You Like Me, You Really Like Me!
EDPA ACCESS was great in so many other ways too. The theme was “Band Together.” Shared ideas about our beloved industry was practiced throughout the seminar and speaker sessions. In addition, Jim Shelman, Reid Sherwood, and I participated in the Supplier Showcase where we connected with current and potential customers, vendors, and even other suppliers in a way that was low-key and comfortable.
Eddie Haskell, Eddie Murphy, or Eddie Award?: Word on the Street — December 1st thru December 5th
This year at EDPA Access, Classic Exhibits Inc. won an EDDIE. And to say we are proud and unbelievably honored is an understatement. We won specifically for Exhibit Design Search or EDS as so many of you have come to call it.
The Power of Responsive Communication
You either get it or you don’t. We live in a world where we expect people and companies to respond IMMEDIATELY. That doesn’t mean the problem has to be solved NOW or the question answered ASAP, but it does mean that it has to be acknowledged.
Holiday Events 2014 Kickoff: Word on the Street — November 23rd thru November 27th
On Monday we start the final month of 2014. December promises to be a strong finish to an already amazing year in our industry. And December also means the Annual EDPA ACCESS Meeting. Classic of course will be there.
Attend EXHIBITORLIVE 2015 … FREE!
Who said, “There’s no such thing as a free lunch”? Multiple people, according to the knowitalls at Google. Well, we disagree.
Attend EXHIBITORLIVE FREE compliments of Classic Exhibits Inc. by entering code: 4044.
Creating a Game Plan for Victory: Word on the Street — November 10th thru November 14th
I Love College Football
It’s exciting. It’s fun. It’s often unpredictable. Whatever you think of the current debate about college athletics, I still believe that the college game has far less of the “show and glow” arrogance of pro athletes.
To me, the time and effort that goes into creating a winning game plan is amazing. Some teams have a clear defensive mindset, others are more offensive. Which approach creates the highest victory percentage is debatable.
Dumb Stuff People Do at Trade Shows
Now, I’m not calling anyone “dumb,” so lower your kitchen knives and baseball bats. What I am saying is that people do really dumb stuff at trade shows. Consistently dumb stuff. Anyone who participates in trade shows could write a book on what they’ve seen over the years. Pre-show marketing and post-show leads could cover several hundred pages.
‘t See at a Trade Show
It’s human nature. We ignore the familiar. After a while, the pile of messy papers doesn’t exist and the big coffee stain is invisible. Then, someone comments on it, and we can’t not look at it. Until it disappears — again.
Trade show exhibits are no different and maybe even worse. Do you remember your first show with a brand new display?
The Mobius Strip Approach to Trade Show Marketing
Most of us are creatures of habit. Why change if it’s working? I’ve learned over the years that trade show marketing tends to follow the same, well-traveled road for most companies. Same shows. Similar booths. Little change to the exhibit staffing. Common frustrations year after year.
WatchDOGS: Word on the Street — October 27th thru October 31st
This past Friday, October 31 was more than Halloween for me. I volunteered for WatchDOGS, a program through the National Center of Fathering. The concept is multifaceted: it’s meant to get fathers involved in their kid’s classroom and participate in the school as a whole.
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Booths with Benefits Promotion
The Summer of Love: Booths with Benefits Promotion
It wouldn’t be summer unless there was a kooky Classic Exhibits promotion. This year, we’re combining the late 60’s Summer of Love vibe with the more recent Friends with Benefits concept. OK, it’s a little odd. Actually, it’s a lot odd, but either way, someone is going to get lucky this summer.
Here are the details:
The promotion runs from 7/1/11 to 8/30/11.
Receive (1) FREE 22″ Monitor with the Purchase of a Sacagawea Portable Hybrid Display with the Workstation/Monitor option. Basically, we’ll give your customer a free monitor (a $165 value) just for ordering a Sacagawea display. Heck, they were probably going to order it anyway but now they’ll feel some extra love from you and Classic.
Happy 4th of July: Word on the Street — June 27th thru July 1st
July is Upon Us
You can always tell when we hit July. Crickets come out during the evening, but you can hear them during the work day too. Yes, I am referring to how slow our industry gets in July. You can almost always set your calendars and clocks to it.
Fourth of July 2011 Schedule
Classic Exhibits, ClassicMODUL, and Exhibits NW will be closed on Monday, July 4th.
We’ll be back on Tuesday, assuming the rare sunny weather in the Northwest hasn’t adversely affected us. For some, just seeing the rare fireball in sky is enough to create a dangerous shopping frenzy for tomato plants at local nurseries.
Plus, we get a little dizzy and confused from too much vitamin D.
Wishing you a Safe and Happy Fourth of July Weekend!
Excellent Interview in Event Design Magazine
I don’t know how many of you receive Event Design Magazine (www.eventdesignmag.com), but there is an excellent interview with Sue Huff, Director of Global Conventions for Medtronic, in the June/July 2011 issue, Best Practices column.
