You’ve probably seen the “Match Made in Hell” commercial by the Ryan Reynold’s creative team. The only thing missing was an empty convention center.
It’s been a tough year for the exhibition and event industry, as well as travel, food, and hospitality. With the release of vaccines, there’s a glimmer of hope for a healthier 2021.
It would be easy to pooh-pooh the holidays this year. To dismiss it and move on. And yet, neither you nor Classic has taken that path. During our Classic Conversations sessions in December, you’ve talked about what you’re grateful for. For example, how the pandemic strengthened relationships, broadened your skills, and allowed you to reassess your business. And how you have learned to embrace the present and are planning for the future.
The Classic Exhibits Family wishes you a Joyous Holiday and a Brighter New Year. Above all, we are grateful for your friendship and support throughout 2020.
PANTONE Color of the Year 2021
Introducing Cheerful and Dependable | The EXACT Opposite of 2020.
PANTONE 17-5104 Ultimate Gray + PANTONE 13-0647 Illuminating, a marriage of color conveying a message of strength and hopefulness that is both enduring and uplifting. Illuminating is a bright and cheerful yellow sparkling with vivacity, a warming yellow shade imbued withsolar power. Ultimate Gray is emblematic of solid and dependable elements which are everlasting and provide a firm foundation.
Please join us in congratulating Katina Rigall Zipay, Classic’s Creative Director, for receiving EDPA’s Designer of the Year Award.
The award was presented to Katina at the EDPA ACCESS Conference in San Antonio. The Designer of the Year Award acknowledges a designer who works diligently to enhance the professional standards of experiential/exhibit designers, contributes their talents, creativity and personal time to bring innovation to experiential/exhibit design.
She was also recognized as a 2020 EDPA Future Leader. Congratulations Katina!
EXHIBITOR Portable Modular Awards
Earlier this week, EXHIBITOR announced the finalists for the Eighth Annual Portable Modular Awards. We are delighted to have five finalists: Greystar Worldwide, NuNaturals, Verity, Odyssey Foods, and GE Appliances. This is our eighth straight year of having multiple finalists. And, yes, we are bragging (a bit).
See all 40 of the finalists on the PMA People’s Choice Voting Page. You can vote for your favorite, once a day, until March 1. Classic has won the People’s Choice Award on several occasions, including last year (yes, a little more bragging).
We encourage you to vote and support the PMA’s.
Event Marketer Fab 50
Absolutely Fabulous! If you understood that reference, then you’re clearly over 45 and watched too much Comedy Central (or PBS) in the 1990’s.
Our thanks to Event Marketer for naming Classic Exhibits a Fab 50 company, their annual editorial listing of the industry’s top builders.
What’s even more exciting is how many Classic Exhibits Distributors made the list – 34 TOTAL. That just proves we are in good company.
This year represents our fifth year as a Fab 50 honoree. If you watch Saturday Night Live, you know the importance of being on the Five-Timers List.
A HUGE CONGRATULATIONS to all the Exhibit Builders on the Event Marketer Fab 50 List.
Classic’s Exhibit Design Search
Recently, we updated EDS on the Classic website to the format of the branded EDS sites. Over the past three years, we’ve made significant UI changes to the branded sites, such as larger gallery images, full screen optimization, hamburger menus, and a mobile-friendly format. Those upgrades are now part of the Classic EDS.
Please let us know if you see any issues or have questions. We welcome your feedback.
Some Good News: As we head into 2021, we’ve made the decision not to charge a subscription fee for your branded EDS sites for at least the first six months of 2021. It’s in everyone’s best interest. We want you to have Classic products on your website. AND, we both know you’re more likely to be successful selling portable, modular, custom and rentals with a branded EDS. It’s that simple.
This applies to all Classic Distributors with an active branded EDS beginning in 2020 or added EDS this year. We will re-evaluate in May for the second half of 2021.
