Trade Show TalesBlog

Trade Show Exhibit Trends — Reid Sherwood Interview

June 11th, 2011 Mel White 7 COMMENTS

Recently, Reid Sherwood, the National Sales Manager for Classic Exhibits and ClassicMODUL, spent an afternoon with Jeff Abramson at Max Your Image. Jeff, who is very proficient with video editing and blogging, interviewed Reid about exhibit display trends and the state of the trade show industry. It’s a terrific conversation.


MaxYourImage: New Display Ideas from Reid Sherwood

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

Posted in Mel White, Reid Sherwood, Trade Show Exhibit Tips | 7 Comments »

Trade Show Bullies

June 11th, 2011 Mel White COMMENTS

While on a business trip this week, I bought Inc. Magazine to read on the plane. Oddly enough, on page 35 there was an article, a column actually by Norm Brodsky, about the trade show industry. I thought I’d share, although it doesn’t cast a flattering light on our business. Here’s the first paragraph as a preview . . .

Anyone who has ever exhibited at a major trade show knows exactly what Seth Burstein is referring to. The rules are ridiculous and the fees outrageous, but if you don’t go along with them, you’ll face warnings and threats, and your exhibit could even be shut down. So, can you force the powers that be to change their ways without becoming a martyr?

http://www.inc.com/magazine/201106/norm-brodsky-small-business-advice-how-to-stop-bullying.html

Imagine any other business where 50 percent of the industry works hard, is dedicated to customer service, and offers reasonable, cost-effective solutions. And the other 50 percent provide service at their whim, charge exorbitant rates, and care little about the long-term success of the industry. It’s frustrating folks. Unfortunately, the industry titans who have the most to lose seem content to operate “as usual.” Who can blame them . . . they are making a killing.

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

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Posted in Kevin Carty, Uncategorized | No Comments »

Five Months into a Great Year: Word on the Street — May 31st thru June 3rd

June 5th, 2011 Mel White COMMENTS
Five Months into a Great Year!

Word on the Street by Kevin Carty

Five Months into a Great Year!

So how have the first  months been for you and your company?

At the Classic Exhibits family of companies, I am delighted to report that 2011 has been different . . . and good . . . and surprising. And not just in terms of sales, but also in terms of product development and overall economic recovery.

In Q1, we posted our second largest quarter in the company’s history. A BIG thanks to our dedicated distributors for your sales efforts. You made it possible.

We had several real standout projects in the first five months that deserve a mention.

  • Comcast/Xfinity demonstrated our ability to design, build, and install a large retail interior project. For photos and a project history, see last week’s WOTS blog.
  • Boston Scientific was a great example of showing an old dog new tricks. 🙂 You would have been amazed to see the final project. We took an Intro Fabric Panel System and dressed it up with accessories normally seen on Visionary Designs Hybrid Systems.
  • Display Supply and Lighting’s EXHIBITOR 2011 exhibit. It’s probably my favorite display of the year to be honest. It really highlighted the use of TSP Profiles from ClassicMODUL, SEG fabric from Optima Graphics, and custom programmed LED lighting from Display Supply and Lighting. Take a look at the video we posted on our website. It is worth seeing (even if you’ve seen it before).
The Easy Button

Staple's Easy Button

And many, many more. In addition to the customized kits, there was a steady stream of standard and non-standard hybrids, an intriguing mix of modified counters and workstations, and then a rather bizarre mix of Aero Overhead and Freestanding projects. And, Aero Table Tops came back with a vengeance (you gotta love those high tech and medical companies).

I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge the amazing growth of Eco-systems Sustainable as well. Kudos to their whole team of course, but I would especially like to acknowledge the great design and marketing  by Michael McCord and Eric Albery. They really have helped to set Eco-systems apart from any of their competitors. Take a look at just one terrific example:  a very custom 10 x 10 for Google.

Exhibits Northwest Portland and Seattle have both seen a tremendous growth in 2011 as well. They started strong with CES in January by working with local companies and Classic distributors on new builds and rentals. But even beyond January, they have embraced new channels within their existing markets. The Comcast order by Tyler Poage and the Malarky order by Laura Magdalen are great examples.

Last but not least, ClassicMODUL. They started the year with the addition of a new Southeast Extrusion Depot (in Birmingham, AL).  Tom Jones, our CM guru, has really pushed hard to increase business in the retail and architectural markets. Not that ClassicMODUL is new to those markets by any means, but corporately we have been pushing to increase aluminum extrusion volume outside trade shows in 2011. Well done Tom!

As we head into June and July, traditionally slower sales months, all of the Classic companies plan to focus on the development of new products, services, and market opportunities. Often, it is the “unique” opportunities you bring us that guide us to develop those new products, service, and markets. So please don’t hesitate to bring new or unique ideas our way.

Thanks again for your support. On behalf of the entire Classic team, I hope you have a safe, enjoyable, and rewarding summer.

Be well!

–Kevin Carty

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

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The Professor of Social Media for Trade Shows and Events

June 1st, 2011 Mel White 2 COMMENTS

Meet the Professor

Do you know just enough about Social Media to sound knowledgeable, but not knowledgeable enough to be a wiz bang expert? I’ve discovered that it’s very easy to get started, but getting to the next level can be more challenging unless you have a mentor. I do. His name is Tim Patterson at Interpretive Exhibits. Tim manages and contributes to the, www.tradeshowguy.com blog which tends to focus on social media issues, tips, tricks, and trends for the event and trade show industry.

