The 2015 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is under way in Las Vegas at the moment. It’s always an exciting time, when companies pitch their latest wares in technology. If you’re sick of hearing about wearables, for instance, you might want to turn off the news this week.

Still, there’s more at the show than smart watches, smart homes, and smart TVs. There are now smart walls.

E Ink, a company involved in electronic ink technology, announced its E Ink Prism product at CES. E Ink Prism is a programmable film, similar to paint, that can change color and morph into patterns or shapes with the touch of button.

“Commercial lobbies, airport terminals, and public auditoriums can now automatically change color and enhance the human sensory experience,” the company said in a press release. “Customer reception areas will be more interesting and visually exciting, retailers can build dynamic staging elements for their marketing campaigns, and exhibitors can maximize presentations to boost visitor engagement.”

Here’s a short video of the product in action:

(Image: E Ink)

Sure, they may not be the first to raise their hands, they may sit in the back row, and they may be the quietest in the office, but introverts are the power brokers of careers.

According to researchers at Oregon State University (OSU), the University of Florida, and the University of Notre Dame, introverts are more likely to give extroverts low evaluations for job performances.

“The magnitude with which introverts underrated performance of extroverts was surprising,” said Keith Leavitt, an assistant professor in OSU’s College of Business and a co-author of the studies. “The results were very consistent across both studies.”

The studies provide an understanding on the role of personality in the workplace, where co-workers often have influence on one another’s careers.

“That gives employees a tremendous amount of power to influence their peers’ career opportunities,” Leavitt said. “It’s something individuals and employers should be aware of.”

In one study, the researchers had 178 MBA students assigned to four- or five-person project teams for a semester. Halfway through the term, the participants filled out questionnaires about team members, processes, and their own personalities.

The researchers found that introverts rated the performance of other introverts higher than extroverts. However, extroverts were not swayed by the personalities of team members in their performance reviews.

A second study showed similar results.

“We found that introverted employees are especially sensitive to their co-workers’ interpersonal traits, in particular extraversion and disagreeableness,” Leavitt said. “They make judgments and evaluate performance of others with those traits in mind.”

Leavitt suggests that extroverts tone it down when interacting with introverts, and managers should consider that personality traits can greatly affect performance evaluations. Also, supervisors should think twice about forcing interaction among extroverts and introverts in the workplace.

(photo credit: Postmemes.com via photopin cc)

Since 2007, nearly 150 students have interned with the IAVM Foundation at VenueConnect, IAVM’s Annual Conference & Trade Show. Here is where some of them are today.

2007

Ricky Nichols, assistant director, Don Haskins Center – University of Texas at El Paso
Sara Schenck, sales services specialist – Ticketmaster
Joseph Rekowski, concessions manager – Levy Restaurants at Sprint Center
Lauren Simpson, events manager – Grand Ole Opry House
Matthew Collin, event director – Argust Event Staffing

2008 

Matt Parker, director, event marketing and sales –  FELD Entertainment
Jon Cowen, event manager – STAPLES Center
Mike Simonson, guest services manager – South Carolina Aquarium
Evan Holmes, director of business operations – Mercedes Benz SuperDome

2009 

Whitney Goulish, director of ticket sales – Collegiate Consulting at University of Missouri Kansas City
Nate Hayden, director of business operations – Fiesta Bowl
Ashley York, event manager – Greater Fort Lauderdale Broward County Convention Center
Philip Costa, senior event coordinator – Stephen C. O’Connell Center
Kevin Burgess, assistant director of production – Stephen C. O’Connell Center
Philip Carpenter, operations manager – Liacouras Center
Steven Rodriguez, account executive, ticket sales – Collegiate Consulting at Rice University
Kathryn Carlson, guest services & security manager – American Airlines Center
Alaina Meissbach-Patton, event support specialist – Ticketmaster

2010

Jaclyn Sadler, director of corporate events & sales – International Bowling Campus
David Bennett, associate director of facilities and operations – Clemson University
Amber Stolley, event coordinator/house manager – Eureka Lodge
Caitlin Volpe, event coordinator – AT&T Performing Arts Center
Ryan Cross, box office manager – TicketsWest

