Have you ever participated in the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network (GLSEN)'s Day of Silence? It's an annual awareness initiative that invites students to take a 24-hour vow of silence to symbolically represent the silencing of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community and its supporters.

The event takes place each year on April 20, but because it fell on a Saturday this year, schools recognized the Day of Silence on Friday, April 19 instead.

I'd never heard about the GLSEN's campaign until I noticed my sister's wristband on Friday morning before I left for work. She explained to me that she'd be participating in the Day of Silence in support of a few of her friends. I couldn't resist taking a few photos of the awesome silicon wristbands, which I often see used as trade show giveaways. Check them out below: 

It goes to show that even a simple awareness bracelet can spark important discussion. The best part is that custom silicone bracelets can be used for any cause! Will you use one to promote your next campaign?

If you are a techy like myself, check out this years CES show. It will blow your mind away. I can't believe how fast technology is growing. Some of the cool gadgets that caught my eyes were the Sony Playstation Vita, Samsung Smart TV, and the LG OLED TV. For example the OLED TV from LG will only be 4mm thick. How impressive is that! Here at Motivators we are ready to provide for all of your trade show needs. If you are unsure which direction to start, check out our trade show packages. We carry everything from trade show lighting to trade show tents, so let Motivators be your one stop shop.

If you told me three years ago that the artist behind the controversial 2008 hit "I Kissed a Girl" would soon be breaking records once set by Michael Jackson, I would have called you a crazy person.  In all honesty, I was at first completely unimpressed by Katy Perry.  I thought her first single was somewhat tasteless, and that it relied entirely too heavily on shock-value.

But now it's 2011, and Perry is making headlines in huge publications like Rolling Stone and the Los Angeles Times.  So I guess my original opinion of the musician may have been a little harsh.  But what's all the buzz about?  According to MTV, the singer "finally snagged the record as the first album from the Billboard Mainstream Top 40 chart to have five #1 singles."  That's right; Perry's latest single, "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)" took the number one spot on Billboard's pop songs chart, and is expected to do the same on the Hot 100 single chart. 

How has the recording artist come this far?  Besides her (arguably) insanely catchy tunes, Perry has also been known to promote her brand with promotional products.  A New York Magazine piece from February of this year outlines some of Perry's stand-out product placement moments.  From donning promotional sunglasses to showcasing her own album artwork on a Nokia cell phone, Perry has been known to pull all the stops. 

While product placement can sometimes come off as sleazy, Perry's aren't too bad.  Sometimes they're even amusing.  In her latest music video, the songstress not only plugs the video game Just Dance, but also invites several 80s celebrities (Corey Feldman, Deborah Gibson, and Kenny G.) to help celebrate her Friday night.  To help push her latest single to the number one spot on Billboard's Hot 100, I wouldn't be surprised if she showed up to the MTV 2011 VMA's (at which she will undoubtedly be accepting several awards) with a few unusual trade show giveaways.

Say what you want about her music, but Perry's got the self-promotion thing down.  We wish her luck in continuing to break those records!

Over the summer, I had my concerns about the level of "Oo la la," in the office. My blog, Where is all the Goodlookingness in this Office? expressed my fears that due to a lack of smiles...the current hot or not rating for Motivators would drop below its already measly 6/10. I suggested using the latest Japanese technology to only allow employees to work if their smiles qualified as attractive- but it wasn't in our budget. I suggested some simple procedures...a tuck here, a lift there, but Heidi Montag was hogging all of the professional plastic surgeons.

I made it through the summer and even to the close of 2009 with the misfortune of sitting among, dreaded, non-smilers. It hurt, but I made it my New Years resolution to make Motivators smile. However, my pom-poms and morning cheers only led to increased cubicle frownage. Therefore, since the beginning of 2010, I've been working on special invention to help people to smile. My greatest ideas so far were the smile imprinted post it notes I placed over everyone's mouths. Those however, littered the office floor and left me feeling even more gloomy.

Thankfully, a fellow inventor, Carolina, discovered a revolutionary breakthrough in the smiling industry - the smile maker. It's a wonderful promotional product that guarantees a teethy smile, every time. Use these in your own office and the spirit of goodwill can thrive. Likewise, they're awesome as trade show giveaways, as wearing a fake smile for 8 hours can get tiring.

I'll be personally customizing one for each Motivators member, so look forward to a brand new smile Monday. We're goning to be one "Oo la la," of an office in no time.

