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You Like Me, You Really Like Me!

December 13th, 2014 Mel White COMMENTS
Lessons Learned

Lessons Learned by Jen LaBruzza

EDPA ACCESS 2014 Notes – Palm Harbor, FL

Flying High! As I fly home from the EDPA ACCESS 2014 Annual Conference,  I’m writing this from 30,000 ft. But that’s not the only reason I’m “high.” As you learned in Kevin’s blog last week, Classic Exhibits won a major award this year.

We were recognized with an EDDIE Marketing Excellence Award for our online Exhibit Design Search tool. I have to admit as Reid Sherwood and I made our way up to the stage to accept the honor, I was thinking of several people. Mel White, Tony Bennett, Glenna Martin, and Sally Fields. Why Sally Fields? Well the moment was definitely one of those, “You Like Me, You Really Like Me!” moments. Not me specifically, but Exhibit Design Search. The sales tool of all sales tools received the recognition it deserves. It was certainly a proud and emotional moment as Reid and I accepted the award on behalf of Classic Exhibits, our strategic partners, and every Classic Exhibits Distributor who has a branded EDS on their website.

ACCESS was great in so many other ways too. The theme was “Band Together.” Shared ideas about our beloved industry was practiced throughout the seminar and speaker sessions. In addition, Jim Shelman, Reid Sherwood, and I participated in the Supplier Showcase where we connected with current and potential customers, vendors, and even other suppliers in a way that was low-key and comfortable.

Lessons Learned3.jpg“Bridging the Generation Gap” was a particularly interesting session. Amy Yag from Access TCA, Amanda Helgemoe from NuVista, and Pat Friedlander from Word Up! led a lively and engaging session about motivating millennials in the workplace.

The 5 Key Millennial Motivators:

  1. Culture – Being part of something bigger and building a community.
  2. Incentives — Beyond monetary values.
  3. Set Communication Standards – Clear expectations for internal and external communication.
  4. Clear Expectations and Consistent Feedback – A generation of structured learners thrive on this.
  5. Focus on Personal Growth – Opportunities for continuing education/training.

Other sessions and keynotes provided insight into customer service and industry trends. One particular trend that was discussed in many sessions was Cost Reduction as the “new normal,” creating more pressure for exhibit companies to provide value. In all, our industry definitely seems to be on the upswing from the recession based on discussions with distributors, suppliers, and other manufacturers.

Jim and Reid also participated in the golf tournament at the signature Copperhead Golf Course. Jim said, “The golf and the weather couldn’t have been better! Other than a couple of long putts, I wasn’t able to contribute much to our team, but it was fun to be out on a beautiful course on a warm, sunny day in December.” (Who’s been to Oregon in December? Enough said!)

RR_Hotel_Exterior_06Next year the conference will be held in Las Vegas at the beautiful Red Rock Resort, Spa, and Casino, a mere 5 minutes from my house in Summerlin. You know I’m excited about that!

Looking forward to seeing everyone at EXHIBITORLIVE March 1 – 5 at Mandalay Bay.

Still need to register? No worries, we’ve got you covered.Get your VIP Guest Pass ACCESS CODE (#4044) and register:

http://www.classicexhibits.com/tradeshow-blog/2014/11/17/attend-exhibitorlive-2015-free/.

Jen LaBruzza, Western Regional Manager
jen@classicexhibits.com

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Eddie Haskell, Eddie Murphy, or Eddie Award?: Word on the Street — December 1st thru December 5th

December 6th, 2014 Mel White 9 COMMENTS
Kevin Carty, VP Classic Exhibits

Kevin Carty, VP Classic Exhibits

Classic Exhibits Honored with the 2014 EDPA EDDIE Award

The 2014 EDPA ACCESS Event wrapped up in Florida on Friday December 5. But it was, as always, Thursday night that served as the BIG Night for the Exhibit Industry. Thursday night was the Gala Event, The EDPA Foundation Silent Auction, and the Annual Award Presentations.

The Awards, such as The Ambassador Award, The Hazel Hayes Award, and Designer of the Year Award are given to individuals in the exhibit industry. But there is another category of awards called the EDDIE Awards. The EDDIE is given to companies for their Marketing Excellence over the past year.

We Won

eddie_1This year, Classic Exhibits Inc. won an EDDIE. And to say we are proud and unbelievably honored is an understatement. We won specifically for Exhibit Design Search or EDS as so many of you have come to call it.

The award is presented as a “company” award, but let me tell you who this is really for… Mel White! Mel is the VP of Marketing and Business Development at Classic Exhibits. And while many of you know this already, he is the visionary behind EDS.

Now, as Mel would say, Exhibit Design Search is a collective effort. Tony Bennett, the Classic Exhibits Web Developer, is critical to the success of EDS. He is the genius that makes it all work seamlessly on the web and your “Go To” guy for every distributor-branded website. And then there is Glenna Martin, our Graphic Designer. Glenna plays a key role in the overall branding. There are the Classic Exhibit Designers who create all the beautiful designs that populate EDS with fresh new ideas, and the Customer Service Team who sweat over the Setup Instructions and Graphic Dim Sheets. And of course, every distributor who has offered suggestions, and our wonderful strategic partners in EDS — Optima, DS&L, Brumark, and Eco-Systems Sustainable.

Mel will be humble and say that everyone at the company has a part in the acceptance of this award, and while we appreciate that, as his partner at work and as a representative of the company as whole, I know better. EDS is Mel’s baby, his Brain Child, His Vision. And that Vision has helped transform Classic in so many ways over the past nine years.

