| July and August 2017
The summer trade show season is in full swing in July and August. Check-out the 10 biggest trade shows in North America during these two hot months, including Comic Con and Outdoor Retailer.
Top 5 Fallacies of Trade Show Exhibit Rentals
Probably nothing has changed more in Trade Show Land than exhibit rentals. What used to look like subsidized housing on the show floor is now indistinguishable from purchase exhibits.
Portable Hybrid Displays — Summer Sales Tips #4
The Perfect 10, Magellan, and Sacagawea Portable Hybrids are clever, sophisticated displays with features not found in less expensive imports, such as knob assembly, adjustable support legs, and best-in-class 4K dye-sublimation fabric printing.
Gravitee One-Step Modular Systemâ„¢ — Summer Sales Tips #3
Most modular wall systems are designed for European trade shows where tools and time are in abundance. North American trade shows are just the opposite, prioritizing speed, modularity, and easy assembly. The Gravitee One Stepâ„¢ Modular System assembles without tools or loose parts.
‘s Biggest Competitor?
Recently, I’ve been on the road, visiting Classic Distributors in the Midwest and South. We chat about industry trends, new products, and challenges in their market. Occasionally, they will ask me about competitors. That’s a topic, to be honest, that makes me uncomfortable.
SuperNovaâ„¢ Lightboxes and Exhibits — Summer Sales Tips #2
Not all LED lightboxes are created equal. Most use low quality aluminum extrusion, inferior LED modules, and low resolution fabric printing. SuperNovaâ„¢ Lightboxes are the exception. SuperNova Lightboxes are exceptionally durable. Our propriety LED modules outperform the competition. And, we use only HD or 4K dye-sublimation printing for vibrant colors and details.
InChargâ„¢ Charging Stations — Summer Sales Tips #1
At Classic Exhibits, we strive to make your job easier, whether in Design, Customer Service, Marketing, or Product Development. This summer, we’re sharing 10 Sales Tip Sheets on products like SuperNovaâ„¢ LED Lightboxes, Gravitee One-Stepâ„¢, Eco-Systems Sustainable, and others. Each sheet will feature features and benefits, product descriptions, and a bonus audio clip. This week we started with our hard-charging superstar — InChargâ„¢ Charging Stations.
| June 2017
It’s officially summer. Thank goodness. Time to relax, enjoy a picnic, and attend a trade show. What? You forgot about trade shows? Shame on you.
Let’s start June with the NBM Show in Indy. Below are 10 Great Shows that embrace a trade show in June and the wonder of the Summer Solstice (June 21 – 22).
A Positive Change is Coming
A positive change is coming. The photo below shows a custom translucent “hurricane” t-knob. It’s an M6 thread with a 10 mm thread length and a 25 mm width (approximately 1 inch). This will replace some of the M6 screws in one of our current product lines making assembly faster and easier.
Which line? Well, we’ll leave you guessing on that. We don’t want to give away too much yet, especially to our competitors. Expect an announcement in about 45 days.
7 Reasons to Attend Shared Knowledge University
Earlier today, a Classic Distributor asked me why they should attend Shared Knowledge University on June 12-13. Honestly, I had to think about it since I’ve never been asked that before. Which is a little odd. So, why should you (or any distributor), spend two days attending Classic’s comprehensive training in Portland, OR?
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The Experts at the Table: Word on the Street — March 31st thru April 4th
So, forgive me if you’ve seen this video after Seth Godin posted it. It quickly went viral. But, it’s just too good not to share in my weekly WOTS.
Have you ever been in this meeting before? And if you have, should I ask, “Have you ever been any of the ‘non-engineers’ depicted in this video?”
Sour Apple(s): Word on the Street — March 24th thru March 28th
I have long admired the folks in Cupertino for their innovative thoughts, ideas, product aesthetics, design intuitiveness, etc. Apple is a model in many ways of how marketing and product development should be.
Well . . . even the shiniest Apples sometimes have a worm in them, or best said, sometimes they are picked a little too early. This apple is a little sour once you take that second or third bite.
