Trade Show TalesBlog

Archive for October, 2016

10 BIG Trade Shows in North America | December 2016 and January 2017

October 18th, 2016 COMMENTS

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These OUTSTANDING December and January trade shows are a hit. And like Ted Williams at the plate, you’ll want to keep your eye on the ball and knock it out of the park.

Performance Racing Industry Show, Dec. 8 – 10, 2016, Indiana Convention Center, Indianapolis

http://www.performanceracing.com/tradeshow/

The PRI Trade Show is THE Epicenter of New Racing Technology. 1,200 companies will display the latest advances in racing products and race engineering. Engine parts, suspension components, data acquisition, safety gear, new metal alloys and coatings, machining equipment, race electronics — it’s all part of the world’s largest racing trade show.

Power-Gen International, Dec. 13 – 15, 2016, Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, FL

http://www.power-gen.com/

As the World’s Largest Power Generation Event, POWER-GEN International is the industry leader in providing comprehensive coverage of the trends, technologies and issues facing the generation sector. More than 1,400 companies from all sectors of the industry exhibit each year to benefit from the exposure to more than 20,000 attendees. Displaying a wide variety of products and services, POWER-GEN International represents a horizontal look at the industry with key emphasis on new solutions and innovations for the future.

Consumer Electronics Show, Jan. 5 – 8, 2017, Las Vegas, NV

http://www.ces.tech

The 2016 CES was a record-breaking year. More than 170,000 attendees from across the globe gathered among 2.47 million net square feet of exhibit space. That’s why CES is the world’s gathering place for all who thrive on the business of consumer technology. No other even gives companies this depth of exposure and reach, because there’s NO other event experience like CES. It’s where business gets done: on the show floor, in and around their conference program, in impromptu connections, and in planned meetings and special events.

National Western Rodeo & Stock Show, Jan. 7 – 22, 2017, Multiple Venues, Denver, CO

http://www.nationalwestern.com/trade-show/

The National Western Stock Show, one of Colorado’s preeminent tourist destinations, held every January for 16 days. A nationally recognized western heritage and entertainment event, the stock show hosts one of the world’s richest regular season professional rodeos, one of the country’s largest horse shows and Colorado’s largest western trade show, attracting attendance numbers over 650,000 visitors each year.

International Builders’ Show, co-located with KBIS – Design and Construction Week, Jan. 10 – 12, 2017, Orlando, FL

http://www.buildersshow.com/

https://www.kbis.com

IBS brings together the industry’s most important global manufacturers and suppliers and showcases the latest products, materials and technologies involved in all types of buildings – including wood, concrete, stone and brick. See 550,000 net square feet of exhibits and more than 1,400 manufacturers and suppliers of the latest and most in-demand products and services.

KBIS will host 500+ leading brands in the kitchen and bath industry, including over 100 NEW companies, spanning across two halls. No other event offers an interactive look at the top brands, the ability to compare products side-by-side and get answers straight from the manufacturers.

Outdoor Retailer – Winter Show, Jan. 10 – 12, 2017, Salt Lake City, UT

http://www.outdoorretailer.com/winter-market/index.shtml

Outdoor Retailer Winter Market is where orders are written, new accounts are found, connections are made, and winter sports products brands are launched. Outdoor Retailer has proven to be the leading growth vehicle for the winter sports market and brands that are interested in progressing and advancing into multiple channels of the outdoor marketplace. From small shops and regional chains, to the largest national and international retailers – OR Winter Market attracts thousands of buyers and senior level decision makers.

Retail’s BIG Show 2017, Jan. 15 – 17, 2017, Javits Convention Center, New York, NY

http://nrfbigshow.nrf.com

NRF’s Annual Convention and EXPO earned the nickname “Retail’s BIG Show” years ago and because the name was so appropriate, it stuck. Today, Retail’s BIG Show is the National Retail Federation’s flagship event held annually in New York City. The three-day event offers unparalleled education, collegial networking with 33,000 of your newest friends, and an enormous EXPO Hall full of technologies and solutions. After more than a century – 106 years to be exact – Retail’s BIG Show is still the only place where you can see and experience all things Retail.