For example, here are some recent postings on Trade Show Guy (Where Social Media and Event Marketing Collide):

That’s just going back three months (March 2011)! As a fellow blogger, I am consistently impressed by the depth, the variety, and the sheer volume of information about social media and trade show marketing.

In addition to his posts, Tim offers several eBooks, including Social Media Marketing Bundle and 101 Rules of Trade Show Marketing, and a library of podcasts with trade show, event, and technology experts.

Need a Speaker or Trainer for Social Media Marketing for Tradeshows, Events or Conferences?

Tim Patterson, Social Media 102

Tim Patterson

Tim is available. He just recently spoke at the Event Marketing Summit in Chicago and was a featured speaker at the Exhibit Designers and Producers Association (EDPA) in December. In Tim’s own words,

“I truly enjoy getting up in front of your group to talk, teach and discuss a lot of things related to tradeshow marketing: social media, staff training, event marketing, booth design, and other elements of tradeshow marketing. I’m available as a speaker in a breakout session at a conference, or as a panelist, or as a seminar leader/speaker/trainer for private engagements.”

If you are interested in stepping up your game in social media or trade show marketing, I encourage you to visit www.tradeshowguy.com and signup for Tim’s newsletter and/or be a fellow Tweeter.

At the very least, put his website in your Favorites and visit it at least a once a week. Tim’s an information machine . . . miss a week and you miss a lot.

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

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Posted in Mel White, Social Media | 2 Comments »

Comcast Retail Interior Project: Word on the Street — May 23rd thru May 27th

May 29th, 2011 Mel White COMMENTS
It's Comcastic!

Word on the Street by Kevin Carty

It’s Comcastic!

If you glanced at Past 5 Days on the Classic site recently, you noticed some pretty cool pictures of an interior project we completed this spring for Comcast Xfinity.

P5D (5/26/11)
P5D (5/27/11)

Tyler Poage from Exhibits Northwest brought the project to us last summer. The scope was to create a new flagship store in Portland showcasing Comcast’s Xfinity services in a series of vignettes. In addition, the design included workspaces for employees where they could work with customers to setup new service, make changes to existing service, or even assist them with billing issues.

Classic and Exhibits Northwest were not the only folks working on the project. We designed and built the vignettes and the workstations while a local architectural firm and general contractor worked on the building space.

At the start and throughout the project, Exhibits Northwest employed Michael Silva from MSILVA Design to design the retail interior. We’ve worked with Michael before, and he never disappoints. He had a pretty clear set of client goals, one of which was to use similar materials from Comcast’s corporate headquarters.

Classic was brought in to build it as modular sections. It proved to be challenging, but not insurmountable as you can see from the pictures of the final product. The basic goals were to create vignettes that allowed ease of access for wiring and potential redesign of walls in the future.

Vignette Wall

Vignette Walls

The main structural walls were ClassicMODUL aluminum extrusion, using the same Q 914 you’ve seen in Classic island and inline hybrid kits for years. These allowed for a wall structure where we could clad each vignette in laminated Sintra panels to individualize each setting. The aluminum profiles also provided a strong enough internal structure to hang multiple monitors, cabinets, ceilings, etc., while leaving enough space internally for wiring. In addition, using ClassicMODUL permitted us to minimize the ceiling drops. The entire double-sided wall structure consists of only two drops.

Each vignette is unique. They included a kitchen, bus stop, dorm room, and home theater. You can really see where the subcontractors, the contractor, Exhibits NW and the client worked together to create attractive and realistic spaces. These settings demonstrated how Xfinity products are used for PCs or Macs, iPhones or iPads, or various sizes of LCD’s or plasma televisions.

One great design element of the main wall structure was its ability to be scaled down for smaller retail locations. The setting shows off all the vignettes available, but for smaller retail locations, Comcast could choose to build a smaller wall that shows just four vignettes.

Workstations

The workstations are a more familiar, or at least more typical of trade show design. The difference was that these needed to be constructed for employees who would be working with customers seven days a week. These were permanent builds. They had to withstand daily use and continue to look new for years.

The bases are a great example. The base cabinets are one of my favorite elements of the project. They are some of the nicest pieces I have seen come out of our shop. Nothing like the makeshift furniture found at the mass market office product store.

Home Theater Vignette

Installation

This was tricky and a learning process for us. I have to tip my hat to the general contractor. They came with a detail task list and followed it. Did it change a lot . . . yes! 🙂 . But they kept track of every change and held to the dates as best as they could.

The retail installation world is something that Classic Exhibits and ClassicMODUL have been involved in before but usually as a part or a component, not necessarily as the whole project. This was an interesting view into what contractors and architects deal with every day. We gained tremendous insight on how to manage future projects, including some that we are currently working on.

I hope you enjoy the pictures of the project and let me know what you think. I look forward to sharing photos of other interior/retail projects we are currently working on.

Have a great Memorial Day Weekend. Please take time to honor our veterans for the freedom they provide us all.

Be well!

–Kevin Carty

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

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

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.

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

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