Super Pet Expo Recognized as Top Public Event

ROCKVILLE, MD - The International Association of Exhibitions and Events™ (IAEE) announced its Top Public Events for 2011, including the Super Pet Expo in the Established Events category.

IAEE President Steven Hacker, CAE, FSAE said, "One of the core charges of IAEE's Public Events Council is to introduce and reinforce the importance of public and consumer events. The Top Public Events recognition program answers that call by raising awareness of and recognizing the top public event/consumer shows throughout the industry. The entry submitted by Chandler Venture Group Inc. is an example of a top event and deserves to be recognized for its longevity and stability, excellent customer service, exhibitor and attendee satisfaction and, most importantly, for incorporating innovative methods to build exhibitor and attendee participation during difficult economic times."

Each year thousands of business-to-consumer events take place, and this recognition program was launched during IAEE's Mid-Year Meeting in June 2011 to honor the best events around the world with two categories: Established Events and New Launches. Among the criteria measured were event demographics, best practices, customer service initiatives, employee training and motivation, innovations in marketing and exhibitor and attendee support. Other events which received the 2011 Top Public Events award in the Established Events category were the Louisville Boat, RV and Sportshow, Miami International Boat Show, Minneapolis Boat Show and Southern Christmas Show.

"We are honored to receive IAEE's prestigious award for our shows. Instead of retrenching during the recession, we looked for opportunities to make changes to adapt for today's consumer, and it is paying off. This recognition is a testament to our mission to deliver exceptional funfilled family events for pet lovers," noted Eric Udler, President, Chandler Venture Group Inc.

Read More»

Bruce Boudreau makes more Hadeed Carpet commercials

Can you imagine Mike Shanahan filming absurd television ads for local carpet companies? Might make him a bit more lovable, but I just don't see it.

But Bruce Boudreau was born to star in Hadeed Carpet spots. He should be their Carpet Endorser For Live. Hadeed should get Boudreau's head tattooed onto his bosom. This is all perfect.

Read More»

Joe Hadeed can differentiate the 800 regions of
Hamadan rugs

ALEXANDRIA, VA. - After feeling that his walks and outside playtime were not appropriately long enough for an English Labrador of his stature, my dog had expressed himself one too many times on the living room rug.

So there I sat recently in the lobby of Hadeed Oriental Rug Cleaning at 3206 Duke Street, with this cheap area rug we bought years ago at Lowe's.

I felt appropriately embarassed when a well-dressed chap in a German-made sports car came in toting this gorgeous Iranian rug, seemingly turning his nose up at me and my machine-made "Oriental rug," which was in fact probably mass-produced in some plant in Dalton, GA. I grabbed some old magazines, hoping to cover up the tags containing its origins

"This is an Imperial Farahan dating to the 1920s which I got years ago on a trip to Lebanon," the man pronounced regally, acting as if he were some Lepidopterist who had stumbled upon some rare and wondrous butterfly. "It's worth, like, $20,000 and I need it cleaned properly."

Joe Hadeed looked at the rug and politely identified the rug as something else. "What you have there, sir, is a Hamadan region rug from Iran," he said politely, as the man quickly deflated. "There are 800 different regions of Hamadan, and that looks like it's from the Malair city of Iran."

Read More»

Shoppers Seek Discount Retailer To Buy Holiday Gifts

ARLINGTON, Va., (WUSA) -- "Good morning! How are you all!"

Perhaps it's the way Debra Jackson greets each person who enters this Goodwill store. Or, the chance you really could find a treasure on the hunt.

"This is a wool one, and new one," says shopper Jorge Dejsus.

Just a couple of weeks ago, this place overflowed with deal seekers on the Friday after Thanksgiving.

"All my kids were home for the holiday. And I said, "Come on let's hit the thrift shops! And it was great," TJ Burnside Clapp says.

Since then, the sales at Goodwill stores are steady as people take others' something old and turn it into something new.

Customer Diane Martinez says, "They have pretty good prices."

"You can find things here you won't find in other places," says shopper Arthur Hall.

Goodwill's Senior Vice President of Marketing and Communications Brendan Hurley says, "Consumer behavior is changing as a result of the economy. People are looking for better value for their dollars."

And he adds, their typical shopper is changing.

"We've seen a real shift in the demographic profile in the Goodwill customer. We're seeing more affluent consumers coming into our stores, more highly educated consumers coming into our stores," Hurely says.

Read More»