A recent post over at the Influential Marketing Blog (www.rohitbhargava.typepad.com) piqued EXPO’s interest. The subject: Five non-obvious marketing trends to watch in 2010. The post highlights the importance of “voluntary brand ambassadors” (also known in marketing speak as “influencers”) and why they’re important to successful organizations and brands. And it isn’t just limited to bloggers; Rohit Bhargava, the author of the blog and Senior Vice President of Strategy and Marketing at marketing firm Ogilvy 360, notes that the major shared characteristic of influencers is that “they have a passion for your product or service and more importantly, they want to share their opinions.”

How is this important for show organizers? As everyone recovers from a tough 2009, cultivating your own voluntary brand ambassadors — who are ready and willing to spread the word about the great things your event can offer — is more important than ever. Check out Bhargava’s other top “non-obvious” marketing trends here: http://rohitbhargava.typepad.com/weblog/2010/01/5-nonobvious-marketing-t....