Shared Knowledge Newsletter July 2022

Trade Show Blog

July Classic Exhibits Shared Success Newsletter.

Take a breath
Enjoy the summer
Fall is coming
We’ve got your back
Send us your overflow

Deep Breaths by Jen LaBruzza

A gentle poetic reminder that although it’s feeling Easy Like Sunday Morning right now, the Manic Mondays of Fall will be upon us before we can say, “20 x 40 island.”

And in case you missed our EXHIBITORLIVE memo, Classic Exhibits is North America’s Largest Private-Label Exhibit Builder. That means you don’t have to say, “No.” Just tap into our custom, modular, portable, and rental capabilities when your production schedule is maxed out.

So, as we pause and catch our breath, remember the Early Bird gets the BEST spot in the production schedule. It’s time to contact those Lazy Daisy clients and get those creative juices flowing. Reach out to our Sales Team, Designers, or Project Managers for assistance and let’s start filling up our dance cards.

Rental Winter Turns into Rental Fall by Jim Shelman

Sales: Q1 and Q2 Rental orders broke all previous sales numbers for Classic Rental Solutions. Early numbers show more of the same for the second half of the year.

To support our growth, we’ve added office and production staff. Josh Christensen joined CRS as a detailer, and he also manages our rental inventory. Kristofer Viaes and Victoria Writer are Project Coordinators. All three have already proven to be invaluable.

As you know, CRS’s inventory is both large and expansive, but our most popular components continue to be SuperNova Lightboxes and Gravitee Modular Walls.

Gravitee Modular Walls have become our rental backbone. Backwalls, towers, conference rooms, storage rooms, kiosks, and counters using Gravitee and SuperNova are being utilized in every possible configuration. It’s hard to imagine how we ever managed without the versatility of these options, along with ClassicMODUL, to create any design imaginable.

Trends: We’re seeing an increase in extended rentals for multiple shows, along with repeat orders with replacement graphics and minor design tweaks. Repeat rentals with no changes (except cleaning graphics) are more common. Yes, graphics can be cleaned and look like new again.

People's Choice Award at EXHIBITORLIVE — Exhibitor Magazine People’s Choice Award

Award: Classic won Exhibitor Magazine’s People’s Choice Award for the Technolutions Slate Rental 20’ x 60’ Design with our Distributor Partner Jill Kinduell, Owner of Total Graphic Source.

We look forward to working with many of you on your upcoming rental projects, and we sincerely thank you for your business!

Fast and Furious Webinar Recordings

Fast and Furious Webinar Series by Classic Exhibits

Over the past two months, we’ve hosted five Fast and Furious webinars. And more are coming! Expect a webinar on Interactive Games for trade shows (see the new gallery in EDS) and an Exhibit Design Search tutorial, titled “EDS and Coffee are for Closers!” 😉 If you missed any of the Fast and Furious webinars, we uploaded the recordings to YouTube.

EXHIBITORLIVE and WIE Videos

Women in Exhibitions Breakfast at Exhibitorlive.

Finally, if you missed EXHIBITORLIVE or if you attended and want to see if made the final cut, see the two videos below. Kudos to our own Glenna Martin for documenting the show and creating both videos.

The 4^th Annual Women In Exhibitions Breakfast was a huge success! Over 100 women gathered on June 22 in the Connection Zone at EXHIBITORLIVE. All who attended enjoyed a delicious breakfast and shared their personal experiences during a special presentation.

Guest speaker MaryCay Durrant provided insight into how women are uniquely positioned to take on leadership roles in ways that fulfill our desires for meaning, connection, health, and prosperity. Women In Exhibitions is proud to provide quality content and networking opportunities for the women in our industry, and this event was no exception.

This was all possible due to our generous sponsors:

Diamond – EXHIBITOR Media Group, Classic Exhibits Inc.
Platinum – Hill & Partners
Gold – Brumark, Centerpoint Marketing, CORT Events, Design Factory Las Vegas, Hamilton, Impact XM, NuVista, Pinnacle, Taylor
Silver – Access TCA, ASTOUND, beMatrix, ProGlobalEvents, Condit, Czarnowski, Deckel & Moneypenny, ExhibitForce, Genesis Exhibits, MSM, Steelhead, Xzibits, EDPA Las Vegas Chapter

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Recent Posts

Where’s Waldo at the Trade Show!

Where’s Waldo at the Trade Show? @Pink Unicorn Comics? Nope. @Petting Zoo? Nope. @Zombie Killing Workshop? Perhaps.

