I trust and hope that you had a great holiday season. We did… and we are excited for 2023!
2023 represents Classic’s 30th year
as an exhibit designer and manufacturer. Somehow, we made it to
30 despite multiple recessions, a tech crash, 9/11, and COVID. I’m probably
forgetting some other catastrophes along the way but who can keep count. We’ll
be celebrating a bit later in the year, including at EXHIBITORLIVE in
April, and we hope you will join our festivities.
But first, some thoughts on the past year or two.
2022 in Review
2022 was the exhibit industry’s rebound year. In basketball
terms, an effective rebound starts with “boxing-out” your opponent. We spent much of the year “boxing-out” a host
of challenges.
Challenges ranging from supply chain woes that were ever
present in the first two quarters of 2022 to exhibitors bound and determined to
participate in as many shows as possible. The result was controlled chaos. For
all.
By early July, the pricing and supply chain woes were
manageable. Are we back to pre-pandemic scenarios? NO… and we likely never will
be. BUT the “new” norm has settled in for the most part with more predictable costs,
quotes, and turn times.
The one challenge that still exists is finding and hiring
qualified employees. While it’s getting better, the jar lid did not loosen
until late Q3. Thankfully, that’s improving week by week(for reasons no one fully understands).
SALES: Grumbling
aside, 2022 was a record year for Classic Exhibits. But it wasn’t easy. The project
mix was staggering. We built FAR MORE large custom wood exhibits than in any previous
year. All while seeing a healthy increase in kit inlines and islands. Why? Exhibitors
were eager to return to trade shows and events. And they wanted to make as BIG of
a splash as possible.
Especially after the failure of virtual shows. Mind you, we were grateful for every
order.
Some Classic Specifics
We added nearly 30 new employees last year. And by “new” I
mean new to Classic and new to our industry. We are grateful to have
them in the family and excited to see their progress in their positions. And there
are more coming as we expand our production capability.
A few months ago, we returned to shorter, more predictable
lead times. The kits in EDS are now listed as ranges. Those ranges are there
for very practical reasons. It allows us to provide you with a shipping date
based on your PO and our current production schedule. This has been a welcome change
to many distributors, and we appreciate your comments.
What’s Coming in 2023? A Lot!
Q1 will be much like all of 2022. Lots of orders! However,
the trade show calendar should return to its pre-pandemic cadence by Q2 with
the normal ebbs and flows industry veterans expect. This should be a welcome
sign, allowing everyone to catch their breath and refine internal processes. Plus,
an exciting new product launch, but you’ll have to wait for more news about
that.
After the uptick in large custom builds in 2022, I expect
fewer over-the-top projects this year. And not for negative reasons. Simply
put, what was built in 2022 will be used in 2023. Instead, our Q1 plate filling with Symphony and Sacagawea
kits, lightboxes upon lightboxes, and LOTS of 20 x 20 to 30 x 40 modified islands using Gravitee Modular
Panels. We are also already seeing orders for additions/modifications to the
large custom booths we built last year.
Classic Exhibits will be introducing a new cloud-based ERP/CRM system in Q1. We are currently still in the testing stages and will be moving into the broader training phases through January with an expected launch in February. Once live, this will give our Distributor Partners something they have long been asking for, namely the ability to combine Rental and Purchase builds on one order with one PM. Along with that, the data metrics and analytic tools we have built into this new system will allow us to parse and share more immediate data with our internal production, customer service, and sales teams.
Classic will be purchasing new cameras for Peek-A-Booth, our online staging area cameras. The new cameras and software will come online sometime before Q2 2023. This will give you and your clients an even better, more immediate, peek into your Classic projects as they are being assembled.
Rental Island Exhibit
Classic Rental Solutions continues to thrive and grow. Not just in sales, but in the depth of their product offerings and services. 2022 was a banner year for CRS. 2023 is already off to a stellar start with a projected record Q1. This may also be a sign of how/where client spending is headed as customers weigh the possibility of a recession and its effects on their industry.
