General

A Heritage Chicken Breed – The Sussex!

The sussex chicken has its original in the United Kingdom. It was developed as a dual purpose breed, both for meat and for the production of eggs. Many of us will remember our grandmothers having a few sussex in a pen in the backyard, usually light sussex which have white bodies with a bit of black around the neck, in the wings and in the tail. They have a reputation for the being the typical heritage chicken.

Some Important features of the breed

As a breeder of sussex we need to know a little more about what we want in a good one. When looking at examples of sussex chickens, one should firstly look at the ‘type’ or the shape of the fowl. It should be wide or broad it should be deep and long with a flat back. They should look longer than they look deep. Sometimes in the standard fowls they can get a bit shorter in the back and we should keep looking for that lovely long back and select those birds for breeding.

As sussex were a meat bird, size is also important. As long as the bird is balanced and proportional there is no upper limit for size. Basically, the bigger the better.

The breast is meant to be broad and square, and carried well to the front with a long, straight and breast bone.

The tail should be of medium size and be carried at about an angle of 45 degrees. It should rise from the very flat back.

Shanks should be set wide apart and be stocky and strong

The thighs should be short & stout.

The legs have close fitting scale and should be healthy and straight

Each foot has four toes that are straight and well-spread.

The neck on a sussex should be gracefully curved with a fairly full hackle.

The head is medium sized with a smooth face that is not excessively feathered.

The beak is short and curved and should be white or horn in color.

The sussex eyes are prominent, full and bright. The color should be orange in the Light and red in the Speckled.

The sussex comb is single and of medium size. The serrations are even, erect and fitting close to the head. There is a tendency for the front of the comb to fold in some birds and this should be avoided if possible.

The earlobes and wattles are of medium size and have a fine texture.

The sussex wings should be carried close and straight alongside of the body. A nicely tucked up wing doesn’t show black.

Sussex skin is white, and of medium texture. This is related to its history as a meat bird.

The sussex in all of its colours is a beautiful bird to keep and relatively easy to keep when compared to some other breeds of chickens. There are very good examples of Australian sussex available for those that live here.…

New Horizons in Exquisite Advertising

Change is inevitable. Change is associated with our life style, attire, knowledge level and products we use. Market trends also change over time. Competition is getting tough day by day. Advertising world faces new challenges every day. Customers continue to buy products from those sellers or competitors who continuously and elegantly present their product or services and the effectiveness of presentation is the key that lasts longer in customers mind. Out of these customers some may turn out to be immediate buyers while some are potential buyers who keep the product and services of your company in their wish list to be fulfilled later when certain conditions permit.

Companies always strive to find new and inventive ways to reach out to their target audience. During the competition, many new trends of advertising are emerging.

Banner stands and their various forms are now talk of the time. X-banner stands, L-banner stands are being used by business houses and many firms in their outlets, offices and promotional events. Also a store or mall that witness inflow of thousands of customers daily, can very well make use of these banner stands for effective messaging and product advertising. Banner stands are made up of light weight material like Aluminium with a structural strength. They come in a wide variety of size, material and weight. Print material can be vinyl, fabric or film. As companies are going green, use of eco-friendly bamboo is getting popularity. With its natural beauty, classic looks and long lasting nature, bamboo is gaining lot of popularity. Small table top banners are also available to be put at an elevated space or small area. Lighting can also be provided to illuminate poster or graphics.

Advertisers are today becoming customer centric. Apart from increasing the number of their customers they also want to retain their existing clients. They are interested in quality, not in quantity business because they know a customer would return back only when he/she is satisfied with the product. Moreover, they will also do the word-of-mouth promotion for the company. Resorting to impressive and effective advertising means is the key to success of their business. Effective display of products by means of banner display stands, bamboo stands let the customers remember message and brand for a longer duration which is helpful when customer is going to decide on the purchase. Banner stands are easy to be carried out to the place of promotion or exhibition. They include their own swanky carrying case where all the components of banner, stand and halogen light easily accommodate. They put your product or message ahead of others in visual appeal in small scale or big scale exhibitions.…

Exhibition Banner Stand – An Inevitable Part of a Good Advertising Strategy

Having an exhibition banner stand is an inevitable part of a good advertising strategy, especially if a business owner represents its company at different events like trade shows, seasonal fairs, presentations, exhibitions, sales and training courses. It is extremely important to create a nice first impression, and every little detail plays a crucial role in a composite image of your company.

