Baseball season is upon us once again. That means it’s time to refresh yourself with our BASEBALL TERMS – CLASSIC STYLE! Whichever team you root for please keep in mind these three non-bendable rules:
(1) When a foul ball comes your way in the stands, catch it without dropping your beer or popcorn.
(2) When asking for an autograph, tell them your son’s name is spelled H-A-R-O-L-D. and
(3) The only acceptable condiments for a ballpark hot dog are mustard and sauerkraut. Period. PLAY BALL!!!
What’s the hottest trend in trade shows and events? LED trade show lighting. And not just lightboxes, but perimeter lights, backlit logos, programmable RGB lighting, and accent LEDs on counters, workstations, and kiosks. Even creative uses of ceiling and pendant lights.
It makes total sense. LED lights are versatile, cost-effective, nearly indestructible, and ideal for displays of any size and shape. Best of all, the labor costs are about the same or less since many LED lights come attached to the structure and don’t require a show electrician. Easily 75% of the purchase and rental orders flowing through our shop have LED lighting.
LED lighting offers several significant benefits at trade shows and events, making them a popular choice for exhibitors. Here’s how they can elevate your presence:
Attracting Attention: LED lights are brighter and more directional than traditional bulbs, allowing you to create eye-catching displays that stand out from the crowd. Strategic use of spotlights and color-changing LEDs can make your booth a beacon, drawing attendees in to explore your products or services.
Highlighting Products: With their superior color rendering, LEDs can showcase your products in the best possible light. This is especially crucial for products that rely on visual appeal, such as clothing, artwork, or electronics.
Creating Ambiance: LEDs come in a wide range of colors and can be dimmed or controlled precisely. This allows you to create a specific atmosphere for your booth, whether it’s a bright and energetic vibe or a more subdued and sophisticated setting.
Cost-Effective: While the initial cost of LED lighting might be slightly higher than traditional options, their long lifespan and energy efficiency translate to significant savings in the long run. This is especially true for multi-day events where lights are on for extended periods.
Portability and Ease of Use: Many LED lighting solutions are designed to be compact and lightweight, making them easy to transport and set up at trade shows. Some LED systems are even modular, allowing for flexible configurations to suit the size and layout of your booth.
Sustainability: As energy-efficient lighting options, LEDs contribute to a greener footprint for your trade show presence. This can be a selling point for environmentally conscious attendees and align with your company’s sustainability goals.
Safety: LEDs generate very little heat, reducing the risk of burns or fires compared to incandescent bulbs. They are also safer for the environment as they are free of mercury, a toxic substance present in fluorescent bulbs. Department of Energy: https://www.energystar.gov/products/light_bulbs
Consider adding SuperNova LED Lightboxes with Symphony Portable Displays for an additional visual POP. You’ll get the same portability and tool-less construction, along with vertical and horizontal dimensionality. In short, go ahead and experiment with lighting to amp up your sales, generate sparks, and outshine your competitors.
1. SYK-2029 w/ Two LED Lightboxes
2. SYK-2027 w/ One Large LED Lightbox
3. SYK-2028 w/ One Rectangle LED Lightbox
1. VK-5189 | Contemporary Island Exhibit
Canopies RULE as an attractive design feature in many island and peninsula exhibits. Pair that with backlit LED graphics and you’ve got a can’t miss display on the show floor. The VK-5189 features multiple backlit double-sided towers connected to backlit single-sided canopies. Surrounding the towers/canopies are options like custom counters, genius bars, charging tables, and demo stations.
2. VK-2928 | Inline Lightbox w/ Shelves
Big Lightbox(es) with Vibrant Graphics. Check. Shelves for Products. Check. Locking Storage. Check. Modular Assembly. Check. The VK-2928 modern hybrid display combines vibrant tension fabric graphics and LED backlighting with lightweight aluminum extrusion for a versatile and attractive solution at any trade show.
3. MOD-1585C | Reception Counter with Charging Pads
Custom Counters offer the convenience of a fully assembled component with all the benefits of a custom design. The MOD-1585C takes LED lighting to the next level with a backlit logo, accent toe kick lighting, and even wireless charging pads. The counter includes locking storage and open shelves making it even more versatile.
4. MOD-1730 | Backlit Reception Counter
Reception counters are important graphic and physical anchors in any exhibit. On the show floor, most trade show attendees gravitate to the reception counter when they have questions or simply want more information. The MOD-1730 includes a backlit logo and graphics, along with wireless charging and locking storage. Plus, it’s fully assembled so setup is fast and easy.
5. MOD-1618D | Backlit Product Tower with Shelves
Product Display Lightboxes take a familiar concept, lightboxes, and transform them into a two-sided product billboard using lightweight aluminum, tension fabric graphics, and shelves. The MOD-1618D is double-sided and includes six heavy-duty adjustable shelves. The SuperNova LED light modules are designed to last for years of worry-free service.
