Greetings from Kevin Carty at EDPA ACCESS
Last week, I attended EDPA Access which was held in beautiful Carlsbad, California at the Park Hyatt Aviara Resort. Let me say, as someone who has been a member of EDPA for more than a decade, this was easily one of the Top 3 venues ever. Great layout, great services, beautiful facilities, and much more.
2018 EXHIBITOR Portable Modular Awards (PMA)
EXHIBITOR Magazine announced the finalists for the 2018 Portable Modular Awards this week. They also launched the People’s Choice Voting website where you can vote once a day for your favorite design (regardless of the category). We submitted five entries, and four were accepted as finalists.
Submit Your EXHIBITOR “Plan B” Story for Publication
Plan B is a humorous column about trade show disasters (e.g. missing graphics, last-minute booth alterations, exhibit fires, missing staffers, AWOL tractor-trailers, flooding, and more). More importantly, it’s about how you or your client solved or at least coped with them.
Not Just Any Custom Table Top Display
Recently, a client said, “I need a table top display. Do you have one that maximizes counter top space for samples, literature, and business cards?”
“Like how much space?” we asked. “Well… all of it… if possible.”
Kevin Carty — Video Update October 2017
In this video vlog, Kevin shares his thoughts about fall business, Shared Knowledge University, Classic Rental Systems, and EDPA Access (in late November). It’s been an exciting fall season at Classic Exhibits with increased orders and a HUGE bump in custom builds.
Brainstorming with Clients on a Whiteboard Bistro Table
Purpose1, a Classic Exhibits distributor in Harrisburg, PA, recently purchased an MOD-1432 Bistro Charging Table for their showroom. Although most charging stations are branded with a graphic, they chose a whiteboard laminate. Why? I’ll let Dan Liberatore, the president of Purpose1, explain:
NEW Rental/Purchase Price Feature in Exhibit Design Search
Nearly every day we get the following request, “My client can purchase the VK-1233 for $9208. What would the rental price be?” We’re happy to answer that question… but wouldn’t it be nice if those prices were in Exhibit Design Search? Yes.
That’s a HUGE project! And we’re up to the challenge, but it will take a little time. Effective on all Exhibit Design Search websites, you can now find 72 kits with both rental and purchase prices. You can see them in Visionary Designs, Islands, SEGUE, eSmart, and the Rental Galleries.
EDPA Exhibition and Events Industry Labor Rates Survey
The 2017 EDPA Labor Rate Survey tracks the advance order rates charged to corporate exhibitions in major U.S. and Canadian cities at exhibitions, conventions, and corporate events. The rate sources are general service contractors, show producers, and venue order forms.
Now Available — The New MODUL 7.1 Catalog
The new MODUL 7.1 Index/Catalog is available as a PDF download. You can also download it on the www.classicmodul.com website.
Two New Project Management Superstars at Classic Exhibits
We are delighted to announce two additions to Classic Exhibits: Stefania Toscano and Paraskovia Semenov. Both are new project managers. Stefania works for the Classic Rental Solutions team. Paras handles orders, quotes, and customer service for Classic Exhibits.
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No Mountain is Too High . . . Well Maybe One: Word on the Street — September 30th thru October 4th
Welcome to the month of October. Yep, that’s right. Three quarters have come and gone in 2013. It’s truly hard to believe. But we certainly ended with a bang. And I hope the same is true for you.
Classic Exhibits had its largest September EVER! So THANK YOU for your continued confidence and loyalty. We certainly appreciate it!
September came to a close with two events: Shared Knowledge University (Fall 2013 session) and The Club 815 Gran Fondo Fundraising Bike Ride.
What are People Buying?: Word on the Street — September 16th thru September 20th
At least five times a day, I am asked by distributors: “So what are you seeing in exhibit design? What are people buying?” I love when I am asked that question. It’s usually an indication that we’re all busy.
So what’s selling? . . . Portable and custom hybrids with tension fabric graphics continue to drive the ship, but the biggest sales superstar right now – – iPad Stands!
The Randy Smith Memorial Golf Classic. It Matters!
One benefit of blogging is having the luxury to promote something special to me and to our industry — The Randy Smith Memorial Golf Classic (https://www.rsmgc.org/).
For most folks in our industry, “The Randy” is as recognizable as Cher, Madonna, or Bono. The Randy is an annual charitable golf tournament held in the Atlanta area. For those unfamiliar with Randy Smith, he was tragically taken from us several years ago. The first Classic was to raise money to help the Smith family with the financial burden they experienced. Since then, the mission has expand.