EXHIBITORLIVE 2022 and 2023 (in Louisville)
EXHIBITORLIVE is moving! THIS year’s event will be in
Louisville. Personally, I love the change. Not because of Louisville per se,
but because OUR industry show needed a change of scenery. Based on the size of
the show, I hope the EXHIBITOR Media Group continues to look at other similar
size markets for future events. Pricing is another reason. The rates for shows
in Vegas have gone up significantly and will continue to rise. The opportunity
to “take the show on the road,” if handled well, will provide a fresh
perspective and perhaps a new and growing audience.
Join The Exhibitor Advocate
If you have not heard about The Exhibitor Advocate, please visit their website: www.exhibitoradvocacy.com, Then join their mailing list (no cost), and consider making a donation. The Exhibitor Advocate, an organization led by Jessica Sibila and supported by an outstanding Board of Directors, is long overdue. Their goal is to advocate for exhibitor rights and provide hands-on assistance, with things like surprise billings and show floor service issues.
If we’ve learned anything over the years, meaningful change in our industry will only happen when exhibitors assert their rights. The Exhibitor Advocate is the right tool at the right time to make that happen. Please encourage your clients to join as well. It’s a win-win for both you and your client.
Shared Knowledge University is Back!
Shared Knowledge University
In November, we held our first Shared Knowledge University since 2019. And it was just what the doctor ordered. We hosted 35 Distributor and Vendor Partners in Portland for two full days of training. It was incredible.
We will be hosting two SKUs in 2023! The first will be in
June. Contact Jen, Tom, or Harold if you are interested. Seats fill FAST.
Awards and Other Cool Stuff
We were happy to be recognized by the industry in 2022, starting with a Find-It Top 40 Award at EXHIBITORLIVE. We also won the People’s Choice Award for the Slate Island rental project.
Katina Rigall-Zipay, our Creative Director, won the Star Award
from FIT. This award recognized her outstanding service and commitment to the FIT
Graduate Degree Program in Exhibit Design.
Lastly, there is the EDDIE Award we received at EDPA 2022 in San Antonio. This one was special. The award has historically been given to an outstanding Online or Multi-media campaign. But we were honored to win this award for our “Classic Conversations” outreach. The idea was to create a space where Classic Distributors and vendors could share ideas, struggles, and successes during and after the pandemic. Kudos to all who have participated in these ongoing conversations.
Are you interested in joining a Classic Conversations group? Let us know. We meet quarterly for an hour via Teams or Zoom. Contact Jen, Harold, or Tom for specifics. All exhibit industry roles are welcome — sales, marketing, design, production, etc. You will not be disappointed. Spending time with others in the industry is invaluable… and a lot of fun!
To all our Distributor Partner Family — THANK YOU. 2022 was
hard, and the struggle to bring an industry back to life is ongoing. YOU ALL
helped make the adjustment easier.
I often tell my friends and family the following, “Yes, we
do some really cool stuff. And it’s stressful even in the best of
circumstances. But it’s the people we get to walk this path with each and every
day that make it special. They are the reason we come to work each and every day.”
Thank you again for your ongoing support of our Classic
Family. Here’s to a prosperous 2023. I hope to see you soon.
It was great seeing so many of you last week at EDPA ACCESS in San Antonio. I am not sure if you felt the same, but the connectedness of the industry and the renewed strength of our community was energizing!
In Design Monday last week, we mentioned our improved production schedule. As supply chain issues have dwindled, Classic has reverted to our pre-pandemic lead times. In many cases, we’ve shaved nearly a week off some kits in EDS.
However, not all challenges are gone. We continue to hire at Classic and while that jar seems to have loosened, it will take time to find the ideal employees. We’re still very picky when it comes to adding folks to our close-knit family. But even with that, HUGE KUDOS to our Production, Customer Service, and Design Teams in new builds and rentals. They have done an amazing job getting us fully prepared for the coming mayhem that is always Q1.
