Peninsula and then back. One of the highlights is the climb up Chapman’s Peak.
• Dusi Canoe Marathon – The Dusi is known as the world’s most prestigious canoe/kayak race. It’s run along the Msunduzi River between Durban and Pietermaritzburg and draws in a crowd of spectators and paddlers totalling up to 5000. It’s held over three days and competitors have to complete 125 kilometres.
• Midmar Mile – The Midmar Mile is an annual swimming race held at the Midmar Dam near Pietermaritzburg. The distance is roughly a mile and is competed by amateur swimmers of all ages and professional swimmers. It attracts over 13,000 competitors and is the world’s largest open water swimming event (as per the Guinness Book of World Records).
• Super Rugby – This is the largest professional rugby union competition in the Southern Hemisphere. It started in 1996 and is a competition between domestic teams from South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. The teams compete for a silver trophy and the competition consisted of 91 games in the 2011 competition.  It is followed annually by millions of viewers globally and attendance fills the local stadiums in South Africa, including Newlands, Loftus Versfeld, Coca Cola Park and Kings Park.

Brand exposure with PVC banners for outdoor sports events is a fundamental element to good marketing. Get your brand out there and reap the results.

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Promotional flags are the new call to arms in the modern day battle of marketing. Commerce has replaced territory as the goal, and companies around the world are waging marketing war on each other to accumulate clientele and increase profits.

Branding is essential in today’s business world and marketing materials like promotional flags (used mostly in outdoor advertising) are the signifiers. It tells the customer where the product is and instructs them where to go. The flag is a common thing and most don’t even give a thought to its origins. With time it has evolved and has adapted to a staple in outdoor advertising.

History of the Flag

Walk down any business district and you will notice a flurry of outdoor advertising. Banners, signs and promotional flags all vying for your attention, peddling their wares and attracting the attention of would-be consumers. The promotion flag is a commercial evolution from the traditional flag used by countries or the military.

The flag started out as a simple piece of fabric with and identifying symbol or colours on it. Most commonly it is rectangular, but there have been variations in shape and size to differentiate it from others. The flag is adorned with a specific graphic design which is a unique identifier to the source who displays it.

The first uses of the flag in military strategy and were a way for armies to coordinate their military strategies on the battlefield. It evolved into a way of identification and became a strong patriotic symbol for tribes and countries. The most common association with flags is with national identity. Each country has a flag with a unique design that is adopted as a national symbol. Some of the most recognisable flags are the Union Jack (Great Britain), the Star Spangled Banner (United States of America) and the tricolour (France).

Counties often have two versions of their flag. The civil version is the one used most commonly and identified with that country. You’ll see it used at state functions and sporting events. The war flag is, as the name states, a call to arms and used by the armed forces in times of conflict. The various national regiments like the navy, air force or army can all have separate flags.

Promotional Flags: Staple of Outdoor Advertising

As marketing and advertising grew promotional flags were adapted and become branding symbols. Outdoor events were the perfect venue for this new style of outdoor advertising and branded flags flew proudly, adverting a product or brand name. Sporting events have become a common place for promotional flags. Think of a Formula One race and the amount of Ferrari, McLaren or Renault flags being waved proudly around the track. Or at a football match where there is a clash or colours and symbols when one team face another on the field.

A key area that promotional flags are used as outdoor advertising is at mass participation sporting events. In South Africa big events like the Comrades Marathon, Argus Cycle Race or Midmar Mile all get big exposure. Sponsors and sports products have a big presence and set up massive promotional stalls. The best way to identify yourself and stand out amongst the melee is with a branded flag. They fly high as a beacon to create brand awareness and separate them from their competitors.

Promotional flags have become very important in branding, especially when it comes to outdoor advertising.  As an identifier it has become a powerful marketing tool and become indispensible to companies, brand and organisations who want to fly their colours proudly.