New LIGHTNING DEAL on Exhibit Design Search
Effective today, there’s a new feature on Exhibit Design Search — Lightning Deal. The Lightning Deal (LD) button appears on the Home Page between Display Type and Search. A Lightning Deal will be priced more aggressively than a Special, typically 5-10 percent more. There will be only (1) one “active” Lightning Deal per week; however, we will honor the LD price for another week.
What Goes Up . . . Hopefully Comes Down!: Word on the Street — September 9th thru September 13th
Club 815 Powered by The EDPA Foundation Rides Again!
In two weeks, a group of friends, many you know, will be gathering in the Great Northwest, the Columbia River Gorge to be specific. We are gathering to ride for a great friend and colleague once again. And privileged to do so. Many, if not all of you, know Mike Swartout (our Design Director) and his courageous story.
‘s Gonna Work? Teamwork!: Word on the Street — September 2nd thru September 6th
There was a time about two years back when that phrase made me cringe. Only because it was part of the theme song to “The Wonder Pets,” a program my kids loved for a couple of years.
Well, a couple weeks ago, I had a team that joined me on one of my annual/crazy adventures, and it was a great team that included some Classic Family members. Every year for 12 years I have run in the Hood to Coast Relay — “The mother of all relays.”
Five Amazing Trade Show Exhibit Specials
This fall, Classic Exhibits and Eco-Systems Sustainable pulled out all the stops. You’ll discover some of our most exciting exhibit designs at special prices. Click on any display in the Specials Gallery to see the details.
Eco-Systems Sustainable Exhibits
As the 2013 fall trade show season gets underway, I am often asked about the state of the industry regarding “green exhibiting” and the public perception of Eco-Systems Sustainable Exhibits. Why should I look into Eco-Systems and their design-driven yet sustainable exhibit options? Will I need to make sacrifices in design or price?
A Customer Service Infographic — A Customer Saved is a Penny Earned
Peter Shankman at Shankman|Honig released an infographic today showing exactly how much money businesses lose each day thanks to horrible customer service, and what they stand to gain if they improve it by a few notches. Long story short . . . Be nice to the customers you have, and you’re guaranteed to get the customers you want.
Sacagawea 10% Savings and a FREE Cell Phone and Tablet Charging Station
Through October, receive a double bonus on Sacagawea Portable Hybrid Displays. We’ve never offered anything like this before on our best selling hybrid system.
ALL Sacagawea Portable Hybrids are 10% off. Choose from 54 designs in 10 ft. and 20 ft. kits. These are our best prices EVER!!!
ALL Sacagawea Portable Hybrids with Workstations come with a FREE Cell Phone and Tablet Charging Station.
To download the unbranded version, Click for the Promotion Sheet or on the image below. Give us a call if you need the source files to complete your own email broadcast.
Trade Show Displays Under $3K to $24K
The 11 page “Displays Under . . . .” brochure makes it easy to take a quick tour of the display parking lot. The displays are arranged in groups starting under $3000 and stair step to groups under $24,000. Take a moment to try it. We hope you’ll discover that it’s a convenient tool to compare the differences between popular trade show displays. From there, you can explore details in Exhibit Design Search.
Thanks and Hang on Tight: Word on the Street — August 12th thru August 16th
The first two weeks of August are always the “ramp up” for the nutty late summer and fall show season. And this year is following the same trend. But with one twist, a twist that we’ve seen growing over the past 12 months: island exhibits continue to expand as a percentage of our business.
Classic Exhibits Welcomes Glenna Martin, FT Graphic Design Manager
Classic Exhibits announces the addition of Glenna Martin as a full time Graphic Design Manager. Glenna is not new to the trade show industry, as her bio reveals. She’s been working with Classic and Classic Distributors for eight years as a contract designer and has been instrumental in the branding of Classic since 2005.
An Early Christmas at Classic Exhibits: Word on the Street — August 5th thru August 9th
It’s not often I get excited about things “Accounting Related.” After all, I am a sales-minded guy for the most part.
But late last week, this weekend, and Monday, Classic Exhibits is installing significantly UPDATED Accounting, Project Management, Purchasing, and Inventory Control software. And it’s really cool.
Your Exhibit Success Challenge Series
Today begins three weeks of education and inspiration to spur your exhibit marketing plans forward for this fall’s shows and beyond. Each week during the Challenge, you’ll receive an e-mail with links to the expert interviews as they’re available (scheduled for Tuesdays and Thursdays).