By Derrek J. Hull, Blogger-in-Chief
The 2011 National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show is the first global trade show to offer a unique group buying program. NRA Show Daily Deals gives show-goers the ability to purchase a deeply discounted deal online and fulfill it face-to-face at the event.
NRA Show Daily Deals [go to www.nrashow2011.bizydeal.com to see the deals] serves as a springboard to bring buyers and sellers closer together in an age of social media and group couponing. The program adds a face-to-face component to business-to-business online group couponing, while also allowing buyer and seller to fulfill orders and discuss future opportunities for engagement.
“The NRA Show Daily Deals program harnesses the power of Internet group coupon sites to create demand, while simultaneously creating one-on-one interactions that match sellers with new buyers,” said Mary Pat Heftman, executive vice president of Convention, National Restaurant Association.
Heftman added, “Unlike traditional at-Show discounts or other online offers that are only transacted in a faceless online environment, NRA Show Daily Deals are first purchased online at a deep discount and then fulfilled in-person at the NRA Show.”
Attendees will benefit from opportunities to purchase deeply discounted products and services in areas such as equipment, services, and technology, to try out new products that otherwise might have been cost-prohibitive. Exhibitors have an opportunity to gain new brand visibility and the opportunity to identify buyers who might not have otherwise considered them.
Group buying power is of particular importance for the restaurant industry, which is comprised largely of small businesses. According to National Restaurant Association research, 93 percent of restaurants are small businesses with fewer than 50 employees.
The introduction of NRA Show Daily Deals is another example of the NRA Show’s cutting-edge use of social media to enhance the trade show experience for both exhibitors and attendees.
NRA Show and the International Wine, Spirits & Beer Event (IWSB), exhibitors and attendees can stay connected and up-to-date through the events’ social media channels, including Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube and Floored!, the official blog of the NRA Show and IWSB (that’s us!). In addition, eventSocial – an online social media tool – allows exhibitors and attendees to log into their social networks and e-mail accounts, identify fellow registrants already in their networks, connect with them, and post Show-related updates to Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.
Attendees also have the opportunity to interact for the first time at-Show with companies like Facebook, Google, Groupon, LivingSocial, Social Grub, TravelZoo, Where and Yelp on the exhibit floor to explore how their services can help restaurants create more online buzz, grow business and build customer loyalty. In addition, a series of social media-focused education sessions highlight best-in-class strategies and implementation, featuring both social media companies and restaurant operators. Attendees will learn about group buying, integrating social media and geo-social applications with POS systems, using social media channels in human resources, and more.
The NRA Show Daily Deals program will be powered by Bizy™, a Chicago-based business-to-business deal company whose online commerce platform helps sellers introduce their products and services to large numbers of aggregated buyers, generating both awareness and sales that ideally lead to long-term business relationships.
To take advantage of the significant deals being offered by exhibiting companies, restaurant and foodservice professionals will need to have registered for NRA Show 2011, set to take place May 21-24 at Chicago’s McCormick Place. Attendee registration is available online.
Good day! this is one of the most interested statement I have heard anyone said. I have always say to myself there are no rules telling us what to do, but rules telling us what not to do. We need to start making rules telling us what to do and we will see how creative our world would be. thanks,
Posted by: gclub | October 26, 2011 at 09:22 AM