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.
Ghouls… Goblins… and CyberThieves!: Word on the Street — October 20th thru October 24th
In business, we all rely heavily on our Intellectual Property. It’s the fruit of the hard work we do each and every day in our business. And it’s the root of what “Shared Success” is all about at Classic Exhibits and our proud Distributor Network.
Recently, we were directed towards a website for an online exhibit company based in Southern California. We were informed that the online company was using images from our website, along with our kit numbers.
5 Tips for Presenting to Senior Executives
Making the Perfect Pitch . . . Low and Inside
Presenting to senior executives can be a challenge, even to seasoned professionals. When it comes to pitching your company, your services, and your design, you have to be perfect since you rarely get more than one chance.
The slideshow below, 5 Tips to Presenting to Executives, is informative and entertaining. It’s by Bruce Gabrielle author of Speaking PowerPoint: the New Language of Business. Give it a quick look, then go back and study it carefully. You’ll be glad you did.
SEG Installation Video from Optima
Side-by-Side Comparison
Kudos to our friends at Optima for their recent videos. They’ve upped the ante on how to script and produce a professional educational video. Here’s a terrific one to share with your customer if they purchased a silicone edge graphic display. Force them to watch it. It will save you a 9 a.m. call from the show floor that the SEG graphic(s) doesn’t fit. It does.
“Countdown to Trade Show Success” Free Webinar
Free Exhibitor Webinar on Nov. 6
I’ve heard you say many times, “Is there a trade show webinar available to my customers that is Professional, Brandable, and Free?” Why yes my dimple-faced sweet dumpling, there is. Marlys Arnold, the Trade Show Image Specialist, will be offering her “Countdown to Tradeshow Success” webinar on Nov. 6.
BONUS: Marlys will create a branded webpage for you to promote the webinar to your clients. Just contact her at marnold@imagespecialist.com.
How to Build a Small Wood Crate — Classic Style (video)
Over the years, we’ve gotten lots of compliments on our wood crates. I often joke that a distributor will call and say, “My client really liked their new display, but THEY LOVED THE CRATE AND PACKAGING!” Sigh . . . I’m never quite sure how to take that.
Our dedicated crate building team does an amazing job, so we thought we would show you how we build a small crate, often called a “coffin crate” in the trade. Expect a video showing larger crates in about a month.
Why Distributors Enjoy Working with Classic
I’m asked this question a lot. New distributors will say, “What makes doing business with Classic Exhibits different from other manufacturers?” But, before I launch into this, a bit of a warning. I’m writing this from the hospital, hopped up on drugs before I have surgery. I’m in pain but I will be better in a few hours. So allow me a little latitude if this rambles.
Another Great SKU Class : Word on the Street — September 22nd thru September 26th
Last week, thirty trade show professionals descended on Portland, Oregon for Shared Knowledge University. The group was diverse, both in background and geography.
We are proud of every SKU graduating class, but this class was truly exceptional in my opinion. To a person, each and every student came to learn, listen, and participate in the class sessions and hands-on product training. For that, I thank you all. Your engagement across both days was truly over the top.
“Buy” Button on Exhibit Design Search
Nearly nine years ago, we launched Exhibit Design Search (EDS), using OSCommerce. It required each distributor to maintain their EDS site and have an online ecommerce account. For all but a few distributors, it was a disaster. They didn’t have time to maintain their site, and the ecommerce function was superfluous. Rarely, rarely, rarely did anyone buy an exhibit online. So, we changed. We created a Classic-maintained EDS and removed the shopping cart.
CEIR Predict Conference Summary: Word on the Street — September 8th thru September 12th
Kudos to Rachel Wimberly on her comprehensive summation of the CEIR Predict Conference on September 11, 2014 in Chicago. If you did not read it, here is the link to the full article from TSNN.
https://www.tsnn.com/news-blogs/ceir-predict-conference-trade-show-industry-track-positive-growth-20152016
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Word on the Street — January 17th thru January 21st
This past week, I spent a lot of time in coffee shops working on pricing. Whenever we look at price changes, I typically check out of the office for a few days and work remotely. That way, I can concentrate exclusively on raw material prices and how those increases affect our designs.
Annual Letter from Kevin Carty, VP of Sales
Thank you very much for your continued support of Classic Exhibits, Exhibits Northwest and ClassicMODUL! The Classic Exhibits Inc. team appreciates your orders, suggestions, and support.