Normally, I’d simply link to the article, but it’s not on the Event Design website yet. Instead, I’ll encourage you to read the interview if you have the print copy (pg. 16-17), and for those who do not have the issue, I’ve retyped several of her responses below. If I get in trouble with the folks from Event Design, . . . well I’m sure they’ll let me know.
Patient Recovery: Word on the Street — June 20th thru June 24th
On Getting Healthy
As we slowly climb out of the recession, the industry as a whole has bounced back. Albeit slowly. From the manufacturing side, we have witnessed budgets increase and align with the design hopes of end users. All good things.
But as many of you would agree, not unlike the economy at large, the slow moderate recovery . . . healthy growth as it has been called . . . is a key component to actual recovery. Let me draw a personal comparison if you don’t mind.
Urban Exhibitionary
Beginning in mid-July, Classic Exhibits and ClassicMODUL will run a series of banner ads in the ExhibitorOnline weekly e-broadcast. Most of you receive this email every Thursday or Friday from EXHIBITOR Magazine.
We’ll showcase a new banner ad each week (for 18 weeks). We decided to mimic the Urban Dictionary, but with exhibit industry terms and definitions. We call it the Urban Exhibitionary. To prime the pump, we reached out to some industry friends for ideas, and some of their clever definitions are listed below, but this is merely the first step to creating a comprehensive exhibit dictionary. We want your witty ideas and would love to use the best ones in the ads.
Islands and Summer Just Go Together: Word on the Street — June 13th thru June 17th
Five Weeks of New Island Designs
It is officially summer next week . . . although in the Pacific Northwest you would be hard pressed to know that. Until a week ago, we’ve rarely approached highs of 70 all spring. But today, as I write this, it’s 75 degrees with no clouds in the sky. About time!
As the title of the blog suggests, summer is when we dream of a tropical island vacation. While I can’t offer you that, I can announce the release of a five new Island Designs. Beginning this week and over the next five weeks in Design Monday, we’ll showcase five fresh and exciting Island kits.
Eco-systems Sustainable Exhibits: Milestones and Timeline
Milestones and Timeline
Eco-systems Sustainable Displays In just over four years, Eco-Systems has become the leader of innovative and sustainable exhibit products and practices. Eco-Systems offers customers high-quality “green” display options — from table tops to islands — through a network of over 90 certified distributors in North America.
The timeline below highlights many of the important events that have shaped Eco-Systems over the last few years, including the development of many eco-friendly materials and product lines.
‘s Reminisce: Word on the Street — June 6th thru June 10th
This past Friday, I found myself thinking a lot about the past. During the day, I did an internal training session on the Intro Folding Fabric Panel System for our Project Management team. And then later that evening, I attended a graduation party for a family friend’s son who just finished high school.
Both really got me thinking about how time flies and all that has happened over the years in my personal life as well as in my business life.
Trade Show Exhibit Trends — Reid Sherwood Interview
Recently, Reid...
Trade Show Bullies
While on a business trip this week, I bought Inc. Magazine (June 2011) to read on the plane. Oddly enough, on page 35 there was an article, a column actually by Norm Brodsky, about the trade show industry. I thought I’d share, although it doesn’t cast a flattering light on our business. Here’s the first paragraph as a preview . . .
Five Months into a Great Year: Word on the Street — May 31st thru June 3rd
Five Months into a Great Year!
So how have the first months been for you and your company?
At the Classic Exhibits family of companies, I am delighted to report that 2011 has been different . . . and good . . . and surprising. And not just in terms of sales, but also in terms of product development and overall economic recovery.
The Professor of Social Media for Trade Shows and Events
Do you know just enough about Social Media to sound knowledgeable, but not knowledgeable enough to be a wiz bang expert? I’ve discovered that it’s very easy to get started, but getting to the next level can be more challenging unless you have a mentor. I do. His name is Tim Patterson at Interpretive Exhibits. Tim manages and contributes to the, www.tradeshowguy.com blog which tends to focus on social media issues, tips, tricks, and trends for the event and trade show industry.
Comcast Retail Interior Project: Word on the Street — May 23rd thru May 27th
It’s Comcastic!
If you have glanced at Past 5 Days on the Classic site recently, you noticed some pretty cool pictures of an interior project we completed this spring for Comcast Xfinity.
‘s Green Initiatives: Word on the Street — May 16th thru May 20th
Classic’s Green Initiatives
So, you may be saying “well it’s about time!” But not so fast.
Over the past three to four years, we have witnessed a lot of companies jump, or should I say “belly-flop,” into the Green/Sustainable movement. In doing so, many have, quite frankly, looked foolish by attempting to make “Green” a marketing ploy rather than a responsible business plan. I’m sure you’ve seen many of the claims. My favorite was the exhibit company that claimed their lunchroom was a green initiative since many employees ate there rather than driving to a fast food joint.