It’s easy to pigeon-hole portable display buyers. They want something cheap and easy, and they ignore advice about quality and design.
What Most Corporate Buyers Want
Perhaps that’s true of some portable buyers, but most corporate exhibitors want an attractive, durable, and easy-to-assembly display. They value features like modularity and accessories like monitor mounts, tablet enclosures, and literature trays. Price is important but not at the expense of their brand.
Too often, we undersell them and don’t give them what they need (or want). Why? Because selling on price is faster than selling on features.
Choosing a High-Quality Portable
You’re not going to convince everyone to make the “smarter” decision, and for some, the $2000 display is the right choice. That’s OK. However, they deserve to understand what’s available in the display marketplace, like Symphony. You might be surprised at how often that “pigeon-holed portable buyer” chooses an upscale, high-quality portable.
Did you know that pigeons are incredibly smart? They understand words, have good memories, and can recognize other pigeons and people.
Thirty-two months have passed since EXHIBITORLIVE
2019… Nearly three years. We understand not everyone will be attending for a
variety of logistical, financial, and personal reasons. And that’s OK. For
those who will be in Las Vegas, either as an attendee or an exhibitor, let’s connect
– before, during, or after show hours.
The Classic EXHIBITORLIVE team will be Kevin Carty, Mel White, Jim Shelman, Jen LaBruzza, Katina Rigall Zipay, and Harold Mintz.
For those not attending, we will be hosting a live feed on
Tuesday. See below for details.
Booth Space and Times
Classic Exhibits, Booth 324
To visit the Classic booth, turn right and head to the perimeter wall, a 10 x 30 booth (#324). We have lots and lots to show you, like the NEW Symphony Portable System. We’ll also have examples of the tool-less Gravitee Wall System and SuperNova Lightbox, along with a wireless charging table, hand sanitizer stand, and custom counter.
If you are unavailable during normal show hours, visit us during the Strategic Partner hours: Monday 4 – 5:30 pm and Tuesday 8:30 – 10 am. And if those don’t work, then contact us. Each of us has our secret hiding place before and after show hours where we’ll be happy to treat you to a coffee or a drink. If you get there on Sunday, Jim and Mel will be in Las Vegas pretending it’s not Halloween. Harold will be wearing his Sam Elliot costume. As usual.
Our Live Feed, Tuesday November 2
If you’re not going to the show, Classic still wants you to experience EXHIBITORLIVE. On Tuesday, November 2, Kevin will host a live one-hour chat. He’ll stroll through the show and meet and greet attendees and exhibitors. You’ll see the Classic booth, chat with some interesting guests, and walk the floor. All live… so it’s bound to be entertaining (and perhaps a little post-Halloween scary).
Topics:
Day One Review of Show (attendees, traffic flow, atmosphere)
Surprise. Surprise. Our entry is the Symphony Portable Display System. We won’t launch into a sales pitch, which took an impressive amount of self-control.
Instead, we invite you to visit the New Product Showcase page and scroll past the losers to the “S” listing. Yes, that was mean and snarky, but we’re not in the New Product Showcase for a participation trophy. We intend to win!
If you happen to see any of the judges roaming the floor, don’t be shy about asking them if they’ve seen the remarkable
Treasure Hunt w/ Prizes
Who doesn’t love a Treasure Hunt where winning valuable
prizes is only half the fun? We do! And you will too!
Captello, a lead capture and interactive gaming company, has organized a treasure hunt with 10 stops. Simply visit the Captello booth to get started (#942 and #544), and then scan the QR codes at each stop, like at Classic Exhibits.
For bonus points, Classic Exhibits has designed a Symphony Memory Match game. Complete it in 2 minutes or less and you’re on your way to winning a year’s supply of Rice-a-Roni, the San Francisco Treat. Or something like that. The details are a little fuzzy to us right now.
If you want to play the Memory Match for fun, click on this LINK. But be warned. It’s a little addictive.
WIE Booth and Breakfast
The Women in Exhibitions annual breakfast will be on Tuesday, November 2 from 8-10 am at the Border Grill in Mandalay Bay. Register HERE:
The discussion topic will be “5 Key Skillsets to Know and
Hone Now” with an expert panel consisting of:
Moderator: Liz Nacron, Partner, President Creative and Production, Live Marketing
Kent Agramonte, Marketing Director, beMatrix USA
Jen LaBruzza, Holistic Health Coach and National Sales Manager, Classic Exhibits
Anne Trompeter, Partner, Strategic Account Development, Live Marketing
Kelly Noonan, Global Event Marketing Manager, Tate&Lyle
You can also visit the WIE at booth #1428 on the EXHIBITORLIVE show floor. WIE can’t wait to see you there!
The Best Exhibit Designs Make an Emotional Connection
How do you create a design the client loves without multiple meetings and revisions?
Get the designer and the decision-maker to talk to one another. It works! It’s why the designers at Classic want to be on phone calls with our distributors and their clients. We are happy to be introduced as YOUR DESIGNER. In fact, we are your designers so there’s no need to pretend! If for logistical reasons it’s not possible to have a designer participate in a discovery call with the client, the next best thing is to Answer These 15 Questions (in no particular order).
15 Essential Exhibit Design Questions
1. Does your company have branding guidelines/logo or graphic files/website address? Can you share these files?
2.What size is the exhibit? Do you plan to reconfigure the exhibit for other shows? If so, what sizes? Knowing this will guide both the design and the choice of materials.
3.What is the budget? This is essential. Still undecided about an exact budget? The next best option is a workable budget range. No exhibitor wants to be surprised with a beautiful booth outside their budget or underwhelmed by a booth designed for a lower budget.
4. Do you want to purchase or rent? Or a combination of both? This assists the designer in choosing material and designing to a specific budget.
5. What physical properties does the exhibit need to have? For example, workstations, counters, slatwall, semi-private or private conference area, monitors, storage, etc? This information allows the designer to create a functional trade show design.
6. What type of display have you used in the past? Are you looking for something similar or different? What did you like or not like about the previous booth?
7. Are there any materials or construction methods you prefer? Are you looking for something similar or different? Many experienced exhibitors have a strong attraction or aversion to specific materials.
8. Are there any unusual dimensional restrictions? Can you provide show regulations? Some shows have unusual restrictions for the height of the booth or setbacks from the aisle.
9.Do you show product(s)? What are the dimensions and specifications? How do you prefer to show the products? Display cases, counter top, shelves, hooks, etc.?
10. Does the display need to be portable or modular? Does it need to ship via FedEx or UPS or are you OK with packing in custom crates? This will guide our use of materials.
11.Who will assemble the display: show labor or your own team? We have great solutions for both scenarios.
12. Do you have any images of design elements you like? Even if these “inspiration images” are not trade show related, they are very helpful. For example, architectural elements, finishes, colors, natural elements, retail environments, etc.
13.Design Due Date? Typically, designs are completed within a few business days. However, every project and every client has their own timeline. We do our best to accommodate requested timelines.
14.Show Opening Date? So very important! Creating the design and them building it depends on the time frame. Designers can make material selections which will go a long way toward meeting a three-week vs. a three-month window.
And My Personal Favorite:
15. Are there any descriptive words you use to describe your company? What do you want visitors to your booth to “feel” about your company? From “opulent” to “bad-ass,” we have heard some interesting descriptors, and this gives the designer the insight to craft a personalized, experiential space.
Are there any other questions on your “must ask” list? I’d love to hear them if you do! Leave me a comment or connect with me at Katina@classicexhibits.com.
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.