The NEW SEGUE Sunrise Portable Hybrid
Introducing the SEGUE Sunrise Portable Hybrid Display — the World’s Only Tool-Less Display featuring Silicone Edge Graphics (SEG). The engineered aluminum frame assembles with attached knobs in about the same time it takes to assemble a pop-up display.
The Sunrise features a durable MODUL aluminum frame and large format tension fabric graphics. Choose from three 10 x 10 and three 10 x 20 designs.
Social Media Planning: What You Should Do in Q1 2011
Depending on what your company’s involvement is in social media, there are a number of approaches you can take to moving forward during the first quarter of 2011. And that’s the KEY: MOVING FORWARD from wherever you are at this moment. With the forward motion of all things social media, if you sit still you’ll get further and further behind!
Word on the Street — January 3rd thru January 7th
Duck Duck War Eagle!
NO I am not alluding to the child’s game of “Duck Duck Goose!” I am referring to Monday’s National Championship Game between the Oregon Ducks and the Auburn Tigers.
The Top Trade Show Giveaways of 2010
In an article in Successful Meetings, although smartphones and iPads are shaping the meetings of tomorrow, traditional promotional products continue to impact the meetings of today according to a recent survey from the Advertising Specialty Institute (ASI). More
100 Things to Watch in 2011
At the start of every New Year, the experts roll out their “trends” for the coming year. This one from JWT (J. Walter Thompson) takes a global perspective on technology, media, consumerism, and social trends in alphabetical order.You may not agree with every one or even recognize others, but frankly, that’s half the fun. Enjoy!
Word on the Street — December 27th thru December 31st
Out with the Old and In with the New
This past week was filled with a flurry of new (albeit last minute) orders and lots of quote requests for the New Year. It was a promising sign heading into 2011.
Shooting from the Hip — 16.10 (EDPA Access)
The Exhibit Designers and Producers Association (EDPA) held its annual meeting a few weeks ago – ACCESS 2010. Mel and I attended as the representatives of Classic Exhibits and ClassicMODUL. The meetings are held at a warm weather resort the week after Thanksgiving. It starts on Wednesday with a golf tournament or a fishing trip for the non-golfers (I always play golf since I can fish in ice in Michigan but can’t golf in it).
Word on the Street — December 13th thru December 17th
Are You Ready for the Most “Predictably Unpredictable” Two Weeks of the Year?
Sounds odd doesn’t it? But anyone who has been in this business long enough knows what I mean. The final two to three weeks of the year are like playing Roulette. The odds aren’t good, but if you put enough chips on the table, you may hit a ginormous winner.
Optima Graphics Wins the Golden Ham Award
Congratulations to our friends at Optima Graphics for winning the Golden Ham Award at the 2010 EDPA Access Conference in Ponte Verdra, FL. Dave Brown and Gina Porcaro are the feature actors in this one-minute spoof of a Progressive Insurance commercial.
Word on the Street — December 6th thru December 10th
Industry Predictions 2011 — Part 2
First let me say, “Hello!” With vacation and the holiday, I have been gone recently and as a result have not blogged for weeks. But I am back at the office now, and I would like to dovetail on Mel’s entry back in mid-November regarding 2011 industry predictions. So here are my thoughts . . .
Kevin Carty Elected to the EDPA Board of Directors
During the 2010 EDPA ACCESS meeting Kevin Carty, Vice President of Sales for Classic Exhibits Inc. was welcomed as a newest elected member to the EDPA’s Board of Directors with an initial two year term. Kevin and Classic Exhibits/ClassicMODUL are very active within the exhibit industry as members of not only EDPA but also TSEA (Trade Show Exhibitors Association) and HCEA (Healthcare Convention and Exhibitors Association) .
Shooting from the Hip — 15.10 (I am Thankful)
Things for Which I am Thankful
It has been a while since I blogged. It wasn’t that I didn’t have anything to say, but I didn’t have anything to say that mattered. Since tomorrow is Thanksgiving, I will reflect a bit on those things for which I’m thankful for with a bit more nostalgia than normal. These are in no particular order except the last one.
Word on the Street — November 15th thru November 19th
As we head into the holidays, I thought I’d put on my clairvoyant hat and peer into my crystal ball. It doesn’t take a fortune teller to know that 2011 is already on your mind. You’re wondering if the exhibit industry will plod along like a Clydesdale, sprint like Quarter Horse, or remain stubborn and unpredictable like a mule.