In March when businesses needed safety barriers, they installed simple solutions. That made sense. COVID was a temporary inconvenience. Nearly a year later, those flimsy barriers are still in offices, lobbies, and stores. At Classic Exhibits, we’re seeing an uptick in design requests for more permanent solutions.
Safe and stylish are not incompatible. Done well, an elegant divider in an existing space can enhance the interior design.
These barriers are custom designed using existing structural materials which means they are more cost-effective than traditional architectural solutions. Plus, they can be installed in a day (often hours) rather than weeks. This market isn’t going away, even with a vaccine. It will continue to grow for hotels, banks, retail, and medical. For years.
We all want to be safe but how we get there matters. Just ask Randy from “A Christmas Story.”
Katina Rigall Zipay was presented with the EDPA Designer of the Year Award at the EDPA ACCESS Conference in San Antonio on December. 2. The award acknowledges a “designer who works diligently to enhance the professional standards of experiential/exhibit designers, contributes their talents, creativity and personal time to bring innovation to experiential/exhibit design.”
As the Creative Director for Classic Exhibits, Zipay has been challenged more than ever with designing solutions for not only tradeshows but also for corporate environments, retail settings and COVID-related projects. Most recently, she has been guiding Classic distributors and their clients through virtual exhibits as shows have shifted to online events.
In the words of Steve Deckel (pictured right) of Deckel and Moneypenny and a Classic distributor, “Katina is unfazed by the bizarre project scopes and fragmented briefs in our industry; she looks beyond the surface of things and explores both the minute detail and the big picture.”
A Passion for Design
Zipay discovered a passion for experiential design 14 years ago. Her designs have earned awards at tradeshows and from EXHIBITOR magazine. As a creative director, she manages a team of internal and contract designers who have won numerous design accolades from EXHIBITOR magazine.
Zipay was one of the first graduates to earn an M.A. in Exhibition Design from the EDPA-supported program at the Fashion Institute of Technology. At FIT, she won the Department of Exhibition Design Medal, an honor reserved for the top student.
Speaking and Teaching Engagements
Over the years, Zipay has had numerous speaking engagements at FIT, Oregon State University and the University of Illinois, and has mentored design students. Other speaking engagements include appearing as a panelist (with expertise in design) at EXHIBITORLIVE in 2013 and a Women in Exhibitions panel in 2020. She also teaches Design Development: Domestic and International as part of the new EDPA+FIT Design Certificate Program.
As a member of the Society for Experiential Graphic Designs (SEGD), Zipay has volunteered her time at multiple SEGD conferences, assisting with on-site design tours, procuring sponsorship and gaining valuable continuing design education in this vertical market. She also served as the Education Chair for the Portland Chapter of SEGD in 2017, facilitating relationships between SEGD and local colleges.
Women in Exhibitions Leadership
Her passion for education and connecting people with resources to grow their careers led her to become the Lead Facilitator of the non-profit group Women In Exhibitions. According to Jen LaBruzza (pictured left), national sales manager at Classic Exhibits, “Under her leadership for the last six years, Katina has reorganized the bare-bones annual meetings at EXHIBITORLIVE into well-attended events with high production value, created a mentorship program, increased sponsorship and formed an advisory committee to further expand support for women in the industry.”
In 2020, the need for connection and education regarding new developments in the industry increased dramatically. Zipay reacted quickly to organize and moderate an ongoing series of well-attended WIE Zoom meetings featuring different experts each week, addressing current industry developments both related to design and the industry.
In addition to the Designer of the Year Award, Zipay was also name as one of 10 EDPA Future Leaders.
The Event and Exhibition industry in North America is represented by an alphabet soup of organizations. Each focuses on a slice of the industry like show organizers, exhibit builders, or venue managers. There’s no one umbrella group. Sadly, with the exception of HCEA (which is strictly healthcare), there are no associations that represent exhibitors and trade show managers as their primary audience.