NAMM – National Association of Music Merchants, Jan. 19 – 22, 2017, Anaheim Convention Center, Anaheim, CA

https://www.namm.org/thenammshow/2016

No other trade show has been more influential in introducing musical trends, unveiling the latest, cutting-edge technologies, creating household product names, showcasing emerging brands and uniting every segment in the industry than The NAMM Show. The NAMM Show is a true global gathering, with buyers attending from 125 countries and regions. Exhibitors benefit from exposure to a diverse base of businesses that buy products, including retail stores and non-exhibiting distributors.

Winter Fancy Food Show, Jan. 22 – 24, 2017, Moscone Center, San Francisco, CA

https://www.specialtyfood.com/shows-events/winter-fancy-food-show/

The Winter Fancy Food Show is the largest specialty food and beverage show on the West Coast, drawing 33,000+ industry professionals, and the premier showcase for industry innovation. The next big products. The next big companies. The next big trends. They’ll be discovered at WFFS 2017 in San Francisco.

NADA – National Automobile Dealers Association, Jan. 26 – 29, 2017, New Orleans, LA

http://convention.nada.org

The NADA Convention & Expo is celebrating 100 years in 2017. The NADA Convention & Expo is the world’s largest international gathering of franchised new-vehicle dealers. More than 25,000 new-car and truck dealers and their managers, as well as dealers from over 30 countries, auto industry executives and exhibitor staff typically attend the NADA/ATD Convention & Expo each year. It offers dealers the chance to meet face-to-face with major automakers, provides dozens of workshops with the industry’s best trainers, and features hundreds of exhibitors showcasing the latest equipment, services and technologies.

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Shopping for a new or rental exhibit? See over 1400 contemporary islands, inlines, banner stands, and trade show accessories at www.classicexhibits.com. Click on Exhibit Design Search for the largest display selection in North America. To find a Classic Exhibits Distributors, click here.

Your Exhibit Design Search Updates

October 11th, 2016 COMMENTS

EDSUpdateBlog

Exhibit Design Search is a work in progress where new features are added without fanfare. They just appear. So what’s new in the past three months?

EDS Home Page

captureAbout three weeks ago, we flipped the switch on a new visual feature on all Exhibit Design Search sites. It’s subtle but significant. The gallery images on the EDS home page now rotate. Visualize a slot machine. Each time you click the refresh button on your browser or simply return to the home page, the images change/rotate.

This makes each EDS site more distinctive. To see this at work, simply go to your EDS site or click here for the unbranded EDS website and refresh your browser. If you are easily amused, like me, do it repeatedly.

Photo Galleries

capture1Recently, distributors asked us how they could tap into our Custom, Rental, and Retail photo galleries without redirecting their clients to the Classic website. About 16 months ago, we added those galleries to the main Classic website to highlight the non-system projects flowing through our facility. On any given month, about 40 percent of our business falls into those categories. And it’s growing.

We listened. Now all branded EDS sites have a Photo Libraries button with a drop-down menu. The menu includes not only Past Five Days, but also galleries showing Custom, Rental, and Retail projects. Expect them to evolve as we add (and remove) projects.

Gravitee Modular Wall System

gravitee-cycleYou’ll be hearing LOTS and LOTS about Gravitee in the coming months. However, unlike other Classic systems, we’ve chosen not to create a defined product gallery in EDS. Why? Gravitee is a chameleon. It’s ideal as an island or an inline. It’s perfect for purchase or rental. Use it for an event, a corporate environment, a trade show, or retail space. It’s versatile, practical, and affordable. In short, it works in almost any 3D environment.

For now, the Gravitee kits will be in the Island, Visionary Designs, and SEGUE galleries. You can find them by searching “Gravitee.” Or, by going to the Exhibits menu on the main Classic website and clicking on Gravitee One-Step Modular System.

Interested in adding Gravitee to your rental inventory? Click to download the Starter Kit Special, available only to Classic Exhibits Distributors.

LED Lightboxes

vk-1966-view-3Lightboxes are the boy bands of the exhibit, event, and retail world. Even if you want to hate them… you can’t. They are just too damn cute and adorable. We decided to take a two-prong approach to lightboxes. Our proprietary SuperNova lightboxes can be purchased in any size, nearly any shape, and come in one or two-sided frames. The frames, unlike most on the market, are designed to withstand abuse. We dare you to compare them to the “little sisters of the poor” varieties, not only in their durability but also their light sealing features. They are better and brawnier.

