Trade Show TalesBlog

Author Archive

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »

Classic Exhibits Welcomes Display Supply & Lighting to EDS

May 21st, 2011 Mel White COMMENTS
Display Supply and Lighting

New Galleries in EDS

Lighting and Exhibit and Electrical Supplies Galleries

Classic Exhibits Inc., a designer and manufacturer of portable, modular, and custom hybrid displays, announces the addition of Display Supply & Lighting’s (DS&L) products to Exhibit Design Search. Exhibit Design Search (EDS) is a comprehensive web-based search tool for trade show displays and accessories, and includes over 1400 displays, 2000 photos, and 50 trade show articles. Most Classic Distributors have branded versions of EDS on their websites.

The two new galleries, Lighting and Exhibit and Electrical Supplies, supplement the existing 26 display galleries by adding a complete line of halogen, LED, fluorescent, and incandescent lights to the search database, along with display needs like Velcro® brand products, multi-outlet strips, and replacement cords.

DS&L joins four other vendors as strategic partners in Exhibit Design Search. Those partners include Eco-systems Sustainable Exhibits, Optima Graphics, Brumark Flooring, and Classic Exhibits. Each partner contributes to and manages galleries that reflect their expertise and product lines. Classic Distributors benefit from a “one-stop shop” on their website and can order products directly from each strategic partner.

According to Rob Cohen, Vice President of DS&L, “DS&L is excited to support the efforts of our partners to market solutions using technology in sustainable, cost-effective tools like EDS. Classic Exhibits has built an effective portal that allows distributors and their customers to easily learn more about, and select, products that meet their needs, and we are proud to be a part of that solution.”

“We are delighted to partner with DS&L,” says Kevin Carty, VP of Sales at Classic Exhibits. “This collaboration reflects our core philosophy of “Shared Success,” in which we work with industry leaders to create best-in-class solutions for our distributors and their customers. For customers, Exhibit Design Search makes it easy to find the right products at the right price using a web-based search tool that promotes the brands that matter – our distributor’s brands. In this way, we win, our customers win, and our suppliers win.”

For questions about Classic Exhibits or Exhibit Design Search, contact Mel White, VP of Marketing and Business Development at mel@classicexhibits.com or 503.652-2100 x-210. For more information about Classic Exhibits, refer to www.classicexhibits.com or www.classicmodul.com.

**************

Based in Portland, Oregon, Classic Exhibits Inc. designs and manufacturers portable, modular, and custom-hybrid exhibit solutions. These solutions include the Perfect 10, Sacagawea, Magellan, Euro LT, and Visionary Designs. The Classic line also includes ClassicMODUL Aluminum Extrusions with over 200 profiles and hundreds of accessories for trade show, museum, architectural, and retail environments. Classic Exhibits products are represented by an extensive distributor network throughout North America and in select International markets.

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Exhibit Design Search, Mel White | No Comments »

Trade Shows as First Dates

May 10th, 2011 Mel White COMMENTS
Trade Show as First Date

Trade Shows as First Dates

Are You Nervous?

Trade shows are like first dates, first meetings, or job interviews. These “firsts” can scare the bejesus out of you. They should. No matter how well you prepare, the unknowns trump the knowns by a ratio of about 10,000 to 1. If you’ve ever been on a blind date, or even a first date with someone you’ve just met, you know that a date is about being the person you strive to be, not the person you are.

Of course, not everyone has the gumption, the imagination, or the self-awareness to lift their game to the next level. Some people never grasp that first impressions are lasting impressions. They wear scuffed shoes to the job interview, slouch in the chair, chew gum, or dress inappropriately. They make the decision easy for the interviewer. On that important first date, when every word and every gesture is scrutinized, they monopolize the conversation, talk with their mouth full of food, and tell jokes that would offend Andrew Dice Clay.

I suspect, however, that most of us strive to make a positive first impression. After all, we want to be liked and we want to be respected. In a typical social situation, we engage others in conversation in order to learn about their lives and to share ours.

Looking Good

Then why do so many trade show exhibits stink and so many trade show booth staffers stink even more. For the vast majority of attendees, their first impression of you is based on your display. It’s their first date, your first interview, and the first meeting for both of you. Walk the typical trade show, whether it’s a Chamber of Commerce “Meet and Greet” or your industry’s lollapalooza in Las Vegas, Orlando, or Chicago. About 50 percent of the exhibits are creative, targeted, and well-planned. The booth staff understands their roles and makes every effort to behave like outstanding role models. No inappropriate scratching, no Starbucks coffee cups littering the display, no obsessive Crackberry distractions. They are there to work the show and understand that during show hours they are on stage and every interaction is a performance.

