Let me start of by saying that I am NOT very good at this! But, it is something I strive to improve on and a skill that I admire in others.
If you don’t know what I am referring to, it is based on the idea of stepping into an elevator with someone and saying something clearly and succinctly in a compressed time frame. Depending on the number of floors in the building, you may only have 2, 5, or 10 minutes max. It’s a cool concept and applies to business interactions everyday — whether you’re on an elevator, a plane, in a meeting, or at a social gathering.
Every October, our industry pulls together to raise money for those struck by tragedy, illness, and/or the loss of industry colleagues.
For the industry, this year will be no different. But for Classic Exhibits and its family of companies and employees, it will be different. One of our own is a beneficiary this year. Mike Swartout, our Director of Design, who is battling Stage 4 cancer. Please read about Mike and all the recipients at the following website: https://rsmgc.org/RSMGC/www.rsmgc.org/Recipients/
A few weeks ago, I described it as a “bucket list” project. But it really became so much more than that. What once started out as a bucket list project quickly turned into one of the longest, hardest and most personally gratifying project/event I have ever been a part of.
PJ20 was the name of the project: A celebration of the 20th Anniversary of Pearl Jam.
Happy Monday to you all. Hope your weekend was good.
Thanks to our wonderful production staff here at Classic and to our Project Manager, Edie Arambula, mine was much less stressful than it certainly could have been. Starting on Friday, I began an annual endurance/idiotic event called the Hood to Coast: a 200 mile run from Mt. Hood to Seaside on the Oregon Coast. And thanks to our great employees, I did not have to worry about work on my Bucket List Project that shipped while my team and I were running.
I was returning to the office from a lunchtime doctor’s appointment when I got the call. The call came in on my cell phone and was from one of our newest and most consistent Classic Exhibits Distributors. To be honest, my first thought was, “Oh boy, I hope nothing went wrong on our recent project.” The owner normally doesn’t contact me on my cell. Usually their project management staff works directly with our Customer Service team.
Three months ago, we embarked on a new relationship with an IT vendor, and it has been nothing short of stellar. The vendor, Convergence Networks, has quickly vaulted into one of our best relationships. because they are responsive, knowledgeable, and totally customer customer focused.
Last month, Convergence came to Classic Exhibits asking for our assistance. They had agreed to be the main sponsor of a business to business event organized by the Portland Business Journal. This would be Convergence’s very first trade show of any kind, which made their sponsorship commitment even scarier. Needless to say we were delighted to guide them through the maze that is trade shows.