EXHIBITOR / GlobalShop 2014 Recap: Word on the Street — March 17 thru March 21st
My nose is bleeding, my eyes are burning, and I am exhausted! Yep, you guessed it, I was in Vegas for the past week. 🙂
Like many of you, the Classic Team descended on Vegas starting last Friday for both EXHIBITOR Show and GlobalShop. Since we exhibited at both shows, let me break this into two blog posts starting with EXHIBITOR.
Why EXHIBITOR Matters (But Should It?)
Each year, I have to remind myself why participating in EXHIBITOR matters. That may seem odd. After all, EXHIBITOR spends a mountain of cash listing all the reasons to attend. Who am I to argue with them. They know their audience. But, I still have to ask myself why should I attend? I’ve gone at least fifteen times.
The EDPA Portable/Modular Summit: Word on the Street — March 3rd thru March 7th
There’s one event/meeting I would strongly encourage you to attend — The Annual EDPA Portable/Modular Summit. This meeting will be held at EXHIBITOR on Tuesday, March 18 from 3:45 – 4:30 pm right on the show floor. It’s free. Just head towards the Food Service Area (far right of exhibit hall) and look for the sign leading you to the meeting.
Classic Exhibits Named a 2014 Fab 50 Exhibit Fabricator
Event Marketer announced their 2014 Fab 50 Fabricators serving the North American event and exhibit industry. For the second 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.
‘s 2014 Awards Night: Word on the Street — Feb. 24 thru Feb. 28
Say goodbye to February! Come Monday we will be three days into March already.
What a crazy first two months of the year it has been. And, we’re only two short weeks away from all of us descending on Las Vegas.
Even For Ladies
A product description sign at EuroShop. Honestly, I half expected to see Ron Burgundy standing in the booth pitching the product.
“You know I love the ladies, but when it comes to most lightboxes . . . ”
Reflections on EuroShop 2014
As I write this, I’m 3 hours into a 10 hour flight back to Portland after an 8 day trip to Dusseldorf for EuroShop and meetings with MODUL International. Yes, I’m tired (and sick with a head cold), but that’s a fair trade for the wonderful, educational experience of the past week.
EuroShop 2014 Update: Day 5 Video and Photos
Don’t you just love the last day of a show? The crowds have thinned, and the conversations are more casual and informative. We took a break yesterday and spent the day in Cologne, a thirty minute train ride from Dusseldorf. Today, we were back at EuroShop with more detail photos. Katina went a little camera crazy today in a last ditch effort to capture as much design information as possible.
We hope you enjoyed our EuroShop blogging as much as we enjoyed sharing it with you.
EuroShop 2014 Update: Day 3 Video and Photos
Even without cell phone service, we heard you say, “Show me more creative, elegant, and bizarre exhibits from Europe.” Well, we are delighted to be your trade show mules of images from EuroShop. We toured the remaining exhibit halls on Day 3, and then had time to revisit some of our favorites and discover many new exhibits (which we still can’t believe we missed the first time).
EuroShop 2014 Update: Day 2 Video and Photos
The EuroShop 2014 adventure continues with Mel and Katina. On Day 2, they visit the smaller tradeshow exhibition hall with the mostly 3 x 3 and 3 x 6 meter booths, and then turn their attention to mannequins, retail fixtures, supermarket displays, refrigeration, and all things esoteric to retail merchandising and marketing.
Be sure to see the photo describing the lightbox that even the “ladies” can assemble and a photo of Katina with Mary Poppins. We half expected to see Ron Burgundy in the “Ladies Lightbox” space.
EuroShop 2014 Update: Day 1 Video and Photos
Once every three years, it’s EuroShop time in Dusseldorf, Germany. Mel White and Katina Rigall are attending for Classic Exhibits and ClassicMODUL. And, despite their jet lag (or because of it), they have time to share their impressions of a very full first day. Expect another update over the coming days.
Re-Designed Classic Exhibits Website
So new, it still has that glorious new website smell — new graphics, new HTML, a flashy menu, and intuitive navigation. We invite you to tour the re-designed Classic Exhibits website. All your favorites are there: Past 5 Days, Exhibit Design Search, Peek-a-Booth, Trade Show Tips, and FAQ’s.
Classic Exhibits and OTM Partner on NEO Portable Brandable Furniture
Classic Exhibits and On The Move (OTM) introduce the NEO line of portable furniture. NEO is a line of portable, brand-able furniture specifically designed for the trade show and event industry.