Looking Bad

Ralph and Alf

Alf and Ralph

And then there are the other 50 percent. Let’s start with the booth. Ttoo often it’s bulletin board artwork stuck to a booth built by the Alf and Ralph, the Monroe Brothers on Green Acres. Or if it’s a professionally designed exhibit, it’s long in the tooth, damaged, and the exhibit equivalent of Archie’s jalopy sitting on cinder blocks. Now that may be acceptable at the local hobby fair, but wearing the trade show equivalent of a lime green leisure suit at the Governor’s Ball is tacky (funny but still tacky). It screams, “I just don’t care.” Now you may be comfortable on your first date with a piece of kale stuck to your front teeth, but even if your date has matching green dental jewelry, chances are there will not be a second date. Trade shows are expensive, but the actual display is usually the least expensive investment over 2-3 years. So invest wisely.

Behaving Badly

Now the booth staff. This is almost too easy. So rather than riff on the stereotypical cell phone chatting, Motrin popping from a hangover, couldn’t give a rat’s @$$ booth staffers, let’s take the high road. The reason too many exhibits are staffed with the wrong people is simple. They are the wrong people. They don’t have a vested interest in the company’s success, they aren’t knowledgeable, and they aren’t “people” people. Trade shows are not magazine ads or television spots. They are face-to-face sales opportunities. How often have you been to a Chamber of Commerce mixer and the local bank’s display is staffed by a teller? The teller is pleasant and pleasant-looking, but he/she doesn’t know anything about the bank’s loan programs, CD rates, or charitable programs. The teller shouldn’t be there. The local branch manager should be. Pamphlets, key chains, and a big smile are not replacements for one-on-one knowledge.

Ideally, your trade show staffing should have senior management participation. They have the knowledge and the vested interest. Too often, however, they wander the show floor like a band middles-school bullies whispering snide comments about competitors, eating candy, and planning the evening’s activities. Never underestimate the power of a title. And unless your senior management is poison, meeting the CEO or President of a company in their booth can turn “interest” into an “order” almost immediately.

Want to succeed at your next trade show? Treat it like a first date. Look your best and mind your manners. Remember that first impressions are lasting impressions. And no matter how tempting that kale omelet looks for breakfast, it’s probably a good idea to select the oatmeal instead.

Related Posts:

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

Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in Fun, Mel White | No Comments »

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words: Word on the Street — May 2nd thru May 6th

May 6th, 2011 Mel White COMMENTS
A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

Word on the Street by Kevin Carty

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

This week, I was on the road visiting new and potential distributors for Classic and ClassicMODUL. Meeting with these folks reminded me of the power of photos in our business. Frankly, I take photos for granted since we take multiple shots of every display we build. I assume other manufacturers do the same thing. It makes sense. Photos document the order and serve as a convenient point of reference if there are questions once the exhibit arrives or several years later when the client wants to modify the design or reorder parts.

Photos are such a day-to-day occurrence for us that I’m always a little surprised by a distributor’s reaction during a presentation. During the meeting, we invariably head to Classic’s website, or if they have Exhibit Design Search, to their website. We review the product lines and/or changes and at some point, we click on the photos button either on the home page or on a Design Detail page. That’s when the magic happens.

Potential distributors are always stunned that there are photos of kits; in fact, that there are multiple photos of actual orders. Then, once we dive a little deeper, they are delighted “slash” shocked that there are literally thousands of photos dating back to September 2006 . . . and that they can search, filter, and sort these photos. The next shock comes when they realize that these photos are not hidden behind a password protected site and that the photos can be emailed from their address using the “Email Image” tool.

Some of you may know the history of Past Five Days (P5D), our photo database, but for those who don’t I’ll share it.

P5D History

Past Five Days Photos

Past Five Days Photos

On 09/23/06, we started an experiment when we launched Past Five Days (P5D). We decided to publish photos of exhibits, components, and accessories on Classic Exhibits. Mostly, we used the photos taken in our QC Setup Area, but occasionally we used photos from the Rental Setup area. We couldn’t publish every exhibit, which would be unrealistic, but we did want to show representative designs in as close to real time as possible. At the time, it seemed risky for two reasons.

  1. We would be showing exhibits, not as perfect renderings or as show photos, polished to perfection just minutes before the trade show opens, but as exhibits often without the final graphics and the client’s product accessories and collateral.
  2. We would be sharing new designs and innovations with anyone who happened to click on Past Five Days. Including our competitors. However, we quickly realized that the benefit of sharing far out weighed the risk of espionage.

