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.
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.”
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.
4 Basic Trade Show Tips — 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.
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Randy Smith Memorial Golf Classic: Word on the Street — Sept. 19th thru Sept. 23rd
The Industry Gives Back
Randy Smith Memorial Golf Classic
Every October, our industry pulls together to raise money for those struck by tragedy, illness, and/or the loss of industry colleagues.
For the industry, this year will be no different. But for Classic Exhibits and its family of companies and employees, it will be different. One of our own is a beneficiary this year. Mike Swartout, our Director of Design, who is battling Stage 4 cancer. Please read about Mike and all the recipients at the following website: https://rsmgc.org/RSMGC/www.rsmgc.org/Recipients/
”s Hybrid Display Systems
New distributors and account executives often ask, “What’s the difference between a Sacagawea Hybrid and a Perfect 10 Hybrid? Or a Magellan and a Visionary Design?” Can it be confusing? Absolutely! Classic Exhibits has six distinct hybrid lines: Sacagawea, Magellan, Perfect 10/20, Visionary Designs, SEGUE, and Euro LT. Or to look at it another way, it’s more than any other systems manufacturer. Why so many and how are they truly different?
The Bucket List Project Revealed: Word on the Street — Sept. 5th thru Sept. 9th
A few weeks ago, I described it as a “bucket list” project. But it really became so much more than that. What once started out as a bucket list project quickly turned into one of the longest, hardest and most personally gratifying project/event I have ever been a part of.
PJ20 was the name of the project: A celebration of the 20th Anniversary of Pearl Jam.
30 Second Audio Clips in Exhibit Design Search
Audio in EDS — Are You Listening?
Exhibit Design Search has a new feature — Audio. Now, that may not seem so new, what with the explosion of video, but brief audio clips are excellent way to communicate product benefits and features. Each audio clip reviews a product line, such as Sacagawea or a specific kit, such as the iPhone VK-1032. In addition, the audio complements the renderings and bullet point descriptions, while elaborating on the most important benefits of the product.
Quadro Pop Up — FREE Monitor Promotion
Fall in Love: Quadro Pop Up FREE Monitor Promotion
Here’s a recent trend that may surprise you: Half of all Quadro Pop Ups orders include a monitor mount option. That’s true whether it’s a curve or a flat frame, or a Quadro S or a Quadro EO kit. Monitors have become a “gotta have” option for a pop up, and no system makes it easier than Quadro. It makes sense . . . we invented the monitor mount option for flat screen LCD’s and Plasmas for pop ups. In fact, the Quadro S Pop Up Display is the only frame that can handle as many as five monitors. Yes, FIVE!
Update — When Your Bucket List and Your Job Converge (8/29/11)
Happy Monday to you all. Hope your weekend was good.
Thanks to our wonderful production staff here at Classic and to our Project Manager, Edie Arambula, mine was much less stressful than it certainly could have been. Starting on Friday, I began an annual endurance/idiotic event called the Hood to Coast: a 200 mile run from Mt. Hood to Seaside on the Oregon Coast. And thanks to our great employees, I did not have to worry about work on my Bucket List Project that shipped while my team and I were running.
When Your Bucket List and Your Job Converge: Word on the Street — August 15th thru August 19th
Thursday, August 4 at 1 p.m.
I was returning to the office from a lunchtime doctor’s appointment when I got the call. The call came in on my cell phone and was from one of our newest and most consistent Classic Exhibits Distributors. To be honest, my first thought was, “Oh boy, I hope nothing went wrong on our recent project.” The owner normally doesn’t contact me on my cell. Usually their project management staff works directly with our Customer Service team.
10 Basic Business Rules in a Broken Economy
Two weeks ago, I wrote about the federal budget impasse and the inability of Congress and the President to negotiate a reasonable, intelligent, and non-partisan solution to the deficit. No doubt, you have your opinion about the final “deal,” one that is well-reasoned and not influenced by the talking heads and their simple solutions for complex problems sound bites. The market found it unsatisfactory, just as did Standard and Poor’s.
The Greenbuild International Conference and Expo
Using GREEN to Grow Businesses
The Greenbuild International Conference & Expo is right around the corner, taking place in Toronto, ON from October 4-7. For those who have never been, the show is spectacular, filled with some of the most innovative sustainable products that you will ever see.
Is The Great Recession (TGR) the New Normal?
I enjoy a challenge. Not a Darwin Award challenge or a Mexican Drug Cartel challenge, but a normal middle-class, just risky enough to be interesting kind of challenge. Three years ago, I thought that meant hiking the Appalachian Trail for a week or installing laminate flooring in three rooms or attending an extended family reunion and not passing judgment on my Appalachian cousins. They were manageable challenges, which had a start date and end date. Or, at the very worst, I could decide to opt-out mid-stream.
Silicone Edge Graphics (SEG) as Wall Murals and Displays
To Classic Exhibit and ClassicMODUL Distributors
We all know that floor space is limited in most of your showrooms. Yet, you need a way to show the clean, uncluttered look of Silicone Edge Graphics (SEG). Here’s a solution. Chances are you have wall space available, or you’ve finally decided to replace that motel art you bought at the State Fair back in 1983. Exhibits Northwest Portland, a division of Classic Exhibits Inc., faced the same dilemma. They were getting requests for SEG displays and frames, but only had a 1 ft x 1 ft frame to show how SEG slotted into the ClassicMODUL aluminum extrusion frame. Clients kind of understood the concept, but only vaguely.
First-Timer Stories: Word on the Street — July 18th thru July 22nd
Stranger in a Strange Land
Three months ago, we embarked on a new relationship with an IT vendor, and it has been nothing short of stellar. The vendor, Convergence Networks, has quickly vaulted into one of our best relationships. because they are responsive, knowledgeable, and totally customer customer focused.
Last month, Convergence came to Classic Exhibits asking for our assistance. They had agreed to be the main sponsor of a business to business event organized by the Portland Business Journal. This would be Convergence’s very first trade show of any kind, which made their sponsorship commitment even scarier. Needless to say we were delighted to guide them through the maze that is trade shows.
The $500K Question: Word on the Street — July 11th thru July 15th
Have you ever wondered what you would do if you won the lottery?
I remember a couple of years ago when Powerball was up to some crazy amount like $280 million. Or how someone from a small town in Washington State won Mega Millions for $380 million. And if you are like me, you always wonder, “What would I do if I won the lottery?”
When Imitation IS NOT the Sincerest Form of Flattery
Under the Heading of “Are you friggin’ kidding me?!”
This week, we received a booth for storage, which is a service we offer through our Exhibits Northwest division. Like normal, we assembled it to determine if there were any issues. Now, here’s where it gets really interesting.
The display was built by ‘Blue” (and you know who I mean). Frankly, we have a great deal of respect for “Blue.” They have been market leaders for over 20 years in design, marketing, and product innovation. They know trade show marketing, and they know how to sell design. As a leader, you expect them to be trendsetters, not imitators. Certainly, you don’t expect them to copy iconic designs from other manufacturers. That wouldn’t make sense. They are “Blue,” and “Blue” doesn’t even acknowledge that there are other system manufacturers. But . . . I digress.
‘s Going On?: Word on the Street — July 4th thru July 8th
Lots of Exciting News
This week, I’d like to recap some recent press, promos, and blogs. There’s a lot going on in the world of Classic. We’re relentless . . . but that’s one of the many reasons you love us (and why we love you).