”s FREE)
So how do you predict your trade show material handling expense? Use our handy Drayage Calculator.
The World of SEG (As I See It)
Excellent history of the introduction and evolution of Silicone Edge Graphics (SEG) by Dave Brown from Optima Graphics.
New Lower Prices on Sacagawea Portable Hybrid Displays
We did our math homework on Sacagawea Portable Hybrid Displays. The margins have gotten better, so we decided to (wait for it!) lower the prices.
| Fall 2018
November in Portland, OR. Overcast. Rainy. Brisk. Nine games into the Portland Trail Blazers schedule. And, if you believe Kevin, the U of O Ducks football team is undefeated and headed to a national championship. Sounds like the ideal time to visit the Rose City for Shared Knowledge University.
| Video with Kevin Carty
We developed a lightbox. But not just any lightbox, one 2″ deep with all the wonderful features of the Gravitee One Step System such as no loose parts and no tool assembly.
Before the Show Opens. After the Show Closes.
Even if you maximize your pre- and post-show planning, it’s possible to miss potential sales because your trade show planning didn’t include right before the show opens and right after the show closes. Every day.
How to Convert Trade Show Visitors to Customers
What are the best ways to turn trade show visitors into paying customers? Try the following tips to show off your business in the best light and attract great, loyal customers like bees to honey.
Gravitee One-Step Modular System vs. The Holes
Unlike most existing modular wall systems, Gravitee doesn’t rely on loose bullet connectors to attach panels, either vertically or horizontally. Instead, Gravitee connectors are built into the panels so it assembles faster and with fewer parts and pieces.
7 Tips to Working with an Exhibitor Appointed Contractor (EAC)
I am often asked, “Why use a Trade Show Exhibitor Appointed Contractor (EAC)?” For our discussion, let’s focus on companies that set up and take down the exhibits for exhibit houses and exhibitors across the country. These labor service providers offer the expertise necessary to get shows up on time and on budget.
Stephanie L’Herault, Designer for Eco-Systems Sustainable Exhibits
Eco-Systems Sustainable Exhibits welcomes Stephanie L’Herault to the Eco Design team. Stephanie works directly with Eco Distributors on exhibit and environment design projects and then with internal project managers, detailers, and production specialists to turn those 3D concepts into reality. We asked her to share a short bio about her personal life and professional background.
Recent Posts
All Eco-systems Sustainable Inlines/Islands are on SALE!
Vacation is two weeks away… for your kids! BUT you still have to go to work, punch the clock, and sell displays. It’s never easy this time of year, but our friends at Eco-systems have a solution. In May, June, and July, all inlines and islands are on sale. Plus, you can win cash. As in $111. See the details and contact Matt Wish (matt@ecosystemsdisplays.com) for a version you can email to your client database.
‘s Free!
As a designer, how often are you asked to reinvent the wheel while the clock is ticking? What if that pressure had to do with redesigning a kit from Classic’s award-winning Exhibit Design Search? Classic Exhibits has the cure. We will give you, yes give you, free of charge, our model files.
What Not to Eat in Your Trade Show Booth
Trade show experts tell us to never eat in the booth. It’s bad etiquette. From my experience, this arbitrary “food rule” is specific to North America. For example, at EuroShop, there was food everywhere, whether served to attendees or eaten by staffers. It’s time we dispense with this food hypocrisy. People are going to eat, so let’s agree on some guidelines. Some food is appropriate. Others not so much. Here are my suggestions of food never to eat/serve in your booth.
| The Truth about Trade Show Flooring
The labor experts at TS Crew struck gold again with another video about the ins and outs of trade show I&D. This one focuses on flooring, aka “The Truth about Trade Show Flooring.” It’s a great primer for, well, just about anyone who has struggled with planning and understanding the steps necessary for a seamless carpet install.
Hidden Gems in Exhibit Design Search
With over 1400 kits in Exhibit Design Search, some magnificent designs simply get lost in the shuffle. It happens… but it’s still sad. So we asked our experts — the project managers, designers, and territory managers from Classic Exhibits and Eco-systems Sustainable — to select designs they felt should get more “street cred.”
”re a House Painter.
On your best days, you get to be an artist. It doesn’t matter if you’re in design, production, account management, sales, marketing, or even accounting. You soar on those days. And when the clock hits 5 or 6 or 10 pm, you walk out of the door with a smile.
Then there are days where none of us have the luxury of being artists. We’re house painters. Good house painters mind you, but ones where the colors, the canvas, and the guidelines are chosen by someone else, usually your client.
‘s NEW Website
Launching a new or update website always feels like Christmas morning. It doesn’t matter if you have been immersed in the details for months. It’s still surprising and uplifting. Last night, we launched the new Exhibits Northwest website (www.exhibitsnw.com). Exhibits Northwest is a sister company of Classic Exhibits that operates exclusively in the Pacific Northwest.
YOUR Invisible, Inc.: Word on the Street — April 13th thru April 17th
We recently welcomed several new, very talented employees to the Classic Family. And as is our custom, Mel and I sit down with these employees to check-in and see how things are going after about a week of training and immersion.
During this time, we take the opportunity to talk about “Who Classic is” both internally as well as externally to our customers/partners. In that discussion, we use the term “Invisible Inc” quite often. It’s a phrase that was spawned from our participation in EDPA ACCESS Meetings.
Your Trade Show Booth Staff Needs HELP!
This shouldn’t surprise you. You know your staff sucks. They are lazy. They don’t know the products. They look like hell after Day 1. And, worst of all, they don’t have a clue why they’re there. Yet, you tolerate it show after show. Why? There shouldn’t be any reason why your staff isn’t spectacular. It’s time to put on your adult pants and do it right.
| The Bare Minimum
Even if you majored in marketing, you probably learned diddly squat about trade show marketing in your classes. Which is sad since trial and error is very, very expensive at a trade show or event.
Cool Technology at EXHIBITORLIVE 2015
I try my darndest to walk EXHIBITOR each year. Usually, that means a quick tour an hour before the hall opens. And while I ”see” the displays, I rarely get to talk to most exhibitors. So you can imagine how excited I was when Marlys Arnold from Trade Show Insights compiled a video of the Best of the Best Technology.
All in the Name of Customer Service: Word on the Street — March 16th thru March 20th
Have you ever stopped to appreciate what you do for your clients? I know it comes with the territory. We’re sales-driven people with customers who have high, sometimes unreasonable requests. But in the end, they are our customers, and we’ll do what we have to do to make them happy.
Our Final Four vs. Your Final Four Challenge
Test Your 2015 NCAA Men’s Basketball IQ by Picking the Final Four. Each Correct Team Earns You a Bigger Bonus.
100 Trends to Watch in 2015 from JWT Intelligence
As a faithful reader of the Trade Show Tales blog, you’ve probably wondered, “Why hasn’t Classic posted the link to the JWT Intelligence 2015 Trends Watch?” Perhaps, the Brogawear trend scared me just a little (yep, yoga-wear for men).
EXHIBITORLIVE 2015 Review: Word on the Street — March 2nd thru March 6th
Well I don’t know about you … but I am pooped! EXHIBITORLIVE 2015 has come and gone. What an amazing week of visiting with old friends, making new friends, and seeing all the exciting new things in our GREAT industry.