The same applies to business Ö as well as to the theme of this month's issue of "Outside The Box" -- which is the upcoming Electronic Entertainment Expo.

For those not familiar with E3, it's the granddaddy of all events for the interactive entertainment industry where trade professionals from all around the globe come to show off their new and exciting wares.

Even though it is not until May, now is the time to start preparing for the show. Now is the time to get your sales and marketing collateral designed, your booth strategy set, and your meetings scheduled.

Remember the old saying, "You've got to plan to work and then work the plan"? That's never truer than when you are exhibiting at a tradeshow of E3's magnitude. With all that's going on during the show, if you don't have a solid strategy in place to maximize the tremendous opportunities that a show like this can provide, you will most definitely lose out. There's way too much going on and you can easily lose sight of why you are there in the first place -- to do business!

This month, Doug Mealy, a games industry veteran, writes about how to get a bigger PR and marketing bang for your buck at E3, while Kristin Castelli gives advice on how to integrate multimedia into your exhibit to infuse a sense of energy and excitement.

In business, a homerun means taking advantage of, and capitalizing on, opportunities as they present themselves. E3 is packed with opportunities. So, create a plan, be prepared, and go knock one out of the park!

Until next time ...

Joe Cerbo
President
PRICE

Smaller exhibitors and those exhibiting for the first time at the E3 show in Los Angeles (May 18-20) usually have very limited budgets and will have to make some critical choices about how to get the biggest bang for their buck. Having managed over 125 trade show exhibits for over 50 game developers and technology companies, I have a few time-tested ideas that might help:

Getting Media Coverage (especially in Kentia Hall) ...
Each of the past four years at E3, I've averaged 245 in-booth interviews with journalists over the three days. Here's how:

• The most important rule that people forget: "Your client is NOT your company; your client is the MEDIA! Respect their time and their tight schedules. Limit your personalized, pre-show e-mail pitches to 75 words. Get to the point: This is who we are, this is what we're showing, and this is why your readers should care. It's also helpful to say that your booth is "next to" or "near" a big company's exhibit that they're likely to visit, saying, "If you're going to visit Company X, we're nearby so you can save some walk time."
• E-mail your individualized pitches as soon as the first of two pre-registered media lists is available, usually in late March. Most top media are fully booked over a month before the show starts. Attach a ONE-PAGE product overview with these headers Ö

  Click here for complete article.

Q: Our company will be exhibiting at E3 in Los Angeles this year. We would like to integrate some sort of multimedia to create a sense of energy and excitement, but are unsure of what would make the most impact. Do you have any suggestions?

A: Kristin Castelli, west coast regional sales manager for MG Design Associates Corp. -- at castelli@mgdesign.com -- has 11 years of experience in the development of corporate and retail branding environments, experiential marketing, and global tradeshow and event programs. Kristin responds: The best trade show multimedia is one that attracts, engages, entertains, and educates your target audience, which then leads to increased sales and brand loyalty. Itís all about making a connection between the consumer and the brand in the form of an experience. And that takes more than a plasma screen on a stand. Regardless what sort of multimedia you use, the method needs to be relevant to your objectives for the show.

Consider any of these technologies:

• Toronto-based Jestertek specializes in video gesture control technology with several products for rent or purchase. JestPoint is a product similar to the screen you saw Tom Cruise use in "The Minority Report," which transforms your hand gestures into a virtual mouse control for the screen. It allows for any screen of any size to be controlled from any distance. Ground FX is a visual display system that is placed on the floor and allows people to directly interact with a large projected ad or game by simply walking across the floor. Gesture Xtreme System is another product that places people into a computer-generated landscape, ad, or game that allows for real-time movement and interaction with the background.

• San Jose, Calif.-based Inhance Digital combines technology from film, visual effects, and gaming to create interactive marketing campaigns. In a trade show environment, its VIP product provides a multiplayer, fully interactive, custom-designed game for theater settings. The product is a cross between a lead capture system, product presentation, and an information kiosk that tracks attendee answers and interests.

So the next time you think about running a loop video on a plasma screen, it may be time to rethink your objectives for a show. If you can use multimedia to create a memorable experience for your audience, one which entertains, educates about your product, and immerses them in your brand, remember that's the sort of multimedia that creates sales!

