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.
Happy (Post) 4th of July!: Word on the Street — June 30th thru July 4th
July is here and it’s off with a BANG! Even in this shortened week, business is booming, and by the looks of the quotes you are sending us, the remainder of the month looks to be busy.
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Word on the Street — November 1st thru November 5th
Our People . . . .
Many of you, who have been distributors, vendor partners, and industry friends, have heard us speak about how the heart and soul of Classic Exhibits is its people. They are the key to our success.
Obviously to be successful in this business, we also have to have attractive designs, quality products, and advanced manufacturing capabilities, but at the end of the day, its our people that make Classic a truly remarkable and great company. So please indulge me today as I share some information and some praise about our wonderful people.
FAQ — Island Exhibits
Designing a Trade Show Island Exhibit is equally exciting and nerve-racking. It’s exciting to design a display that showcases your marketing message and draws attendees to your booth. It’s nerve-racking because islands can be expensive, and when budgets are tight, you want to get the biggest bang for your buck and to maximize your Return on Investment.
FAQ — Intro Fabric Panel Displays
For nearly two decades, Intro Fabric Panel Displays have been the perfect choice for a flawless, re-configurable portable display.
Known for its strength, exceptional alignment, and customizable display panels, the “two-sided” Intro Fabric Panel Display performs beautifully in the most demanding trade show schedule. The Intro comes in 10 x 10, 10 x 2, and table top display configurations.
Word on the Street — October 18th thru October 22nd
The Tao of the Dude . . .
Last week, I was in Seattle for a management meeting at the Exhibits Northwest office. On the drive up, Mel shared an article with me from the magazine Mental Floss. Mel knows I’m a big fan of the movie The Big Lebowski, a Coen Brothers flick. The Big Lebowski (TBL) was featured in an article entitled, “The 25 Most Powerful Movies of the Past 25 Years.”
Perfect 10 Portable Hybrid Displays — 10% Special
No, no one’s pulling your leg, telling a whopper, or simply fibbing . The Perfect 10 is on sale though the end of the year. And what could be more enticing than a sale on the most innovative portable hybrid display EVER.
It’s true. Until 12/31/10, select Perfect 10 and Perfect 20 inline kits are 10 percent less.
In case you happen to be a Perfect 10 newbie, here a few of the reasons why the P10 has revolutionized portable trade show design over the past three years.
FAQ — Perfect 10 Portable Hybrid Display
There’s nothing quite like the Perfect 10 Portable Hybrid Display . . . Easily recognizable, utterly unforgettable. When you name a product Perfect 10, it had better be perfect and with Perfect 10 you get flawless performance at every trade show. Look to Perfect 10 and Perfect 20 Portable Hybrid Displays for an exhibit that blends large graphics, sexy curves, and portable assembly into a stunning trade show exhibit at a sweet price.
Word on the Street — October 11th thru October 15th
Diversifying was the overriding theme of conversations with distributors this week. When I make calls to Classic Exhibits Distributors, I ask about their sales and what they are seeing in the market. I inquire where their sales are coming from and where they see them headed in the coming months.
FAQ — Table Throws
Table Throws seem so simple. Yet, quality varies considerably. We offer only the best materials: premium twills, vinyl perma logos, and dye sublimation. Our trained artisans craft the highest quality seams and hems, and the throws are washable and fade resistant.
Choose from 8 ft, 6 ft, runners, or even custom sizes.
Word on the Street — October 4th thru October 8th
Worship the Moment . . .
This is not really a work subject, but it is something that a good friend and vendor rep. said to me at a dinner this week.
He and his wife were on vacation in the Pacific NW, so I had dinner with them on one of their last nights. Not only was it great to spend time catching up, but it was also a pleasure to hear about their vacation.
Blogging for Beginners 101 — Replay
Last month, Tim Patterson at Interpretive Exhibits conducted a Blogging for Beginners webinar. If you missed it, you can still see it through the magic of YouTube.
Here’s what Tim had to say about the webinar on his website (www.tradeshowguyblog.com):
Want toHlear about blogging? Want to know how WordPress works? Here is video playback of the Blogging 101 webinar I hosted in late September with the assistance of Classic Exhibits.
Perfect 10: On the Cover of Creative Magazine
What do Jennifer Aniston, Jennifer Lopez, and Perfect 10 Hybrid Displays have in common? They are all featured on the cover of magazines this month. True, you won’t see our “celebrity” photo at the supermarket checkout stand, but we’re very proud nevertheless. Be sure to check out “Gia” in all her splendor in the August/September issue of Creative: The Magazine of Promotion and Marketing.
To read the magazine’s “tell all” expose turn to page 105. It’s shocking!
FAQ — Table Top Displays
When it comes to trade show displays, table tops are too often the Rodney Dangerfield of exhibits — they just don’t get much respect. That’s unfortunate since table tops are the exhibit and event lifeblood of many for profit and non-profit organizations. At Classic Exhibits, we offer more table top designs than anyone. Choose the two-sided Intro Fabric Table Top or the contemporary Aero Tension Fabric Table Top. Or, select the always popular Quadro Pop Up or the economical Classic Presentation Briefcase Display.
Word on the Street — September 26th thru October 1st
Survey Results and Responses — Part 2 of 2
Again, thank you for your participation and feedback on our recent survey. This week I’d like to cover some of the numbers in addition to answering many of your comments and questions.
Shooting from the Hip — 14.10 (Making Customers Happy)
(4+1) Ways to Make Your Customers Happy
A while back, I posted “6 Surefire Ways to Tick Off Your Customer.” Now let’s address this topic from another angle, namely how to make your customers happy, satisfied, and most importantly, loyal. We all know how much easier it is to retain a customer than to find a new one. This applies to the manufacturer/distributor model as well as a typical retail setting. Since I’m most familiar with the manufacturer/distributor model, I’ll discuss it from that perspective.
FAQ — Fabric Pop Up Displays
Is there any trade show display more familiar that Xpressions and Burst? The Fabric Pop-up has become popular with exhibitors because it’s portable, attractive, assembles fast, which combines for a great trade show experience. As familiar as you are with these products, you probably still have questions. We hope the following FAQs answer many of them.