2018 Odyssey Foods Custom Island Exhibit
While there were many exciting projects in 2018, the custom Odyssey Foods Island for Exhibits Northwest, Inc. was one of our favorites. The “Wow!” factor is off the charts. The exhibit debuted at Seafood Expo North America 2018.Â
Reflections on the Gravitee One-Step Modular Wall System
Two years ago, we introduced the Gravitee One-Step Modular Wall System, a radical approach to modular walls. No tools, no loose connectors, and no inventory of funky corners.
What have we learned in two years?
EXHIBITOR Portable Modular Awards
Every year since 2014, EXHIBITOR Magazine honors design excellence in portable, modular, and system exhibits with the Portable Modular Awards (PMAs).
An Exhibit Design Search Video by the TradeshowGuy
Tim Patterson at TradeshowGuy Exhibits created an EDS tutorial video which he posted on YouTube. He will use it as a sales and marketing resource for existing and potential clients, but just having it on YouTube will also increase the exposure of his company. It’s a straight-forward video and very effective. See for yourself.Â
Misleading Online Prices for Trade Show Displays
Many online display websites are masters at enticing buyers with crazy low prices, which on further investigation are not quite as “cheap” as they seem. Then, there’s quality, warranty, and customer service questions to consider as well.Â
The Rules have Changed at Trade Shows
You know the rules: #1. Never eat or drink in your trade show booth and #2. Don’t stare at your cellphone while on the show floor. It makes sense, mostly. But it’s 2018, Dude. There’s gotta be a middle ground
NAB Show Introduces an Updated Pricing Model
Recently, The Trade Show News Network published, NAB Show Eases Exhibitor Pain Points with NAB Show Cares by Lisa Plummer Savas. Let’s review those changes because they are a huge step in the right direction for our industry.
Updated Design Policies — Effective January 2019
Effective January 2019, we will charge for creative exhibit design based on the schedule below. The procedure is meant to be simple and straightforward with a reasonable upfront charge for both purchase and rental designs.
Recent LED Fabric Lightboxes for Trade Shows
It’s “The Unofficial Year of Lightboxes.” Most exhibit orders have LED lights — in a tower, backwall, counter, accent, or stem light. Not all all lightboxes are equal, but what is true is that the fabric, the printing, and the LED lights have gotten better
An Interview with Jim Shelman, GM of Classic Rental Solutions
Every week, Tim Patterson, aka Tradeshow Guy, conducts an interview on his Monday Morning Coffee video/audio broadcast. This week Tim interviewed our own Jim Shelman, the GM of Classic Rental Solutions.
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”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.
The Third Time is… “Charming.”‘re a Fab 50 Again!
Event Marketer announced their 2015 Fab 50 Fabricators serving the North American event and exhibit industry. For the third year in a row (drum roll please . . .), Classic Exhibits was honored by the editors of Event Marketer and the analysts at the Event Marketing Institute.
| The Truth about Trade Show Labor
Kudos to the folks at TS Crew, an EAC labor contractor, for this insightful video about trade show labor. The message is spot-on for trade show professionals, exhibit managers, and ALL NEWBIES to the world of trade shows and exhibitions in North America.
John Zipay Joins the Classic Exhibits Executive Team
Classic Exhibits Inc. announces the addition of John Zipay to the Classic Exhibits Executive Team. John will serve as the General Manager for Exhibits Northwest.
John has an extensive background in operations, sales, and marketing within the trade show industry. Over the past ten years, John progressed rapidly from I&D to account manager and then from VP of Operations to General Manager.
Myanmar in Photos (January 2015)
Recently, a work colleague went to Myanmar for two weeks. He started in Yangon (Rangoon), spent a few days there, and then took a week-long river cruise on the Irrawaddy to Mandalay. As you know, Myanmar has largely been a closed society until a few years ago, so tourism was limited.
We thought you might enjoy seeing some of his photos. He took hundreds, but I’ve limited it to 42. There are no descriptions, so you’ll need to use your imagination. Click on any photo to scroll through the entire gallery.
‘s — Chose 5 Designs — from Past 5 Days
We Love All Our Children But Some More Than Others
We shouldn’t have favorites when it comes to exhibit designs. But we do. And, of course, everyone has those designs they hold “near and dear.” We asked our five project managers to pick the five projects they liked best from 2014 that were featured in Past 5 Days. These were not necessarily jobs they worked on, but ones they loved on our Setup Floor.