Q: (from Richard)
I was wondering if you could help me, as your name is the only one I have from Microsoft... We have a trade show coming up in May... I was looking for some giveaway items and or banners from Microsoft. There will be approx. 3500 people at this event mostly business owners. It is a great networking event for us and sets us up with business for the summer into the fall. I don’t seem to have any info available to contact anyone else, so maybe if you can just point me into the right direction that would be of great help. Thanks in advance.
A:
Thanks for reaching out to me. Of course I really want to find a way that you can promote yourself as well as your relationship with Microsoft. Just to warn you, however, Microsoft is very particular how our brand is used and by whom, so I did some quick research regarding your partnership level on our Solution Finder site (http://www.microsoft.com/smallbusiness/partner/results.aspx):
<<details removed to protect identity>>
Based on your Registered Partner status, here are some of the options available to you:
1) You could look into becoming an SBSC – that would give you access to the SBSC Blue Badge logo to use on your own marketing material, table cloth, etc – you would then become the only SBSC partner within 20+ miles
2) You could look into becoming a Certified Partner – a greater investment than SBSC, but more Microsoft logo rights
3) You could engage a Microsoft presenter at the event – if one of us is there, the logo can be there as well
Regarding collateral, I don’t have a budget to support an event this size, but you could engage with your local Partner Community Manager (http://www.mssmallbiz.com/pcms) to see if they do.