Features

IFA 2015 GENERATES the Buzz

One of the most successful IFA shows in the history of the event has come to a close with an unexpectedly large increase in trade visitors from Germany and abroad. Overall, the total number of visitors rose to 245,000. 1,645 exhibitors displayed their new products to the markets around the world. The majority of trade visitors came from abroad.

Among retailers and exhibitors at IFA expectations for end-of-year business were given a strong boost. Never before had the industry displayed so many new product categories and were so many products shown to the public for the first time. With orders placed amounting to around 4.35 billion euros, IFA once again confirmed its standing as the world’s leading trade fair for the industry and retail trade before the peak annual sales period in the run-up to Christmas.

​“Innovation is key to growth and innovative products have been the driving force of IFA for over 90 years. As a result, IFA’s contribution to positive developments in the various sectors has been huge. It is an outstanding platform for conducting successful business. With its renewed increase in orders IFA 2015 provided impressive proof of this,” said Hans-Joachim Kamp, chairman of the supervisory board of Consumer & Home Electronics GmbH (gfu), the organizers of IFA.
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MEGA GROUP USA FALL SHOW: Another Grand Slam!

Home to the famous Louisville Slugger Baseball Bat Factory and Museum, the MEGA convention held in Louisville, Kentucky hosted over 1,200 independent retailers and vendors. Guests came with eager minds and a listening ear to training seminars from world-class vendors, informational sessions from professionals in the appliance, home furnishings, bedding and electronics industry; and received exclusive buying specials during the famous MEGA Madness event.
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One of the major appeals of being a MEGA member and attending a national convention are the training sessions hosted by top appliance brands such as Whirlpool, Electrolux, GE and Samsung. Attendees had the choice of sitting in sixteen different demonstrations and explanations, covering skills in merchandising a sales floor through the eyes of a consumer, as well as why dealers should merchandise built-in products. Vendors also provided demonstrations and showed new features on upcoming products of the season. S.V.P. of Electrolux, Mark Chambers, addressed a packed crowd of appliance dealers in his session, in which he covered U.S. economic indicators and shipping trends/forecasts for the appliance industry.
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Book Review

NETWORKING FOR NERDS:
Access and Land Hidden Game-Changing Career Opportunities Everywhere

By Alaina G. Levine
Networking for Nerds provides a step-by-step guide to understanding how to access hidden professional opportunities through networking. With an emphasis on practical advice on how and why to network, you will learn how to formulate and execute a strategic networking plan that is dynamic, multidimensional, and leverages social media platforms and other networking channels.

An invaluable resource for both established and early-career scientists and engineers (as well as networking neophytes!), Networking for Nerds offers concrete insight on crafting professional networks that are mutually beneficial and support the advancement of both your career goals and your scholarly ambitions.
“Networking” does not mean going to one reception or speaking with a few people at one conference, and never contacting them again. Rather, “networking” involves a spectrum of activities that engages both parties, ensures everyone’s value is appropriately communicated, and allows for the exploration of a win-win collaboration of some kind.
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Written by award-winning entrepreneur and strategic career planning expert Alaina G. Levine, Networking for Nerds is an essential resource for anyone working in scientific and engineering fields looking to enhance their professional planning for a truly fulfilling, exciting, and stimulating career.
About The Author
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Alaina G. Levine is the author of Networking for Nerds as well as a celebrated and internationally known speaker, comedian, career consultant, writer, and entrepreneur. She is president of Quantum Success Solutions, an enterprise dedicated to advancing the professional expertise of both nerds and non-nerds alike. To learn more, visit www.alainalevine.com or follow @AlainaGLevine. Publisher: Wiley Blackwell