Assigning Orders Based on Size/Complexity
A big part of the shorter lead-times is our ability to turnaround orders more efficiently. Every order is assigned points based on the size and complexity. These points feed into our Production Schedule, which is reviewed by Production and Customer Service.
So, if you see a 10-15+ business day lead time for example, ask your PM what the current timeline is based on this schedule. It may be 10, 12, or 15 days based on the Production Schedule. Once we lock your order into a date, its locked assuming your client gets us graphic files on time (like they always do 😊).
As we continue to rebound as an industry, I want to extend our thanks for your partnership.
Look for our Annual State of Company Letter in early January with much more exciting news to share.
Back in November/December 2021, I was approached by Dave Brown, an old friend and colleague, regarding his new employer — Tive, Inc.Dave wanted some help to introduce Tive’s Real Time Visibility technology to the Live Events and Trade Show Industry.
I listened and the gears started spinning. Tive provides a software platform and tracking device(s) that can be placed in or on any exhibit asset to monitor the individual asset or the entire shipment’s progress in real time. But if I leave it at that, it’s just a cool gadget, but, it’s much much more. Let me explain.
Testing the TIVE Trackers
First, I tested it myself. A Classic Distributor Partner asked
me to supervise a 30 x 30 built for their client at ISC WEST in Las Vegas. The
client is a security device company, with cameras, doorbells, and keypads for
businesses and homes. And much much more. Lots of high-end electronics.
ISW West is the client’s largest event each year. It’s important to them. Supply chain and trucking issues along with the time sensitive requirement of a trade show meant this would be the ideal test for delivery issues, both on the road and in the convention hall.
TIVE Solo
The shipment was five crates that included the exhibit and the client’s valuable electronics. Before the crates left our facility in Portland, OR, I placed a Tive Tracker in each crate. Five total. Then I loaded the shipment information into the TIVE Tracking Technology software.
Destination… Las Vegas
My flight to Vegas was in three days. The show would be held at the Venetian Expo Center (i.e., The Sands Expo). After the shipment left our dock, I went home and about three hours later, I opened the Tive software because I was curious. My son was on the couch with me and wanted to see what I was doing. When I opened it, there were the five crates on the map, pinging their location. My son asked me to zoom in a little to see their exact location. At which point he says, “Ha! Ha! Dad, the driver is taking a pee.” Funny BUT he was right! We could tell from our many road trips that he was at a rest stop near Canyonville, Oregon. The rest stop is literally the only thing there. But I digress…
Tive’s Real Time Visibility Technology allows for GEO fencing and tracking light, shock, and temperatures along the way. Plus, the ability to set the levels of sensitivity for each. It then alerts you (for example) if there is a light alert, like the crate was opened, or shock alerts, if the crate fell over or off the truck. Thankfully none of those happened.
You can also set a destination in the software, so it alerts you when the shipment is within a preset distance from the destination. On the day I was set to fly, while waiting to board my flight in the morning, a Tive text alert DINGED! The crates were in the marshalling yard, and I felt relieved knowing I would be hitting the ground running once I landed in Vegas.
When I landed, there was another DING! The freight was at the Venetian Expo.
Nope… Watch This!
At the exhibit hall all but one of the crates was in the booth space. The I&D Lead said to me, “I will walk over to the freight desk and see if we can find out where it is…or if it’s still in the yard or something.” I said, “Nope… watch this!” I opened my laptop, navigated to my Tive login, and saw that it was on the far side of the hall in a corner behind some other crates. Easy peasy, and the forklift driver was dispatched to fetch it.
Admittedly, Classic does mostly one-way shipments unlike our Distributor Partners who handle turnkey storage, service, and shipping for clients. However, I experienced the backend advantage to Tive as well. Since I was supervising the I&D, I travelled with a rolling toolbox that was placed in one of the crates. After setup, I took it to a UPS store in the hotel and shipped it back to my Office. Well, a week later it dawned on me that my tool case was still not back so I tracked it on UPS. LOST!
