New classified ads website

Take a look at the latest free classified ads website www.YourSalesAd.com - it's really easy to use and you get 14 days free advertising including 25 words and a photo if you're Joe Public (different packages if you're a trade advertiser). Official launch is 1st August, it's UK based - worth having a go I reckon!

World Market Center Las Vegas

Things are hotting up in the run-up to the Summer Las Vegas Market and what an exciting one it will be, the launch of VegasKids, Gift+Home as well as a fabulous expansion outdoors into the central plaza at World Market Center Las Vegas for Alfresco Spaces. With less than two weeks to go I'm busy planning for the international marketing and PR side of things - we have a number of international journalists coming over for Market from countries as far away as Australia, Thailand, Mexico, Germany and of course the UK, each looking for their own particular perspective on how Las Vegas Market would work for their readers. I'm flying BA this time, just heard on the news that Unite cabin staff have voted not to accept the latest offer on the table, so fingers crossed there won't be any strike action whilst I'm trying to travel - selfish I know!

Hoby Open Gardens weekend raises lots of money!

Hoby Open Gardens weekend which I blogged about last month raised £7,700 - a fantastic achievement, thanks to everyone who helped, visited and spent their money!

Hoby Open Gardens Weekend

It's busy busy busy in the village of Hoby, Leicestershire this weekend - it's Open Gardens weekend on both Saturday 19th and Sunday 20th and villagers can be spotted tending their plants until late every evening! Hoby Open Gardens weekend is held every two years, this time there are 13 gardens open, the village hall is home to craft stalls, fabulous lunches and crepes, there are cream teas, ice creams and a Pimms Bar in one garden. It's a real, traditional English village event, turn a corner and you'll come across the plant stall, turn another and there are cups of tea and scones. The Church is home to a produce stall, an art exhibition and War Memorial exhibition and the Methodist Chapel will see lots of lovely home-made cakes for sale. So, if you fancy a day out, or want to treat Dad to lunch or a cream tea in a lovely location on Father's Day, look no further than Hoby near Melton Mowbray!

Beware rolling advertising contracts

A word of warning to check the small print ... a client of mine signed up for an advertisement on a television screen in register offices a couple of years ago. He was sold it on the basis that it was for two years and on that basis he agreed. He was asked to sign the agreement and to set up the payments which were made over the period of the first year. Unfortunately, he missed something crucial on the contract's small print which said that if he wished to cancel the ad after the two year period was up, he had to give twelve months notice i.e. he had to cancel after the first year of advertising. Indeed, he was stung for another two years worth of advertising that he did not wish to take and furthermore had to cancel the agreement in writing otherwise he would find himself invoiced for year 5 and 6 too.

Quite apart from the fact that this is appalling business practice on the part of the company selling the deal, I would caution anyone to take advice before signing up for advertising for such a long period of time. I'd be happy to offer advice on this or other such advertising connundrums to anyone who emails me!

Phew, we have a Government!

Just enjoying the joint press conference at No 10 - I would not have second guessed what happened yesterday to our political process. I'm remembering back to Mrs Rowe my politics teacher at school who inspired me to take Politics as an A Level - what material this will make for those taking Politics A level or indeed degrees this year! Can't remember when I last listened to BBC News to hear a No 10 press conference during office hours ... I think we'll find there will be lots of 'firsts' in the next few months.

A disappointment?

I've been dying to blog all morning, but technology let me down with my internet connection deciding not to work at the crucial moment. I was so hoping to wake up this morning to a decisive result - but alas no! From a marketing perspective it's been an interesting campaign - leaving aside Gordon Brown's 'bigot' day, the Labour Party's used all the tools it has had available quite well, but they haven't run a positive campaign - their one and only selling point seemed to be that they claim to be able to run the economy in a trustworthy manner ... Nick Clegg used the TV debates to great effect although by debate three his jibes about the 'old parties' were getting pretty worn out and I found myself wanting to understand more about his policies. What I liked about the Tory campaign was that it didn't peak too early - ads and leaflets and posters were still appearing locally right up until yesterday and debate three was the highlight for David Cameron. It started well with the photocall at County Hall and I think it ended well, it just lost impetus half way through and maybe, just maybe that's why he didn't carry it off last night.

If Cameron does manage to form a government, then I hope electoral reform makes it as an agenda item that needs serious debate. How can it be right that a party that's lost around 100 seats and clearly does not have a mandate in terms of numbers of votes can possibly be sitting there in Downing Street this morning still able to hang on by its fingertips?

I hope there is electoral reform for the sake of people like my 19 year old stepson whose first General Election vote it was yesterday and who were engaged in the political process for the first time. The Tv debate was a positive element of this campaign, it engaged people of all ages and political persuasions - let's not lose that engagement because the system turns voters off.