Trade Show TalesBlog

Measuring the Impact of Social Media Marketing: Free Webinar

May 21st, 2013 Mel White COMMENTS

Measuring Social Media Webinar

MEASURING SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING

“Social Media Metrics: What To Measure And Why” will be the subject of a free webinar on Wednesday, May 22. It is intended to give business leaders perspective on the differences between social media marketing and traditional advertising approaches, and to provide them with an understanding of what data should be driving their analysis of the success of their efforts.

Tim Patterson, vice-president of Communication Steroids / Communication One Exhibits, says the information is timely and relevant. “We recently offered this presentation to a group of public relations professionals and got great feedback.”

The webinar will focus on the necessity of re-defining the importance of ROI in a socially connected world; and how results of marketing efforts can be quantified.

Roger Pike, a co-presenter also with Communication Steroids/ Communication One Exhibits says hard numbers are out there. “Nobody wants to invest time, money, and resources into a significant social media campaign unless they can get a handle on what that investment returns. There are tools to measure that return; with concrete numbers.”

The webinar is scheduled for Wednesday, May 22 at 10 am Pacific Time. Sign up is free at http://tinyurl.com/socmedanalytics. While the webinar is free, we do ask for some basic contact information to attend.

CONTACT: TIM PATTERSON 503-507-4110; tim@communicationoneexhibits.com

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Based in Portland, Oregon, Classic Exhibits Inc. designs and manufacturers portable, modular, and custom-hybrid 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.

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Tags: Social Media
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When Simple Statements Make a Difference: Word on the Street — May 13th thru May 17th

May 19th, 2013 Mel White COMMENTS

Word on the Street by Kevin Carty

You have experienced it a million times: Sometimes the simplest statements can either ruin your day or make it all worthwhile!

As a parent, I am very conscious of this. There’s nothing worse than when your child shows you something they drew or created with Lego’s, all excited, and your response is, “What is it?” or “I am busy. I will look at it later.” No matter how bad or unrecognizable it may be, I always tell my kids, “That’s beautiful. Tell me all about it.”

As adults, we are much the same. We want people to respect what we do.

Well, I’m going to toot our horn a little, and honestly, I am fine with that. This week, we had one of the best compliments you could receive. Tyler Poage from Exhibits Northwest Portland had a client preview at Classic Exhibits. The job is a 40 ft. custom island with multiple backlit counters, downlighting, and large silicone edge graphics. After several long days and nights on the Production floor wrapping up the project, our crew had 95% of the booth set and ready for the preview on Friday afternoon. The only things missing were some graphics that had not shipped.

Well, the client walked in and took a few minutes to check it out. Then Tyler introduced me to her. Her first comment was, “This is the best first look at a new build I have ever been a part of. Thank you!”

Now, take it how you want, but to me, and more importantly to Edie (the PM of the project) and about 15 production guys that poured their sweat into this build, that was a simple but powerful statement. I shared it with everyone a few minutes later to make sure they all knew their hard work was appreciated by the client. And every last one of them got a new look on their face. Before that, they just looked tired, but after hearing the feedback, they all brightened up and humbly said they were glad the client was happy.

Sometimes, what may seem to be a simple compliment, can make a significant impact on others. This was the case here. I am not sure the client knows how much her compliment meant to our crew, but I look forward to sharing the reaction if I see her again.

Kudos to Wood Fab, Set-up and Assembly, Instructions, and Edie for a job well done. And thanks to Tyler and Exhibits Northwest for bringing us such a great project.

I hope you have a great and restful weekend with your families. Like you, we will be hitting the reset button this weekend in preparation for more creative projects coming through the shop.

Take care.

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

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Tags: Classic Exhibits, Compliments, Custom Build, Exhibits Northwest, Trade Show Exhibits
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Katina Rigall Describes the TF-506 Hybrid Display

May 17th, 2013 Mel White 2 COMMENTS

Katina Rigall, an exhibit designer at Classic, explains why she designed the TF-506 Portable Hybrid Display.

TF-506 and TF-5201

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Tags: Classic Exhibits, Katina Rigall, Portable Trade Show Display, TF-506
Posted in Classic Exhibit Systems | 2 Comments »

NEW Features in Exhibit Design Search (EDS)

May 15th, 2013 Mel White COMMENTS

For those Exhibit Design Search groupies, and you know who you are, we’ve added some enhanced features. These features are available on Classic’s EDS, on your branded EDS sites, and on the unbranded version (www.exhibit-design-search.com).

