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	<title>IT Exchange Group Blog</title>
	<link>http://www.itexgroup.com/blog</link>
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	<lastBuildDate>Thu, 11 Nov 2010 17:42:50 +0000</lastBuildDate>
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		<title>Nurturing Leads through the Sales Cycle</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Lead nurturing is the marketing concept that buyers span different stages of the buying cycle and you need to respond to them by where they are in this process. Buyers are taking the buying process into their own hands without contacting you. So, you need to create a dialogue with this buyer on his/her own [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.itexgroup.com/blog/nurturing-leads-through-the-sales-cycle/</link>
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		<title>Do We Need More than One Way to Connect?</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Two articles crossed my desk recently. One was entitled &#8220;Meetings Deliver&#8221;, a white paper on the ways that face-to-face meetings of all kinds have a positive impact to drive sales and profitability. The other was an article on how virtual presentations saved one company &#8220;serious time and money&#8221;. Which one is correct? To be fair, [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.itexgroup.com/blog/do-we-need-more-than-one-way-to-connect/</link>
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		<title>Great Offers from Leading Mexico Resorts</title>
		<description><![CDATA[We had the pleasure to meet with representatives of some high-end properties in Mexico. There are great deals to be had for meetings through 2011.  Just to give a few highlights we heard:
Several years ago Mexico implemented a 0% VAT on international conventions organized through foreign meeting planners. Be forewarned – incentive meetings do not [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.itexgroup.com/blog/great-offers-from-leading-mexico-resorts/</link>
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		<title>Capitalizing On Market Opportunities With Low-Cost Or Cost-Neutral User Conferences</title>
		<description><![CDATA[In our last blog post, Vicki pointed out that market share shifts are most prevalent during a down economy.  This happens because some companies hold back and slash their budgets. Their brand suffers, and this creates a void with opportunities for competition. Sure this is a time you have to cut costs, but cut [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.itexgroup.com/blog/capitalizing-on-market-opportunities-with-low-cost-or-cost-neutral-user-conferences/</link>
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		<title>Looking at  the Upside of the Downturn</title>
		<description><![CDATA[I do not mean to make light of the difficulties many companies and people are facing during this recession. But I have been thinking that there is a bright side to it. It forces us to be more reflective. We were blessed with an unprecedented run of good fortune previous to this recession. We were [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.itexgroup.com/blog/looking-at-the-upside-of-the-downturn/</link>
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		<title>Don&#8217;t Just Sit There &#8211; Market!</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Trade show and exhibition marketing is not always handled in the optimal way by exhibitors. Despite that fact that there is enormous value through participation, many companies fail in the follow through. There are so many ways to maximize involvement beyond just the booth space. The most effective companies understand that exhibiting is not just [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.itexgroup.com/blog/dont-just-sit-there-market/</link>
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		<title>Negotiating for Meetings &#8211; Part II</title>
		<description><![CDATA[In our last post we talked about the buyer’s market in the hotel market. That said, you still need to go into any negotiation with your homework done. Preparation is key. Understand your strengths and weaknesses, such as regarding dates/rates/space. For example, do you want the event held in the venues high season/low season/shoulder season? Are [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.itexgroup.com/blog/negotiating-for-meetings-part-ii/</link>
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		<title>Negotiating for Meetings &#8211; Part I</title>
		<description><![CDATA[The economic downturn has created some positives for planning meetings. This is the first time since late 2001/early 2002, that planners have some leverage. The reason? We are now in a buyer’s market. Industry research projects an overall 7.5% drop in revPAR in 2009, one of the largest annual declines since the 1930’s. There will [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.itexgroup.com/blog/negotiating-for-meetings-part-i/</link>
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		<title>Marketing in Tough Times</title>
		<description><![CDATA[There are so many outside forces today that are out of your control. Try to forget them for the moment, and focus on what you can control. Take a deep breathe, for starters, and let your mind stop racing. A calm mind will help you focus. In times like these, it’s so important to keep [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.itexgroup.com/blog/marketing-in-tough-times/</link>
			</item>
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		<title>Sustainable Marketing</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Sustainability is a concept that is back in fashion after decades of unsustainable excess. It is not a concept just for agriculture and energy, but for marketing strategy as well. Sustainable marketing is mindful marketing. It&#8217;s careful planning, watchful waiting, and strategic implementation. All companies, both big and small, have limited resources to put into [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.itexgroup.com/blog/sustainable-marketing/</link>
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