Sourcing City is the market leader in the provision of specialist online digital and mobile trade services and networking trade events to the promotional merchandise industry. Founded in November 2002, Sourcing City has continually created and launched unique online and mobile services and trade events which had never been seen before in the U.K. promotional merchandise industry. The company now has a portfolio of market-leading and established brands to support distributors and to promote supplier products. Sourcing City distributor customers represent over 57% of the entire UK promotional merchandise market spend.

Defining exactly what Web 2.0 means is still an ongoing conversation. Tim O'Reilly attempts to clarify Web 2.0, digging into what it means to view the Web as a platform, and which applications fall squarely under its purview and which do not. The concept of Web 2.0 began with a conference brainstorming session between O'Reilly and MediaLive International. Dale Dougherty, web pioneer and O'Reilly VP, noted that far from having crashed, the web was more important than ever, with exciting new applications and sites popping up with surprising regularity. What's more, the companies that had survived the collapse seemed to have some things in common. Could it be that the dot-com collapse marked some kind of turning point for the web, such that a call to action such as Web 2.0 might make sense? We agreed that it did, and so the Web 2.0 Conference was born. In the year and a half since, the term Web 2.0 has clearly taken hold, with more than 9.5 million citations in Google. But there's still a huge amount of disagreement about just what Web 2.0 means, with some people decrying it as a meaningless marketing buzzword, and others accepting it as the new conventional wisdom. But what was it that made us identify one application or approach as Web 1.0 and another as Web 2.0? (The question is particularly urgent because the Web 2.0 meme has become so widespread that companies are now pasting it on as a marketing buzzword, with no real understanding of just what it means. The question is particularly difficult because many of those buzzword-addicted startups are definitely not Web 2.0, while some of the applications we identified as Web 2.0, like Napster and BitTorrent, are not even properly web applications!) ++++ http://oreilly.com/ +++++++

A new service from Premium Time: here Far East's manufacturers and exporters can post pictures and texts talking about gadgets, promotional articles, advertising items, corporate gifts and premiums for trade shows. You can view all articles and you also have a direct link to go directly to the supplier's website. This service was created for worldwide distributors and importers of promotional articles. ++++++++ http://www.premiumtime.com/ch_hk_gadgetsblog/ ++++++++

Actually Remadays is the second largest European advertising trade fair in Europe. More than sqm 14,000 of the Exhibition Center Expo XXI, more than 530 exhibitors and about 11,000 visitors. Here the world of advertising presents and promote innovative ideas, unconventional solutions, and best novelties available on the promotional market, and manufacturers, importers, and distributors of promotional products give latest updated catalogues to their clients. What else could be seen there? New techniques, printing materials, large-format advertisements, modern plotters, exhibition systems, billboards, megaposters, and light advertising.

The Istituto dell’Autodisciplina Pubblicitaria, Italy’s advertising standards authority, is a private body that since 1966 has regulated advertisements to ensure that the information imparted to consumers is correct and that businesses compete fairly.The rules are set forth in the Code of Advertising Self-Regulation, and are enforced by the Review Board and Jury.All advertisers are required to comply with the Code, and most are members of the Institute who recognise the scope of its operations. The Institute’s aim is to ensure that all advertising is honest, truthful and accurate; it pursues this aim via a tried and tested system that has proven its ability to eliminate bad advertising and safeguard good advertising. On average, 90% of the Institute’s rulings concern consumer protection.Approximately 70% of cases brought before the Jury are settled within 8 to 12 days.Speed and efficiency for the benefit of the entire community.

The In-Store Marketing Institute is developing the StratConn -- Strategic Connections -- Business Meeting Series to let buyers and sellers connect more efficiently and strategically than ever before. Serving several niche markets in the retail and marketing industries, StratConn meetings bring business partners together for two days of well-planned, 30-minute sessions. Limited to a small number of high-value buyers and sellers, StratConns facilitate face-to-face planning sessions between solutions providers (Hosts) and solutions seekers (Guests) to review new products and services, marketing initiatives and business strategies. Each hosting company is provided a private meeting room in which to set up product displays, sales literature, visual aids or other meeting supplies. At regular intervals, the Institute staff escorts guests from room to room to meet with appointed hosts. For information about participating in future StratConn meetings, contact Maureen Macke at 847-675-7400, ext. 127.or ++++++ www.totalretailexp.com

Despite the global decline in air freight, cargo transport at the facility remained stable, recording 1.5 million tonnes of cargo, while total air transport movements rose by 8.8 per cent from 386,319 to 420,245. Schiphol's European market share has also grown as a result. In terms of passenger volume, Amsterdam Airport Schiphol has recaptured its ranking as Europe's fourth-largest airport with 49.8 million passengers, a 10.2 % increase on the previous year when the airport welcomed 45.2 million passengers.