As many of you have heard, I’m retiring and calling it a career. It’s been a fantastic 27-year run working in the trade show and events industry for some great companies including Eco-Systems Sustainable and Classic Exhibits. I’m leaving with many great memories and with more friendships than I can count. Our industry has some of the hardest working, creative, and caring people I’ve encountered in my 45-year working career, and I feel blessed to have stumbled into this crazy industry! The past 18 months have been difficult for all of us, but it has brought to light the true collaboration and culture of Classic and Classic Distributor Partners. It was pretty amazing to witness!
Having traveled extensively over the years, I’ve seen the United States through the lens of airports, hotels, convention centers, and businesses, and it’s time to hit the road and see what the country looks like outside of these areas. You never know… I might stop by and regale you with stories about a giant ball of twine or other amazing sights in the US.
Your friendship and support over the years made my decision to retire very difficult, but I will stay involved with the Midwest EDPA Chapter and hopefully attend future EXHIBITORLIVE shows so I look forward to connecting down the road. I’ll say good-bye for now and leave you in the capable hands of Jen, Harold, and Mel.
Starting August 2, I hit the road for two very different exhibit industry events Together Again Expo and Summer Outdoor Sports Retail Expo and Conference. Those events demonstrated that we’re an industry in active, long-term recovery.
Together Again Expo and Job Fair
Last Monday, I took a red-eye flight to Philadelphia and then a short drive to Atlantic City for the Together Again Expo and Job Fair. This is an event organized and managed by the National Trade Show Alliance. The NTSA is not another association; rather, it’s a group of Live Event Professionals dedicated to getting our our industry back to work. NTSA showcases the excellent programs available from industry associations like EDPA, IAEE, SISO, EACA, MPI, IAVM, and many more.
The Together Again Expo took a regional approach with the help of Mark Yuska and Alliance Exposition. They work to attract workers (new and old) to our great industry and promote employment opportunities.
The event was held in Atlantic City for many reasons. The NE and Mid-Atlantic markets are strong tradeshow markets, and Atlantic City is a great venue for shows of all sizes. With the amazing help of Meet AC, we were able to pull off the first “post-pandemic” event in the Atlantic City Convention Center.
The event was a one-day Job Fair and Expo with featured speakers and panels from EDPA, IAEE, MPI, and the Exhibitions and Conference Alliance (ECA). While the event was small, it had solid content including wonderful keynote speakers.
Odie Parkins from the Eastern Atlantic States Brotherhood of Carpenters on the meaning of “service” and representing an entire city,
Paisley Demby from Goldman Sachs on their 10,000 Small Businesses program, which is transforming business leaders and their companies,
And an Industry Updates Panel Discussion with Dasher Lowe (EDPA), Tommy Goodwin (ECA), Don Svehla (Exhibit City News), and me
In the panel discussion, we learned about the extensive and aggressive advocacy work being done by EDPA and ECA over the past 18 months and the continued efforts on Capitol Hill happening every day.
Our road to recovery is going to be long. But there’s an
overwhelming feeling of togetherness. In the great words of my (our) friend
Chris Griffin from CrewXP, “This is what recovery looks like. It’s going to be
up and down and lumpy.”
Summer Outdoor Retailer
On August 9, I traveled to Denver for the Summer Outdoor Retailer event at the Denver Convention Center. Walking onto the show floor on Day 1 was a rush, seeing the crowds filing into the convention center. Major kudos to Emerald Exposition, the show organizer, for their dedication to safety. I received my badge electronically a few days before the event. When I arrived at the registration desk, I scanned my phone over a QR Reader which in turn printed a paper badge with lanyard. After getting my badge, I received a complimentary spray bottle of hand sanitizer.
Riding the escalator up to the show hall, I could feel the
excitement and hear it in the conversations around me. At the entrance, there
was a sign about masks, which, following CDC Guidance, stated you had the
option to wear your mask or not (if you are vaccinated), but recommended
everyone wear masks. Next I noticed the wider concrete aisles. Concrete aisles
have become the default standard for many shows. I wasn’t sure if I was going
to like that change, but I prefer it to be honest.
The floor was smaller than in the past, approximately 30%
smaller in the main hall. There were more 20 ft. inline exhibits than they
normally have. Food services were in the back, and the tables were large and with
comfortable distances between them.
Exhibitor Feedback
I spoke to every exhibitor that would talk to me… which was
most. The tone was upbeat. Over and over I heard, “Yes there are fewer people
here, BUT the attendees that are here are the buyers which is great!” One of
the staffers from Lowa Boots was very generous with her time. What stuck with
me was her comments regarding having the right people in attendance which meant
they could have longer, more productive conversations.
In-booth experiences were managed well. One of the
exhibitors was a whiskey company. Their in-booth game had attendees cast a
fishing rod for prizes. After each person used the rod, the rod and their hands
were sprayed for safety.
As a show for outdoor sporting, there were a lot of wood
products and faux greenery in the larger exhibits creating a natural
environment. Many of the smaller non-portable exhibits were built by the
exhibitors themselves, with the same rustic outdoor feel.
Again, tremendous kudos to Emerald Exposition for showing the world that a live event CAN happen and be SAFE for their exhibitors and attendees.
Recovery is Just Beginning
This recovery process is just beginning. My compliments to those industries pressing forward safely and not abandoning ship on their events. Not trying to shame anyone because it’s a tough call, but clearly face-to-face marketing creates a level of commerce that cannot be found anywhere else. And part of our overall recovery as a country requires that we get back to business sooner rather than later. I applaud those taking the proper precautions to hold and participate in trade shows and events.