Five years later, P5D seems obvious. Distributors and clients get to see photos in addition to renderings, even if those photos are of displays still in production. Renderings are the lifeblood of the exhibit design process. They allow us to illustrate concepts relatively quickly, in both the purchase and design phase.  But renderings are renderings. Photos are photos. We need to see both in order to make intelligent decisions about which display to purchase and which exhibit manufacturer to purchase from.

Many of you visit P5D at least once a week to review new projects. For those who don’t, we encourage you to take a peek once in a while. You’ll be surprised at the variety of orders flowing through our shop. Yes, there are the standards, such as Sacagawea, Magellan, and Perfect 10 kits, but you’ll also see islands, custom workstations and counters, unique Aero Hanging Sign orders, and recently, Eco-systems Sustainable projects. Plus, if you enjoy graphic design, you’ll see how others present their message . . . both successfully and occasionally, not so successfully.

Hope you all have a restful weekend.

Be well.

–Kevin Carty

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

Tags: , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Kevin Carty, Word on the Street | No Comments »

Who is Optima Graphics (and Why are We so Darn Shy)?

May 5th, 2011 Mel White COMMENTS
Gary Camarato, Optima Graphics

Gary Camarato, Guest Post

We Work Hard at Not Getting in the Way

Who is Optima Graphics? It’s simple, we are the wholesale graphics supplier to the trade show industry that helps you retain customers and grow your business. It sounds so mundane, but we listen to you, stay out-of-your-way, break the rules, provide you more time to sell, bring experience to your project and much more. Our behind-the-scenes business philosophy keeps your brand upfront with trade show consumers and keeps our brand out-of-sight. Think of Optima as an extension of your business, your own private factory. You sell exhibits, and we make sure you get those repeat sales from your client. Call us shy? I don’t know, some may refer to this approach as smart.  After all, you’re better at what you do, leaving us to focus on one thing — custom graphics.

What You Really Need to Do is . . .

Sure, we hear a lot of practical advice about why or how we need to conduct our business:

What’s wrong with you?, Do you realize what a terrible SEO your website has? How do I purchase from this VisProducts site? Why can’t I buy from you? Pricing in inches? This is madness . . . we have heard it all at Optima.

Madness — What are You Talking About?

I hear this all the time, mainly because I figure if you talk enough you’re bound to say something. Oh, wait, Optima madness… indeed.

Maybe it’s not madness, shyness, shymadness — Maybe, just maybe, it’s a manifestation of counterculture business practices that over time just ended up working for all of us.  A little luck perhaps, hardly the traditional approach. Yes, counterculture — No, we’re not talking about making our fortune from the buying and selling of canned corn at a Phish concert. We’re talking about going our own way while staying out-of-the way of our customers. A customer-centric culture spawned in the afterglow of the product-centric 80’s.  Kind of like that little dog that pulls the sleigh in the original animated Dr. Seuss Grinch cartoon. Yeah, like that dog. Stay out-of-the way and in the end it all works out.

Fearless Selling

Fearless Selling

Show Some Backbone! Buy the Shirt!!!

Go out there and sell that trade show display. Do it without fear of loosing your customer because as the saying goes, sell that display fearlessly: Fearless Selling. It’s the aggressive version of peace-of-mind. You can do it, sell it, put graphics on it, and walk away with that peace-of-mind that your graphics supplier isn’t going to pirate your client. Well, at least it’s the case if you choose Optima. We stay-out-of-your-way. There it is again. I keep typing that.

Here’s the thing — by staying off the beaten path, your customers buy from you, a one-stop source for their display. Consulting, designing, hardware, software, graphics, lighting, show management. You get the point. We help make the graphics portion a lot easier on you.

We Know Our Stuff

We’ve been doing this stuff for a long time . . .custom graphics of all kinds for over 20 years! All our graphics are handcrafted by a crack team of artisans. I know that sounds crazy, but we can prove it. Visit us and see for yourself — if you can find us.

Seriously, we know our stuff — Fantastic products such as dye sublimation, direct-to-substrate UV/Solvent printing, Lambda laser photographic, vinyl and more. Turnaround and shipping discounts that make our bottom line the real value. In fact, our turnaround is per your request. Our customers invented that idea! How do we do it? Three shifts a day, five days a week, our artisans, listen to you, stay out of-your-way and provide you more time to sell. Ever feel you’re spending too much time babysitting an order with your vendor? With Optima you won’t. Our staff understands the value of your time.

