Columbia Ultimate Wins Trade Show Sizzle Award

VANCOUVER, Wash. ? Columbia Ultimate, a leader in collections management software, was awarded the ?Sizzle Award? by Exhibitor Magazine in recognition of its innovative tradeshow marketing program. The company was honored for its work at the National Association of Credit Management?s (NACM) 106th Credit Congress & Exhibition in July. This was one of 22 shows at which the company exhibited in 2002.

Overall efforts at this year?s show were so successful that Columbia Ultimate increased its customer leads from last year by 410 percent. Much of the success was the result of an interactive game theme, ?Critical Pursuits,? which offered trivia questions and prizes. The integrated marketing program included a direct mail piece, an online survey prior to the show and personal invites left at hotel rooms with a pair of 3-D glasses to be used as part of the game, back at Columbia Ultimate?s booth.

Prior to the show, the collections software company promoted its ?Right on the Money? booth with direct mail and the preshow online survey, measuring interest and needs of the attendees.

?Because of our research, we understood that attendees preferred interactive booths with a high level of involvement,? said Deon Collins, CTSM (Certified Tradeshow Marketer) and events coordinator for Columbia Ultimate. ?We designed our booth concept, interactive game and preshow collateral to attract and have fun with the audience. The results speak for themselves; we had 123 leads at the NACM this year, compared to 30 the year before ? a significant increase.?

At its booth, Columbia Ultimate showcased its QuickFlow product, an account receivables management software program that helps companies track and collect on unpaid invoices, dramatically increasing revenue.

About Columbia Ultimate
Columbia Ultimate is the No. 1 service provider in the collection agency marketplace. It provides full-service collection systems, including software, support and training for collection agencies, government agencies, utilities, hospitals, banks and other monetary recovery companies. Founded in 1979, Columbia Ultimate is headquartered in Vancouver, Wash., with offices in Atlanta, Ga., and the U.K. For more information, visit www.columbiaultimate.com.