Additions Include:

Add P5D Photos to My Gallery. Now you can send kits and photos in one email. Much easier
An iPad Kiosks/Solutions Gallery. This product line continues to grow and deserved a dedicated gallery
A “Show All” feature — Now you can view larger searches and galleries in a single window
Alphabetical Sort. Very convenient if you want to view a search in alphabetical order
New Fabric Swatches page showing all current and available Front Runner, Prelude, and EcoFi fabrics in our assortment

See the screen grabs below for a visual explanation of the enhancements.

You can now add Photos from Past 5 Days (P5D) to your My Gallery:

There is a dedicated EDS gallery for iPad Solutions:

If you’re viewing a gallery, there is now a “Show All” option:

Convenient alphabetical sorting:

New Fabric Swatch gallery:

http://www.classicexhibits.com/tradeshow-blog/2013/04/05/new-fabric-color-swatch-tool/

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

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Tags: Classic Exhibits, displays, Exhibit Design Search, exhibits, Trade Show Exhibits, tradeshow displays
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Spring SKU 2013 Graduation: Word on the Street — May 6th thru May 10th

May 12th, 2013 Mel White COMMENTS

SKU Spring 2013 Graduation: Word on the Street -- May 6th thru May 10th

Word on the Street by Kevin Carty

To the Spring 2013 SKU Graduates

What can I say? I am honored you attended Shared Knowledge University. Thanks for participating in an amazing SKU. By the email commentary (that’s still going on), I feel confident in saying that we had the most successful session yet. For those who attended, please share your thoughts in the blog comment section. Future SKU attendees need to hear from you!

SKU has proven to be an effective training program, and a chance to connect, to share ideas, to welcome new team members, and to strengthen existing relationships. This time was no different. We had a diverse blend of newbies, industry pros, and everything in between. All came prepared with great questions as well as thoughtful suggestions and recommendations.

Content Content Content is something I have always admired about a good training program or open house. And from the feedback — we delivered. Big thanks to Chris Griffin from TS Crew and Dave Brown from Optima Graphics for providing great sessions. Very well done men!!

Shared Knowledge University

Along with our guest speakers, I have to tell you I am always so impressed by our staff and partners and the roles they play. Eric Albery from Eco-Systems Sustainable and from Classic — Cynthia Geddis, Jen LaBruzza, Reid Sherwood, Jim Shelman, Wade West, Charlie Shivel, Mike Swartout, Katina Rigall, and James Sharpe. You did a great job, and I am proud of you as co-workers, professionals, and people. Thanks for representing the company that I love so much.

And who can forget Mel White! Another stellar job leading the way. And thanks for embracing the new moniker “Melberace” — a truly fabulous tradeshow mascot.

So what did we learn aside from the obvious Classic Exhibits production offerings, benefits, and advantages? A lot! But here are a few highlights I would like to share.

1) Apparently our guests believe that the “R” in Portland is silent (clearly, they’ve been watching too much Portlandia).

2) If you’re going to be a nice guy, be a really nice guy! (stolen from my father-in-law and mentor Lowell Nickens).

3) Blue Jeans are controversial.

4) It’s never fun when “your feeling a little grumbly in the ole’ meow mixer.”

5) Group A ROCKS!

The Detention Room

6) Sacagawea may have been a candidate for an early episode of Teen Mom if television had been around.

7) On a wild van ride back from dinner at The Kennedy School — “I don’t think we’ve ever had an SKU group quite like this.”

8) It ALWAYS rains in Portland, and it is filled with dirty stinky hippies (don’t ever forget that class!).

9) Reid Sherwood is always at home in a “detention room” of some sort.

10) Habanero Fritters are just as hot as they sound, even when you only eat 1/4 of one.

11) The knobs are f—-ing priceless!

12) Doing business with friends is truly the only path to Shared Success.

Once again, thanks to the attendees. I enjoyed meeting the new folks and connecting with those I already knew. You are all wonderful people, and the Classic Exhibits Family looks forward to working with for many, many years to come.

Have a wonderful weekend!

And to the attendee that blurted out “Wife Swap” when asked about their guilty TV pleasure, please, oh please, seek help.