True Value

There’s a little more — Stuff like our No-Hassle Lifetime Warranty on all portable hardware items, custom graphics for absolutely any structure, a dizzying array of fabric and substrates to choose from, and our best value to you:  Optima Customer Service. Our Customer Service team is the best in the industry. Maybe any industry. I have no reservations about this claim, not one.

Contact Optima Graphics for more information at 800-844-8877 or visit www.optimagfx.com.

Let’s work together to grow your business. Call us on your project and start spending more time selling exhibits and less time babysitting your graphics. If we get really big some day, we might even start giving away those Selling Fearless t-shirts — but you’ll have to know someone to get one.

–Gary Camarato, Creative Director
gcamarato@optimagfx.com

Optima Graphics operates exclusively on a “Wholesale to The Trade” basis. We only sell to trade show manufacturers. This is our only business. Our goal is to make you look good to your customer without them knowing we exist.

Optima Corporate Headquarters

Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

Hiring a Project Manager — The 10 Essentials: Word on the Street — April 25th thru April 29th

May 1st, 2011 Mel White 1 COMMENT
Managing the Hiring of a Project Manager

Word on the Street by Kevin Carty

Hiring a Project Manager  — The 10 Essentials

Distributors often ask me what Classic Exhibits considers the ideal qualities of an exhibit project manager. Here are 10 qualities we consider essential, in no particular order.

1. Someone who enjoys assisting others.

We’ve found that a background in retail customer service is beneficial . . .  even if it was the candidate’s first job. They learn valuable skills (see Mel’s article about retail and customer service). As you may know, Mel and I both come from a retail training background where we were taught to always look for a way to make the customer feel appreciated and feel like they are “right.”

2. Creative problem solver.

Gone are the days where someone just calls and orders a kit. Most inquiries that come across your desk or ours require creativity and “outside the box” thinking. So a PM must be flexible in their thinking.

3. Mechanical mindset

A project manager must be able to view things from a “practical engineering” view. They need to be able to convert your client’s vision into a practical reality. Our project managers must have CAD skills since they are expected to create detail drawings on custom projects for our Production Department.

4. Detail-oriented (to a point).

This goes with #3. They need to be able focus on the details that will make an exhibit functionally sound. But, and this is a huge BUT,  they are expected to relieve you of the non-essential details, allowing you to focus on sales and new business generation. Most distributors don’t know, and don’t want to know, how many locks are required for a VK-1032 display. They want to know the features and the graphic dims. It’s the project manager’s job to convey exactly what you want and need to know to complete the order.

5. Understands the “big picture” and doesn’t let “I’m right and you’re wrong” obscure them from seeing the larger goals.

This is a big one. Sometimes with the “engineering” mindset on, a PM can get caught up in all the “can’t do’s” rather than what “can” be done. You really need someone that focuses on the “can do”!

6. Personable – Enjoys the interaction with distributors.

Basic people skills! If a person does not like dealing with people, then let them go or don’t hire them. Hate to sound blunt, but it’s reality.

7. Team player – someone who’s willing to raise their hand to assist others.

Team Player

Teamwork

We work with others — sometimes a lot of others, sometimes just a few. Regardless, PM’s need input from others and must be willing to lend a hand when necessary. That’s what makes a good PM. It gets back to being a creative problem solver, and one part of being a good “problem solver” is  tapping into the knowledge of others and serving as a resource for colleagues.

8. Courteous – Recognizes that social courtesy is the glue that greases the wheels in any organization.

Simply put . . . we spend much of our lives at work. Therefore who wants to be around others everyday who are not respectful, nice, and courteous of others.

9. Excellent time management skills.

Juggling is a more accurate depiction. Our PM’s can attest to that. They need to be able to handle upwards of 20 projects at any given time. All bringing different levels of detail and often multiple personalities involved at the other end of the phone. So heavy focus on organization and implementation is key.

10. They care. Yes, they wouldn’t be here if they weren’t getting paid, but they still want to do a good job, they want the company to succeed, and they want our customers to be happy.

It’s important to remember that no one is going to be as emotionally invested in the the business as you are, if you are the owner or executive, but PM’s that care do in fact have emotional connections with what they do. Regardless of the economic times. It’s easy for anyone to say they are invested when we are all worried about economic conditions. But it’s a clear differentiating factor when you find those who are as emotionally invested when the times are good. A lot of this comes back to whether or not a PM, or any employee for that matter, believes in the overall vision and focus of the company.

So, those are 10 of the things we look for. How about you? Do you agree? Are there other elements that you would include? Please respond and share your comments.

Have a great week ahead.

–Kevin Carty

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

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Kevin Carty, Word on the Street | 1 Comment »

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »