Trade Show Tales Blog

Trade Show Tales is your comprehensive guide to informative articles about trade show marketing, exhibit industry news, promotions, and updates on Classic Exhibits. 

For specific topics, use the Search Tool in the blog or visit the Trade Show and Event Tips in Exhibit Design Search.

What to Expect from Classic Exhibits at EXHIBITORLIVE

What to Expect from Classic Exhibits at EXHIBITORLIVE

As you know, we participate in EXHIBITOR primarily to meet with our Distributor Partners. In other words — YOU. And while end-users visit us as well and we pass those leads along after the show, we are committed to spending as much time as possible with our distributors.

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An Interview with Tom Beard, National Sales Manager of Eco-Systems Sustainable Exhibits

An Interview with Tom Beard, National Sales Manager of Eco-Systems Sustainable Exhibits

Eco-Systems Sustainable Exhibits has always been a leader in responsible trade show exhibiting. From the very beginning, they focused on combining green materials with affordable upscale design. They believe that a booth doesn’t have to look “crunchy” to be green. It simply has to be sustainable.

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An Interview with Jim Shelman, GM of Classic Rental Solutions

An Interview with Jim Shelman, GM of Classic Rental Solutions

Trade Show Rentals have undergone a seismic shift not only in design but also in sales. And, this trend will continue in 2019 and beyond. This week, we chatted with Jim Shelman, the General Manager of Classic Rental Solutions. So what should you expect as an exhibitor or a Classic Exhibits Distributor Partner? More of the same, which is a VERY GOOD THING. 

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The Magnificent, Magical Middle of Trade Show Displays

The middle is the sweet spot in trade show displays. I offers customers value, quality, and personalization through design and customization. Classic Exhibits understands the middle market better than any other manufacturer. We design and build mid-priced displays with features, shapes, and quality not found in lesser displays.

197 Miles of Painful Bliss! The Hood to Coast Relay

On August 22, 2014 @ 3:30 a.m. 12 whackos and 2 dedicated drivers woke up to take on a challenge, one that they called FUN. I am one of those whackos — the Chief Whacko if you will.

The event is called Hood to Coast, aka …The Mother of All Relays. It’s an event in which 12 people with two support drivers and two vans run 197 miles from about 6000 feet on Mt. Hood to the beautiful Oregon Coast, Seaside, Oregon to be specific.

How Your Eyes Move on a Website [Cool Inforgraphic]

Single Grain designed this excellent infographic that explains:

How our eyes move on a website or blog,
How web design influences eye movement and interaction, and
Proposes tips for creating an effective website design.

Hot Hot Hot!: Word on the Street — August 4th thru August 8th

Summer Business

There is a heat wave in the Pacific NW. I mean HOT . . . at least for us. Mid-80’s to mid-90’s kinda HOT. Which if you have ever lived or visited here, you know we don’t get that very often.

Now for the cheesy segue. All this HOT weather has me thinking we are living in the Islands, and wouldn’t you know it, we are building and quoting A LOT of islands right now.

Vibrant Color and Stunning Contrast Gallery

Several months ago, Glenna Martin, our Graphic Design Manager, created the first Graphic Inspiration Gallery — Graphics that Complement the Display. Glenna pulled 38 Past 5 Days photos to show effective examples of structure and graphics. If you haven’t read her notes, I urge you to review them. You may want to consider directing graphic designers to the galleries if they are unfamiliar with trade show graphics.

RDC Innovation Day — Day 2 Notes

Day 2 (Innovation Day)

It was a day of epiphanies at the Red Diamond Congress about the trade show industry. Bob McClintock, COO of SMG, gave the morning keynote: A New Facility Model: Facility as Service Provider. I know. The title sounds pretty boring, but the topic and the speaker were anything but. SMG manages McCormick Place, the Pennsylvania Convention Center, and 70 other venues.

RDC Innovation Day — Day 1 Notes

I’m in Chicago this week for the E2MA Red Diamond Congress. For those unfamiliar with the Exhibit and Event Marketers Association and the RDC . . .

The E2MA is a community of exhibit and event marketers driven to benchmark the value of face-to face marketing. By facilitating discussions among all industry stakeholders, the E2MA’s Red Diamond Congress develops actionable ideas and solutions that can provide for industry growth and success.

20 Short and Impactful Years: Word on the Street — July 21st thru July 25th

Back in 1994, specifically in July 1994, I was working the 11 p.m. – 7 a.m. shift throwing overnight freight at a grocery store in Lake Oswego, Oregon. A co-worker/friend of mine had been telling me about this other job working for his dad’s business. One day, seeing that I was growing weary of the job, he asked me if I was interested in coming to talk to his father about an opening. I jumped at the opportunity, if for no other reason than I wanted to see the light of day rather than sleep through it.

A Humbling Lesson About 10 ft. Displays

Over the years, I’ve learned a humbling lesson. There’s safety in numbers when it comes to 10 ft. inline trade show displays. Most exhibitors choose the predictable over the bold, the safe over the dramatic. And while I understand, I also don’t understand. Yes, budget is a factor. Fear too. No one wants to make the wrong decision when purchasing a display.

A Sustainable Partnership that Works — Eco-Systems

Late last week, Eco-Systems took another big step — redesigning their website. For those who have gone through that ordeal, you know how arduous it can at every stage. There are no easy tasks when it comes to website redesign, organization, graphics, and coding.

Custom Table Top Display Video

Charlie Shivel, a project manager in the Customer Service Department, discusses a custom Visionary Designs table top display. This table top was designed by Trina Broten, a Classic Exhibits Designer, to fulfill the specific marketing requirements of a distributor’s client. Charlie does a terrific job of keeping it short, sweet, informal, and informative. Well done Charlie.

NEW Rental Rewards Program

At Classic Rental Solutions, our mission is simple. To produce the highest quality rental exhibits and experiences in the industry. No exceptions.

We stage, inspect, and photograph every order before shipping. We pack the exhibit very carefully. We include staging photos, packing photos, and setup diagrams with every shipment. And we’re available anytime, day, night, and weekends for any questions from your I & D team. We understand that a quick call might save your client an hour or two of extra labor.