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Merck’s new hepatitis C drug, Boceprevir (Victrelis) has won recommendation for use in Britain’s state health service. It was widely discussed especially because the drug is especially expensive. This an important drug because unlike previous INV +Ribavirin combination therapy, Boceprevir can be used in the treatment of hepatitis due to HCV genotype 1, the most common form of hepatitis C. It will be used in combination with Pegylated Interferon and Ribavirin for genotype 1 hepatitis C.
Boceprevir is an NS3/4A protease inhibitor. This drug stops viral replication by binding to a protease that would work to cleave the polyprotein. Thus this drug prevents the production of functional viral protein. Pegylated interferons are used to moderate the immune system. Ribivirin is a nucleoside analog and when given with IFN, it can reduce viral replication.
Original Article from Reuters: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/03/09/merck-britain-idUSL5E8E8AH120120309
More info on HCV Medications:
http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/177792-medication#2
--Elena Jordan
24 Şubat 2013 Pazar
What's a Nun Got to do With it? by Tashiya G.
To contact us Click HERE
Tashiya Gunesekera
ED2 -- Rubavu District, Western Province
My first friend in myvillage was a nun. Her name was Eleonora, a primary school teacher.She came to visit me in my temporary housing and commented that Ineeded to clean my floors more often. I felt, knowing what I knew ofRwandan culture, that she was going to be a genuine friend.
I live in small town inthe Northwest of Rwanda. I am very connected to the Catholic church,which predominates my town. I eat all my meals with the priests, andtake myself up the hill to Sunday mass every Sunday I'm at site. Thenuns live in a quaint house connected to the health clinic in town,which they run. There are two nuns from Spain named Aurelia and MariaJesus who are there as mentors and teachers for the Rwandan Nuns whowere Eleonora, Matilde, Marcelline, and Vestine. We quickly becamefriends due to the shortbread-like cookies they gave me every time Icame to visit at 530pm any weekday. As they said recently, “Tashiya,sabemos que te gusta las dolces.” (Tashiya we know that youlike the sweets.)
Throughout my time atsite, I have spent time getting to know the nuns. They helped me thattime I had a bad day and could not find any Margarine to make Mac andCheese. They listened to me complaining about all the papers I had tomark. They invited me to watch Spain trounce Italy in the Euro Cupthis year. They gave me a thermometer when I thought I was sick. Andmost importantly they helped me with my book project to get moreEnglish reading books for my school library. These books were sent totheir mailbox in Gisenyi and they carted them up the steep mountainin their car. During this time, I've had multiple opportunities toanalyze their lives.
Not being Catholic,apart from the “Sister Act”, I personally did not know much aboutnuns before I moved to this small town in Rwanda. I thought nuns weresuper religious women that gave up a life of family and love toworship God and help poor people. And, yes in some ways this is true.They do give up having a traditional family and romantic love, andthey are religious and they do help poor people. But, there is a lotmore to these nuns than that.
The nuns at my site allhave serious jobs and careers in the making. Eleonora was a primaryschool teacher, Vestine was a nurse at the health clinic, Marcellinetrains girls that are not in school in trades like sewing, andcooking, and Matilde was responsible for teaching young mothers aboutnutrition. The two Spanish nuns oversaw much of the running of theclinic and also were responsible for the running of their home.
Within my community,these nuns are considered to be influential people. They are often atsector, cell and village events. They sit with the important peoplewho thank goodness, I have finally been cleared of sitting with. (I'mfinally one with the people!) They also live in a nice house and haveaccess to a car to go to the nearest big town, Gisenyi andoccasionally Kigali. These nuns, probably due to their congregation,have serious opportunities to travel. Eleonora broke my heart whenshe said in the beginning of the second year that she was leaving togo live in Equatorial Guinea for her next mission. Mathilde moved onto the Ivory Coast. Vestine went to University in Kigali. Thisbrought in two new Nuns, Immaculee and Larisse. Immaculee is also anurse with a degree from a University in Kigali. She speaks fluentFrench, English and Spanish. Larisse is from the Democratic Republicof the Congo. Larisse is awaiting her time before she also wants tomove on to the Ivory Coast. I know that Eleonora spent two months inSpain visiting more Nuns from her order.