“Crap!” I thought. But then I remembered I put all the trackers from the crates in my toolbox. So I opened my Tive login again and wouldn’t ya’ know it they were pinging bright in the UPS warehouse on Swan Island in Portland. I called our UPS rep and convinced him to get someone to go look in the NW corner of the building for a small black hard-shell tool case. They found it and delivered the case the next day.
Contact Dave Brown at TIVE
So why the long infomercial on a non-Classic product? I believe Tive has a strong future in our industry. While Classic may not be their biggest customer with our one-way shipments (rentals aside), our Distributor Partners are perfect candidates for this valuable technology. Think about it. Doesn’t it make sense with all the out and back shipments you handle for your storage clients and their expensive assets? I urge you to connect with Dave Brown (dave.brown@tive.com) to explore this sophisticated but relatively inexpensive freight tracking security blanket.
I am confident you will feel the same as me after your trial run.
What a great week in Las Vegas at EMSlive 2022. I walked into this event not knowing what to expect, but several friends who had attended before told me, “Just go, interact, network, and converse and you will quickly see why this event is a part of our yearly plans.” They were correct.
EMSlive is a blend of EXHIBITORLIVE based on the end-user attendees and EDPA ACCESS with its showcase floor. And yet totally different.
Brands and Agencies
The attendees fell into TWO primary camps:
Brands looking for new technology and best practices
for their Live Event Marketing plans for the coming year. As well as find
potential new suppliers for different aspects of their Live Events Campaigns.
Agencies looking to network with Brand Managers and
find new partners in the supplier side to include in their offerings to Brands.
Read the complete post.
For Classic Exhibits specifically, we participated for two reasons: guilt and opportunity. We have been named to the Event Marketer FAB 50 Exhibit Builders for 5 of the past 7 years, but we hadn’t participated in their event. We owed it to them to be there.
However, guilt was not the only reason. I knew we would be the “oddball” as a Private-Label Manufacturer that DOES NOT sell direct. But over the past 8-10 years, “Agency” Distributor Partners have become an increasingly larger percentage of our customer base. Specifically, on the build side for their Client Activations, Retail POP-UP’s, Corporate Events, User Events and Outdoor Event needs.
Really Engaged Attendees
I really enjoyed speaking with the Brand Managers, who were always totally engaged! Perhaps it was because of the intimate nature of the event, but when folks were able to roam the floor, they would walk up and wait to start a conversation with me, even when I was speaking to someone else.
The catch always came about three minutes into the conversation when inevitably the Brand Manager would say, “OH… so you can sell direct to me!” To which I would reply, “No, but I do have a great Distributor Partner in your area that would be a perfect fit. They would be your main contact, and I would just be guiding the build side from behind the scenes.”
About eight of you already know what I am talking about because we’ve already scheduled calls. More are coming as I continue to process through the show leads.
The Agencies were great as well! It was inspiring to hear what they do and how they make client events interactive, fun, professional, and educational.
The Buzz in Vegas
Many have asked me, “How was the buzz in Vegas?” “WOW!” is all I can really say. There were events at all the major trade show facilities AND the NFL Draft was right in the heart of the Strip. Vegas was on fire in the best way. Whether at the hotel, in a cab, or at a restaurant, Vegas was over the top welcoming. It felt great!
In closing, to the entire team that helped put EMS2022 together, thanks for making this first-timer feel welcome and letting me know that “This is how we do it!” You put on a Class A event. I’m looking forward to next year. already.
–Kevin Carty
Classic Exhibits has been designing and building solutions since 1993. We’ve been honored as an Exhibitor Magazine Find-It Top 40 Exhibit Producer and an Event Marketer Fab 50 Exhibit Builder multiple times. Along with numerous Portable Modular Awards.
With over 200 Distributor Partners throughout North America, there’s a Classic representative close 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 safety divider with all the bells and whistles. We’re not just different. We’re better.
