Trade Show TalesBlog

Posts Tagged ‘displays’

Exhibits Northwest’s NEW Website

April 22nd, 2015 COMMENTS

ENW_1

Christmas Morning

Launching a new or updated website always feels like Christmas morning. It doesn’t matter if you have been immersed in the details for months. It’s still surprising and uplifting. Last night, we launched the new Exhibits Northwest website (www.exhibitsnw.com). Exhibits Northwest is a sister company of Classic Exhibits that operates exclusively in the Pacific Northwest.

So why does this launch matter to you, a Classic Exhibits distributor? Three reasons ….

Website Design

The new Exhibits Northwest website was designed to be optimized for full screen, tablet, and mobile devices. This was the goal from the beginning and drove every-single design decision. The announcement from Google last week to prioritize mobile-friendly websites was a coincidence but a happy one for Exhibits Northwest (and the Classic Exhibits website, which is also mobile-friendly). If you haven’t altered your website for mobile devices, it needs to be added to your “To Do” list for this year.

Mission

We’re not new to website development, but this time we took a different approach. Instead of listing all the features we wanted the site to include, we defined what we wanted the site to convey. The Exhibits Northwest website had to focus on three goals that spoke to the ENW mission:  Creativity, Capability, and Culture. So, whenever we talked about a feature, it had to be “stress-tested” against those three objectives. In the end, it meant jettisoning quite a few pages from the old site, which had meaningful content but didn’t add to the story. It’s an approach we would recommend to others.

Exhibit Design Search

Anyone who has attended Shared Knowledge University or spoken to Kevin, Jen, Reid, or me knows that Exhibits Northwest serves as a testbed of ideas for Classic Exhibits. We ask them to review new products or new online features before funneling them to the Classic Distributor Network. Some make it to the Network, others don’t based on their feedback. Exhibit Design Search is a perfect example. The new Exhibits Northwest version shows a new approach. The images are larger, less blocky, the menu minimized, and there are clever animations. This approach can’t be achieved on all distributor-branded EDS websites since it’s format specific, but there are elements we will look to add to the next Exhibit Design Search software update.

EDS_ENW_2_2

Last but not least, a special thanks to everyone who made this happen. You’re the BEST!

Should you have any questions, give us a call. We welcome your comments and feedback.

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

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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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The Mobius Strip Approach to Trade Show Marketing

November 4th, 2014 2 COMMENTS
No Beginning and No Ending

No Beginning and No Ending

Your Comfortable Routine

Most of us are creatures of habit. Why change if it’s working? I’ve learned over the years that trade show marketing tends to follow the same, well-traveled road for most companies. Same shows. