During the past year, I confirmed something I suspected was true: the push to be eco-friendly has lost momentum in the trade show industry. It’s not anyone’s fault, but like other trends, it has become an afterthought for many exhibitors and exhibit builders serving the trade show industry. That trend is your opportunity in 2020.
Most companies have a sustainability policy, whether it’s a corporate initiative at a Fortune 500 company or a zero-waste policy at a local manufacturer.
My question is … Are marketing departments, particularly the trade show or event marketing functions, tying into the sustainability policies of their respective companies? Some are when they’re selling a green product or service, but a majority are not since most corporation’s sustainability policies rarely include their trade shows unless it’s mandated by a show like Greenbuild.
However, “sustainability” can create a selling advantage — a key differentiator. The subject of sustainability may not be something you lead with in a presentation, but it might be the added benefit that could spark interest and make you stand out from your competitors. If everything is equal between you and a competitor in the mind of your client, then sustainability might be what wins the project.
It’s important to communicate to your clients that sustainable materials are NOT more expensive than standard materials plus the quality and durability of eco-friendly materials is equal to or exceeds those standard materials. You have the opportunity to offer your customer more for their money.
Now that you are excited about selling the benefits of eco-friendly booths, the fact remains that design is the principle reason clients make a buying decision along with the relationship you’ve established and the services you provide. For that reason, we know that presenting a design that meets your clients’ visual expectations along with their budget is your primary goal and being eco-friendly is an added bonus.
Your success is our success so let us know how we can continue to support your sales efforts with sustainable designs at Classic Exhibits.
See below for images of our 10 x 30 booth at EXHIBITORLIVE 2019 which is a finalist for the Portable Modular Awards. Please vote.
Tom Beard, Regional Sales Manager, Classic Exhibits Inc.
Las Vegas, NV, February 2019 – The 2nd Annual Women In Exhibitions Breakfast will be held at EXHIBITORLIVE in the Connection Zone, February 26, 2019 from 8-10 am. This once a year opportunity brings women in the Exhibition and Event industry together to discuss challenges and success strategies, network with peers, and make new contacts.
Cost of admission includes a buffet breakfast and a special presentation from international speaker and best-selling author Sandy Jones-Kaminski. As a mentor and coach with 20+ years of marketing and business development experience, Sandy helps professionals, entrepreneurs, and business owners grow their own careers through proactive personal branding, online and offline networking activities. Sandy’s presentation will illuminate strategies for making the most of the Women In Exhibitions mentorship program and more.
Here’s What Last Year’s Attendees are Saying about the Event:
“It was empowering to be sitting in a room full of women who were actively pursuing their careers in the exhibit industry. There’s nothing quite like being with a group of career-oriented women who want to see each other succeed. I am already excited to attend this event next year.” — Jessica Diers, Diers Exhibit
“The breakfast was the highlight of my experience at the show, and I am so glad the Design Factory could be a part of it. I feel the event was a wonderful opportunity for so many women to meet, mingle, and share ideas. I hope to participate in the future.” — Chris Harvey, The Design Factory, Las Vegas
“From the initial meeting of Women in Exhibitions in Tucson in 2002, I have had the opportunity to attend many WIE meetings. The breakfast event at EXHIBITORLIVE 2018 was amazing. There were many bright, enthusiastic, experienced women sharing information and ideas. Having a guest speaker was a bonus, especially since it was interesting. I was able to connect with several women, which will be of benefit to my business. Bottom line is that it was the best meeting we have ever had for WIE.” — Jocelyn Welles, Exhibit Expressions
Register Now:
Early bird tickets are on sale now for $30, and there’s an option to sponsor a student ticket for the same price. Space is limited, purchasing tickets in advance is STRONGLY recommended. Ticket prices go up on the day of the event.
Many thanks to our Sponsors for making the 2nd Annual Women In Exhibitions Breakfast possible:
Diamond Sponsors: EXHIBITOR Media Group, Classic Exhibits Inc.
One of the best decisions EXHIBITOR ever made was creating Strategic Partner Hours from 10-11:30 am on Tuesday and Wednesday. We enjoy meeting with our Distributor Partners and Vendors during those times because it offers uninterrupted sessions to discuss your business and how Classic Exhibits can assist in your success.
Stop by during those hours, or even better, schedule a meeting with the Classic Exhibits Management Team. That will ensure you’ll have our undivided attention. See you in Vegas Baby!!
[Video Text/Transcript] Hi everyone. This is Mel at Classic Exhibits. I hope you are doing well. It’s February, and we’re three or four weeks away from EXHIBITORLIVE. And for those who just went through the brutal Polar Vortex, I’m sure four days in sunny Las Vegas can’t come soon enough.
We will be there, of course. I believe it’s our 25th year. No misses. This year, Classic will be in 20×30 double-deck. Booth #1623.
As you know, we participate in EXHIBITOR primarily to meet with our Distributor Partners. In other words — YOU. And while end-users visit us as well and we pass those leads along after the show, we are committed to spending as much time as possible with our distributors. Mostly, we want to hear from you. What are you seeing in trends? Suggestions on how Classic can assist you with design, exhibit builds, and marketing. Is there anything missing from our assortment?
This year our booth theme is “Knot Your Typical Exhibit Builder.” That’s “K.N.O.T.” You’ll see the theme, including “knot” puns throughout the space. We will even have a magician in the booth performing knot tricks. RJ, the magician, is knot your typical magic act. Yes, the puns will probably get painful at some point.
