At the Green Building Festival

I just finished setting up our booth at the Green Building Festival in the Toronto Congress Centre.

As a media sponsor of the festival my goal is to help position our paper as a leading source for news and articles reflecting the change in the construction industry in Canada. I also served as a media sponsor of the Canada Green Building Council Shifting into the Mainstream Summit.

In the past media sponsorship and marketing initatives such as this event where not full explored. The benefit of course is increasing our coverage in the Ontario Construction Industry and also raising awareness of our products. Other media sponsorships or initiatives I have set up this year include:



OGCA Partner

CaGBC Media Sponsor

Green Building Festival Media Sponsor

Niagara Construction Association Golf Tournament Media Sponsor

Canadian Design Build Institue Sponsor

Wood WORKS! Media Sponsor

Skills Ontario Silver Sponsor

IAPA Health and Safety Conference Toronto Media Sponsor



The biggest advantage I have discovered this year with these initatives is the ability to create more opportunities for face to face meetings with our advertisers, industry leaders and new clients.



About the Green Building Festival 2008: It is a two day conference and expo highlighting Innovation in green building. Take an in-depth look at the real world impacts of green building, with comprehensive case studies, product analysis, visionary keynotes, and 100 exhibitors with ready-to-market green building solutions.

September Issue of the Ontario Costruction Report

Check out the September issue of the Ontario Construction Report.

You can also check out these companies and there features:

Now House Project by Work Worth Doing

Charter Building, Table Rock Renovation

September issue of the GTA Construction Report

Check out this months issue of the GTA Construction Report.

September issue of Impact! for the GOHBA

Checkout the September Issue of Impact! for the GOHBA.

September Issue of Structures

Check out the September issue of Structures for theNiagara Home Builders Association: Structures

Barter: To trade (goods or services) without the exchange of money.

I came across an intersting site when doing an online search for the definition of 'Barter' in response to a recent request I had. You can check it out here: http://www.barterco.com/v4/aboutbarter.cfm

Sometimes the easiest way to pay for something is to offer your services in exchange. In the world of construction this could apply to a one supplier who does concrete work exchanging the service with a drywaller for new drywall for a project they are doing at home.

The real question though is how to determine the face value of something. Do you balloon the value in a quote or offer it as you would in a normal quote? My preference is to offer it at face value as you would with a normal quote, the worst thing that could happen is your partner in the exchange finds out you set your prices higher and they do not finish the work you each agreed upon.

In today's economic environment bartering may be a great way for you to tape into advertising and the marketing of your business. A client we have dealt with for several years for a service we use at the head office recently asked me if he could offer us a credit on our account in exchange for some ads to run for a new product. After speaking with the team we agreed to do it, we have a long standing relationship and the service does offer a return on something we us on a regular basis.

Now does bartering work for everyone and is everything open to a trade like this?

Answer is as long as both parties see value then yes, however as soon as one party feels they are not getting something they need the prospect of the deal falling through become a reality.

Personally when dealing with long standing relationships for a barter proposition I tend to offer more advertising or marketing value in return for the products or services. This ensures both parties see the value and continue the relationship.

Have you dealt recently with a situation where a client or customer offered to barter their construction services or office products with you? Share your experiences with me at chasemarketing@sympatico.ca

GTA Construction Report Publishers View Point September

It is funny as the year starts to wind down things are picking up at a rapid pace. I do not know where to begin or where to end for what is happening in September.

First up is the Green Building Festival at the Toronto Congress Centre September 9-10 hosted by Sustainable Building Canada. This year besides just attending the conference we are proud media sponsors and will be exhibiting at the industry trade show. This year's conference and trade show is expected to be the biggest yet. Last year over 1000 people came through the show and this year promises to be even better. The festival allows you to build you business, and reinforce your reputation as a green building leader.

Next stop for me is the Barrie Construction Association (BCA) Members Day and BBQ on September 19th. We re-launched our coverage of the area back in April this year and will be doing our first extensive feature coverage with Gregor Homes in October. As part of getting back into the community I have extended an offer of free advertising to Gilda’s Club Barrie which provides a free, non-residential, not-for-profit support for anyone touched by cancer. Gilda’s has a strong relationship with the community and works very closely with the Greater Barrie Home Builders Association and the BCA who volunteered to build a home from the ground up over a weekend, sell it, and donate the proceeds.

Last but not lest is the Ontario Home Builders Conference in Collingwood September 21-23. This is the first year we are sending someone to the conference and it made lost of sense now with our now two association publication for the Greater Ottawa Home Builders (GOHBA) and Niagara Home Builders Associations (NHBA). We are looking at expanding our coverage to include Northern Ontario as a possibility for early 2009. What I am looking forward to the most with the conference is checking out the Builder’s Choice Exhibition and Trade Show as well as the OHBA 2008 Awards of Distinction Dinner and Ceremony. I am hoping to gain some new relationships, meet potential associations to partner with as well as advertisers. Even though I will not be an official exhibitor at the show I was lucky enough to have one of the advertisers from Niagara offer to display our Structures NHBA paper which will allow me a base of operations during the show.

Chase is the Director of Client Services for the Construction News and Report Group as well as the Associate Publisher for the GTA Construction Report and Structures, the Niagara Home Builders Association Newspaper. If you have any recommendations or suggestions on changes you would like to suggest for the papers please contact him toll free at 1-888-432-3555 ext 211 or email him chasemarketing@sympatico.ca