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EXHIBITOR2013 — Show Me the Best Shows, Baby! (from a Las Vegas local)

February 18th, 2013 Mel White 7 COMMENTS

Lesson #143:  Show Me the Best Shows, Baby

The countdown to EXHIBITOR2013 is on — T-minus 26 days and counting. That means you have less than a month to get tickets to see your favorite shows and/or performers in Las Vegas. As a Las Vegas local, I want to share with you some of my favorites on and off the Strip.

  1. EXHIBITOR2013 — Other Places to Eat (from a Las Vegas local)
  2. EXHIBITOR2013 — What Else to Do in Vegas (from a Las Vegas local)

Absinthe (http://www.absinthevegas.com)

Absinthe appears twice nightly, Wednesday – Sunday in the Roman Plaza at Caesars Palace. It is an acro-variety show that is performed in the round. It has received great local and national acclaim. The show includes familiar ingredients for Las Vegas – raunch comedy, circus acrobatics, and a sprinkle of burlesque –- all uniquely combined into something new and beyond the usual. The New York Times sums up the entire ‘Absinthe’ experience as, “Imagine Cirque du Soleil as channeled through ‘Rocky Horror Picture Show.” My advice — you’ve got to ask yourself one question: “Do I want to see this with _____________. Well, do ya, punk?”

LOVE (http://mirage.com/entertainment/love.aspx).

Just down the road a piece (sorry the Westerner in me is coming out) is LOVE at the Mirage. It’s the must see Cirque du Soleil show in Las Vegas. You can’t help but feel good after spending 1½ hours in the company of the Beatles music. Last September, they celebrated their 3,000 show and you’d never know it!  The show is performed in the round, so no two performances are alike. Even if you’ve already seen this SPECTACULAR, see it AGAIN! LOVE also appears twice nightly on Thursday-Monday. And just because I think you’re GROOVY, I searched and found this special link (http://cirk.me/UOguGP) so you could go and get tickets at a special price too!

Jersey Boys (http://www.jerseyboysinfo.com/vegas/show.html)

Not only has Las Vegas been home to the best Cirque du Soleil shows, it has also become a home away from home for many Broadway musicals. One such show is Jersey Boys. Jersey Boys is a musical biography of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons. Of course, the link to Las Vegas and the mob cannot be overlooked. Jersey Boys began its run in Las Vegas in 2008 and has been going strong ever since.  Jersey Boys plays at the Paris and is dark is Monday with two shows performed on Saturday and Tuesday.

Terry Fator (http://goo.gl/aFw7i)

Join Terry Fator and the rest of the Fator gang for an evening of world class entertainment. With his unique combination of celebrity impressions and ventriloquism, the show is just plain fun. Terry has been in the Best of Las Vegas consistently since his arrival in 2007. TripAdvisor ranks him #11 of 478. If a good laugh is what you need, then Terry Fator has the remedy. Shows are nightly Monday – Friday. By visiting the link above you can check for seats that are 25% off in addition to 15% off dinner/show packages.

Discount Tickets

If you’re willing to take a gamble (when in Rome) or can be a little flexible, there are many discount ticket companies for Las Vegas shows. I’ve either had personal experience or friends that have recommended these discounters. For discounts on most Las Vegas show tickets, checkout the following sights:

It never hurts to check out Groupon.com for Las Vegas deals. If you already use it online or if you have the App for your smartphone, it’s as easy as changing your location.

 Near and Dear

Not That David Copperfield. The Other One.

Lastly, we can’t forget the shows that are close to Luxor, Tropicana, and MGM Grand:

If none of the above acts meet your fancy, you can always stop by the Classic Exhibits booth (#1637). We’ll have appearances by our own Tony Bennett, JLa, and the crowd favorite, MELVIS!!!

Please share your favorites, along with your super secret way of getting the best seats in the house.

If you haven’t registered, what are you waiting for, a personal invitation? Well luckily we’ve got one for you. Click HERE for FREE Access to the show hall courtesy of Classic Exhibits. Enter Promo Code 4044 for the FREE Pass (waiving the credit card fee).

Jen LaBruzza, Western Regional Manager
Classic Exhibits/ClassicMODUL
jen@classicexhibits.com

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Based in Portland, Oregon, Classic Exhibits Inc. designs and manufacturers portable, modular, and custom-hybrid exhibit solutions and engineered aluminum extrusions (ClassicMODUL). 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.

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Another Seth Godin Beauty: Word on the Street — Feb. 11th thru Feb. 15th

February 17th, 2013 Mel White 7 COMMENTS
Another Beauty by Seth Godin

Word on the Street by Kevin Carty

I have referenced Seth Godin before, but bear with me one more time because last week one of his posts struck me as relevant to our community.

Let me explain my relationship with Seth. When I wake up at 5 am every morning, the first thing I do is read two emails. One is inspirational from a good friend in our industry– Proverb of the Day. The other is Seth Godin’s daily blog posting. And without fail, both are great starters for me, professionally and personally.

This was Seth’s blog post on Thursday, Valentine’s Day.

Open, Generous, and Connected

Isn’t that what we seek from a co-worker, boss, friend or even a fellow conference attendee?

Open to new ideas, leaning forward, exploring the edges, impatient with the status quo … In a hurry to make something worth making.

Generous when given the opportunity (or restless to find the opportunity when not). Focused on giving people dignity, respect, and the chance to speak up. Aware that the single most effective way to move forward is to help others move forward as well.

and connected. Part of the community, not apart from it. Hooked into the realities and dreams of the tribe. Able and interested in not only cheering people on, but shining a light on how they can accomplish their goals.