So what can you expect from Classic? More of the same, meaning lots of product innovations.For instance, this past year we launched the Gravitee One-Step Lightbox and the Mobile Meeting Pods. You’ll see examples of both in the booth. Our InCharg Charging solutions will now include wireless options, in addition to USB ports.
For us, Custom builds have expanded well beyond trade shows into retail, corporate environments, and even museum work. Our rental sales continue to soar, which shouldn’t be a surprise. Even the Sacagawea Portable line got a refresh with the addition of charging ports and a hostess shelf, features not found on any other portable hybrid.
Other trends? LED Lightboxes in every shape imaginable. Expect a significant change to our LB assembly this spring, which will make SuperNova both the strongest and easiest LB to setup in the industry. Then there’s the allure of video walls. Expect more affordable and accessible video solutions in 2019
If you would like to schedule an appointment, please let us know as soon as possible. In addition, we encourage you to visit us during the Strategic Partner hours on Tuesday and Wednesday. Those hours are always less hectic.
OK, so it’s still winter and maybe you can’t lose your winter coat just yet… but Las Vegas is just around the corner. We look forward to visiting with you. And remember, To Be or Knot to Be, That is the Question for EXHIBITORLIVE. Cheers!
For a free EXHIBITORLIVE Exhibit Hall Pass, Click on the Registration Link and enter #4044. Compliments of your friends at Classic Exhibits.
My first job in the trade show industry was with a portable pop-up display manufacturer in the mid-1990s. By then, there were half a dozen major manufacturers. To put this in perspective, the original pop-up display was introduced in 1975 by Ted Zeigler, who founded Nomadic Display.
The Pop-up Display War
At the time, there was a fierce sales battle based on the features and benefits of pop-up displays. It was war, and the side you took was fought with a take-no-prisoners approach. And lest we forget, those were the days when your salesperson would arrive at your office and demo the pop up with a certain theatrical flair.
This may seem a bit silly now. However, at the time, pop-up displays, nearly all designed and built in the United States, were an amazing invention. They made life for trade show exhibitors in 10 x 10 and 10 x 20 spaces much easier (and they were fun to open and assemble).
They shipped in portable cases, greatly reducing drayage, and could be assembled quickly and with minimal instructions. Plus, you could choose between fabric panels with Velcro graphics or spend more and have mural graphics. Prices ranged from $3600 for a basic 10 ft. with fabric panels to nearly $10,000 with graphics, shelves, lights, and a case-to-counter conversion. It seemed like a bargain compared to traditional custom wood exhibits. And it was.
Pop-up Displays with Mural Panels
So, what were the differences between the various systems that seemed so important at the time?
Aluminum vs. Fiberglass
Most pop up displays were made with aluminum. Some with round tubes. Others with square tubes. And even in the round tube community there was bickering about the quality of the aluminum (aircraft grade vs. non-aircraft grade) and the diameter of the tube. One manufacturer took a different approach and make their frame with fiberglass rods.
Self-Locking vs Connectors
There was no middle ground on the connector feature. The self-locking frame zealots included the original and most well-known brand. Anyone who demo’d it made sure to emphasize the “magic” when opening it. And frankly, if you hadn’t seen it before, it was pretty darn impressive. All other frames had connectors which gave the frames rigidity. The number of connectors varied — some having as few as six to others having as many as 15. Then there was the battle of which connector was easier and more durable, which was valid if often overstated.
Channel Bars
As if the frame differences weren’t enough, then there were the channel bars, which are the vertical bars that hold the fabric and graphic panels. This was a financial goldmine for intellectual patent attorneys as manufacturers engineered changes to address or negate their competitor’s perceived advantages. In short, the differences fell into three camps: individual channel bars, attached channel bars (using fabric or elastic), and folding or sliding channel bars.
In addition, salespeople would sing the praises of whether the channel bar was steel, aluminum, or plastic and whether the panel connection was magnet-to-magnet or magnet-to-metal. If you believed them, it really, really mattered and making the wrong (or right) decision could alter the course of your life.
Roto-molded Portable Cases
This came down to three distinctions:
Does the 10 ft. pop up pack in two smaller (and lighter) cases or one larger case.
Does the internal packing have all the bells and whistles to keep at the parts tidy or more basic packaging to save cost.
Do the case(s) allow for a case-to-counter conversion option and how easy was the conversion to assemble.
Floating Graphic Pop-up Displays
In 2022
Let’s jump ahead to 2022. Are there the same differences among pop ups on the market? Yes. But they don’t seem to matter to most exhibitors. It’s really about features, price, and whether the exhibitor wants to make a short-term or long-term investment in their pop-up display. Even that depends on how often they use it every year.
Fortunately, exhibitors no longer have to settle for a basic 10 ft. curve. There are now pop up frames with tension fabric graphics, backlighting, and even SEG, along with LED lights and robust shelving options. And as you can imagine, price points vary widely depending on features and quality.
It pays to ask questions even on the less expensive models, especially if the price seems too good to be true. We live in a find-and-click world, but a display purchase should always include a conversation or email/text exchange with a knowledgeable professional to make sure the display will fulfill your trade show marketing goals. Things break. Will the display last multiple years? Are replacement parts available? Where do you go when you need new mural panels?
Let us know if we can assist you with your next display purchase, whether it’s portable, modular, or custom. See the links for more information about the FGS and Quadro Pop Up Displays. Happy Exhibiting!
Classic Exhibits Inc. designs and manufacturers portable, modular, hybrid, custom, rental 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.