The Best Of The Diva

Hear what JoAnn R. Hines, Packaging Diva, had to say on NBC and in the leading packaging trade pubs, Shelf Impact and Packaging Design Magazine. Find out why leading seminar producers Marcus Evans and IIR hire they her when it comes to providing answers to packaging questions.



You can get these packaging insightful articles for a fraction of attending a conference. The PDF containing all of these articles is only $10. The PDF will be delivered electronically to your designated email address.

"Best of The Diva” includes:
10 Packaging Tips That Will Make Consumers Buy Your Product
10 Tips on Packaging That Sells Product To Boomers
9 Packaging Problems That Lose Sales
A Bad "Wrap" For Packaging
A Brand Is A Package Too
Don't Think Like A Package Designer. Think Like A Customer.
Packaging Design For Overworked, Time-Crunched And Over-The-Edge Consumers
Packaging Trends You Cannot Overlook
The Death Of Product Packaging As We Know It
Wooing Women With Packaging

to order email me at PackagingDiva@aol.com

Avoiding Seminar Dogs:How To Pick The Right Packaging Session To Attend.

My email is overflowing with seminar information about programs at upcoming trade shows. I'm like every one else whose time is at a premium. How can I maximize my time when I am at the show? How can I stay informed with the latest innovations?

Almost every trade event now has a conference track that runs concurrently. These are usually well publicized in advance so have time to register and in most instances are able get a discount for early registration. In some cases the conference is in advance of the actual show so it doesn't detract from time in front of the exhibitors. In any case it's wise to plan your conference schedule as early as possible.

Look at your travel agenda and determine how much time you can set aside to attend a conference session/s. Review the program information. In most cases there will be a very diverse selection of offerings. Look to see who the session is targeting. If your title or job description is listed then it's a good bet this is something you should attend. Check out the speakers and their companies. Are these the people you want to meet? Can you benefit from their expertise? It's easy to check out your speakers by doing a GOOGLE search. Type in the presenters name in quotations and see what turns up.

Is the session presenting "fresh" material or trotting out some old "has been" that hasn't had a new thought in 20 years? Note: many of the conference do not pay speakers; they hope that companies will provide speakers for free to promote their products and services. So it's important to determine whether this "content" is worthy of your time or is it just a company "advertorial." In my opinion, most of the time these sessions aren't worth investing your time. Watch out for "free" sessions too. Unless this is a "paid" expert hired to increase show attendance, it's usually not worth going.

Can you access the information or material in any other way? I know in my case when I speak its based on recent research which I turn into a report that can be purchased after the event. Many times you can find an article or report for purchase that covers the same subject also. Look for sessions with information that you can't get in any other way or ones that have a "stellar" selection of presenters. If you can't attend a particular session, find out if it will be repeated or how you can access the information after the event.

See how long the session will be and at what time of day. Can you combine a session with your lunch break? Breakfast sessions have now become very popular. Why not eat and learn at the same time? Is the information something that can benefit others in your organization? Get some brownie points by coming back with valuable insights.

If you have no reference point for any of the sessions, look to see who is a sponsor. Is it a company that has a good reputation or a trade organization that you respect? You can always call them and ask about the speakers or the event. You can even complain to them if the speaker is a "dog." So whatever seminar you decide to attend be sure and plan early and maximize your time at the event.

Unsung Disaster Hero: Packaging

During times of disaster it's important to recognize that there are just as many heroes behind the scenes as there are in the media spotlight. Consider how all the relief efforts would be progressing without a simple common element: packaging. Whether it's bottled water or MRE's (meals ready to eat), it is the packaging that make rescue/relief efforts this achievable. Consider that we live in a country so blessed with manufacturing capabilities that they are able to switch manufacturing operations from processing beer to bottling water in a quick turnaround.

This is not the first time industry has risen to the occasion. Food and water are essentials in any disaster relief effort. But what conveys a product from origination to disaster relief? What makes bottled water what it is? The packaging of course. We take packaging for granted in every aspect of our lives every day. It's only when catastrophes such as Hurricane Katrina bring packaging to the forefront. Packaging is an integral part of any product that gets to any customer or consumer and ordinarily it gets a "bad rap." Think about where we would be without containers to ship products. There would be no relief efforts providing the essentials.

There would be no way to transport relief supplies from point A to point B. In fact, there wouldn't be supplies at all. So the next time you open that bottle, can, jar, or box consider what goes on behind the scenes that makes it possible. If you know anyone in the packaging industry (the third largest industry) offer them thanks for a job well done. Even if they haven't contributed directly to the relief efforts just working in the packaging industry makes it possible for someone else to provide relief.

Its plain and simple: without a package you can't have a product.