Paradoxically, the fancier the conference, the more fabled the people around the table, the less likely you are to find these attributes. These attributes, it turns out, have nothing to do with fame or resources. In fact, fear is the damper on all three. Fear of failure, intimacy, and vulnerability. Fear closes us up, causes us to self-focus and to disconnect.

When we find our own foundation and are supported in our work by those around us, we can get back to first principles, to realizing our own dreams and making our own art by supporting others first and always.

When I read this, I felt an instant appreciation for so many people and organizations in my life.

I am fortunate that I get to work with a team at Classic Exhibits that truly is Open, Generous and Connected. Egos are checked at the door and as a group, we try to move forward while raising each other up and listening to each other’s ideas and real intent. Mel in particular. I am very fortunate to get to co-manage our organization with him. Lord knows I am not the easiest guy to to work with each day. 🙂

These same characteristics can come in your personal life, whether from a friend who is willing to listen to your latest business idea and willing to give you honest feedback from a real outsider’s perspective. Or it can come from your spouse who says, “The kids on your basketball team are really improving every week. Your hard work with them is showing on the court.”

Professionally, it makes me appreciate my fellow EDPA Board members. They are constantly challenging me to be better in business — sharing ideas, listening to my hair-brained ones, and always willing to give me encouragement.

Anyway, like I said, every morning I read these two emails and get something from each of them. If you are not following Seth, I would recommend that you do. It may not always apply, but most of the time it does.

Lastly, on a totally different subject, I want to give a special shout-out to a good friend. Chuck, congrats on five years of being cancer free my friend. That news was the highlight of my week.  Livestrong Brother!

Hope you had a restful weekend.

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

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Reserve Time with Classic Exhibits at EXHIBITOR

February 12th, 2013 Mel White COMMENTS

We expect the Classic Exhibits booth to be very, very busy this year. And, we don’t want to disappoint anyone. By blocking out a time, you can request a meeting with a Classic employee during the show hours, for breakfast, or at the Hospitality Suite.

We’ll do our best to accommodate you and will confirm the appointment within a day or two. Simply click on the link below to request an appointment.

We’re available Sunday through Wednesday for breakfast meetings, on the show floor, and at the Classic Hospitality Suite (Tuesday afternoon).

Don’t feel you have to schedule an appointment. Some of us operate on Jamaican time.

http://www.classicexhibits.com/esf

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Free Registration for EXHIBITOR2013

Registration for EXHIBITOR2013 is now OPEN! Click HERE for FREE Access to the show hall courtesy of Classic Exhibits. Enter Promo Code 4044 for the FREE Pass (waiving the credit card fee).

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“Island I See You in All My Dreams”: Word on the Street — Feb. 4th thru Feb. 8th

February 10th, 2013 Mel White COMMENTS
"Island I See You in All My Dreams": Word on the Street -- Feb. 4th thru Feb. 8th

Word on the Street by Kevin Carty

Take Me to the Islands

For all the Parrotheads out there, you will recognize the blog title as a lyric from the Jimmy Buffett song, Island. But islands are something we have been seeing both awake and in our dreams over the past six weeks.

With each New Year, there comes a rush of business for the upcoming spring shows, and this year has been no different. Except, for the number of Island Exhibits we are quoting and ultimately building. So far this year, we have had several islands ship every single week. About half are total “ground-up design” and half are existing island kits with modifications.

Great news and a lot of fun.

So what does this mean? What is this an indicator of? Well while I am not Carnac or Kreskin or any sort of Chief Economist, but  I do know what it feels like. It feels like another positive economic step in the right direction in this slow turn of the economy.

Your clients are speaking with their pocket books, and they are saying “It’s time to get back to a fully functioning marketing program.” That includes more aggressive and expansive trade show marketing.

Many of the islands are for Fortune 500 and larger companies. Companies that pre-recession were doing much larger island presentations. So this would be a good indicator of the “paced” approach companies are taking. Jumping in with both feet, but jumping in somewhere between the deep and the shallow end while trying to grow responsibly.

Although this can be a frustrating pace for some, I applaud it actually. It’s nice to see companies of all sizes taking the same approach many of us are taking with our businesses. Call it “wait and see”, call it “careful optimism,” call it whatever you want. I view it as responsible.

We all have our thoughts on the “politics” of our nation. But someone said to me back in November something that stuck in my head. “We all need to quit looking to the government, the Dow, the media, or anything else about how we manage our businesses. We need to manage our business based on what happens with our customers and what needs to happen inside the four walls of our buildings. Focus on our our own P&L’s and market our companies in diverse ways regardless of what is happening.

And I really think in large part a lot of businesses are doing just that. Just look at our customers. They are participating in more shows and doing it with new properties. Maybe not as big as before, but still with big impact.

I want to thank you for the positive start to 2013. We had an amazing January, and we have you to thank for that. So thank you for sending your orders our direction.

We look forward to serving you and your clients in 2013. It’s been an EPIC start.

Hope you had a restful and fun weekend with your loved ones. Be well.

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

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Classic’s TOWN CALL This Tuesday — Join the Conversation!

February 9th, 2013 Mel White COMMENTS

Join us for Classic’s Quarterly Town Call Webinar on Tuesday, Feb. 12. There will be a review of 2012, predictions for 2013, and an overview product trends. Panelists include Kevin Carty, Mel White, Jim Shelman, Reid Sherwood, Jen LaBruzza, and Eric Albery (Eco-Systems Sustainable Exhibits). Expect a lively Q&A/Discussion with Distributors.

Reserve your seat today — https://www.gotomeeting.com/register/559525874

Give me a call if you have any questions or are unable to register via the GoToMeeting link.

Mel White
(503) 652-2100 x-219

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