Secondly, lightboxes need to be functional for trade show exhibitors. That means that attaching counters, headers, literature holders, iPad stands, shelves, monitors, etc. should be easy. We’ve designed kits that do more than look pretty. They are also practical. See VK-1966, VK-1963, VK-1961, and VK-1118 for examples.

Rental Furniture Galleries

rental-furnitureThis is important. Last summer, we added Rental Furniture Galleries #1 and #2 in EDS. These galleries are a partnership with CORT, the leader in trade show rental furniture. Rental furniture is no longer the exception in inline and island booths. It’s the rule.

Historically, it’s been challenging to assist your customers with rental furniture. Not anymore. These two retail galleries make it easy to show your clients rental furniture at retail prices. Once your client has selected the furniture, simply call CORT, tell them you’re a Classic Exhibits distributor, and they will provide you with a wholesale quote. They can even direct you to other rental furniture options in their online catalog, all with a special Classic Exhibits wholesale prices. My personal advice… don’t be a duffus! Show rental furniture. Sell rental furniture. With or without your assistance, your clients are going to have rental furniture in their booth.

As always, please let us know if you have any questions about Exhibit Design Search or about anything Classic Exhibits related.

–Mel White
mel@classicexhibits.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/melmwhite
https://twitter.com/melmwhite

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Based in Portland, Oregon, Classic Exhibits Inc. designs and manufacturers portable, modular, and custom-hybrid exhibit solutions. Classic Exhibits products are represented by an extensive distributor network in North America and in select International markets. For more information, contact us at 866-652-2100 or www.classicexhibits.com.

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Kevin Schuhl, the Newest Addition to the Classic Design Department

October 4th, 2016 1 COMMENT

We are excited to welcome Kevin Schuhl to Classic’s Design Department. Kevin brings an eclectic design background to our creative team, which he shares in his bio below.

Kevin Schuhl

schuhlAfter growing up in the chaparral covered hills and valleys of Poway, CA, I attended the University of California at San Diego (UCSD). Four years and one change of major later, I received a BA in Art.

Feeling I needed more practical experience, I began working as a scenic artist at the La Jolla Playhouse.  It was there that I learned much about paint treatments, large scale art projects, and the immense amount of collaboration between different trades required to accomplish those projects successfully. Another quick stint doing similar work for a company focused on corporate events, and I was ready for something new.

I relocated to Chicago in the late nineties, ostensibly for graduate school. While more art school did not work for me, Chicago did. I instead started working with a friend out of our basement studio providing large format printing for photographers and artists. Over the next few years, we garnered larger clients and found we had fallen into a niche designing and fabricating graphics as well as scenic art elements for some nationwide chain restaurants.

When it was clear that a studio of our size would not survive a large economic collapse, I began thinking of ways to continue to merge my love of traditional arts and more modern forms of design and production. I took a job working as a 3D visual designer for an event production company, assisting designers through the modeling and rendering of spaces and decor to be used for large corporate functions, weddings, and festivals alike.

Alas, fifteen years in Chicago becomes cramped, and the wife and I wanted out. We sold the house and moved to Chicago’s older uncle, Milwaukee, WI. There, we learned the ins and outs of ecommerce, creating several online sites for the purpose of selling graphic decor directly to the end- user. While rewarding in its own way, I missed the sense of working with people on larger projects that involved much more than simply what was on the computer screen. I missed the shop.

This led us to Portland this past July, with the caveat that I would be looking to leave the home office in search of other work. Luckily for me, Classic Exhibits had a need for some design help. In my short time here, Classic has been everything that I was hoping to regain in work. Collaboration in a shop with a variety of skilled people. Collaboration with an even larger, unseen audience toward one goal. I look forward to all I will learn across the spectrum that is Classic Exhibits.

When not working, my time is split between music, learning software, painting, furniture making, cooking, playing pinball with my wife, and walking with our dog.

Kevin Schuhl
kschuhl@classicexhibits.com