If you're just catching up with us, please be sure to read Best of Orlando: Part 1 for a summary of apparel items new for 2012.

Wearables is just a small category within promotional products; there is still so much more to share! Read on to learn about our favorite finds in technology...



Julianne spotted this handy speaker for your iPhone. It worked exceptionally well!



These little night lights aren't as long-lasting as true compact fluorescent light bulbs, but they do come equipped with an energy saving sensor. Plus, they're just so gosh darn cute!



At Sonic, we have long been fans of OrigAudio's Rock-It portable vibration speakers and their collapsible, eco-friendly craft paper speaker sets. This year's product line additions did not disappoint! The above photo shows off their new Cubicool speaker. This little 3x3x3 cube will work with ANY audio product that has a standard 3.5mm headphone jack (think laptop, iPod, cell phone), and two hours of charge will get you up to twelve hours of battery life. Use just one speaker, or connect them together to increase the volume. The sound quality is phenomenal; my jaw literally dropped.



The best part? You've got four imprint opportunities with a digital imprint on each panel. I really love how Disney and Absolut played with design to create a full set.

Another great piece for a full color imprint is this grip stand. It might look small, but it has powerful strength.

Use it to prop up your iPad for movie viewing, or place it on your desk when you want your cell phone close at hand. If you notice the grip power diminishing, just rinse it under water to restore its strength.



Now, I wouldn't normally catalog a mirror under the "technology" category, but I had to make an exception for this unique piece. Created with dark bars, restaurants and nightclubs in mind, this mirror illuminates your logo and makes it impossible to ignore.



Some businesses have used this piece to advertise promotions and vendor partners by placing a live screen in the bottom corner. Pretty cool!

Well, that sums up another round of our favorite items from the ASI Orlando show. Stay tuned for more!

On Wednesday evening, Sonic received its first Gold Pyramid Award at the PPAI Expo in Las Vegas. Debbie Bostin and Seth Weiner's direct mail campaign with Columbia Books won top place in the category of Political and Legislative Program.

Read on to learn more about the project.



In 2008, Columbia Books acquired the US Congress Handbook (first published in 1974). The handbook is known as the go-to-guide for information on members of Congress, and it is often used as a tool for legislative advocates and a gift for political donors. The book can also be customized with a branded cover and custom page inserts.

In October, Columbia Books contacted Sonic for assistance with a direct mail campaign to grow sales of their custom handbooks. Facing competition from a nearly identical product, Columbia Books needed a creative solution that would highlight their handbook's superior features and get it directly into the hands of key decision makers.

The selection of items for this mail campaign was actually inspired by a past Sonic promotion. Two years ago, Sonic sent out reusable coffee mugs, water cups and personalized notes to top clients, Columbia Books included. Columbia Books was so thrilled with the gift that they chose to use the exact same items for the US Congress Handbook promotion. 

75 boxes were sent out, each containing a set of drinkware, a sample handbook, a tailored letter signed by the sales rep, and red, white and blue paper filler. One week after the mailing, Columbia Books' sales reps conducted follow-up calls to secure meetings, close potential clients and renew existing clients.

So, was the promotion a success?

You bet! Columbia Books closed 28 new clients and achieved a renewal rate of 80% from existing clients. Of new clients, eight specifically attributed the gift as the most important factor to their order. Columbia Books was so pleased with the program that they entered the project for an industry award and won.

Hi guys!
Wanted to let you know the mug and cup marketing campaign we did just won the SIPA (Specialized Information Publishers Association) award for Best Print Effort. When the award was presented, the presenter said that they decided not to award any "honorable mentions" for this category, because the winning entry was so definitively the best in its category (and yes, there were many other entries). So, thanks for all your help and feel free to tell your other customers the stuff you guys create is award winning!

Thank you, Columbia Books  for the opportunity, and thank you, PPAI for the recognition!

This story below left me at a loss for words. I'm just going to let it do the talking...



Reposted from The Body Odd blog on msnbc.com. Article written by Cari Nierenberg.

Swallowed Pen Still Works 25 Years Later

The pen is said to be mightier than the sword. But an unusual case report has shown that a pen may be mightier than stomach acid.

