November
2006
Dear Members:
The
entries in our annual ARA Retailer and Supplier awards contests
are among our industry's very best new and creative trophies,
awards, catalogs, and technology. The ARA awards contest is
a great example of how being innovative can be a truly rewarding
and enjoyable experience. If you or your company are not taking
advantage of this fabulous opportunity to showcase your latest
and greatest products and the contributions of others to our
industry, you are missing out on a prime chance to be recognized
by your peers, family, industry, competitors, and community.
The 2007 ARA International Awards Market in Las Vegas will
be a tremendous show; but your volunteer leaders feel that
adding a little extra excitement and some friendly competition
means the difference between an event that is really good—and
one that is truly great. The entry deadlines are fast approaching.
Get the word out to your peers and urge them to enter the
awards contest or nominate someone for an industry award.
Click
here for contest information, entry forms, and to view
winners from the 2006 ARA show.
Also
remember that the deadline for the Awards and Recognition
Industry Educational Foundation (ARIEF) Scholarship program
is December 15. Five $1,000 tuition scholarships will be awarded
this February to ARA member company employees or their children
who complete this application
and essay.
Ahead
of the Curve
Rich
Zydonik
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ARA
Regional Education Event in November
The next Regional Education Event takes place at Quality
One Engravers, in Rancho Cucamonga, CA, on Wednesday and
Thursday, November 8–9. If you are enrolled in the ARA
Certification Program you will earn CEU credits. All seminars
conform to ARA's standards for quality and adhere to
its policy of non-product promotion and compliance with anti-trust
regulations.
Click
on the following company names to read about the ARA Education
Events that recently took place at Rowmark
(July 13–14), Plastic
Dress-Up (August 11–12), Continental
Trophies (September 9), and Victory
(September 30).
2007–2008
ARA Board Member Nominations
Per association bylaws, any ARA member in good standing may
petition to appear on the ballot for election to the 2007-2008
ARA Board of Directors. Petitions must be signed by at least
2% of the members within the same membership category. For
more information, please contact Dave Bergeson at 800/344-2148,
ext. 4866. Petitions can be mailed to ARA headquarters and
must be postmarked by November 10 in order to be considered.
ARIEF
Silent Auction in Las Vegas
The Awards and Recognition Industry Education Foundation (ARIEF)
is hosting its annual Silent Auction during the 2007 ARA International
Awards Market. All proceeds from the auction benefit ARIEF.
If you or your company is interested in donating an item,
please contact Sara Nakon at ARA Headquarters, snakon@connect2amc.com
or call 847/375-3680. ARIEF exists solely to provide financial
assistance to students, affiliated with ARA member companies,
who wish to pursue an education in any field of their choice.
This one-time merit award is applied directly toward tuition
expenses.
ARA
Professional Certification Program
Are you enrolled in the Certification Program and planning
to receive your Certified Recognition Specialist (CRS) or
Certified Recognition Master (CRM) designation at the 2007
International Awards Market in Las Vegas? If so, you need
to carefully check your education credits earned to date.
Updated transcripts will be mailed in late November and posted
on the ARA Web site. Make plans to attend Las Vegas show seminars
that will help you in your business—and give you additional
CEU credits. A minimum of 7 CEUs are needed to attain CRS,
and 17 CEUs are needed for a CRM. ARA recommends that you
enroll in extra seminars beyond what you think you need to
meet your threshold level.
Enrollees
in the certification program can check their transcripts by
visiting 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
that you need to use your personal enrollment/membership number,
not your company's membership number.)
Click "Begin Search" to get your transcript.
Members
close to completing their CRM designation must also submit
a 1,200 word thesis. Please send your proposed thesis topic
by no later than December 15 for approval by the ARA Education
Committee. The final thesis is due no later than January 22,
2007. For more information, please contact ARA Education Manager
Daniel Weinstock at e-mail dweinstock@connect2amc.com.
2006
ARA Speaker of the Year Award
A nomination form for the 2006 ARA Speaker of the Year Award
will be included with enrollees' certification transcripts.
This is your chance to vote for speakers whom you feel have
been knowledgeable about the awards and recognition industry
and skillful in communicating that information. Please submit
your choices on the "Call for Speaker Nominations"
form by no later than January 5, 2007.
Make
the ARA Sportsmanship Award Work for You
Although the annual ARA Sportsmanship Award is only open to
college football players, it is an inspiration for all, especially
younger athletes. As ARA members you have the ability to create
significant awards that have the power to motivate young athletes
and their sportsmanship.
-
Contact local media outlets to discuss the ARA Sportsmanship
Award; you can offer your expertise, what your company is
doing to promote sportsmanship, and work with the media
to sponsor local sportsmanship awards.
-
Inform local high school and university athletic directors
and park districts about the importance of the award. Help
them establish a sportsmanship award for their teams.
-
Highlight sports achievements in your community by sponsoring
your own sportsmanship award during respective seasons.
This is a great way to bring greater exposure to your company
and potentially increase your customer base.
-
Post press clippings, press releases, and photos of national
media coverage on the award.
Click
here for more information on the ARA Sportsmanship Award.
Customized
Shipping Solutions for ARA Members
ARA members are eligible to receive exclusive shipping discounts
and preferred pricing with the leading transportation providers
in the industry. ARA has partnered with DHL, Roadway Express,
Yellow Transportation, and UPS Supply Chain Solutions for
savings on all types of shipping services. For more information,
please call 800/Members, ext. 303 or click
here.
Recognition
Review Online Library
ARA now offers its members a growing library of the most popular
and useful Recognition Review articles from the past
several years. Stories covering CorelDRAW, showroom design,
customer service, engraving tips, and business issues are
available for your review. Click
here or log onto the ARA Web
site's "Members Only" section and click
on the "Online Library" link. Please note: These
articles are copyrighted by ARA and may not be republished,
reproduced, or distributed without the written consent of
the association.
