May 2007

Dear Members:

The 2007 ARA International Awards Market in Las Vegas featured 4 days of well-attended educational seminars that included hands-on training and information on efficient work, marketing, and business practices. ARA also offered sessions in Spanish, question-and-answer "Solutions Clinics" for laser engraving and sublimation, and a panel of experts offering their views on awards industry trends.

If you couldn't make it to Las Vegas, I'm pleased to announce that our association has made available, with the permission of the session speakers, several ARA PDF seminar downloads.

To access this useful information

1. Visit www.ara.org.
2. Click on the Education tab on the left side of the home page.
3. Click on "Seminar Downloads," which will prompt you to log in as an ARA member.
4. Choose from seminar title, speaker name, or keyword to find the presentation you want to download.

ARA is proud of its education program—the only type of its kind offered in our industry. Click here to view a slide show of education speakers and seminars at the 2007 ARA International Awards Market.

Please take advantage of the information provided in these PDFs and keep Seeking Perfection in your business and industry.

Ed Hunt
Seeking Perfection

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Awards Industry Scam Alert: Be Watchful of Suspicious Orders!
Please be aware that scam artists have been targeting the awards industry during 2007. In April, an ARA member in New York received a fraudulent credit card order for $6,000 from someone overseas. The order was made with two stolen credit cards. The store figured out the scam and was able to notify one of the cardholders. In March, another ARA member was contacted by a man posing as Rev. John Atkinson from Baltimore, MD. He wanted to purchase 1,000 bobbleheads for the Orphanage of God and have them shipped to Ghana. The order had all the signs of a scam, so the alert member sent all the correspondence to the local sheriff's consumer protection department. It turned out that some of the seven credit card numbers the caller provided were stolen.

Improved ARA Online Buyer's Guide
Here are a few reasons why the new ARA Online Buyer's Guide will be better, faster, and extremely valuable:

• The new online ARA Buyer's Guide will allow members to search for products using very specific criteria, making it a much more robust and useful tool.
• Images of the actual products will be displayed in the search results, along with contact information for the supplier offering them. There will be thousands of products available to search through on the new directory.
• Suppliers will be able to upload new products at any time, and their contact information will be constantly updated. Suppliers can also remove and deactivate products at any time.
• Shifting to this new online buyer's guide will greatly enhance ARA members' ability to find products.

To view the buyer's guide, go to www.ara.org and click on the link. Use the same login ID and password you use for the "Members Only" section of the ARA Web site. ARA encourages all members to take a look at your new ARA Online Buyer's Guide and tell us what you think!

ARA 2007 Regional Education Events
ARA Regional Education Events allow you to expand your skills and acquire CEU credits without traveling to an ARA trade show. These 1- and 2-day seminars are held at the facilities of hosting supplier companies. Each event is also a good occasion to learn more about your supplier's products and services. All seminars will conform to ARA's standards for quality, adhere to ARA's policy of nonproduct promotion, and comply with antitrust regulations. Each seminar will be available for CEU credit for those who are enrolled in the ARA Certification Program.

Here are upcoming ARA Regional Education Events scheduled for 2007. See the list below to find a location near you.

Click here to view a PDF featuring Rowmark's education event schedule and a registration form.

ARA Industry Trends and Price Survey Report
The ARA 2006 Industry Trends and Price Survey Report is now available! The results are fascinating and they are available only to ARA members here.

The following are three of the many findings from the survey, which asked both members and nonmembers detailed questions about the state of the industry and their particular business:

• ARA member businesses make more money than nonmembers.
• ARA members are more optimistic about their businesses than nonmembers.
• ARA members spend less on labor than nonmembers.

The 70-page report is an objective look at our corner of the business world. It is more than a snapshot of trends in the industry; it is a guide that you can refer to again and again to improve your business practices and learn how you compare to others in your region and across the nation.

Updated Certification Transcripts
CEU credit that ARA Education Program participants earned at the 2007 International Awards Market and the 2007 East Coast Awards Market are now posted on the Web site.

