Exhibit Designs that Sell — Every. Single. Time.
I am often asked to design custom booths, and the #1 requirement I hear is — “Make a design that will SELL!” So I’d like to share with you one tip that is tried and true, that has had a nearly 100% success rate for turning a job prospect into a sale.
What is Your Most Powerful Trade Show Tip? (Excellent Discussion in Linkedin)
Recently, in the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Network, Vicki Judge of Judge Advertising, posed the question — “What is Your Most Powerful Trade Show Tip.” I’ll share a few of the 63 responses, but I would encourage you to read the entire discussion thread. Excellent stuff.
Mel White Takes to the Runway: Word on the Street — October 7th thru October 11th
This week, I wanted to step aside and share with you a GREAT series of articles featuring Mel White, if for no other reason that this is the one and only time Mel will be featured on a modeling website.
Four Part Interview with Mel White, Classic Exhibits Inc.
Here’s a shocker friends. I’m on a modeling website . . . and no money was exchanged. Margaret Colebeck from Vantage Advertising conducted an interview with me about displays, design trends and the exhibit industry which they posted on their blog. I’m usually not “chatty” (quit laughing Kevin), but this time I made an exception. They had to post it in four installments.
No Mountain is Too High . . . Well Maybe One: Word on the Street — September 30th thru October 4th
Welcome to the month of October. Yep, that’s right. Three quarters have come and gone in 2013. It’s truly hard to believe. But we certainly ended with a bang. And I hope the same is true for you.
Classic Exhibits had its largest September EVER! So THANK YOU for your continued confidence and loyalty. We certainly appreciate it!
September came to a close with two events: Shared Knowledge University (Fall 2013 session) and The Club 815 Gran Fondo Fundraising Bike Ride.
What are People Buying?: Word on the Street — September 16th thru September 20th
At least five times a day, I am asked by distributors: “So what are you seeing in exhibit design? What are people buying?” I love when I am asked that question. It’s usually an indication that we’re all busy.
So what’s selling? . . . Portable and custom hybrids with tension fabric graphics continue to drive the ship, but the biggest sales superstar right now – – iPad Stands!
The Randy Smith Memorial Golf Classic. It Matters!
One benefit of blogging is having the luxury to promote something special to me and to our industry — The Randy Smith Memorial Golf Classic (https://www.rsmgc.org/).
For most folks in our industry, “The Randy” is as recognizable as Cher, Madonna, or Bono. The Randy is an annual charitable golf tournament held in the Atlanta area. For those unfamiliar with Randy Smith, he was tragically taken from us several years ago. The first Classic was to raise money to help the Smith family with the financial burden they experienced. Since then, the mission has expand.
New LIGHTNING DEAL on Exhibit Design Search
Effective today, there’s a new feature on Exhibit Design Search — Lightning Deal. The Lightning Deal (LD) button appears on the Home Page between Display Type and Search. A Lightning Deal will be priced more aggressively than a Special, typically 5-10 percent more. There will be only (1) one “active” Lightning Deal per week; however, we will honor the LD price for another week.
What Goes Up . . . Hopefully Comes Down!: Word on the Street — September 9th thru September 13th
Club 815 Powered by The EDPA Foundation Rides Again!
In two weeks, a group of friends, many you know, will be gathering in the Great Northwest, the Columbia River Gorge to be specific. We are gathering to ride for a great friend and colleague once again. And privileged to do so. Many, if not all of you, know Mike Swartout (our Design Director) and his courageous story.
Do You Understand the New and Impulsive B2B Buyer?
I don’t consider myself “old,” yet I remember business-to-business sales before the Internet. You contacted a salesperson, who was the “Gatekeeper of All Information.” Then you went through a series of meetings, learning a little more with each one. After all the meetings with all the potential vendors, you made a decision. It was time-consuming, expensive, and frustrating.
Recent Posts
Front Runner Silver, Prelude Platinum, and Eco-Fi Lava Changes
Due to production and quality issues with Front Runner Silver, Prelude Platinum, and Eco-Fi Lava, please note the following changes:
Word on the Street — April 26th thru April 30th
International Partners Visit
This week was busy both with orders and meetings. But I want to speak in particular about the meetings we held on Monday and Tuesday with our friends and partners from MODUL International.
Shooting from the Hip — 1.10
Starting this week, you will see a weekly blog posting from me, typically not more than a paragraph or two (or three). Look for it on Wednesday or Thursday.