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November
3–4
Western Awards & Gift Show
Embassy Suites Hotel
San Francisco Airport/Burlingame
800/276-8428
November
8–9
ARA Educational Event
Quality One Engravers
Rancho Cucamonga, CA
Click
Here for More Information
November
12–15
East Coast Resort Gift
Expo
Ocean City Convention Center
Ocean City, MD
December
3–6
Grand Strand Gift &
Resort Merchandise
Myrtle Beach Convention Center
Myrtle Beach, SC
January
4–7, 2007
Miami Beach Gift Show
Miami Beach Convention Center
Miami Beach, FL
January
6–9, 2007
Philadelphia Gift Show
Greater Reading Expo Center
Reading, PA
January
14–15, 2007
Trophex 2007
NEC Pavilion
Birmingham, UK
February
3–5, 2007
Orlando Gift Show and
Jewelry and Accessories Expo
Orange County Convention Center
Orlando, FL
February
15–17, 2007
CorelDraw Boot Camp
Cave Creek, AZ
800/736-8973
February
21–24, 2007
2007 ARA International Awards
Market
Las Vegas Convention Center
Las Vegas, NV
800/344-2148
March
4–6, 2007
Virginia Beach Gift Show
Virginia Beach Convention Center
Virginia Beach, VA
March
12–14, 2007
CorelDRAW Boot Camp
Cave Creek, AZ
800/736-8973
March
15–17, 2007
2007 ARA East Coast Awards
Market
Atlantic City Convention Center
Atlantic City, NJ
800/344-2148
April
12–14, 2007
CorelDRAW Boot Camp
Cave Creek, AZ
800/736-8973
April
19–21, 2007
CorelDRAW Boot Camp
Cave Creek, AZ
800/736-8973
May
3–5, 2007
Awards and
Custom Gift Show
Fort Worth Convention Center
Fort Worth, TX
June
7–9, 2007
Awards and
Custom Gift Show
Charlotte Convention Center
Charlotte, NC
July
12–14, 2007
Awards and
Custom Gift Show
Baltimore Convention Center
Baltimore, MD
July
22–25, 2007
Philadelphia Gift Show
Greater Reading Expo Center
Reading, PA
August
9–11, 2007
Awards and
Custom Gift Show
Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center
Long Beach, CA
August
25–28, 2007
Miami Beach Gift Show
Miami Beach Convention Center
Miami Beach, FL
September
6–8, 2007
Awards and
Custom Gift Show
Indiana Convention Center and RCA Dome
Indianapolis, IN
November
11–14, 2007
East Coast Resort Gift
Expo
Ocean City Convention Center
Ocean City, MD
December
2–5, 2007
Grand Strand Gift &
Resort Merchandise Show
Myrtle Beach Convention Center
Myrtle Beach, SC
January
14–17, 2008
CorelDRAW Boot Camp Cruise
Miami/Eastern Caribbean
800/736-8973
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 In
the November 2006 Issue:
Popular
Plaques Go High-End
Whether you're already selling a lot of plaques, or
you'd like to sell more, there's good news for
awards retailers. As a market item, plaques are expected to
bounce back in coming months.
A
Graphic Designer's View of Europe
Bob "Dr. Type" Trogman saw cathedrals, museums,
and libraries during a recent European vacation. But he also
made it a point to pay attention to the local customs regarding
art and typography.
Getting
Fancy with Text
Pradhan Balter picks up where he left off last month to complete
his explanation of fitting text to a path. After exploring
the pros and cons of the interactive method of fitting text
versus the menu driven method, he completes his study by paying
extra attention to fitting text on closed curves.
Children
Are Customers, Too
Guess what? Those children your clients brought with them
to your store are your future customers! And just as important
to the future growth of your business—they influence
where their parents shop today! Read
more...
Automation
of Corel PHOTO-PAINT
What if you could have a series of tasks applied to a hundred
images at once? That is something that can be easily accomplished
by almost any user with the tools found in Corel PHOTO-PAINT.
Filling
the Sales Pipeline By Phone
Current technology makes it easy to close an important deal
by cell phone or wireless laptop, even while sitting on the
beach. Since we have all these tools to improve our connectivity,
it's even more important for small businesses to "stay
in touch with the ones we love": our customers.
Transitioning
to Large Format Sublimation Printing
Many people using a small format dye sublimation printer often
contemplate when they should transition to a larger format
(LF) printer platform. The criteria for justifying the transition
to an LF printer platform can be broken down into output speeds,
consumable costs, control over output variables, and of course,
the return on the investment.
Etching
Success
For the great majority of your engraving and sublimation work,
you'll use Artistic text as-is, right out of the toolbox.
But there will be times when you might want to do something
more extraordinary.
Becoming
a Skilled Engraver
As the popularity of laser engraving remains strong, the companies
that offer such services have grown in response. This can
mean that staying ahead of the competition is now more of
a challenge for many engravers.
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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.
?
Which adhesive should be used to join acrylic face-to-face
without leaving stains, and what are the ways to finish the
acrylic edges?
Diane
Bosworth of Access Business Solutions responds: Laser
cutting through acrylic should give you a flame polished edge
that needs no finishing. If you are getting less than this,
try adjusting your settings. Also make sure you are using
cast acrylic as opposed to extruded because there is less
chance of overheating occurring, which can result in damage
to the acrylic.
As
for the choice of glue, due to the differences in acrylic,
you might check with the suppliers of the acrylic you are
using for their recommendations of what will yield the best
results. There are also polishes available that can remove
small scratches and/or imperfections from acrylic that may
be useful as well. Good luck.
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