Many of these womencome from very poor families. Their choice to become a Nun obviouslychanged their lives. But, they are very strong women who are greatlyrespected and honored within Rwanda. They gain high levels withintheir professional fields and are supposed and encouraged withintheir communities. Even though they are not the head of the communitychurch like a Priest, they are still leaders and contributing greatlyto the societies in where they live. Do I think that all girls shouldaim to become Nuns? Not unless you get that calling because it isafter all a life where you give up a lot of comforts. But, it'sworth noticing how in a quiet way, Nuns are contributing to bridgingthe gender divide in rural communities and encouraging women tosucceed.
Tashiya Gunesekera
ED2 -- Rubavu District, Western Province
My first friend in myvillage was a nun. Her name was Eleonora, a primary school teacher.She came to visit me in my temporary housing and commented that Ineeded to clean my floors more often. I felt, knowing what I knew ofRwandan culture, that she was going to be a genuine friend.
I live in small town inthe Northwest of Rwanda. I am very connected to the Catholic church,which predominates my town. I eat all my meals with the priests, andtake myself up the hill to Sunday mass every Sunday I'm at site. Thenuns live in a quaint house connected to the health clinic in town,which they run. There are two nuns from Spain named Aurelia and MariaJesus who are there as mentors and teachers for the Rwandan Nuns whowere Eleonora, Matilde, Marcelline, and Vestine. We quickly becamefriends due to the shortbread-like cookies they gave me every time Icame to visit at 530pm any weekday. As they said recently, “Tashiya,sabemos que te gusta las dolces.” (Tashiya we know that youlike the sweets.)
Throughout my time atsite, I have spent time getting to know the nuns. They helped me thattime I had a bad day and could not find any Margarine to make Mac andCheese. They listened to me complaining about all the papers I had tomark. They invited me to watch Spain trounce Italy in the Euro Cupthis year. They gave me a thermometer when I thought I was sick. Andmost importantly they helped me with my book project to get moreEnglish reading books for my school library. These books were sent totheir mailbox in Gisenyi and they carted them up the steep mountainin their car. During this time, I've had multiple opportunities toanalyze their lives.
Not being Catholic,apart from the “Sister Act”, I personally did not know much aboutnuns before I moved to this small town in Rwanda. I thought nuns weresuper religious women that gave up a life of family and love toworship God and help poor people. And, yes in some ways this is true.They do give up having a traditional family and romantic love, andthey are religious and they do help poor people. But, there is a lotmore to these nuns than that.
The nuns at my site allhave serious jobs and careers in the making. Eleonora was a primaryschool teacher, Vestine was a nurse at the health clinic, Marcellinetrains girls that are not in school in trades like sewing, andcooking, and Matilde was responsible for teaching young mothers aboutnutrition. The two Spanish nuns oversaw much of the running of theclinic and also were responsible for the running of their home.
Within my community,these nuns are considered to be influential people. They are often atsector, cell and village events. They sit with the important peoplewho thank goodness, I have finally been cleared of sitting with. (I'mfinally one with the people!) They also live in a nice house and haveaccess to a car to go to the nearest big town, Gisenyi andoccasionally Kigali. These nuns, probably due to their congregation,have serious opportunities to travel. Eleonora broke my heart whenshe said in the beginning of the second year that she was leaving togo live in Equatorial Guinea for her next mission. Mathilde moved onto the Ivory Coast. Vestine went to University in Kigali. Thisbrought in two new Nuns, Immaculee and Larisse. Immaculee is also anurse with a degree from a University in Kigali. She speaks fluentFrench, English and Spanish. Larisse is from the Democratic Republicof the Congo. Larisse is awaiting her time before she also wants tomove on to the Ivory Coast. I know that Eleonora spent two months inSpain visiting more Nuns from her order.
Many of these womencome from very poor families. Their choice to become a Nun obviouslychanged their lives. But, they are very strong women who are greatlyrespected and honored within Rwanda. They gain high levels withintheir professional fields and are supposed and encouraged withintheir communities. Even though they are not the head of the communitychurch like a Priest, they are still leaders and contributing greatlyto the societies in where they live. Do I think that all girls shouldaim to become Nuns? Not unless you get that calling because it isafter all a life where you give up a lot of comforts. But, it'sworth noticing how in a quiet way, Nuns are contributing to bridgingthe gender divide in rural communities and encouraging women tosucceed.
International Girls' Day Essay Competition Winners by Sarah D.
