Modern Talent is excited to announce our recent partnership with PopBookings!  As a constantly growing and ever-changing promotional staffing agency, we believe that this partnership will keep our agency ahead of the competition and continue to improve not only our talent, but the quality of service that we can offer to our clients.

PopBookings is an innovative promotional staffing tech firm that enables  event-staffing companies to streamline their internal processes in order to provide exceptional service to their clients.  Their simplistic interfaces, app capabilities and database management make finding quality talent and managing staff extremely efficient, which will allow us to devote more time to our clients and better match our talent with their live event needs.  

PopBookings was a finalist for the 2015 Silicon Prairie Awards New Startup of the Year and has quickly gone from a simple idea to an impressive software enterprise.  They were also selected to be one of 10 startup companies to participate in the SparkLabKC program in 2015 that helps fund and accelerate early-stage Internet startups, and since graduating from the program have continued to grow at an impressive rate.  Being a fairly young company ourselves at Modern Talent, we believe that joining forces with PopBookings will increase their user base substantially and strengthen our talent simultaneously.

The primary reason we are making the shift to PopBookings management software is because managing staff remotely can be extremely difficult and time consuming, but they make it efficient and easy.  We also pride ourselves in staffing local talent for our clients, which means we need to use innovative tactics to find talent in many areas that we don’t have teams permanently located in; PopBookings allows us to do so.  PopBookings also allows models and talented people to create and build personal profiles that can be rated by clients and agencies to help boost their chances of finding work.

More importantly than connecting with new talent, we wanted to improve the way we communicate and book our current talent for events.  With PopBookings, users have the ability to  see their events, check the job board, message their agency, and get paid all in one place.  Users can also upload any documents or certifications such as resumes, liquor licenses or tax forms to their profile.  PopBookings also features an easy to use app that is available on both iOS and Android platforms.

PopBookings has 10 features that they claim “smash the status quo” which includes:

• Database Management: All inclusive talent profile that gives agencies and users a secure place to store documents and paperwork.

• Custom-branded talent portal: Communicate with staff, upload logos and use unique URLs.

• Drag-and-drop scheduling: Assign shifts, delegate roles and share assignments with the push of a button.

• Geo check-ins: Allows promoters to snap selfies to confirm their arrival to a venue on time.

• Event dashboard with status alerts: Highlights whether an event is partially booked, fully booked, or live event happening at that moment.

• 3-way confirmations: Confirms when you’ve invited the talent to participate in an event, assigned them a shift, and when they’ve confirmed the booking.

• Talent login: Talent have their own login capability and manage their own talent profile, uploading photos, statistics, contact information, special skills, and more.

• Built-in instant messaging: Allows you to send and receive important information either one-on-one or to a group

• Talent paperwork: Dedicated, private, and secure place to store documents.

• ePayroll: Painlessly tracks hours and rates, pays your talent, and maintains payment records.

These features will simplify our processes at Modern Talent, which we believe is fantastic news for our current and future clients.  We will have more time to focus on their events and spend less time on the logistics of hiring and matching the right talent for their needs.  Our talent base should continue to grow and strengthen as our company does the same.  

Again, we are extremely excited about this new partnership and look forward to working with PopBookings.  We can’t wait to use their industry changing tools to continue to provide the best service possible to our clients and grow our amazing staff of talented promotional models and brand ambassadors.  

To learn more about Modern Talent and the services we offer please visit our website at: moderntalentusa.com.  If you would like to book Modern Talent for your next event, please click here.

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We discuss the value of person to person interaction between clients and consumers here at Modern Talent frequently, and for good reason–it drives sales.  In a digital world, the importance of using traditional marketing tactics alongside online campaigns is still high.  One of the most effective ways to get in touch face-to-face with your target audience is to hire a promotional modeling agency to promote your brand at Trade Shows and Conventions.

Live event marketing reaches fewer consumers for the cost than traditional advertising media, but the consumer’s perception of a product, service, brand, or company, is typically more influenced by an interpersonal client-consumer experience.  It is unusual for companies to staff their own promotional models or team anymore, but there is plenty of qualified talent available to run your event.  For example, each brand ambassador from Modern Talent has been trained on how to acquire lifelong consumers. Trade Shows and Conventions are great at attracting people to the area, but you still need to create an experience for your customers that will get them to purchase the product.

Models that are selected for your trade show promotion can be trained to provide consumer feedback and answer questions about services, brand appeal and products.  Their responsibilities can be dictated by the campaign that you have outlined which could include: relaying core values, providing information, growing product awareness, sampling products or even handing out gifts.  

