We’re continuing our ‘Trade Show Experts’ interview series with another very interesting topic – Social Media!  In business, you can’t turn anywhere these days without being inundated with some guru or expert telling you to ‘be more social’ online.  To help us sort through what this means for the trade show community, we interviewed Nate Riggs, a social media strategist with extensive experience in helping clients integrate social media into their trade show exhibits.  For more information on Nate and the services his company offers, visit his website here.

Can you tell us a little bit about your background and how you got into focusing on social media?

In middle school and high school, I got hooked in playing games like Wolfenstein and Doom on an old Gateway PC.  When we finally got the internet (via the old AOL discs) I was able to find some chat rooms where people were talking about the game.  That was my first exposure to talking to other humans on the web.

My background has been in everything marketing and B2B business development, primarily with agencies.  I’ve had experience from everything to telemarketing to brand strategy agencies to SEO and web shops.  Back in late 2007, I made an effort at pitching the CEO at a SEO firm I was working at on allowing me to build out a department that would focus on helping clients with social media.  It didn’t get anywhere, and a few weeks later, I left and started my firm Social Business Strategies (SBS).  Then the economy dove off a cliff.  That was a fun first year!

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We’re continuing our ‘Trade Show Experts’ interview series with a very interesting and entertaining topic this week!  Our expert is Danny Orleans, a Chicago-based professional magician who has 20 years of experience performing magic at trade shows to help exhibitors attract more attention to their booths. If you are searching for a way to gather huge crowds around your booth and brand your company, Danny just may be the guy you are looking for.

Can you tell us a little bit about how you became a magician?

When I was 6 years old, my grandfather asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. He tape recorded me (on one of those old reel-to-reel tape recorders) as I replied, “A magician!” Turns out, I could predict my own future – even as a child!

Shortly after, he gave me a toy magic kit which I really loved. Visits to a New York City magic shop followed and then I found myself performing at neighborhood kids’ birthday parties. After college, I created a curriculum-based magic show which I performed at elementary schools nation-wide.

How did you make the transition from birthday parties and elementary schools to international trade shows?

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