The list below summarizes the members and mission for those associations. It does not include international organizations like:
The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry (UFI)
International Association of Fairs and Exhibitions (IAFE)
International Federation of Exhibition and Event Services (IFES)
EDPA, Experiential Designers and Producers
Association
From the EDPA Website: The EDPA is THE network for leaders in the
customer experience industry. Its members combine marketing, design and
production leadership to help organizations create effective face-to face
customer experiences & environments for tradeshows, events, corporate
environments, museums, retailers, education and entertainment.
The EDPA is THE network for leaders in the customer
experience industry. Its members combine marketing, design and production
leadership to help organizations create effective face-to face customer
experiences & environments for tradeshows, events, corporate environments,
museums, retailers, education and entertainment.
Who are Their Members: Primarily exhibit builders, suppliers, and distributors of trade show products and services.
From the EACA Website: The Exhibitor Appointed Contractor Association represents and supports the interests of EACs and all other organizations that provide exhibit services.
The mission of the EACA is to create tangible value for its
members, and the entire trade show industry, by leveraging the combined
strengths of the EAC community. We do
this by:
Raising the profile of member companies to
prospective clients by providing easy access to member services and locations
on our web site
Using the member’s collective buying power to
obtain advantaged pricing on significant cost centers like supplies and
equipment, payroll services, and workers comp, health and liability insurance.
Developing operational tools like the EACA
mobile app which allows members to access project critical data and information
on a real time basis.
Creating initiatives to assist members to
identify and recruit new talent through our collaboration with Skills USA.
And, conducting routine surveys of the
membership, and the industry, to provide EACA members with data to inform
strategic planning.
Who are Their Members: Primarily non-General Show
Contractor labor providers that exhibitors select to install and dismantle
their trade show exhibit on the show floor. Membership also includes some
General Show Contractors, freight companies, union representatives, and exhibit
houses with I&E divisions.
From the SISO Website: SISO members include companies, corporations
and other for-profit entities that own, produce or provide full-service
management of “face to face” trade shows, consumer shows, expositions,
conferences and /or similar events as a substantial part of their
business. SISO membership is a
combination of large corporations and small entrepreneurial enterprises that do
business primarily in North America, as well as in Europe, Asia, Africa, India,
Singapore, Australia and New Zealand. SISO’s more than 195 members produce over
3,500 events, creating an overall $122B impact on the global economy.
The Society of Independent Show Organizers was formed and
has been dedicated to meeting the needs of the for-profit show organizer
through networking, the exchange of ideas and experiences, and the ability to
learn from each other in a non-competitive and candid environment.
Who are Their Members: For-profit trade show and
event organizers (like Reed and Informa).
ESCA, Exhibition Services and
Contractors Association
From the ESCA Website: ESCA is dedicated to the
advancement of the exhibition, meeting, and special events industries. Through
the education, information exchange and level of professionalism shared by
members and their customers, ESCA promotes cooperation among all areas of the
exhibition industry.
Since 1970 ESCA has provided a unified voice for service
contractors and their partners in the exhibition industry. ESCA now has more
than 175 member companies throughout the United States, Canada, and the United
Kingdom and maintains alliances with IAEE, IAVM, SISO, EDPA, and CEIR to
promote the exhibition industry.
Who are Their Members: Primarily General Service Contractors
such as Freeman, GES, George Fern, and other regional GSCs along with suppliers
that provide rental furniture, carpeting, and pipe and drape.
IAEE, International Association
of Exhibitions and Events
From the IAEE Website: The International Association of Exhibitions and Events is the leading association for the global exhibition industry. Today IAEE represents over 12,000 individuals in over 50 countries who conduct and support exhibitions around the world.
Over 50 percent of IAEE’s members are directly involved in
the planning, management, and production of exhibitions and buyer-seller
events. The remainder of our membership consists of those who provide products
and services to the industry. IAEE values and promotes diversity of membership,
in terms of company size, products, and geographical area.
Who are Their Members: Similar to SISO, except the IAEE members are primarily non-profit associations, show organizers, and convention and visitor bureaus (CVB).
From the IAVM Website: Representing public assembly venues from around the globe, IAVM’s active members include managers and senior executives from auditorium, arenas, convention centers, exhibit halls, stadiums, performing arts centers, university complexes, and amphitheaters.