One of the items I snagged at the PPAI Expo was a temporary tattoo. These fun and easy custom tattoos are increasingly popular for use as school, business and sport industries. After browsing a wide selection of differently colored, designed and scented tattoos, I could understand their success. However, after taking one Cinnamon Toast Crunch logo temporary tattoo home, I wasn't as enthused. My 35 year old brother placed the tattoo on his Popeye-esk forearm and pressed a wet cloth on the other side. After only 30 seconds, he peeled the backing away and looked down at his newly branded body.
                                                  
"Smell it!" he said as I squinted and searched to find the Cinnamon Toast Crunch logo under the many layers of straggly thick arm hair. I spotted it and leaned in. "Mmmmm cinnaman!" I shouted. He then went around to everyone in my home and had them smell him. Even my mother and father were excited about the scented tattoo. Unfortunetely, the scent has since faded as has the Cinnamon Toast Crunch logo. Thankfully, we offer a whole slew of scented promotional products that are long lasting. Take for instance our scented key tag. These cool and fashionable dog tags are scented in your choice of citrus, bubble gum, tropical and rasberry.

                      
There are even scented writing instruments like the custom printed scented fruit pen banana. They're super fun trade show giveaways and will make the perfect conversation pieces. Students will run home with these to show their parents and that is just adorable. Sniffing cinnamon off of my brother's wilderbeast arm - not too cute. So I'll stick to the scented pens for now.

The massive amount of trade show giveaways I snagged at the PPAI Expo 2010 required me to give my luggage some extra loving. As I sat on my suitcase and force the zipper shut I thought about the wonderful three days we've had. Sure it's Vegas. So who wouldn't enjoy themselves? But the reason this trip was so rewarding was because of the entire company's efforts.
                   
As we walked up and down the massive convention center that measure up to over 20 miles of new products and services, we were noticed. Our matching corporate apparel helped to get our branding noticed and our badges displayed our names, company, location and years in the industry. The 30 year presence of Motivators in the promotional product world is very great.

Long time friends of the company shook hands and complimented our success. Distributors, one after the other, thanked us for our business and treated us like family. And even absolute strangers approached us asking, "You guys are Motivators? Awesome! We follow you on Twitter." It even got to the point that people in the elevator stopped us while we were in plain clothing to say, "Hey! I saw you guys today at the trade show." We weren't even sporting the company logo and people knew about Motivators.
                    
(Julie from Bullet found out about us exclusively from Twitter.)
It's very rewarding to see the positive presence of Motivators in the industry and is even more impressive that we maintain long business relations while incorporating new and exciting strategies as well. For instance, we have some distributors that know I from the 80s while a young company representative from a newer distributor complimented our Lost video from our innovative Motivators TV.

Likewise, close vendors of ours complimented the sales team for their friendliness and accomodating ways. From prep to product descriptions, Motivators' has made an awesome impression on important members of our industry. Now, as we prepare for the plane ride home, I'm happy to say I'm bringing home a ton of trade show giveaways and even more confidence in all things Motivators.

In the coming weeks you'll hear about the awesome new items we love and want you to love. In the meantime keep doing what you're doing because Motivators is withholding a wonderful reputation in this great industry.

I'm all for creative advertising. Throw a laptop on some roller skates and call it high speed internet. Give vegetables a personality and kids will want to bite right into Mr. Joe Tomato. But the advertisement I found today left me cringing, and while that may be okay for a horror film advertisement, it's not so appropriate for a nail polish company.
                              
Nivea's calcium power nail polish is for, "extra strong, extra long nails." However, after viewing this ad I also hope Nivea has another product with super strong calcium power - like headphones. Because if you've ever heard teeth grazing a metal fork or witnesses a frustrated teacher as she (or he) clawed the black board, you know it's an awfully, terrible sound. The clever idea gets the point across - this nail polish has super powers. But I can't help but wish someone just handed that poor woman a can opener.

Any one of our promotional can openers would've made this woman life better. However, perhaps we're missing the point of this ad. Is Nivea really just targeting under appreciated and uninspired women to turn their lives around? It's a possibility. With just one layer of this nail polish, the jerk boy friend can be history and anything else that gets in the way of your success can be shredded with your brand new set of Wolverine nails. Yeah, that must be it. They're just trying to enlist new female super heroes.
                                       
In that case, I'm a huge fan of this ad and would only like to help as Nivea builds their new empire of sharp (literally) super heroes. In moving on with this campaign, I suggest that they imprint their clan's name on to our awesome custom imprinted nail files. They'll help to keep the claws nice and pointy, as nail polish will fade over time.

Nivea should get on top things and use the nail files as trade show giveaways at their next big event. These items will help to encourage new members so that this time next year, Nivea won't be at the Beauty and Spa trade show, they'll be at the Super Hero Convention.

The beginning of the new year means the end of the holiday season. It is the end of one season, but the beginning of another season, one that many people may not neccessarily think of. January is tradeshow season! In the US it is estimated that there are over 2,500 trade shows that occur every year, many of them in the first few months of the year so that vendors can unveil new products or services. In fact, the promotional products industry has its own trade show ready to kick off in Las Vegas on Monday, January 11th.  Anyone that has ever been to a trade show can tell you they are full of promotional products, you could imagine the amount of tradeshow giveaways there will be at the largest promotional products tradeshow in the country there will be. It seems to me there are going to be two major themes for tradeshow giveaways this season, eco-friendly items and anti-bacterial items. Environmental concern has grown in our society for the last few years so that should be no surprise to anyone, however, since the H1N1 scare many people have been much more aware of how easily germs can spread. Especially at a tradeshow, people are shaking hands and exchanging business cards, picking up a product and putting it back down only to be picked up by someone else, there is a valid concern about the spread of germs. So should you be going to a tradeshow any time soon, while you will still see the standard promotional lanyards, and promotional keychains, don't be surprised if you also see promotional non-woven tote bags, promotional recycled water bottles and promotional anti-bacterial sprays too. Happy trade show season everyone!

Feeling down and out? It's not your fault; it's just another case of the winter blues. Symptoms include not waking up for your alarm, over drafting your bank account and possible fender benders. While these things can happen all year long, the holidays enjoy heightening the woes they bring in fascinating fashion. For instance, while you may have snoozed twenty minutes to long, the winter will provide you with a snow covered car to tally up the late minutes. The bank charging you $45 dollar overdraft fees for those five buck purchases at 7-11? Well, this winter they're exclusively offering late fees as well - ta da! $45 becomes $75. And don't think the winter blues were just being friendly when that guy ran the red light and smashed your bumper - a special offer is in place all winter long that guarantees a totalled vehicle with every dent.
                              
Now you may think you're alone with this wintery woeness, but you're not. Thousands of other Americans are suffering similar symptoms like identity theft, death in the family and red light camera tickets. While recuperation times vary, we ensure a stint of good luck in the up coming year if you take the correct dose of medication. Just select the trade show giveaways that best represent your hardships and have them imprinted with excellence. Surely car shaped promotional stress balls will cure the pain of your brand new hiked up insurance premium. And lovely logo travel alarm clocks will look just smashing imprinted with "You Snooze You Lose."
                             
Healing your winter blues is entirely up to you, so take the time to really consider these trade show items and your imprint. One last minute change in font could prolong your illness so you'll want to think long and hard about your ultimate decision. I'm interested in any home remedies you have as well - the winter blues sincerely love originality.

As the curtains close on 2009, be confident that your winter blues will follow you long into March. With only one blizzard so far, you can bet your snow shovel and gloves that the winter blues has something up its sleeves.

My siblings and I often refer to ourselves as our parent's slaves. It's a smart idea; have kids and make them do everything for you. Of course in reality parents are constantly working for their childrens. None the less, as the second youngest in a family of 5 kids, I felt like a servant in my home sometimes. Today, while I don't have kids of my own, I'm able to enslave my neices.

Contrary to the beliefe the kids don't like to clean, I think kids will do anything as long as you present it well. When I'm around my neices everything is worth clapping for.

When my mom tells me to do the dishes after dinner I just tempt me neice, "Ooooh Trinie, wanna help Aunt Jenny do some dishes!?" As long as I soudn excited, she is excited. Likewise, just last week I had my 2 year old neice drying and my 10 year old neice putting everything away.
                                  
Another thing I've learned about kids is that often, if they have a grandmother, they constantly expect, "TREATS." The above advertisment reads, "They'll still think it's a reward. Popsicle Fruity Kanuti. Heart Foundation approved." I'd say a healthy popsicle is great incentive for kids to do some chores around the house.

But my mother gives the kids treats for absolutely anything. "Oh Desi you drew a circle? Have a scoop of ice cream." "Ana you sneezed! Have some Cheerios." "Oh you just sat down at dinner without spilling anything, have some pie." It doesn't matter what the girls do. Grandma just wants to bring a smile to their faces.

Now that I think of it, isn't that what trade show giveaways are? Treats? In fact, I believe that all promotional products are special treats no matter if they're for a classroom of kids or a nursing home full of seniors.