Word on the Street by Kevin Carty
August is finally here . . . and depending on your perspective, that’s either a good thing or something to regret.
From a personal perspective, I am like, “Yikes! How did we get to August so quickly?” But from a business standpoint, I am breathing a sigh of relief. Why? Because July is behind us!
July is always a down month, even a good July like this year. If I wear my sales hat, I wish July had been even stronger. That said and before our PM’s and Designers shoot me, July was NUTS for them. Quoting seems to be higher than ever actually, which means Design Requests are up big time as well. And with respect to our designers, WOW, the properties have gotten much bigger for the upcoming fall show season. We are headed into what looks like an Island Paradise this August, September and October. Sans the margarita maker and white sandy beaches.
New Products, BBQ, Partnerships, and Fundraiser
MOD-1334 iPad Kiosk
August also means that new products are ready for release. For example, in Design Monday this week we are showcasing three new portable iPad Kiosks. The new iPad Kiosks, called the Port\Land Designs, feature our exclusive Swivel Stop solution. The Swivel Stop permits the iPads to swivel between the Portrait and Landscape mode without tools (Port to Land — Get it!). OK, maybe the name is a little cheesy since we’re based in Portland, but it’s ours and we’re keeping it.
August also means the Company BBQ. It’s a personal and professional highlight for us at Classic, Exhibits NW and ClassicMODUL. It’s on Friday, August 17. Just in case you have a hard time reaching us around lunch time, it’s because we are napping after consuming an insane number of hamburgers, hot dogs, and desserts.
My challenge to you is to focus on our partnerships and relationships — distributors, manufacturers and vendors. When the trade show industry spikes over the next three months, we get hectic and chaotic to varying degrees. Lean on one another from a partnership perspective and with a sense of understanding that we are all on this roller coaster ride together. I know that’s sort of “fluffy and Polly-anna” but it is true. When we all ramp back up for the busy season, we can’t forget that we rely on one other for our Shared Success.
Lastly, August means that Dave Brown, Joel Roy, Tony Ricci, Betsy Ricci, Charlie Shivel, Mel White, Greg Garrett and myself are only seven weeks away from our fundraiser ride for Mike Swartout. To all of you that have already donated, thanks so very much. It has been nothing short of amazing and touching to receive your support — financially and emotionally. For those of you who have not sponsored Club 815 Powered by The EDPA Foundation, here is a link to our webpage. And below that is a link to a recent posting on the EDPA Foundation website about our band of idiots. Every little bit helps: $25, $50, $100.
Club 815 Fundraiser: https://ssl.charityweb.net/echelongranfondo/hood_river/club815poweredbytheedpafoundation.htm
EDPA Foundation Story: http://www.edpa.com/foundation/
Be well and have a great week ahead.
–Kevin Carty
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