Billy Pidgeon, founder and senior analyst with Manhattan-based Go Play Research, weighs in exclusively for "Outside The Box" readers on some of the marketing strategies that kept Halo 2 near the top of NPD's Top 20 Videogame List in December and moved Madden NFL 2005 up to #4 and Need For Speed: Underground 2 up to #2 on the list.

Halo 2's long, cross-marketed campaign paid off big time on the game's release day, with retailers selling nearly 2.5 million units for a total of $125 million. Halo 2 became the Jaws of the videogame universe, breaking records for not only games, but eclipsing opening-day box office and DVD revenues. Print, online, and television coverage included Halo 2-themed events, in-depth previews, and game footage.

Meanwhile, the innovative reality game at ilovebees.com, which fired up viral marketing and midnight sales at thousands of specialty retailers, helped to ring up Halo 2's release-day record. Branded food packaging (including 7-11 Slurpee cups), life-size Master Chief figurines installed at major retailers, in-store Halo 2 tournaments at EBGames, and metal-cased limited editions kept the sales coming through the holiday season.

Electronic Arts dominated the Top Five with effective print, online, and TV marketing. Madden NFL 2005 got an added boost with two versions -ñ value priced and limited collectorís editions -- providing great gift options. And Need For Speed: Underground 2 clinched #2 when the competition (Sony's Gran Turismo 4 and Microsoft's Forza Motorsport) missed their Q4 release targets.

TOP 20 VIDEO GAME TITLES RANKED BY TOTAL U.S. UNITS December, 2004
Last Month	Rank	Title	Platform	Publisher	Release Date	ARP
2	1	GRAND THEFT AUTO: SAN ANDREAS	PS2	TAKE 2 INTERACTIVE	OCT'04	$49
4	2	NEED FOR SPEED: UNDERGROUND 2	PS2	EA	NOV'04	$48
1	3	HALO 2*	XBX	MICROSOFT	NOV'04	$49
6	4	MADDEN NFL 2005*	PS2	EA	AUG'04	$27
**	5	CALL OF DUTY: FINEST HOUR	PS2	ACTIVISION	NOV'04	$42
**	6	KINGDOM HEARTS: CHAIN OF MEMORIES	GBA	SQUARE ENIX	DEC'04	$32
9	7	NEED FOR SPEED: UNDERGROUND 2	XBX	EA	NOV'04	$48
13	8	NBA LIVE 2005	PS2	EA	SEP'04	$28
7	9	METAL GEAR 3: SNAKE EATERS	PS2	KONAMI OF AMERICA	NOV'04	$49
**	10	MARIO PARTY 6 W/MICROPHONE	GCN	NINTENDO OF AMERICA	DEC'04	$49
**	11	STAR WARS KNIGHTS OF THE OLD REPUBLIC II: THE SITH LORD	XBX	LUCASARTS	DEC'04	$50
14	12	DRAGONBALL Z: BUDOKAI 3	PS2	ATARI	NOV'04	$47
10	13	SUPER MARIO 64 DS	NDS	NINTENDO OF AMERICA	NOV'04	$30
8	14	THE INCREDIBLES	GBA	THQ	NOV'04	$29
16	15	TONY HAWK UNDERGROUND 2	PS2	ACTIVISION	OCT'04	$43
15	16	JAK 3	PS2	SONY	NOV'04	$39
20	17	THE SPONGEBOB MOVIE	GBA	THQ	OCT'04	$28
**	18	TOM CLANCY'S GHOST RECON 2	XBX	UBISOFT	NOV'04	$48
**	19	DONKEY KONG COUNTRY 2	GBA	NINTENDO OF AMERICA	NOV'04	$29
11	20	RATCHET & CLANK: UP YOUR ARSENAL	PS2	SONY	NOV'04	$39
* Includes Limited & Collector's Editions ** Not in Top 20 in previous month Source: The NPD Group / NPD Funworld / Point-of-Sale David Riley 516-625-2277 This e-newsletter is powered by OpenMoves. For more information about OpenMoves, click here.