This past Thursday night, my cell phone blew up when we won the award — from Reid, Jen, and Jim who were on site at ACCESS, and from so many partners and customers who were in attendance at ACCESS. There was one common thread in all the texts, emails, and phone calls. That common thread was “I/We are so happy for Mel.” That says it all to be frank.

So, as your friend and as your partner day in and day out Mel — CONGRATS! I, too, was beaming with pride and joy when I heard the news, proud of you and joyful that you were recognized for all your dedication and hard work.

BTW — Mel serves as my editor for this blog each week, not changing anything per say, rather editing my runoff sentences, adding commas, etc. And he is gonna REALLY REALLY hate that I did this.  🙂

Congrats my friend!

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

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Holiday Events 2014 Kickoff: Word on the Street — November 23rd thru November 27th

November 30th, 2014 Mel White COMMENTS
Kevin Carty, VP Classic Exhibits

Kevin Carty, VP Classic Exhibits

A Belated Happy Thanksgiving!

Hopefully by now you are enjoying your 6th, 7th or maybe even 8th serving of turkey and ham with all the fixings! With lots of dessert.

Probably the best part of all is those leftovers. This morning I had pumpkin pie for breakfast! I love this time of year.

On Monday, we start the final month of 2014. December promises to be a strong finish to an already amazing year in our industry. And December also means the Annual EDPA ACCESS Meeting. Classic of course will be there.

The event will be held at the beautiful Innsbruck Golf Resort in Florida, starting on Wednesday, December 3. And as mentioned, Classic will be there. We have a stunning 10 x 20 inline. Just look for the “Invisible Inc.” graphic and the On the Move Furniture.

Jim Shelman, Jen LaBruzza, and Reid Sherwood will be there to represent the company proudly. Mel White and I are unable to attend this year due to a conflicting schedules.

ACCESS is foundational one this year — the 60th Anniversary for EDPA! So you can expect many great sessions and special events, as well as most of the past Presidents in attendance. It’s sure to be an excellent educational event as always. I hope you can attend and I look forward to hearing from you about ACCESS. As  proud member of the Board of Directors of EDPA, and longtime believer in all the good that EDPA has done for our great industry, I am certainly going to miss this anniversary year.

Back to talking turkey… I hope and trust you all had a safe and enjoyable holiday with your families. I know I did. Certainly a ton to be thankful for in life and in business.

Be well. Look for a comprehensive EDPA ACCESS followup blog next week after Jim, Jen, and Reid return.

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

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Attend EXHIBITORLIVE 2015 … FREE!

November 17th, 2014 Mel White COMMENTS

EXHIBITORLIVE

EXHIBITOR2015

Who said, “There’s no such thing as a free lunch”? Multiple people, according to the knowitalls at Google. Well, we disagree.

Attend EXHIBITORLIVE  FREE compliments of Classic Exhibits Inc. by entering code:

4044

While there, visit us at Booth #1645 where there’s always lots to see and good folks too. We may even throw in a bright red promotional pen. After all, what’s a trade show without some kitschy giveaways?

Go to www.exhibitorlive.com/VIP.

Cheers!

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

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

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 or www.classicexhibits.com.

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Creating a Game Plan for Victory: Word on the Street — November 10th thru November 14th

November 15th, 2014 Mel White COMMENTS
Kevin Carty, VP Classic Exhibits

Kevin Carty, VP Classic Exhibits

I Love College Football

It’s exciting. It’s fun. It’s often unpredictable. Whatever you think of the current debate about college athletics, I still believe that the college game has far less of the “show and glow” arrogance of pro athletes.

To me, the time and effort that goes into creating a winning game plan is amazing. Some teams have a clear defensive mindset, others are more offensive. Which approach creates the highest victory percentage is debatable.

But one thing is sure. No matter how great your defensive game plan, you still have to score at least a field goal to win, assuming you keep the other team scoreless. Yes, I know you can get a safety and win with only 2 points. But that’s rare.

Managing a business is no different. Recently Mel and I were asked, “Are you on the Offense or on the Defense as a business?” I said, “Defense,” and Mel said, Offense.” Honestly, we were both right, but it depended on our individual focuses over the past several months. There are many companies clearly on offense in some areas of their business, but reacting in others.

That’s not to belittle defense. Sometimes you find yourself with a good game plan, one that allows you to score when needed, one that is solid enough to defend the pass from the competition. That’s balance.

Game PlanHowever, the question sticks with me. Can you really be successful long-term as a growing business, if you are not on the offensive most of the time? Simply said, does it not stand to reason that we would all rather be playing a game with a comfortable lead as opposed to playing so safe that winning always depends on a 50-yard field goal as time runs out?

Talking is Easy

Talking about your plan is easy. Executing it is hard. Whether it’s group resistance to change, cash flow issues, technology implementation, communication snafus, or just feeling too darn busy to execute plans today that will not bear fruit for 3-6 months.

This is where your team comes into play. If your team is on board and each player has a clear idea of their role, and they do their part executing their roles, then you should be able to move the ball down the field. But as a manager, or as a management team, I would challenge you to ask these questions,

  • Are we playing offense?
  • Do we have a plan?
  • Does each player understand their role within the game plan?
  • Is there accountability to the team? And feedback?

For our business, this is something we are working very hard at right now. And it’s challenging. Good challenging . . . the kind that helps a team grow and move a business to a new level.

How about your business? Are you offensive or defensive minded? What challenges do you face when creating a long-term game plan for success?

I would love to hear your comments and feedback.

Be well and have a great weekend with your families.

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

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