| July 2020 Newsletter

Trade Show Blog

Your PPE Wingman

Personal Protection guidelines are starting to unfold for schools, universities, medical facilities, and businesses. We are deep in that mix and know it very well. Currently, we have about twenty schools under our belt, eight banks, and several hospitals. And the requests are growing exponentially.

PPE is an immediate need for these organizations, and they are desperate for your guidance and expertise. They don’t want tacky acrylic barriers held together with Velcro and unfinished wood. They want attractive, professional solutions.

You can significantly increase your closing percentage by asking us to participate in the call with your client. We’re available, whether you need assistance on product specifications, design, or simply a wingman to close the deal.

PPE Business is Local

From our experience, all PPE business is local. Your greatest asset is leveraging local relationships, personal friendships, and existing clients to find new opportunities. People love doing business with friends, acquaintances and vendors who support them. In most cases, they won’t find or contact you. You have to find them by calling, emailing, or visiting their website or social media pages. 

The planning process has started for schools, churches, banks, museums, retail locations and offices so the timing is ideal. Become the local expert for PPE products. We’re here to help you any way we can.

Exhibit Design Search Updates

Whether you call it shifting, pivoting, or evolving, we aren’t standing still. There are Five New Galleries in EDS: 

  1. PlaceLyft Office Systems:  Modular Personal Protection Office Solutions
  2. Hand Sanitizer Stands: Heavy-Duty Stand Tough™ Sanitizer Stands
  3. Safety Dividers: Customizable Aluminum and Acrylic/Sintra Partitions
  4. Office/Retail Lightboxes: SuperNova LED Lightboxes
  5. Interactive Displays: In Partnership with Blue Pony

New Rental Savings

Jim Shelman and his team have made extensive updates to the (3) Rental Galleries. New designs, more details, and even a SALE. 

The designs include SuperNova lightboxes, Gravitee inlines and islands, and even promotional prices on our newest portable system, Symphony. We expect rentals, especially customized rentals, to be active once trade show return as exhibitors choose smaller and more affordable options.

See all 12 Rental Designs on sale in Exhibit Design Search.

Join Us at the Together Again Expo in Orlando on July 24

Kevin, Jen, and Katina will be in Orlando on July 24 for the Together Again Expo. In booth #400, a 10 x 20 Symphony and Gravitee Display, along with examples of our Hand Sanitzer Stands. They are planning several live broadcasts.

No need to preregister. All are invited! Save the links below!

Pre-Show: Thursday, July 23 | Noon EST / 9 am PST
https://lnkd.in/gEJxVdS

Show Day: Friday, July 24 | Noon EST / 9 am PST
https://lnkd.in/gzeKMzv

If you are attending the event in Orlando, please stop by and visit them while adhering to mask and social distancing protocols. 

The show organizers have virtual training and panel sessions planned as well. You will need to register if you want to attend any of those activities. Fingers crossed that it sends the right message that the trade show industry can be active and responsible.

Employment Love Connection

Displaced? Furloughed? Laid off? We would like to help if possible. As a national manufacturer with over 200 distributors, we know there are people looking for other great people. That need will be even greater in the coming months.

Let us know if we can make any employment love connections. We would love to assist. Reach out to Jen LaBruzza, Harold Mintz, or Tom Beard.

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Recent Posts

The 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.

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?

10 Online Tools for Classic Exhibits Distributors

At a recent Shared Knowledge University, we reviewed ten online tools available to all Classic Exhibits Distributors. The attendees told us that these tools are invaluable to their sales, marketing, and customer service teams and are unique within the exhibit industry. 

Why Small Businesses Fail to Grow by Jay Goltz

Excerpt from the “Art of Running a Small Business.” Many, if not most, Classic Exhibits distributors fall into the small business classification as defined by the Small Business Administration. Small businesses have challenges that larger businesses do not.

Top 12 Trade Show Bad Habits

All animals, humans included, are creatures of habit. We learn how to survive, then follow those routines day after day. Trade shows are no different. Exhibitors and attendees find their safe space and get comfortable: same shows, same people, same message.

Your Trade Show Marketing in 2026

When it comes to trade shows, many exhibitors don’t have a detailed plan on how to market their company. They purchase a display, which they think is the key to a successful show. Your exhibit may be the star of the show but it’s only one element in a comprehensive strategy.

IMEX America Hosted Buyer Lounge (Condensed Version)

IMEX America 2025 brought together 17,633 participants, including more than 6,000 buyers from 75 countries, reinforcing the event’s position as a high-value marketplace for the global meetings industry. At the center of this ecosystem was the CORT Events’ Hosted Buyer Lounge, designed as a dedicated environment.

40 Weird Things You Do @ Trade Shows

Trade shows can be a strange world whether you are an exhibitor, attendee, or an industry insider. While many behaviors might seem normal to you as a member of the trade show community, others are downright bizarre to those who rarely set foot in a trade show hall.

Why Are Companies So Bad at Trade Show Marketing?

Some companiees will hint at it. Then there are the ones who are honest. They simply don’t understand trade show marketing. That’s not surprising. It’s rarely taught on the undergraduate or graduate level. At best, it’s mentioned in passing in a marketing textbook.

10 Things Zombies Can Teach Us About Tradeshow Marketing

Single-minded Focus. You may not appreciate their all-consuming desire to eat your flesh, but they are committed to the task. They let nothing get in their way, except an ax to the brain. Your next trade show will be wildly successful, if you make it a priority, not an afterthought.

10 Things To Ask When Renting Trade Show Furniture

Selecting trade show rental furniture is a critical step in your exhibit planning timeline and it should happen well before your move-in. Ideally, you’re confirming your exhibition rental furniture several weeks (if not months) in advance.