Quality. If you’ve ever had to wrestle with a defective light on the show floor, you know it can be a nightmare. Quality matters and the difference between a high-quality light and a low-quality one isn’t always obvious. The best (and quickest) guide is to look for certifications like UL, ETL, and CE. These ensure that the lighting, including the transformers, has been tested and certified to meet industry standards.
Warmth or Temperature. In simplest terms, color temperature is a light’s appearance of “warmth” or “coolness.” The temperatures can be classified into three ranges:
Mixing temperatures, especially for backlit graphics, can create inconsistent colors. What looks dark gray on one graphic may look navy blue on another if the temperatures are different. Those differences can be dramatic and jarring on the show floor.
Colors: LED lights come in a range of colors from soft yellows to bright whites. Warm light tends toward yellows, reds, and oranges. Cool light appears blue or greenish. In between the two, light appears crisp and white. Opting for programmable LEDs allows you to not only change the colors but also create flashing, fading, and sequencing color patterns.
Packaging; LED lights are more durable than incandescent, halogen, and fluorescent lights. However, they still need to be protected from damage. Be sure to ask about how the LED lights are packaged in your case or crate. Many LED modules are attached to the display structure making installation easier and lessening the chance of damage. Other LED lights, like stem lights, pendant lights, and accent lights, are packaged in their original boxes which can deteriorate over time.
Electricity/Amps; For many exhibitors, completing the electrical layout and ordering form is intimidating. Most of us don’t know how many amps each electrical device uses and so we either order too much or too little. The show contractor or electrical provider can be your best friend when ordering electricity. They want you to get it right since it makes their job easier. Don’t be shy about asking them for assistance. Getting it right will save you money and make for a smoother install.
Cost: There are lots of ways to save money at a trade show or event, like early bird discounts, smart packaging, and modular construction. LED lighting is more cost-effective than ever and has opened the door for interesting lighting features in every size display. Lighting attracts attention on the show floor so before you decide to eliminate a backlit graphic or a stem light consider the tradeoffs.
Classic Exhibits has been designing and building trade show exhibit solutions since 1993. We’ve been honored as an Exhibitor Magazine Find-It Top 40 Exhibit Producers and an Event Marketer Fab 50 Exhibit Builders multiple times. Along with numerous Portable Modular Awards.
With over 200 Distributor Partners throughout North America, there’s a Classic representative closer by. Contact us today whether you need a durable hand sanitizer stand built to last, a rental display guaranteed to attract trade show attendees or a custom 30 x 40 exhibit with all the bells and whistles. We’re not just different. We’re better.
When you purchased your custom or modular trade show exhibit, you probably didn’t give much consideration to shipping or the wood crate(s). After all, it’s just a wood crate, right? What could go wrong during long interstate shipments, casual forklift handling, and untrained show labor to your very expensive and stunning beautiful trade show exhibit?
The answer is… a lot. Exhibit crates and roto-molded cases are generally well-designed and durable. Your exhibit provider builds and packs hundreds if not thousands of exhibits every year. However, you shouldn’t assume every exhibit house has the same commitment to quality and packing efficiently. Some are amazing. Others are simply OK.
Knowing the difference, asking questions, and taking responsibility for your crates will go a long way toward ensuring your exhibit packs in the fewest number of crates/cases, arrives safely, and minimizes your labor costs at the show.
Essentially, trade show wood crates are glued and screwed boxes constructed with plywood. The type of plywood varies by builder but birch plywood is common. Some are tall and square. Others are shorter and long. The size depends on the exhibit components and the preference of the builder.
Most crates have some internal jigging, like shelves or compartments. These allow for greater space utilization and protect the contents from shifting during shipping. Doors vary by builder even more than the basic construction. Some have heavy-duty latches. Others rely on bolts and wing-nuts. Still others use flexible cables and basic catches. Horizontal crate designs often include hinged doors for convenient access on the longer side.
Nearly all crates have wood skids on the bottom. This makes it much easier for forklifts and pallet jacks to lift and transport them, and hopefully minimize damage.
The video below shows how smaller crates are built, but the basic construction is the same for all sizes of crates.
Well-constructed wood crates are designed to protect your exhibit during shipping and maximize the available space to minimize your total crate count. Minimizing your crate count will reduce your overall shipping and drayage charges. Exhibit builders know those charges are pain points for their clients and work hard to reduce those costs.
If you’ve ever played Jenga, you’ll understand the challenge of designing a crate that’s both the right size and shape and designed to maximize interior space. There are two major challenges: (1) ensuring the individual components don’t move during shipping, and (2) preventing components from rubbing against one another or the crate. That’s when damage occurs. As a result, you’ll often see a series of vertical and/or horizontal dividers built to isolate the components. Those dividers may have jigging blocks as well to secure the components.