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Sarah DoyleEd2 - Kigali City
For International Girls' Day on October 11th, PCVs teamed up with Girl Hub, part of the Nike Foundation, to do an essay competition at some of our schools. The winners for both Kinyarwanda and English were sent along to me to select a few to go into Girl Hub's magazine, Ni Nyampinga. The magazine LOVED the essays and will be publishing excerpts from them all in the coming issue, but I thought this would be a good forum to post the English essays in their entirety. The question that we posed to the students was: "Why do you value yourself and what can you do to help develop your community?" Very often our students struggle with critical thinking, but I'm sure you'll agree, the essays below are very powerful and speak to the growing determination of young girls in Rwanda to not only study and create a future for themselves, but also to help their communities.
So now for the winners...
KABASINGA Flaviah,S6HEG, 18 years old
Why do I value myselfand What can I do for my community?
UWIMBABAZI Gemime, Senior 6 MCB
I know I have value because:
Sarah DoyleEd2 - Kigali City
For International Girls' Day on October 11th, PCVs teamed up with Girl Hub, part of the Nike Foundation, to do an essay competition at some of our schools. The winners for both Kinyarwanda and English were sent along to me to select a few to go into Girl Hub's magazine, Ni Nyampinga. The magazine LOVED the essays and will be publishing excerpts from them all in the coming issue, but I thought this would be a good forum to post the English essays in their entirety. The question that we posed to the students was: "Why do you value yourself and what can you do to help develop your community?" Very often our students struggle with critical thinking, but I'm sure you'll agree, the essays below are very powerful and speak to the growing determination of young girls in Rwanda to not only study and create a future for themselves, but also to help their communities.
So now for the winners...
KABASINGA Flaviah,S6HEG, 18 years old
Why do I value myselfand What can I do for my community?
UWIMBABAZI Gemime, Senior 6 MCB
I know I have value because:
23 Şubat 2013 Cumartesi
Injectable bath salts linked to invasive strep A cluster in Maine
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Health officials in Maine are investigating a cluster of invasive Group A Streptococcal (GAS) infections in patients who have reported a history of injecting bath salts,according to a Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Maine CDC) health advisory Dec. 6.In addition, physicians and other health providers are being advised to be on the lookout for the symptoms of invasive GAS among intravenous (IV) drug users.There have been four cases of invasive GAS infection in drug users ages 23 to 37.All cases reported injecting bath salts, two had Streptococcal Toxic Shock Syndrome (STSS), all required hospitalization, one required intensive care, and one had necrotizing fasciitis according to the alert.All four patients were from two Maine counties, Aroostook and Penobscot.Health providers who suspect invasive GAS in an IV drug user should perform skin, wound, and/or blood cultures and consider prompt antibiotic treatment for patients presenting with symptoms of GAS (including cellulitis) and STSS.Streptococcus pyogenes, or beta streptococcus group A is a very common pathogenic bacterium in humans.Probably the most common disease caused by Streptococcus pyogenes is pharyngitis, or strep throat. Strep throat is very common in school-aged children, particularly in the winter and spring months. Untreated strep throat can lead to more serious complications like rheumatic fever; however, this is relatively uncommon.It is also a cause of several skin infections such as impetigo and cellulitis. Impetigo is a characterized by a crusty lesion frequently found on the mouth area. Cellulitis typically occurs after a wound or burn where the bacteria enters and spread through the skin and lower tissues.More serious, potentially life-threatening infections caused by Streptococcus pyogenes include necrotizing fasciitis (commonly called flesh-eating bacteria) and toxic shock syndrome.Approximately 25% of patients with necrotizing fasciitis and more than 35% with STSS die.