The case, which appeared in the British Medical Journal Case Reports, described a 76-year-old British woman sent to a GI specialist because of weight loss and diarrhea.
I promise to never again use the word 'diarrhea' on this blog.

She was diagnosed with severe diverticulosis, a condition that's common in older people in which small pouches bulge out from the colon. But when doctors did a scanning test of her belly they noticed something strange: "A linear foreign body in the stomach."

When asked about it, the woman remembered accidentally swallowing a black felt-tip pen 25 years earlier. (In case you're wondering, dentures and toothpicks are two of the most common items that adults accidentally swallow.)

According to her gastroenterologist Dr. Olive Waters, who authored the case report, she was standing on her stairs using an uncapped pen to poke a spot on her tonsils. On the STAIRS?? Of all the places she could have chosen to stand for an impromptu game of Operation on her own tonsils, she chose THE STAIRS. She was also holding a hand mirror to guide the pen to the exact spot. Somehow, while doing this, she lost her balance and stumbled. The fall managed to push the pen down her throat. It glided down her gullet and found a home in her tummy.

She told her husband and her doctor what had happened, but they were skeptical of the story. I probably would have had the same reaction. X-rays done at the time were normal and found no trace of the pen. Flash forward to the present, to a different doctor and even better stomach-scanning technology to investigate the case of the missing marker. More than two decades later a scan hit pay dirt: The pen.

Although the woman's current digestive problems had nothing to do with the marker she had unintentionally downed, the doctors decided to remove it anway. Their rationale was a case in the medical literature of a child accidentally swallowing a ballpoint pen that bore a hole in his bowel. Incredibly, the pen had stayed in her stomach for 25 years without causing any significant damage to her GI tract, Waters says.

After bathing in stomach acid for two-and-a-half decades, the pen was corroded and the plastic was flaky, but, amazingly, the pen still had usable ink and could write!

"This case highlights that plain abdominal X-rays may not identify ingested plastic objects and occasionally it may be worth believing the patient's account however unlikely it may be," the report advises doctors.

Write on!

You know, as much as I want to make fun of this poor lady, I am reminded of the time I accidentally swallowed a quarter while trying to catch it in my teeth, ala Jim Carrey in Ace Ventura. I guess I'm not one to talk!

Seth recently assisted client JK Moving with marketing materials for the Maryland Association of Realtors "Rally for Success" conference. We were delighted to see a recap of the event on their blog, This End UP. Keep reading for Kent Fegani's first-hand account!

Last week, JK was an exhibitor at the Maryland Association of Realtors "Rally for Success" conference, and I was fortunate enough to represent JK. It was my first time attending the annual convention, and I was really surprised by the experience.

First, the facility was huge! Everyday, there were hundreds of attendees walking around and visiting booths. It was fantastic to meet a variety of people in person and have the opportunity to explain the extensive services JK Moving provides.



While we did not win an award for our booth, I think everyone enjoyed their visit. We welcomed booth visitors with a couple of fun games to play (all of us from JK certainly enjoyed the games). We wanted people to remember our booth for more than just the games, so we gave away several practical gifts for people to use. Remember that almost all of the event attendees were realtors, so we had gifts and prizes with them in mind: tape measurers, stress relievers, pens, lip balm and nail files as options for their takeaway from our booth. Finally, because that just was not enough for the magnitude of this event, there was a raffle! We raffled off a $50 gas card and $100 off of someone's next move.

Overall, it was an outstanding experience that I recommend for anyone. It's a great way to spend a few days, or just an afternoon, but I know I will certainly be attending next year. Stop by and visit; you won't regret it. We can talk shop if you would like, but if not, we'll have gifts and games for our realtor friends to enjoy.

P.S. Belinda E, from Long and Foster, won the $50 gas card. The Jay Fischetti Group (Keller Williams), Cynthia G (Long and Foster), and Julie D (Prudential Carruthers) all won $100 off their clients' next move. Congrats to the winners!

Thanks for sharing, JK! We are thrilled the event was a success!

For more trade show promotion ideas and best practices, check out the following posts:
Trade Show 101 Part 1
Trade Show 101 Part 2
Trade Show 101 Part 3