Want to get noticed? Use a banner. Indoor and outdoor banners are a perfect way to get brand recognition and expose your product to your target market. Whether it’s at an exhibition or at a sporting event indoor and outdoor banners are the ideal marketing gimmick.

Advertising is an integral part to marketing and the visual plays a vital role. To draw a crowd and make then notice you, you need to have something eye catching. Indoor and outdoor banners fit the bill.

Why Choose Indoor and Outdoor Banners?

You have a business and the opportunity to showcase it at an event. Why make use of indoor and outdoor banners? There are more benefits that you would have thought. Here are the advantages:

• Simple to make – Most indoor and outdoor banners are made of vinyl and they are quick to order and easy to make. If you need a banner in a short period of time, this is an option that won’t let you down. Even if your product has changed or upgraded, it’s easy to produce more banners and get them quickly.

• Durable – Since most marketing banners are made out of vinyl they are tough and long lasting. If you attend many exhibitions it’s convenient to be able to use the same marketing materials over again. When marketing outside you need it to be resistance of the elements and won’t fade or tear. Strong sturdy banners will last you and save on costs of having to produce new ones.

• Easy to install – Indoor and outdoor banners are easy to set up. It’s essentially the vinyl and a basic aluminium frame. They are lightweight and east to transport. Once unpacked it is set up in a few minutes and once done it collapses in quicker time. When time is of the essence, you don’t want to waste time on setup.

• Cost effective – Making use of marking banners is surprisingly cost effective. Because they are easy and quick to manufacture, they are very affordable. Their cost makes is possible for businesses of any size to use banner marketing – from large corporations to self owned businesses.

• Versatile – Marketing banners are very versatile. They come in various sizes and shapes and can be customized to suit your needs. With all the products out there, you want to stand out from the crowd. If everyone marketed with the same banner size and style it would be very ineffective. Banner versatility allows different brands to make their mark individually.

Indoor and outdoor banners are a pivotal marketing tool especially when you are promoting at an outdoor event. Brand awareness is essential and you want your brand to be the first thing people think of when considering a product in your industry. The more they see your brand the more it subliminally sinks in and becomes the first thing they think of. Get noticed and put your name out there for everyone to see.

A very effective way to communicate with the public is making use of banners with stands (sometimes referred to as rollup banners or retractable banners). They are mobile and lightweight and usually consist of an aluminium frame and canvass or vinyl display. They are a great way to make your product visible and get the attention of your target market.

Banners with Stands: Types to Choose From

The choice to make use of banners with stands is easy, but it will require a little more thought to which kind you need. There are several types of banners and you need to identify the one that will best suit your specific requirements. The most popular ones are:

• Retractable Banners Stands – This type of banner stand is best for when time is of the essence and set up time needs to be super quick. The banners are rolled up inside the base and is pulled out and attached to a pole. It’s light, quick and easy to transport.

• Non-retractable Banners – This style of banner requires a bit more set up but adds more stability to your stand. It can either be supported by carbon fibre rod attached to a metal foot or a carbon fibre X, which spreads out to the corners and gives the banner tension and support.

• Sail Banners – These are banners that offer a bit of movement and can be used outside as flag advertising. The advertising area is mounted to a sturdy pole and can move in the air or a light breeze. There are several shapes and sizes to choose from including teardrop banners, wing banners, mini-flag banners, kite banners or larger advertising flags.

• Telescopic Banner – This style is also known as a feather banner and is quite effective if used in a cluster. The banner is mounted on a pole that has a rotating mechanism. This allows it to move in the wind and can be effective and eye catching, especially if it’s up to 4 meters long.

• Banner wall – The banner wall is mounted on a large aluminium frame/stand. This is perfect for creating a large graphic backdrop. It does require some assembly, but erects in minutes and is easily transportable. With regard to banners with stands this is the big daddy and makes the biggest impact.

Make use of banners with stands to single yourself out from the crowd. With the various options available you will definitely find something to suit your needs. It is a striking and cost effective way of marketing your product or service.