Trade Show Tales Blog

Trade Show Tales is your comprehensive guide to informative articles about trade show marketing, exhibit industry news, promotions, and updates on Classic Exhibits. 

For specific topics, use the Search Tool in the blog or visit the Trade Show and Event Tips in Exhibit Design Search.

EXHIBITORLIVE Portable Modular Award Photos

EXHIBITORLIVE Portable Modular Award Photos

Earlier this week, EXHIBITOR sent us photos from the Portable Modular Award ceremony at EXHIBITORLIVE. Classic Exhibits won three awards: the People’s Choice Award for the Parallon island exhibit, a Find It Top 40 Exhibit Builder honoree, and #1 for Service and Reliability among the Top 40 Producers.

EXHIBITOR Magazine will feature all the winners in the June (or July?) publication. Below are photos from ceremony that feature us. Yes, just us! Hey, I told you it was a vanity post.

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Women in Exhibition (WIE) Mentorship Program and Survey

Women in Exhibition (WIE) Mentorship Program and Survey

As many of you know, I am a leader in the Women in Exhibition (WIE) group. Our group held a very successful meeting in Las Vegas in February.

In an effort to continue connecting women in our industry, we are announcing a mentorship program. There is no obligation to participate, but we’ve heard from women, in all facets of our industry, who would enjoy sharing their experience and guiding other women toward success.

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Erica Dougherty from Exhibits Northwest Shares Client Feedback

Erica Dougherty from Exhibits Northwest Shares Client Feedback

Erica Dougherty, an Account Executive at Exhibits Northwest Seattle, connects with her clients because she takes the time to get to know them and their business. That extends to feedback after a show, which is invaluable.

According to Erica, “My client, Darryl at DF/Net Research, is wonderful about sending feedback and kudos to me/us. He has allow me to share his success stories which may be beneficial to other Classic Distributors. Below are two emails from two shows, along with photos.”

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MORE Seismic Changes in Trade Show Products — April Edition

MORE Seismic Changes in Trade Show Products — April Edition

Please check your branded Exhibit Design Search today. You have four new product galleries, all with at least 80% margins. Gone are Visionary Designs, Perfect 10, Sacagawea, and SEGUE. These have been replaced with more budget-friendly systems and interactive products. As we learned from EDPA, it’s all about the”experiential” for contemporary exhibitors.

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All New EDS Changes!

All New EDS Changes!

Yes, EDS has changed… again. Now, don’t shake your head. You should be excited about these changes since they are all based on suggestions from you, our Classic Exhibits Distributors. I’m going to refer to them as “3 Modifications” since the word “change” makes some of you sweat like a cold watermelon on the 4th of July.

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Women in Exhibitions (WIE) Post-Event Review

Women in Exhibitions (WIE) Post-Event Review

To the women who participated in the Women In Exhibitions event at EXHIBITORLIVE 2018… THANK YOU! It was the most successful meeting we’ve had with 100+ women in attendance. We gathered Tuesday morning at Border Grill in Mandalay Bay for a delicious breakfast and discovered “How to Design Our Lives to Flourish” with Guest Speaker Lynette Xanders. What an energizing way to start the second day of the show!

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My EXHIBITORLIVE 2018 Reactions and Recap

My EXHIBITORLIVE 2018 Reactions and Recap

What an amazing start to 2018. EXHIBITORLIVE was visual proof that things are on the upswing in the trade show industry.

The EXHIBITORLIVE show floor, by many accounts, felt smaller footprint-wise… but boy was it TALLER than ever. Everyone seemed to go high this year, Classic included with an aluminum double-deck, one of several in our Classic Rental Solutions inventory.

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Minus the Fall: Word on the Street — October 21st thru October 25th

As we roll into the last week of October, I wanted to update you on Classic Exhibits and its Family of Companies. We are headed into November with more momentum than ever. After a summer that was, well let’s be honest, unpredictable at best, the September and October numbers have been very encouraging. Thanks to you!

We Need Your Help with a Testimonial

The EDDIE Award is an award judged solely on the self-promotion of your company not on the promotion of a client.

Here’s where you can help. We plan to submit Exhibit Design Search (EDS) for the award. We’ve written the submission but would like to enhance it with testimonials — your testimonials.

Exhibit Designs that Sell — Every. Single. Time.

I am often asked to design custom booths, and the #1 requirement I hear is — “Make a design that will SELL!” So I’d like to share with you one tip that is tried and true, that has had a nearly 100% success rate for turning a job prospect into a sale.

Four Part Interview with Mel White, Classic Exhibits Inc.

Here’s a shocker friends. I’m on a modeling website . . . and no money was exchanged. Margaret Colebeck from Vantage Advertising conducted an interview with me about displays, design trends and the exhibit industry which they posted on their blog. I’m usually not “chatty” (quit laughing Kevin), but this time I made an exception. They had to post it in four installments.

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.

‘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.