Feature: DMA Digest: Exhibitions are lagging behind

Mike Barnes, director of marketing and business development at the Direct Marketing Association, on marketing at exhibitions

Feature: Experiential marketing: Festivals

With more music festivals taking place this year than ever before, Mark Ludmon examines how brands can activate their sponsorship packages through experiential marketing

Feature: Experiential marketing: Go live together

With partnership marketing extending into brand experiences, Mark Ludmon examines the benefits and challenges for brands working together

Feature: Have a good downturn

Colin Lloyd, chairman of Motivcom – the marketing services group that includes P&MM, Fotorama and Protravel – explains why an economic downturn could be a fantastic opportunity for sales promotion in the UK

Feature: Digital promotions: Widgets

Widgets are the new buzzword for sales promotion but do they work? Mark Ludmon looks at how brands are using web applications in promotions

Feature: Brand profile: Samsung

Samsung is building on its links with sport and fashion through promotional activity designed to make it the number-one brand in consumer electronics

Feature: Promotions made to measure

Charles D’Oyly, managing director of promotional solutions business Valassis, explains how understanding the performance of promotional activity can help to maximise marketing spend

Feature: Keeping promotions out of trouble

David Armstrong, managing director of Aztec Marketing Solutions, advises promoters not to bury their heads in the sand – for the sake of brand owners and the industry

Feature: Motivation: Prepaid cards stack up

With this year’s VA conference focusing on prepaid solutions, Mark Ludmon reports on the opportunities for the different card offerings in the motivation sector

Feature: Motivation: Experiences drive incentives

Paul Evans, director of Treatme, provides an overview of the “experiences” market and its opportunities for growth for motivation and promotions

Feature: Vouchers and gift cards: VA Conference

Andrew Johnson, director-general of the Va, reports on last month’s Va Conference for the voucher and gift card industry

Feature: Promotional products: Clothing and bags

Suppliers of clothing and bags for promotional marketing are responding to customer demand for more environmentally friendly products, reports Rachael Glazier