The cost-benefit ratio of staffing and promoting businesses and products at trade shows has been questioned more heavily in recent years due to their expense compared to digital marketing, but there are benefits to be had from live promotional events that you just can’t get online.  We support these six key benefits of having a marketing presence at trade shows, as outlined by Timothy Carter of AudienceBloom:

1. They create lasting impressions if done right
2. They are incredible face-to-face marketing events
3. Lead generation opportunity
4. Trade shows target audiences result in direct sales opportunities
5. They are cost-effective networking and advertising
6. They level the marketing field

First, we would like to highlight the importance of making sure the event is done right.  The primary function of Trade Shows and Conventions is to feature an array of options for businesses and consumers to connect with one another.  Setting up a unique and well-designed booth is the foundation of drawing consumer engagement, but in order to run a successful event you need to create a well-rounded experience to make sure you leave that lasting impression with attendees.  Doing so requires hiring the right people to run your Trade Show or Convention booths.  

Having highly trained and quality talent such as trade show models, spokesmodels and/or brand ambassador to execute your live event is a great way to gain an advantage over your competitors.  They’ll know what to look for and how to approach attendees in an effective manner.  Each one of our promotional models at Modern Talent gets general video training with a test as well as specific training on how to sell product in a variety of settings and every brand ambassador from our company has been trained on how to acquire lifelong consumers.  

More tips for running a successful live event:

• Set clear goals
• Invest in brand signage
• Prepare thoroughly
• Work the crowds (don’t be passive)

Second, we’ve mentioned multiple times now that Trade Shows and Conventions provide extremely effective face-to-face marketing opportunities.  It is difficult to find similar levels of consumer traffic for your business or product in alternative settings.  These events also give you the opportunity to pitch your service or product in-person to prospective buyers and answer any questions they might have instantly.  Compared to digital marketing campaigns, this opens the door to closing sales much quicker.

Coinciding with the high levels of face-to-face interaction is the opportunity to generate an abundance of leads.  We generally strive for quality over quantity at Modern Talent, but quantity is a big reason to market at trade shows and conventions.  Trade Show and Convention attendance levels can range from a few thousand to over 100,000 attendees depending on the size and duration of the event.  This provides a great opportunity to gather contact info, business cards and grow your social media following.  Of course, don’t forget to follow up on any and all new leads to maximize your ROI.

Third, one of the greatest benefits of Trade Shows and Conventions is that your target audience is flocking to you.  You don’t have to go find them because they are right in front of you.  Generally speaking, most trade shows and conventions have a specific theme or are targeting a specific niche market.  For example, promoting your new spirit at a restaurant or liquor store can be effective, but you are competing with beer, wine and other cocktail consumers.  A more effective marketing campaign might be to set up a booth at a spirit festival, convention, or trade show, where a large majority, if not all of your audience has some interest in your product.

“ALWAYS have something to sell at a trade show.  It doesn’t matter if you only bring your latest products or have a wide variety of products to choose, the opportunity to generate sales shouldn’t be lost because you didn’t have something for them to buy. Don’t miss out on that sale!” – Timothy Carter, Director of Business Development for AudienceBloom

Lastly, despite seemingly high prep, design, staffing, and travel costs of running a Trade Show or Convention, the potential sales return and growth in brand awareness that can result from these events has the potential to greatly exceed your initial investment.  The cost of running an online ad campaign will be much less up front, but the amount of money and time spent on converting sales is often less with trade shows and other live events because of the interpersonal interactions.  Success with these types of events typically boils down to preparation.  The more you plan and strategize ahead of time, the more likely you are to reach your goals.

Link: Are trade fairs and exhibitions worth it?

Relatively speaking though, the cost to get into a Trade Show or Convention is fairly low, and it’s typically the same for everyone.  Trade shows and conventions level the marketing field because every business attending has access to the same audience.  Everyone has the same opportunity to engage consumers and build relationships with prospective buyers.  Small businesses struggle to compete in the digital marketing world because they can’t afford to place ads as frequently or on as many high-traffic websites as larger companies.  At live events, the airtime is divided equally.  

If you have a new product or service, or simply want to grow your brand appeal/awareness, Trade Shows and Conventions are a practical and low-cost opportunity to do so.  We always recommend getting people, and more specifically promotional models, out in front of your business to start building the consumer-business relationships necessary to maintain long-term and loyal customers.

To learn more about Modern Talent and the services we offer please visit our website at: moderntalentusa.com.  If you would like to book Modern Talent for your next event, please click here.

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Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram!

Join the Modern Talent Team!