Onward and upward folks! Be patient because it will be a bumpy but worthwhile ride.
On Wednesday, July 28, Classic Exhibits conducted two Exhibit Design Search Tips and Tricks webinars for Classic Exhibits Distributors. The video recording of the second session covers both basic and advanced techniques for navigating EDS including Past 5 Days, Trade Show Tips, and My Gallery.
The outline below provides a general guide of the topics covered during the webinar.
The Basics (@1:20 min)
Design Database of 1500 displays, 9000 photo, and 84 articles
Public Website(s), developed for Classic Distributors and their clients
32 Product/Design galleries, mostly Classic but also (2) Optima [OP], (2) CORT [CT], (1) Brumark [BR], and (1) DS&L [DL]
Divided into sizes or product groups
Island, Inlines, 10 ft., 20 ft.
Rentals, Sustainable, Charging Solutions, Counters, etc.
Quick click menus to search by size, price, or product line
Specials and Lightning Deals
Within galleries: product descriptions via bullets, text, and hyperlinks
Advanced Search – Fine-tune your search parameters (@ 10:33 min)
Price range
Include or exclude rentals
Booth size
Sort
Text
Or by Product Gallery Groups
Check All/Uncheck All
Example
$7,000 to $14,000
10 x 20
Exhibits
68 designs
Fine-tuning: Unclick the pop-ups
46 designs
Lightbox
4 designs
Past 5 Days (@ 15:27 min)
Background
Why it matters
Search all weeks, View by week, Random
Search by sizes
Text search: 10 x 20, custom
Links to products and job numbers
My Gallery
Home Page/Modern Inline Exhibits (@ 19:24 min)
Corner Clues: backlit, modular, eco-friendly
Corner Clues: rent
My Gallery
VK-1334 | Modular Inline
Purchase and Rental Prices
Add to My Gallery
Rental Price – hardware and graphics
Links to “Associated Kits”
Photos
Print button
Specs Tab: Downloadable setup instructions, graphic dims. FAQs, Warranty, along with general information about lead times, exhibit weight (and shipping), and electrical cord management
P5D – My Gallery
Permalink
Trade Show Tips (@ 27:00 min)
84 articles organized into 11 categories about trade show regulations, marketing, design, logistics, and a wide range of other topics.
Why is this important?
Think of them as Cliff Notes: While you may not need them, your clients do (and you can’t possibly coach them on every topic). You want knowledgeable, smart, and savvy customers because those are the ones that succeed at trade shows. These articles make you the library, the source of that information.
Secondly, it’s a tutorial, guidebook, textbook for any new employee.
Examples and how to use it
My Gallery
Standard USA Booth Regulations
10 Common Trade Show Myths
13 Common Trade Show Mistakes
How to Cut Your Trade Show Costs, Part 1, 2, and 3
Literally any of the articles about Rentals
My Gallery – Single-most valuable tool in EDS (@31:16 min)
Includes Kits, Photos, and Trade Show Tips
Send My Selections: Simple, straightforward. Unique URL for each My Gallery
Branded vs. Unbranded
Saved (2) Ways: Temporarily as a cookie and on our server for 3-4 months
Classic Exhibits Inc. designs and manufacturers portable, modular, hybrid, and custom exhibit solutions, including Symphony Portable Displays. 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.
Here’s the super-condensed backstory about the development of the Symphony Portable Display.
In 2019, we were debating whether to continue offering extrusion-based portables. Our portable lines were selling well but not as well as two years ago. Tube-based pillowcase solutions were popular. However, we weren’t interested in a non-structural “copy cat” product. Instead, we decided to tap into our engineering, CNC bending, and design expertise, along with our extensive IP (intellectual property) and invent something totally new and original. Basically a portable that didn’t look like a portable display.
We Identified 6 Major Goals:
#1. Design Flexibility: Mix
and Match Frame Shapes with 100s of Configurations
#2. SEG Fabric: Visually
Clean and Easy-to-Install
#3. Portable No-Tools Assembly: Unavailable
at the Time in an SEG-based System
#4. Durable and Structural Frames: Strong
Enough to Support Larger Monitors
#6. Upscale Appearance: A
Portable That Didn’t Look Portable
Did we succeed? We think so. Symphony is structural, modular, tool-less, and (best of all) elegant. No other portable offers as many accessories or design flexibility. All that plus Classic’s legendary quality, reusable packaging, and detailed setup instructions.
Classic Exhibits Inc. designs and manufacturers portable, modular, hybrid, and custom exhibit solutions, including Symphony Portable Displays. 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.
Trade Shows are BACK! And so are EXHIBITORS, all clamoring for the latest design ideas. At Classic Exhibits, we’ve been busy during the pandemic, updating Exhibit Design Search with new galleries and exciting inlines, islands, and accessories.
In this rapid-fire FREE review, we’ll show you how to navigate EDS quickly to find, save, and send designs to your clients. You’ll even learn how to include photos and trade show marketing articles in your My Gallery.
Come One. Come All!
Whether you’re a newbie to EDS or hardened veteran, you’ll discover new techniques to make your life easier. That’s a guarantee! Open to all Classic Distributors and all roles — account executives, project managers, designers, sales professionals, and owners. There will even be a drawing for free prizes.
Register NOW!
Spend 45 minutes with us. We’ll save you hours and hours of time this fall as you juggle requests and close deals 4X faster than your competition.