Buying a Trade Show Exhibit? Ten “Must Ask” Questions

It’s common to express remorse after a big ticket purchase. Typically when the purchase is infrequent, such as a home, car, or expensive equipment. Buying a trade show exhibit is that type of purchase, especially an inline or island exhibit for a large trade show. .

Trade Show Rental — Mullets, Trapper Keepers, Pagers, and Rentals

Recently, what I thought would be a simple, straight-forward conversation left me scratching my head. I was meeting with exhibit industry colleagues, and the topic turned to rentals. Admittedly, rentals shouldn’t be puzzling. Rentals have exploded at a rate 3 to 4 times faster than exhibit purchases. What surprised me was the perception and the language used to define the exhibit rental landscape.

What is Your Trade Show Kryptonite?

We shouldn’t but we do. We hope hope hope that the next attendee who walks in our booth is Superman. Not Superman Superman, but the sales equivalent of Superman. Faster to sign a contract than a speeding bullet. More powerful than the VP of Purchasing.

How To Make Your Trade Show Backdrop Stand Out!

Many exhibitors assume a backdrop is a simple two-dimensional graphic along the backwall of an exhibit. But it can be so much more. A backdrop in a 10 x 10 or 10 x 20 booth space doesn’t have to be basic. Modern inline displays come in various shapes, heights, and configurations.

Is Your Trade Show Display an Oreo or a Fig Newton?

As an adult I can rate just about everything on a cookie scale. For brevity, I’ll limit this article to Oreos, Fig Newtons, and Nilla Wafers, but be assured that the “science” behind my methodology includes Frosted Animal Cookies, Pepperidge Farms (as a collective group), Girl Scout Thin Mints, and Chips Ahoy.

Does Your Trade Show Exhibit Have To Be Clever?

That’s not to say your trade show exhibit shouldn’t be attractive. It should, but I would encourage you to focus on more practical matters the next time you design or rebrand your display. What do you need in the booth space to conduct business? Make it less about showmanship and more about conversations and information.

What Cats Can Teach Us About Trade Shows

We are a nation devoted to pets, whether they’re on the farm or in a purse. They learn from us, but we learn from them as well. The other day while watching Animal Planet with a cat in my lap, one on the sofa, and another puking upstairs ( it sounded like the world’s worst ventriloquist), I realized that we could learn a thing or two about trade show marketing from our feline companions.

Gravitee One Step — The World’s Easiest Modular Wall System

Gravitee — The World’s Easiest Modular Wall System. Unlike traditional modular wall systems, Gravitee has no loose connectors. The frames are constructed with durable engineered aluminum extrusion and the system uses time-tested patented technology.

Who is Our Biggest Trade Show Competitor?

Recently, I’ve been on the road, visiting Classic Distributors in the Midwest and South. We chat about industry trends, new products, and challenges in their market. Occasionally, they will ask me about competitors. That’s a topic, to be honest, that makes me uncomfortable.

3 Essential Trade Show Marketing Questions

These are questions every designer should ask their client before designing the ideal trade show display. If the client walks in just thinking about the nuts and bolts of the project, they may miss an informed conversation on why they are exhibiting in the first place and that can fundamentally affect the design of a booth. The Why can greatly impact the How in Exhibit Design.

What You Should Know about Exhibit Marketing

Exhibit marketing is all about marketing your products or services to buyers at expositions, conferences, and trade shows. A successful exhibit marketing program will be rewarded with increased revenues, referrals, and industry networking. The goal is to understand how exhibit marketing differs from the other types of marketing.

Managing Your Trade Show Budget

Trade shows are expensive, and some costs are often puzzling to exhibition newbies, but there are multiple ways to manage those expenses with a little planning and some assistance from an experienced trade show professional. Don’t be afraid to tap into that expertise.

Why Are Trade Shows Important for Business Growth and Branding

With the rise of online meetings and ecommerce, business experts have predicted the death of trade shows and live events for 40 years. Yet, the benefits of trade shows and events have never been more important for businesses. There were over 13,000 separate events in North America in 2025 alone.

Best & Biggest Convention Centers in the US for Trade Shows

What are the biggest and best convention centers in the United States? And does overall size and location matter when it comes to a convention center? Unless you’re a trade show nerd (like me), you’ve probably never wondered if the Las Vegas Convention Center is bigger than McCormick Place in Chicago. Or if the Orange County Convention Center is in FL or CA?

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