In addition, Streptococcus pyogenes can cause scarlet fever, septicemia and pneumonia. The death of Muppets creator Jim Henson was a result of an infection with Streptococcus pyogenes.“Bath Salts” are an increasingly popular drug which goes by a number of names including "Ivory Wave," "Purple Wave," Vanilla Sky," and "Bliss."The drug is a chemical synthetic stimulant, most commonly methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV), but others like mephedrone and methylone are known to cause intoxication in users, and the effects include paranoia, delusions, suicidal tendencies and chest pains. The drug is taken by oral, smokable, snortable means and now to achieve a quicker high, injection is becoming more common.For more infectious disease news and information, visit and “like” the Infectious Disease News Facebook page
 |
| Image/CDC |
Health officials in Maine are investigating a cluster of invasive Group A Streptococcal (GAS) infections in patients who have reported a history of injecting bath salts,according to a Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Maine CDC) health advisory Dec. 6.In addition, physicians and other health providers are being advised to be on the lookout for the symptoms of invasive GAS among intravenous (IV) drug users.There have been four cases of invasive GAS infection in drug users ages 23 to 37.All cases reported injecting bath salts, two had Streptococcal Toxic Shock Syndrome (STSS), all required hospitalization, one required intensive care, and one had necrotizing fasciitis according to the alert.All four patients were from two Maine counties, Aroostook and Penobscot.Health providers who suspect invasive GAS in an IV drug user should perform skin, wound, and/or blood cultures and consider prompt antibiotic treatment for patients presenting with symptoms of GAS (including cellulitis) and STSS.Streptococcus pyogenes, or beta streptococcus group A is a very common pathogenic bacterium in humans.Probably the most common disease caused by Streptococcus pyogenes is pharyngitis, or strep throat. Strep throat is very common in school-aged children, particularly in the winter and spring months. Untreated strep throat can lead to more serious complications like rheumatic fever; however, this is relatively uncommon.It is also a cause of several skin infections such as impetigo and cellulitis. Impetigo is a characterized by a crusty lesion frequently found on the mouth area. Cellulitis typically occurs after a wound or burn where the bacteria enters and spread through the skin and lower tissues.More serious, potentially life-threatening infections caused by Streptococcus pyogenes include necrotizing fasciitis (commonly called flesh-eating bacteria) and toxic shock syndrome.Approximately 25% of patients with necrotizing fasciitis and more than 35% with STSS die.
In addition, Streptococcus pyogenes can cause scarlet fever, septicemia and pneumonia. The death of Muppets creator Jim Henson was a result of an infection with Streptococcus pyogenes.“Bath Salts” are an increasingly popular drug which goes by a number of names including "Ivory Wave," "Purple Wave," Vanilla Sky," and "Bliss."The drug is a chemical synthetic stimulant, most commonly methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV), but others like mephedrone and methylone are known to cause intoxication in users, and the effects include paranoia, delusions, suicidal tendencies and chest pains. The drug is taken by oral, smokable, snortable means and now to achieve a quicker high, injection is becoming more common.For more infectious disease news and information, visit and “like” the Infectious Disease News Facebook page
FDA warns the public of salmonella risk with certain Nature’s Deli dog treats
To contact us Click HERE
Federal health officials are warning consumers of a popular dog treat that may be tainted with Salmonella. The warning comes after the distributor of the dog treats declined to perform a voluntary recall at this time,according to a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) news release Dec. 6.One lot of affected product, Nature’s Deli Chicken Jerky Dog Treats, packaged and distributed by Kasel Associates Industries Inc. of Denver, Co., was recalled in early October after routine testing revealed the presence of Salmonella.The affected lot during the October recall of the dog treats is lot number BEST BY 091913 DEN. This lot was distributed to 57 Sam's Club locations in the following states: CO,IA,ID,IL,KS,MO,MT,NE,OK,SD,UT and WY.However, the Nature’s Deli product lot the FDA is warning about now comes after a retail sample of Nature’s Deli Chicken Jerky Dog Treats lot code BESTBY061913DEN taken by the Colorado Department of Agriculture tested positive for Salmonella in November.Kasel did not include this additional lot in the recall and declined to recall it now.According to the FDA, The product is sold in 3.0 lb. packages labeled as Nature’s Deli Chicken Jerky Dog Treats. The product is packaged in flexible plastic, which is yellow, blue, green and red, with black and white print writing. The packaging also has a digital photo of a dog on the front panel, and transparent sections to view the product inside. Lot code BESTBY061913DEN is located on the reverse side of the packaging in the transparent section immediately following the term “All American Dog.”The affected products are sold at Costco stores in the Denver, Colo., area. Costco is working with FDA and has removed all of the affected products from its shelves. The company will also contact customers who may have purchased the product to provide additional instructions.Salmonella is a pathogen to both humans and animals. There is a risk for humans handling the contaminated dog food if poor hand washing techniques are not performed or surfaces in contact with the dog food are not properly cleaned.In humans, Salmonella can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain.In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis and arthritis.Pets, including dogs, with Salmonella can become lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever and vomiting. The clinical features of canine salmonellosis vary on strain, amount ingested and dog host factors.Many dogs however are asymptomatic carriers of the bacteria and may shed Salmonella for up to 100 days after being infected. This can become a risk for family members and anyone with confirmed salmonellosis without a known risk of exposure, the family pet should be tested regardless of symptoms.For more infectious disease news and information, visit and “like” the Infectious Disease News Facebook page