“I wouldn’t have gotten as far as I have without the help of the Foundation.”—Ryan Cross, TicketsWest

“If it wasn’t for interning with IAVM, I would not have been able to network and connect with so many professionals and have the opportunities that I have had.”—Caitlin Volpe, AT&T Performing Arts Center

2011

Kenneth Gaudinez, assistant director, event operations – Wake Forest University
Bob Hotaling, event manager – The Ford Center
Aaron Batson, event manager – Orange County Convention Center

“I am a HUGE believer in this program and believe that it has helped me greatly get where I am today!”—Aaron Batson, Orange County Convention Center

2012

Justin Aquino, event coordinator – Orange County Fair and Event Center
Danny Sujanani, event prep supervisor – Greensboro Coliseum Complex
Ginny Van Doren, marketing coordinator – Cedar Park Center
Andrea Wherry, meeting planner – University of Florida
Melanie Hellmann, assistant suites manager – Delaware North

“The opportunities through the Foundation will help any aspiring venue manager fulfill their goals.”—Justin Aquino, OC Fair and Event Center

2013

Courtney Dotts, event services coordinator – Philadelphia Eagles
Jason LoRusso, development associate – IAVM Foundation
Clara Sackey, senior product consultant – CrowdTorch by Cvent
Tyler Smith, Adidas field agent – Axis of Awesome

2014

McKell Bennett, assistant marketing director – University of Montana Athletics
Laura Sherman, assistant food and beverage manager – U.S. Cellular Center
Meryl Hershfield, event services coordinator – Florida Panthers

“Attending IAVM’s VenueConnect has been one of the best decisions I have made to date. The opportunity was unforgettable, and the friends I met are some of the best people I know.”—McKell Bennett, University of Montana Athletics

The IAVM Foundation offers several scholarships and internships for our many programs. Visit our website to learn more and to apply.

(Image: Orange Photography)

The best gift you can give your customers consists of two words: Thank you.

According to a new study from Michigan State University (MSU), satisfied customers who were acknowledged by a company president for filling out a satisfaction survey increased their patronage to the business by more than 50 percent.

“Sweetening the pot with rewards really didn’t matter,” said Clay Voorhees, MSU associate professor of marketing and lead author of the study. “These findings suggest that simple, sincere gestures are enough to drive feelings of gratitude among consumers.”

Voorhees and his colleagues focused their study on restaurant customers, tracking their visits for 12 months after a thank-you email was sent from the company president upon completion of a satisfaction survey. They found that repeat visits increased 50 percent for men and 57 percent for women.

“In the restaurant industry, where 5 percent is a big deal, 50 percent blew our minds,” Voorhees said.

Also, the size of a customer’s party increased, with an increase of 79 percent for women and 42 percent for men.

“So it wasn’t just that they came back,” he said. “They came back and brought more people with them.”

The key is not to send an immediate automated response.

“Delaying the acknowledgement is critical to ensure it comes across as being more personal and sincere,” Voorhees said.

(photo credit: MjZ Photography via photopin cc)

Our drive to improve ourselves moves into high gear as we look toward a new year. And one of our first places of improvement starts at work, where we should always seek to better ourselves.

According to Kitty Boitnott, PhD, NBCT, a certified life strategies and stress management coach, there are immediate ways we can be better employees. She lists them in “5 Bad Work Habits to Break in 2015” on the website Careerealism.com. Here are three of her suggestions.

1. Be on Time
“It is much better to be known as the guy (or gal) who is always 10 minutes early for everything as opposed to being known for always being 10 minutes late for everything,” Boitnott wrote. “Being late is disrespectful of the people who are waiting for you.”

2. Avoid Office Gossip
“People may enjoy your stories for a while, but eventually they will start to wonder what you are telling other people about them given your penchant for not being able to keep a secret or hold a confidence.”

3. Stop Saying “It’s Not My Job”
“While it may be true that a particular job that you are asked to perform is outside the actual letter of your contract, by doing it anyway you demonstrate that you are a team player.”

Check out the article for the other two suggestions, and please let us know how you plan to improve your career next year in the comments section.

(photo credit: Whiskeygonebad via photopin cc)