There are no back-ups: either you get noticed, remembered and therefore recognised, or you are completely lost in the crowd of your competitors. A proper exhibition stand, carefully designed and manufactured, will add an original touch to your presentation.

Nowadays you can afford being original thanks to the wide range of exhibition products available on the market. You can choose an exhibition banner stand which would be perfectly suitable to your business with all its peculiarities and different factors. You can go for retractable models, or perhaps you prefer modular stands, or it will be easier to grab the attention of potential clients with the help of custom build exhibition banners, or portable stands, or double side displays… Numerous manufacturers, contractors and suppliers will make it possible to get exactly what you want for a reasonable price, without exhausting your funds.

Of course, lots of factors should be taken into consideration in order to get a banner which would meet all the requirements of your business. When buying an exhibition banner stand, think about its storage, transporting, installation and disassembling. Would you prefer to do everything yourself? With the help of your employees or with a brigade of professionals? Would you prefer something compact and easy to use or monumental and sophisticated?

Of course it is better to opt for a lightweight banner which is easy to use: it will provide mobility and flexibility, which are so important in the course of trade show activities. Of course, light weight does not mean less quality: nowadays it is possible to get reliable and durable stands made of plastic, aluminium, fibreglass, pressed wooden particles, vinyl and so on.

Make sure your exhibition banner stand is flexible enough: sometimes you have to fit your presentation into a smaller space than anticipated. In this case to use a bulky stand would be a problem: not only it is difficult to rearrange a clumsy structure, but sometimes it makes it difficult for the customers to approach your place, and this is something absolutely unacceptable.

That is why it is the best option to choose a compact and flexible banner, but at the same time effective and eye catching. It should be easily and quickly installed and disassembled, by you or by hired labourer – does not matter. What really matters is time, and a successful businessman always knows the value of it.

Do not forget about nice conditions of storing for your exhibition banner stand. Of course, nobody wants to occupy too much space which would be unusable in the time periods between the trade shows. And the perspective to rent a place specially for storing bulky pieces of your exhibition stands looks even less attractive. Make sure the material and graphics of your banner will not get damaged by moisture, dust or sunlight. It would be most unpleasant to discover this just before an important event.

Here we just pointed out some general aspects of choosing and purchasing an exhibition stand, but of course an individual approach works best.…

Getting Ready For a Business Exhibition With a Pop Up Stand

Trade shows are a wonderful method to advertise your company. You often hear about a trade show event from your community paper or local television broadcasting weeks ahead. You would have to enroll your business for the event and prepare for the event by ordering a custom exhibition stand with eye-catching colors and graphics to showcase your business. An exhibition stand typically consists of a backdrop display, presentation stand, and sometimes a chair. Many of them often have accessories like self serve leaflet holders and illumination built on to them. If you really want to get elaborate, you can furnish your exhibition stand with audiovisual features such as a plasma screen, high impact graphics, and interactive touch screens.

Nowadays, custom trade show stands can be ordered on the internet and shipped right to your home or place of business. It can be as uncomplicated as uploading a logo or graphic, picking the model of the stand you want, and providing your payment and shipping details. It is critical to buy a pop up stand from a knowledgeable company. You don’t want to compromise a wonderful layout by hiring an amateur manufacturer who may deliver a stand with bad alignment and color reproduction. There are various designs and styles to pick. The business exhibition stand is the lightest weight, cost efficient, and is the easiest to put together, making them the most popular of all types. There are various things to consider for the design.

An exhibition stand should instantly deliver a targeted message to the observer. The banners, graphics and the content should be strait forward and attention grabbing. It should draw attention to the central benefits a patron would obtain. Everything should be accented and organized with a well organized design and interesting package of illumination.…

The Advertising Power Of Leaflet Dispensers

The advantages of leaflet dispensers are often not realized until after having experienced them for yourself. They play an important role in advertising and can be used in a variety of ways to attract potential customers.