Enrollees in the certification program can check their transcripts by visiting the ARA Web site at www.ara.org. Go to "Education" on the menu list at the left side of the ARA home page. Select "Check Your CEU Transcripts" from the sub-menu. Enter your last name and then your personal enrollment number (without any leading zeros). Remember to use your personal enrollment/membership number and not your company's membership number. Click "Begin Search" and you should get your transcript. If you notice any mistakes or omissions in your certification record contact the ARA Manager of Education at dweinstock@connect2amc.com.

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July 26–27
ARA Education Event
Rowmark LLC
Findlay, OH
877/ROWMARK
www.ara.org
www.rowmark.com

July 26–28
Texas Trophy and Awards Show
Moody Gardens Hotel
Galveston, TX
Set-up Day, July 26
Exhibits Open, July 27–28
800/433-0965

August 11
ARA Education Event
N & R International
Metro Atlanta
678/560-4008
www.ara.org
www.etchedstone.com

September 6–7
ARA Education Event
Plastic Dress-Up
South El Monte, CA
800/800-7711
www.ara.org
www.pdu.com

September 15
ARA Education Event
Continental Trophies
Dallas, TX
800/289-0400
www.ara.org
www.continentaltrophies.com

September 28
ARA Education Event
Digital Art Solutions
Tempe, AZ
800/959-7627
www.ara.org
www.smartdesigns.com

October 20
ARA Education Event
Johnson Plastics
Minneapolis, MN
800/869-7800
www.ara.org
www.johnsonplastics.com

January 14–17, 2008
CorelDRAW Boot Camp Cruise
Miami/Eastern Caribbean
800/736-8973

February 25–29, 2008
2008 ARA International Awards Market
Las Vegas Convention Center
800/344-2148
www.ara.org

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In the May 2007 Issue:

ARA Members 'Make It Pay'
The 2007 ARA International Awards Market featured everything awards and recognition professionals need to "Make it Pay": new products, equipment, education, and friendly networking.

ARA Awards Winners
Read about the honored members, volunteers, and supplier and retailer contest winners for 2006–2007.

Special Section: New Product Expo
Check out the magazine's showcase of new products and equipment from ARA Supplier companies. Read more...

New Products in Las Vegas
The ARA International Awards Market is always a great place to view new products, particularly those related to lasers. The 2007 show did not disappoint.

'Who Are You?'
Answering the question, "Who are you?" is vital to developing a workable plan that will help you have long-term marketing and business success.

From Thy Students Ye Shall Be Taught
Bob "Dr. Type" Trogman reflects on attendees comments from his seminars in Las Vegas and explains why such feedback is important.

Paragraph Text: The Final Frontier
The moment has arrived. Although he promises a few more tricks in June, Pradhan Balter covers the remaining feature set for formatting Paragraph Text.

Get Your Team Involved
Every company needs a team of advisors to help with decision making, especially for those times when small-business owners can't see the forest for the trees.

Image Maps and Image Slicing
Foster Coburn explains two ways for assigning multiple URLs to a large graphic: Image Maps, which leave the graphic in one piece and define its clickable regions, and Image Slicing, which chops the graphic into smaller pieces.

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If you're an ARA member with computer access, simply visit www.ara.org, log in to the "Members-Only" section using your member number, and select ARA Ask an Expert. Find the topic and expert you're looking for, then ask your question(s). More often than not, the ARA expert will have the solution you need.

? I've heard that there is a solution that can be applied to noncoated metals like satin gold brass that allows them to be laser engraved. Will it also work on metal cups? Have you heard or know where we can purchase this solution? Thank you.

Diane Bosworth of Access Business Solutions responds: The product is called Cermark, and it can be brushed or sprayed on, engraved through, and then washed off. It is water soluble and leaves a permanent and indelible mark that cannot be corroded or scratched off. Laserbits can provide you with more information. Although I have not heard of Cermark working well on any gold-colored metals, it is certainly a great solution for silver-colored metals such as stainless and chrome.

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