Siegfried, Hamilton, and Melvis — EXHIBITOR Review: Word on the Street — March 18th thru March 22nd

Trade Show Blog

Siegfried, Hamilton, and Melvis -- EXHIBITOR2013 Review: Word on the Street — March 18th thru March 22nd

Word on the Street by Kevin Carty

It’s Vegas Baby

Why would you expect anything less than seeing famous people, staying out too late, and being apart of the BEST show of the year?

And the title is true. We saw Siegfried at dinner with his entourage. I saw George Hamilton at the airport on the way out of town, And I see Melvis everyday. 🙂

We are all back from EXHIBITOR2013. What an amazing event this year . . . like past years. But there was something extra special about this year’s event, something in the air. Optimism — albeit still cautious. But optimistic nonetheless.

What’s hot? For those who missed the show here is a short recap of what is hot in the industry. And what your vendors and colleagues were showing

1.  Technology, Technology, Technology. Everything from massive touch screens to the smallest of tablets being used to drive client content such as e-document stations, interactive kiosks, and large screen fabric projections that interacted with the user.

The message was . . . communicate your message to your clients based upon their specific interests in formats that appeal to them.

2. Design is back! Not to offend any of our great friends and competitors or ourselves for that matter. But after four years where budgets drove the ship, it was great to see the industry (like our clients) in full dress ready to shine brightly! Well done to everyone who exhibited.

3. Classic Exhibits is clearly your iPad Headquarters and the innovative leader in Hybrid and Modular Solutions. Not to sound arrogant, but we made a huge splash with four new 10 x 10 displays as well as our large 20 x 30 main structure. It was impressive, an an exhibit where we saw constant traffic all three days of the show. And, while last year was a spectacular show for us, we had more leads in Day #1 this year, then all of last year.

Some Other Highlights

The Classic Exhibits Distributor Hospitality Suite — What a great time as always! Thanks to everyone who attended. We appreciate the time you spent visiting us and getting caught up both personally and professionally. I know your time is precious during the three days of EXHIBITOR, so we really do appreciate you stopping by. It’s always great to spend time with the Classic Family of Distributors, more accurately, friends!

The EDPA Portable/Modular/Hybrid Summit — Thanks again to the EXHIBITOR Media Group for giving us a spot on the show floor for the summit this year. It really made a difference! According to Jeff Provost from EDPA, “We nearly tripled the number of attendees from any past summit.” Thanks to those who attended.

The summit focused on what was happening “In the Trenches” of the Portable/Modular/Hybrid segment this year and from the last quarter of 2012. Our panelists, representing Design, Graphics, Builder/Distributor, Systems Distributor, and I&D, provided their perspectives.

The overall message was that things are looking good. Sales are up and design is clearly driving sales, gratefully! But also, along with great design and more complex “system” builds comes the need for better details, better instruction, longer set-up and dismantle times on the floor etc. My thanks to the following people for their unbiased reports from their markets. The post meeting comments spoke highly of the panelists.

Panelists

Greg Beach from Atlantic Exhibits, Katina Rigall from Classic Exhibits, Anita Mitzel from GraphiColor Inc., Chris Griffin from Tradeshow Supply, and David Brown from Optima Graphics.

I would also like to thank Jay Burkette from ExpoDisplays. Jay provided not only great insights from what he has seen, but also assisted me in presenting the summit.

At the end of the day, my lasting impression was the show and our industry is ALIVE! It felt great. It felt like we were there to show our best. And we all did. As you can see from the pictures below.

Thanks for spending time with us in booth #1637. We appreciate it. Based upon your comments and feedback, we appear to be headed in the right direction to serve your needs throughout 2013. But, as always, it’s a moving target so let us know if we miss the mark.

To the Classic staff, take a bow please. You were key in making this year’s event a success. We had a lot of staff there this year, and they all took turns working the booth. However, I would like to mention four people in particular for their contribution.

Jen LaBruzza and Laura Magdalen — Great job on the Hospitality Suite. I know it’s a large undertaking and you did it perfectly. And Laura, you can sling a cocktail better than any pregnant woman I have ever seen.

James Sharpe and Nate LaBruzza — Spectacular job setting up and tearing down the booth. I am always impressed by what you do to get us “Show Ready.” Thanks for everything!

Last but not least, no show can happen without the help of your key vendor partners! Brumark for flooring, Cort for furniture, Optima Graphics for all the graphics, Glenna Martin for the graphic design, Tradeshow Supply for the I&D, and EliteXpo for shipping. Thanks once again making Classic shine.  We choose our partners very carefully and are proud of our relationships.