Once you have spent time and money on designing attractive informational pamphlets you need to decide the best way to make them accessible. By choosing a tidy organizational tool you can make sure that your hard work is recognized, and the expense was worthwhile.

Strategic positioning is important and necessary consideration. The information needs to be available at times when the customers wish to know more about your company and the services that are provided. After you have invested in expensive printed content having an attractive display helps to continue the theme of organization and detail which can show the quality of your services.

They can also be beneficial at customer service desks to help answer quick questions and reduce the amount of people waiting to be seen. This is especially advantageous in busy high traffic shop floors.

The cost of the dispensers in small and it is easy to source the type which you are after by searching online, or visiting the retailers located on the high street. All types of businesses can be catered for with a wide range of types, styles and sizes being made readily available.

Rotating racks can help people who have a lot of information, or who sell postcards or greetings cards. They take up minimal room, yet still offer a lot of space for storing printed items. The multiple sides allow for more than one customer to use them at a time.

For extremely tightly spaced locations you might be better off choosing a desk top option. These help to keep the work space clean and look organized. You can offer a way for customers to quickly find out about your company without losing any of the surrounding floor space. These are ideal if you only have one or two differing styles of leaflets.

The maintenance is quick, and refilling them takes a small amount of time. The amount you need to do so is reliant on the amount of traffic which passes through your area. They can be a great way of seeing which designs the most are appealing to your clients, and help you keep an eye on your stock levels.

Exhibitions are a great way to find new business and the dispensers can be great tools to take along. Passersby can quickly take a leaflet for future reference if they have little time to spend on your stall. Double sided racks allow for the most items to be displayed, making sure that more than one person is able to be served quickly. They are powerful tools which along with your leaflet can impress future clientele.…

Are You Addressing Your Exhibition Visitor’s Generation?

We live in an unusual time where our exhibition visitors could be made up of several different generations. With this in mind we need to be thoughtful of how and what we communicate and how this will effect our exhibition stand designs.

Let me explain in more detail.

If your typical customer was born in the 1940’s or 1950’s then it is likely that they would have certain morals and values. This is a generation that was brought up at a time where money was tight and resources scarce. This generation values customer service, loyalty and professionalism so they might prefer to be sold to and communicated to in a traditional way and probably face to face.

They might prefer a handshake to an email, and to speak to a person not a voicemail.

In a generation where you get what you pay for and give as good as you get, gadgets and technology could be viewed with caution.

This generation is frugal and works in a matter of fact way. Brought up in a time when waste not want not was the order of the day, they might not want to see complicated or over designed exhibition stands with expensive giveaways and technological mumbo jumbo.

Customers that were born in the 1960’s would have a different perspective on things. This is the generation of prosperity, enterprise and achievement. After all they won the world cup and put a man on the moon so anything is possible!

Known as the baby boomers they were the first generation to take advantage of package holidays. They invented Tupperware parties, experienced Beetlemania and watched Opportunity Knocks on the very first colour TV’s.

This generation is open to ideas and challenges and is used to coping and experiencing change through technology.

Born in the 1980’s generation X was the first to fully engage and interact with modern technology.

From the release of pac-man video, mobile phones and faxes this generation’s world became smaller and easier through technology. It has more concerns over environmental issues and sustainability by discovering a hole in the Ozone layer.

Capable of solving the Rubik’s cube puzzle this generation is used to interacting on exhibition stands through simulators and graphical user interfaces.

Generation Y or “I want it now”, live and expect a completely different visitor experience.

This generation’s mobile phones have always had cameras. Members belong to groups that have followers and virtual friends that like them! They would sooner tweet than speak in person and have found out more about your company and its products or services before your exhibition than any other generation. They can SHOUT about you or castigate you to thousands of others in a moment. They look for referrals and gather information in forums and chat rooms where they share ideas. They expect an interaction between the real and virtual world and can live comfortably in both. They don’t know what a record is and have never heard of the Berlin Wall. If they want something they can download it or order it online. If they want to try something before they buy, they can watch it on YouTube or discuss it on Skype.

