After the 2012 In Store Show finishes - how did it turn out?

We were pleasantly surprised with the show this year. Its the fourth year that Impulse Have exhibited, and with each year, numbers of exhibitors have been declining.
This, in my opinion, is the only Point of Purchase relevant exhibition to attend in the UK calendar.
Impulse were well placed, as we were the only Creative Agency exhibiting with on -site manufacturing. Its always interesting to see which of the larger agencies exhibit, and Impulse took advantage of the fact that only 3 of the larger competitors were present
The quality of visitors were better this year, with the likes of Disney, HMV and P&G coming on to our stand on Day 1!
With the current climate, and budget decisions being particularly long winded - it was enthusing to speak to so many Brands wanting to discuss new briefs and talking about spending money again.

So, the question which we all ask, is "Whats New?"

In terms of new ideas and solutions to engage In Store - we loved the Augmented Reality (AR) prospect which will change the way we present to brands, and enables you to visualise in 3D, in situe. This emerging technology needs further explanation, email me HERE if you would like more information.

The POPAI Award nominations were announced - and as much as we are proud to have won the award in previous years, i just dont understand the thinking behind some of the nominations.

Everyone looks to this event to showcase new innovation, and ideas that can enhance the shopping experience - we struggled to get excited by many of the nominations. I personally look for innovation and clever brief interpretation, and generally there is always some good quality coming out of the British Creative Agencies - so lets see more of it!

We attracted interest in our IPAD Display - it seems that there is still a lack of choice for retailers who wish to use IPad in store, to house the unit in an accessible yet secure way.
Griffin are now offering an option HERE which is something close, but not as cost effective as ours.

Interactive is now more affordable, which is great as this does bring units to life - our GORE-TEX unit utilises a touch screen display attached to the mannequin, allowing the consumer to see how the clothing is tested and constructed.

There were some nice Interactive screen options being showcased - but i couldn’t yet see larger format screens that offer the same functionality as the smaller screened IPAD and Android equivalents. it wont be long, i’m sure!

i have to mention H Squared - their stand was fun, and Interactive - well done! It lightened up the 2 days, with crowd style giveaways, i hope they retain plenty of business from the experience. They blew away the competition, and i got the feeling from Philip and his team that they just wanted to have some fun - and we seem to have lost that vision with all the doom and gloom in portrayed in the media.

Sustainability is now one of the most important factors influencing our sector, and use of recycled materials will soon be a pre-requisite. The POPAI Awards dealt well with this, and also there were many Temporary POS / POP suppliers exhibiting. Sustainability in Permanent POP is more difficult to achieve, something we at Impulse are constantly evaluating.
The difficult aspect is the importance of cost against doing what is right. In the current economic climate we experience a pure cost issue, and therefore the cheapest price wins the work, rather than the most environmentally friendly. This is definately "Work in Progress".

I came away from the Exhibition considering what people would have expected from the exhibition - and writing this, i have decided that sharing innovative ideas and showcasing not only what we do, but others in the High Street, is what you really want to see.

So, on our travels we will share our experiences via the Website. We will soon incorporate our Twitter feed on the site, and invite comments and sharing of similar experiences from around the world. We welcome your contact via email mark@impulsepop.co.uk or via twitter @impulsepop, please hit the buttons at the top of this text, your feedback is crucial.