 |
| Image/FDA |
Federal health officials are warning consumers of a popular dog treat that may be tainted with Salmonella. The warning comes after the distributor of the dog treats declined to perform a voluntary recall at this time,according to a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) news release Dec. 6.One lot of affected product, Nature’s Deli Chicken Jerky Dog Treats, packaged and distributed by Kasel Associates Industries Inc. of Denver, Co., was recalled in early October after routine testing revealed the presence of Salmonella.The affected lot during the October recall of the dog treats is lot number BEST BY 091913 DEN. This lot was distributed to 57 Sam's Club locations in the following states: CO,IA,ID,IL,KS,MO,MT,NE,OK,SD,UT and WY.However, the Nature’s Deli product lot the FDA is warning about now comes after a retail sample of Nature’s Deli Chicken Jerky Dog Treats lot code BESTBY061913DEN taken by the Colorado Department of Agriculture tested positive for Salmonella in November.Kasel did not include this additional lot in the recall and declined to recall it now.According to the FDA, The product is sold in 3.0 lb. packages labeled as Nature’s Deli Chicken Jerky Dog Treats. The product is packaged in flexible plastic, which is yellow, blue, green and red, with black and white print writing. The packaging also has a digital photo of a dog on the front panel, and transparent sections to view the product inside. Lot code BESTBY061913DEN is located on the reverse side of the packaging in the transparent section immediately following the term “All American Dog.”The affected products are sold at Costco stores in the Denver, Colo., area. Costco is working with FDA and has removed all of the affected products from its shelves. The company will also contact customers who may have purchased the product to provide additional instructions.Salmonella is a pathogen to both humans and animals. There is a risk for humans handling the contaminated dog food if poor hand washing techniques are not performed or surfaces in contact with the dog food are not properly cleaned.In humans, Salmonella can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain.In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis and arthritis.Pets, including dogs, with Salmonella can become lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever and vomiting. The clinical features of canine salmonellosis vary on strain, amount ingested and dog host factors.Many dogs however are asymptomatic carriers of the bacteria and may shed Salmonella for up to 100 days after being infected. This can become a risk for family members and anyone with confirmed salmonellosis without a known risk of exposure, the family pet should be tested regardless of symptoms.For more infectious disease news and information, visit and “like” the Infectious Disease News Facebook page
Helen Epstein's wrong about SA's response to AIDS
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via politicsweb, by Nathan Geffen
Helen Epstein is an influential journalist and regular contributor to one of the world's most prestigious literary journals, the New York Review of Books (NYRB). It is therefore unsettling that she has written an article on the NYRB blog that contains serious errors about the South African HIV epidemic and the important prevention benefits of antiretroviral treatment (ART) (see here).
In her first sentence Epstein writes, "When I first visited South Africa in 2000 to report on the AIDS epidemic there, one adult in five was HIV positive, and a million children had lost one or both parents to the disease." These numbers are simply wrong. UNAIDS estimates that by 2001 there were 580,000 children who had lost one or both parents to AIDS. This is a horrific figure, but substantially less than Epstein's. 2 The Actuarial Society of South Africa estimates the number of children who had lost a mother or both parents to AIDS by mid-2000 and they reach a considerably lower estimate of about 120,000. 3 Epstein also overstates the percentage of adults infected with HIV in 2000.
Epstein writes, "Although the HIV infection rate has finally begun to fall in neighboring countries like Botswana and Zimbabwe, it remains stubbornly high in South Africa. After studying the African epidemic for two decades, I've come to believe that shame and silence are the primary reasons ..."
She is wrong that South Africa's infection rate is not falling. Also wrong is her implication that shame and silence make the South African epidemic signally different from those in Botswana and Zimbabwe.
Read the rest.
[Content that is linked from other sources is for informational purposes and should not construe a Mapping Pathways position. Please look for us on Facebook here www.facebook.com/MappingPathways and you can follow us on Twitter @mappingpathways as well.]
Helen Epstein is an influential journalist and regular contributor to one of the world's most prestigious literary journals, the New York Review of Books (NYRB). It is therefore unsettling that she has written an article on the NYRB blog that contains serious errors about the South African HIV epidemic and the important prevention benefits of antiretroviral treatment (ART) (see here). In her first sentence Epstein writes, "When I first visited South Africa in 2000 to report on the AIDS epidemic there, one adult in five was HIV positive, and a million children had lost one or both parents to the disease." These numbers are simply wrong. UNAIDS estimates that by 2001 there were 580,000 children who had lost one or both parents to AIDS. This is a horrific figure, but substantially less than Epstein's. 2 The Actuarial Society of South Africa estimates the number of children who had lost a mother or both parents to AIDS by mid-2000 and they reach a considerably lower estimate of about 120,000. 3 Epstein also overstates the percentage of adults infected with HIV in 2000.