This generation expects to be interactive and entertained through technology. It thinks that augmented reality is yesterday’s news and that everybody has a 3D TV in their home.

Taking the time to analyse and appreciate the demographics of your exhibition visitors will help you with its design and layout. It will assist you on how and what you communicate to your audience, pre and post exhibition, to ensure that you realise a better return on your investment.

Peter Bowen C.E.O. of Access Displays Ltd has been involved in Sales and Marketing for over 30 years…

Make Your Own Display Boards

If you have a dresser lying around that is too junky to save, by all means throw it away. But, how about saving one or more of the drawers to make display boards out of? These are a great craft project and will dress up any bedroom, sewing room, play room, or even kitchen. It’s a great way to get the kids involved in a project at home and will spur their creative juices.

First, paint the drawer to give it a fresh new look. You can choose any color you wish, to go with your existing decor. Allow the paint to dry for at least 24 hours.

Next, get some cork-board and cut it to fit the inside of the drawer. Glue it to bottom. Allow the cork-board to set for a few hours.

Then, cover the cork-board with some paper. This can be anything – leftover wallpaper, paper used for lining shelves, even some leftover wrapping paper (although you may need a couple of layers of wrapping paper because it may rip easily.)

Now, you can hang your drawer/display boards on the wall. You can leave the handle in place, or take it off. Not only do you have a pretty device on which to hang things, you have a built-in shelf that you can use for small items like pens, string or yarn.

You can display things like cards, appointment reminders, calendars, pictures or postcards.

Put the board up over an existing shelf for extra storage space in one spot and to add to your existing decor. You could use up all of the drawers and have one in every room if you wish. They are practical, functional and pretty. You could even give some away as gifts.

They are great for college dorm rooms, where space can be limited. This makes a great project for a rainy Saturday afternoon.

Display boards can be made from any number of various types of drawers, both deep and shallow. Use your imagination to create some unique hangings for your wall. You can paint designs on the outside for an even better look. Any teenager would love to have this in their room, even boys. You can make it more ‘boyish’ by choosing darker colors or darker paper for the inside. You can even leave out the paper altogether and just show the cork-board as is. There is no end to the possibilities.…

Promotional Gifts For Conferences And Exhibitions

At conferences, exhibitions and product launches promotional gifts are one the most versatile and cost effective ways to get your company noticed.

Everyone likes to pick up a selection of freebies when attending these events but there are a number of things to take into consideration when selecting the products for your campaign.

Make sure your chosen items are relevant to your business.

Get the best quality you can but stay within budget.

Choose something that will make you stand out from your competitors.

One excellent way to get the maximum exposure is to have available a supply of printed bags which provide a large print area and will be on display throughout the event as people walk around with them. Another advantage is that they will be putting your competitors branded items inside the bag so that it will still be your corporate message that people will see.

Promotional pens and mugs are still very popular but you might like to try something a little different like printed USB flash drives which are becoming essential to modern businesses and have a higher perceived value to the customers.

Branded clothing and lanyards are also useful tools and can be worn by your representatives as well as being given away to members of the public.

Logo printed keyrings are also very popular items and will continue to carry your message long after the event is over. A surprising variety of keyrings are available ranging from the standard plastic ones to high quality leather fobs which can be embossed or foil blocked. There is also the opportunity to combine two functions in one by choosing a keyring that incorporates a USB flash drive for example.

Novelty items provide that touch of humour and entertainment value that is so often missing from modern campaigns and shaped stress toys are one of the most popular making them likely to be valued over a prolonged period. Many other items come in standard novelty shapes with bespoke options often available so it is worth exploring these to find one that best represents your business.

Other less obvious options for corporate events are personalised drink bottles which can contain still or sparkling water or fruit flavoured drinks. Confectionery items such as sweets and chocolates can also carry your branding making your stand even more attractive.A�

As you can see there are a wide variety of promotional gifts options to make your next conference, exhibition or product launch a resounding success.…

Berenice Abbott Retrospective Photography Exhibition in Paris, France

The Jeu de Paume museum in Paris is hosting a retrospective of Berenice Abbott. Having taught university courses for nearly twenty years, her name has come up with some frequency in classes and I often felt a little embarrassed that I usually was only presenting her as the person who played such an important role in saving the work of Eugene Atget after he died. I knew especially her project on New York city which was an effort to capture and save images of the disappearing parts of New York in the 1930s just as Atget had done with Paris from the end of the 19th century into the 1920s. But I never found myself particularly struck with the strength of her work. This retrospective, then, was a chance to finally see a full cross section of her work so that I might see if she measured up to her teachers.