If you were in attendance at the show, tell me what you thought. What was your favorite booth? What trends did you see that stuck out? What didn’t you like?

I look forward to hearing your thoughts and feedback on EXHIBITOR2013

Have a great weekend.

[nggallery id=15]

Kevin Carty
https://twitter.com/kevin_carty
https://www.linkedin.com/pub/kevin-carty/3/800/32a

[subscribe2]

 

Filter by Category

Filter by Year

Recent Posts

The 3 Essential Trade Show Marketing Questions

These are questions every designer should ask their client before designing the ideal trade show display. If the client walks in just thinking about the nuts and bolts of the project, they may miss an informed conversation on why they are exhibiting in the first place and that can fundamentally affect the design of a booth. The Why can greatly impact the How in Exhibit Design.

What You Should Know about Exhibit Marketing

Exhibit marketing is all about marketing your products or services to buyers at expositions, conferences, and trade shows. A successful exhibit marketing program will be rewarded with increased revenues, referrals, and industry networking. The goal is to understand how exhibit marketing differs from the other types of marketing.

Managing Your Trade Show Budget

Trade shows are expensive, and some costs are often puzzling to exhibition newbies, but there are multiple ways to manage those expenses with a little planning and some assistance from an experienced trade show professional. Don’t be afraid to tap into that expertise.

Why Are Trade Shows Important for Business Growth and Branding

With the rise of online meetings and ecommerce, business experts have predicted the death of trade shows and live events for 40 years. Yet, the benefits of trade shows and events have never been more important for businesses. There were over 13,000 separate events in North America in 2025 alone.

Best & Biggest Convention Centers in the US for Trade Shows

What are the biggest and best convention centers in the United States? And does overall size and location matter when it comes to a convention center? Unless you’re a trade show nerd (like me), you’ve probably never wondered if the Las Vegas Convention Center is bigger than McCormick Place in Chicago. Or if the Orange County Convention Center is in FL or CA?

10 Online Tools for Classic Exhibits Distributors

At a recent Shared Knowledge University, we reviewed ten online tools available to all Classic Exhibits Distributors. The attendees told us that these tools are invaluable to their sales, marketing, and customer service teams and are unique within the exhibit industry. 

Why Small Businesses Fail to Grow by Jay Goltz

Excerpt from the “Art of Running a Small Business.” Many, if not most, Classic Exhibits distributors fall into the small business classification as defined by the Small Business Administration. Small businesses have challenges that larger businesses do not.

Top 12 Trade Show Bad Habits

All animals, humans included, are creatures of habit. We learn how to survive, then follow those routines day after day. Trade shows are no different. Exhibitors and attendees find their safe space and get comfortable: same shows, same people, same message.

Your Trade Show Marketing in 2026

When it comes to trade shows, many exhibitors don’t have a detailed plan on how to market their company. They purchase a display, which they think is the key to a successful show. Your exhibit may be the star of the show but it’s only one element in a comprehensive strategy.

IMEX America Hosted Buyer Lounge (Condensed Version)

IMEX America 2025 brought together 17,633 participants, including more than 6,000 buyers from 75 countries, reinforcing the event’s position as a high-value marketplace for the global meetings industry. At the center of this ecosystem was the CORT Events’ Hosted Buyer Lounge, designed as a dedicated environment.

40 Weird Things You Do @ Trade Shows

Trade shows can be a strange world whether you are an exhibitor, attendee, or an industry insider. While many behaviors might seem normal to you as a member of the trade show community, others are downright bizarre to those who rarely set foot in a trade show hall.

Why Are Companies So Bad at Trade Show Marketing?

Some companiees will hint at it. Then there are the ones who are honest. They simply don’t understand trade show marketing. That’s not surprising. It’s rarely taught on the undergraduate or graduate level. At best, it’s mentioned in passing in a marketing textbook.

10 Things Zombies Can Teach Us About Tradeshow Marketing

Single-minded Focus. You may not appreciate their all-consuming desire to eat your flesh, but they are committed to the task. They let nothing get in their way, except an ax to the brain. Your next trade show will be wildly successful, if you make it a priority, not an afterthought.

10 Things To Ask When Renting Trade Show Furniture

Selecting trade show rental furniture is a critical step in your exhibit planning timeline and it should happen well before your move-in. Ideally, you’re confirming your exhibition rental furniture several weeks (if not months) in advance.