Epstein writes, "Although the HIV infection rate has finally begun to fall in neighboring countries like Botswana and Zimbabwe, it remains stubbornly high in South Africa. After studying the African epidemic for two decades, I've come to believe that shame and silence are the primary reasons ..."
She is wrong that South Africa's infection rate is not falling. Also wrong is her implication that shame and silence make the South African epidemic signally different from those in Botswana and Zimbabwe.
Read the rest.
[Content that is linked from other sources is for informational purposes and should not construe a Mapping Pathways position. Please look for us on Facebook here www.facebook.com/MappingPathways and you can follow us on Twitter @mappingpathways as well.]
Bringing Out Your Company's Soul At a Trade Show
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Have you ever been bedazzled by a theatrical trailer only to find out it completely misrepresented what the movie was about? False expectations can ruin a great movie. The same is true about what your trade show display tells visitors. If your trade show booth design doesn't embody the soul of your business, you're not doing your product justice.
So here are a few tips to help you imbue your custom trade show displays with the essence of your business.
Be true to yourself. You may have the most versatile vegetable peeler in the world, but fight the urge to try to be all things to all people. Focus your collateral material, your demos, and your talking points on what you do better than anyone. You'll be surprised how many people are willing to change their demand around a well presented product with a clear purpose. In fact, people love learning about novel ways to solve familiar problems, which leads us to our next tip.
Show off something fresh and unique. No one peruses custom trade show displays looking for the coolest thing from last year. Your brand is a living thing and people want to see life and progression. This doesn't mean you have to sit out the trade show just because you haven't invented a new product in awhile. Repackage what you have. Show what else is so unique about it. Make a minor design change. Little Giant Ladders revitalized sales for their ladder systems by adding a couple little wheels to move their ladder more easily. You can reinvent your product in the visitor's mind while maintaining your brands identity.
Sell a lifestyle, not just a product. This can be a challenge for a 10' by 6' trade show booth design. But why is there such a big market for high powered blenders right now? Not because the concept of a blender is new. It's because people love the idea of getting their nasty healthy leafy vegetables hidden in a delicious fruit smoothie. This idea is revolutionary. You're not selling a blender, you're pouring a refreshing 3-minute fitness smoothie down your customer's throat -- literally. Live demos are Blendtec's bread and butter. The best way to tell about the greatness of your product is to show it in action. Your customers will identify your brand with how it changes their lives, not just your product. So make sure your booth staff has the pitch or demo down well enough that your product can sell itself.
Insight Exhibits
1367 South 7th West
Salt Lake City, UT 84104
(801) 978-9000
So here are a few tips to help you imbue your custom trade show displays with the essence of your business.
Be true to yourself. You may have the most versatile vegetable peeler in the world, but fight the urge to try to be all things to all people. Focus your collateral material, your demos, and your talking points on what you do better than anyone. You'll be surprised how many people are willing to change their demand around a well presented product with a clear purpose. In fact, people love learning about novel ways to solve familiar problems, which leads us to our next tip.
Show off something fresh and unique. No one peruses custom trade show displays looking for the coolest thing from last year. Your brand is a living thing and people want to see life and progression. This doesn't mean you have to sit out the trade show just because you haven't invented a new product in awhile. Repackage what you have. Show what else is so unique about it. Make a minor design change. Little Giant Ladders revitalized sales for their ladder systems by adding a couple little wheels to move their ladder more easily. You can reinvent your product in the visitor's mind while maintaining your brands identity.
Sell a lifestyle, not just a product. This can be a challenge for a 10' by 6' trade show booth design. But why is there such a big market for high powered blenders right now? Not because the concept of a blender is new. It's because people love the idea of getting their nasty healthy leafy vegetables hidden in a delicious fruit smoothie. This idea is revolutionary. You're not selling a blender, you're pouring a refreshing 3-minute fitness smoothie down your customer's throat -- literally. Live demos are Blendtec's bread and butter. The best way to tell about the greatness of your product is to show it in action. Your customers will identify your brand with how it changes their lives, not just your product. So make sure your booth staff has the pitch or demo down well enough that your product can sell itself.
Insight Exhibits
1367 South 7th West
Salt Lake City, UT 84104
(801) 978-9000
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