Sadly, while there are some quite beautiful images, more often than not the photos don’t have the same spark as many of her influences–Atget, Walker Evans, Paul Strand. This, then, raises the question of what exactly holds her work back. There are undoubtedly countless reasons and different ones for different photographs. One could imagine that maybe for an American like myself the photos of Paris might have a greater inherent appeal than anything from New York–even from a New York I never saw. However, there are other photographers–notably Strand–who took some very striking images of New York. And I should add, Abbott does seem at her best when photographing New York although she does best with dramatic architecture and not so well as Walker Evans with more modest structures. Like Walker Evans, she sometimes plays with photographing signage–and sometimes there’s an interesting element there but her successes seem much less frequent than Evans. Too often her buildings seem to lack character. They’re just neutral structures and we don’t necessarily feel what it is that made her stop and set up her camera to take the picture. The print quality is sometimes quite beautiful and most of the time it’s quite passable and yet there aren’t many pictures that have a glowing quality.

Where she seemed least confident or skilled was in photographing people in a somewhat documentarian manner. It’s unclear if she didn’t spend enough time looking, if she was too tentative and so shot too fast or what but more often than not the people don’t seem to be an important part of the photos. They’re a presence but they don’t come across as overly intriguing. She didn’t have the talent of a Helen Levitt, for example, to find really striking interactions between humans and their environment. In the end I’m led to feel she might not always have pushed herself enough to try to capture the essence of something. She gets closest when she’s dealing with architecture but she doesn’t seem to have had the poetic talent that Atget had. Somehow with Atget there was an energy that seemed to emanate from the buildings and streets he photographed whereas with Abbott too often the buildings seem lifeless. Maybe she wasn’t enough in love with New York or architecture in general to really show these buildings as powerful identities. With Atget every paving stone seems to have a story to tell.…

Large Format Printers: Great for Various Projects

Large format printers typically allow for images to be printed between 17 inches and 60 inches wide. These printers are utilised in the creation of banners, posters, exhibition prints and any signage that is on a larger scale. Large format printers also go by the name of wide format printers and printers that exceed 100 inches in print width are occasionally referred to as grand format or super-wide printers.

These large printers can accommodate different textures and types of paper making them very useful for different types of projects. For instance vinyl and satin-finished papers can be used with these machines which are great for maintaining a good quality, professional finish. Instead of individual sheets of paper like a standard printer, large format printers use large rolls of paper which are more economical when putting bigger projects together and highly compatible with the printer.

These kinds of printers aren’t commonly designed for use at home or in the office. Of course, professionals who may utilise the printer for their business from home may acquire one, but the generic computer owner will not have any need for such a large printer. Rather, large format printers tend to be tools of specialist printers and businesses. Commercial printers are probably the biggest users of large format printers. These print specialists are experts in creating large format signage, prints and other posters or graphics that any business may need for marketing or advertising purposes. Vehicle graphics may also be produced with specialist inks and paper in place, to provide waterproofing and a gloss finish.

Businesses also require exhibition and display stands on a regular basis and by visiting any print specialist; they can have stands and exhibition material produced on a larger scale without losing any quality to the images or text and information. Large format printers are also popular with students and those who may be interested in digital photography. Quality is essential within the realms of a profession like photography.

Large format printers coupled with large file sizes, still maintain exceptional quality throughout the imagery producing successful prints time and time again. This is perfect for both exhibitions and businesses. The colours are also fade resistant since the inks that are used tend to be of a superior quality. This print process is established straight from the computer with the help of advanced software. Inkjet, solvent and light jet printers are utilised for the printing. The digital print specialists will almost always accept your files by email or on CDs but it is wise to remember to keep the original file size for the best outcome for the images themselves.…