Some exhibit builders, like Classic Exhibits, go one step further and cover the crate, dividers, and jigging with a soft but durable fabric similar to a felt material. This not only provides an extra layer of protection, but it also reduces movement (and rubbing) during transit.
Why There’s No Such Thing as a Standard Crate:
Cases, unlike crates, are designed primarily for lightweight portable displays. Trade show shipping cases are essential for protecting your valuable displays and promotional materials during transport to and from trade shows. With a variety of factors to consider, choosing the right case can seem daunting. In most cases, the manufacturer will have already selected the ideal shipping case for your display, but if you are choosing one based on several choices, consider the following.
Types of Trade Show Shipping Cases
Choosing the Right Size Case
Additional Considerations
By considering these factors, you can choose the right trade show shipping cases to protect your investment and ensure your display arrives at the trade show in perfect condition.
Notification Regarding Forward Air
“One of the nation’s largest wholesale providers of LTL ground expedited services, Forward Air, has announced major changes to their service offering, effective August 1, 2021. The overwhelming majority of our freight providers utilize Forward Air for their point-to-point linehauls for their client’s needs.
Effective August 1, Forward Air will no longer accept shipments that are not skidded or crated, and they will no longer accept shipments that are over 96” L or 96 H. The rationale and reasons for this industry change are lengthy, but the major driving force is simply the overwhelming amount of freight traversing the United States and the overall lack of capacity from a labor and trucks on the road.”
What Does This Mean?
See the full letter below or click to download the PDF
Thankfully, most of us are blessed with a knowledgeable Shipping Department that handles these details. Or, we rely on our exhibit house to make the freight arrangements. However, knowing what is and isn’t permissible goes a long way toward understanding whether your shipment can be handled by a freight carrier or FedEx/UPS.
LTL (less than loaded) and FTL (full loaded) trailers typically use the same size trailers. Here are the interior dimensions of both:
Door opening dimensions are also important to consider when shipping freight via LTL. Industry-standard roll-up door dimensions are:
This means that individual pieces of freight for LTL shipment should ideally be no more than 94 inches tall and wide to fit through the door comfortably.
The maximum dimensions for UPS and FedEx packages depend on the service you choose and whether the shipment is domestic or international. Here’s a breakdown:
UPS
FedEx
Important Notes:
This won’t come as a surprise to you but planning and preparation are the keys to a stress-free and cost-effective shipment. And, unlike other shipments, you’ll need to arrange for shipping to and from the venue. That’s often overlooked by exhibitors, who then scramble to arrange shipping on the last day of the show. Which is anything but stress-free.
Here’s a breakdown of how to plan for a smooth trade show exhibit shipment:
Early Bird Gets the Booth:
Know the Show, Know the Shipment:
Choosing Your Carrier:
Labeling and Documentation:
Double-Check and Breathe Easy:
Protective crating and casing should be one less thing you have to worry about when purchasing a new trade show display. No builder in the exhibit industry builds better packaging solutions than Classic.
Classic Exhibits has been designing and building trade show exhibit solutions since 1993. We’ve been honored as an Exhibitor Magazine Find-It Top 40 Exhibit Producers and an Event Marketer Fab 50 Exhibit Builders multiple times. Along with numerous Portable Modular Awards.
With over 200 Distributor Partners throughout North America, there’s a Classic representative closer by. Contact us today whether you need a durable hand sanitizer stand built to last, a rental display guaranteed to attract trade show attendees or a custom 30 x 40 exhibit with all the bells and whistles. We’re not just different. We’re better.
About 10 years ago, EXHIBITOR introduced the Find It — Top 40. It’s an annual list of North America’s Top Exhibit Producers. The application process is comprehensive and time-consuming, taking about 3-5 days for the Classic Team to complete.
This year, Classic Exhibits made the Find It – Top 40 list again.
We’ve made the list every single year. We’re honored to be included in this distinguished group of exhibit producers. If that sounds like false modesty, it’s not. See the impressive list, which includes 26 Classic Distributor Partners.
As a private-label exhibit designer and builder, we’re smart enough to realize that this honor isn’t just ours. It’s the result of every Classic Distributor Partner who trusts us with their projects, large and small.
We sincerely hope you embrace this as a COLLECTIVE Classic AWARD. You earned it as much as we did. Thank you!
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For 30 years, Classic Exhibits has been designing and building creative custom solutions for our Distributor Partners and their clients. As the largest private-label exhibit manufacturer in North America, we have the unmatched capability, capacity, and creativity to create 3D projects ranging from 10 x 10 inline displays to 60 x 80 double-deck islands.
Find success on the trade show floor with an exhibit that reflects your marketing message. For more information, see www.classicexhibits.com and explore Exhibit Design Search or request a meeting with a Classic Distributor Partner.