Member venues represent huge expenditures of public and
private funds. They attract millions of patrons to an astonishing variety of
events from football to basketball, baseball to hockey, from rock concerts to
conventions, conferences to ballets…the list is almost endless.
IAVM counts more than 500 Allied companies among its
members. These companies provide products and services used by managers.
Through their IAVM membership, Allied members are able to present their
products to this vast market.
Who are Their Members: Managers of publicly-owned convention, event, performing arts, sporting, and business facilities.
From the NACS Website: The National Association of Consumer Shows
(NACS) was founded in 1988 for the advancement of the consumer (public) show
industry and to further the growth and professionalism of those involved in the
production of consumer shows. The Association focuses solely on the issues of
the public show industry through advocacy, education, and networking.
NACS is a friendly, accessible community in which consumer
show producers at every level can learn, build relationships, and grow
professionally. NACS members annually produce and host shows which use millions
of square feet of public and private exhibit space throughout the United States
and Canada. These shows bring
significant value to the host facilities, communities, exhibitors, and
attendees.
Who are Their Members: Generally, smaller for-profit
show organizers that produce regional consumer events like auto, holiday,
craft, garden, bridal, fishing, and boat shows.
From the CEMA Website: CEMA is a thriving community
of corporate event marketers. We serve all senior-level event marketers in a
corporate environment. The diversity of our corporate membership continues to
expand, and our recent acceptance as members of the Events Industry Council
(EIC) have enabled us to expand our reach even further.
Our differentiator is our non-selling, peer-to-peer
environment. Conversations among participants at our events focus on best
practice sharing and knowledge sharing. Relationships are first and foremost.
Professionals do business with other professionals they trust. CEMA facilitates
those connections and lifelong industry friendships. CEMA members engage in
person through educational and networking opportunities offered each month
around the country.
Who are Their Members: Primarily corporate event organizers
but also CVB’s and for-profit event companies and general show contractors.
From the EIC Website: The Events Industry Council’s 30+ member organizations represent over 103,500 individuals and 19,500 firms and properties involved in the events industry globally. Our four signature programs—Sustainability, APEX, Knowledge, Leadership—represent the key initiatives, assets, services and products for the Events Industry Council. The Council works to advance the events industry and the professionals who lead the business of meetings.
Who are Their Members: Over 30 event-related organizations
associated with meetings, live events, catering, convention management, travel,
and exhibitions. See the complete list: https://www.eventscouncil.org/About-Us/Our-Members
HCEA, Healthcare Convention and
Exhibitors Association
From the HCEA Website: The Healthcare Convention & Exhibitors
Association (HCEA) is a trade association representing organizations united by
a common desire to increase the effectiveness and quality of healthcare
conventions and exhibitions as an educational and marketing medium.
Since 1930, we have brought together industry stakeholders,
including healthcare exhibitors, healthcare exhibition and meeting organizers
and industry suppliers, who are instrumental in promoting healthcare convention
marketing and exhibitions as vital components of the healthcare marketing mix.
During our long history, HCEA has developed into a dynamic organization that is
the only association solely dedicated to improving the effectiveness of all
conventions, meetings, and exhibitions for the healthcare industry.
Who are their Members: Medical/pharmaceutical companies, CVB’s, exhibit
houses, General Show Contractors, and healthcare-related associations.
It’s time to grab a pencil (or pen if you’re feeling really brave) and have some fun. You deserve some fun, right? Below is a Classic Exhibits Crossword Puzzle with many common trade show terms, including a few new ones. There are several tricky questions, but don’t panic if you get stuck. Send an email to mel@classicexhibits.com and I’ll provide you with a clue or clues.
Win a Starbucks Gift Card
When you complete the crossword puzzle, email it to me and you’ll be entered into a drawing for one of (3) $15 Starbucks Gift Cards. Entries must be received by Friday, December 4. To download a PDF version of the crossword, CLICK HERE.