Word on the Street — April 19th thru April 23rd
R & D: Seven (Not so Simple) Steps
Just writing “Seven Steps” makes it sound so simple, like it has a defined start and finish. But if you do much of it, you know it’s a living, breathing thing that never really rests. To stay ahead, you have to constantly be thinking of innovative and practical designs for your customers (See Design Monday this week for example).
Kit Changes to Sacagawea Portable Hybrid Displays
Effective Immediately:
You asked . . . and we responded.
Sacagawea Portable Hybrid Displays now include ALL tension fabric and direct print graphics in the kit price. There are updated kit and price list sheets in the Distributor Section of Classic’s website. We have also updated the checklist sheets to include the new PS Series designs.
Word on the Street — April 12th thru April 16th
“On the Road Again”!
I hope last week was a great one for you all! It certainly was for me. I was on the road visiting customers and partners. I also met with several “future” partners.
Here are some of the things I learned that continue to give me hope for the state of the trade show industry.
Polarized Artwork on an Inline Hybrid Display
One of the luxuries of working in the trade show business, particularly as a manufacturer, is seeing so many creative displays and graphics. Not a day goes by that we don’t witness something impressive. But there are those days when we see something truly spectacular.
Word on the Street — April 5th thru April 9th
Got Any Secret Travel Tips?
Busy week. On Monday and Tuesday, we hosted a small group of distributors for an extensive training session. On Wednesday, I was putting the final touches on a business trip for this coming week. I’ll be traveling to three separate destinations, and each destination has a distinctly different agenda. This is a complicated trip, and it made me realize that although I travel frequently, I don’t consider myself either a road warrior or an expert.
Word on the Street — March 29th thru April 2nd
Not only is it a great song 🙂 . . . but it’s a living philosophy within Classic. As a company, if you fail to evolve or fail to take chances then you stop giving people a reason to look to you for solutions.
Manufacturing is a Funny and Fickle Business
Manufacturing is a funny and fickle business. Products are designed, engineered, built, tested . . . then re-engineered, re-tested, and finally launched (hopefully to eager and admiring customers). Most companies do their best to get it right. They care about quality, especially on new products.
Word on the Street — March 22nd thru March 26th
Following Up on Trade Show Leads . . .
To be honest, I could almost just say “I was following up on leads” and you would get the gist of my week. But I will expand, while keeping it short, because I am still in full follow-up mode even this weekend.
First, I am going to gripe a bit. Like many of you, I attend a fair number of shows. Sorta comes with the job description. Although many are industry related, there are others I attend if I’m in the area or if I know we have built a display at that show. But I am going to pick on one show in particular . . . without naming it.
Common Marketing Mistakes Can Doom Successful Companies
Occasionally, we all need a not-so-gentle kick in the pants about Marketing. Kevin Renner, in an article appearing in the Portland Business Journal, reminds us that marketing is more than brochures, trade shows, and data sheets. Marketing with a capital “M” must be infused in the totality of the organization. Even something as simple as the company parking lot can make or break a deal.
I’d enjoy hearing your comments on this column.
https://portland.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2010/02/22/newscolumn1.html
Preview the NEW Peek-a-Booth Video Cameras
As a dedicated reader of the Trade Show Tales Blog, you deserve something extra. No, not money, at least not this month, but we are announcing a new feature on the Classic Exhibits website called Peek-a-Booth. An e-broadcast announcement will be sent in a few days, but as a “Preferred Reader” you deserve a sneak peek (pun intended).
Word on the Street — March 15th thru March 19th
POST-EXHIBITOR 2010 — Thoughts and Comments
What a week!
We are back and in follow-up mode — especially after such a great show.
My trip to Vegas actually started the week before EXHIBITOR as I arrived on Thursday to attend GlobalShop. Also a very good show this year. Then I moved over to Mandalay Bay on Friday to setup our exhibit for EXHIBITOR. I don’t know about you, but I love getting to the floor when it opens the first setup day. It’s completely empty except for the staging of the semi’s and forklifts.
“Classic” Chippendales Video Compliments of Larry Crumlish
You may want to step back from the table in case you are eating. In fact, we strongly recommend that you wait at least an hour after eating before viewing this video. The images are VERY disturbing.
Our thanks to Larry Crumlish from InSource for sending us this Chippendale video and for his explanation: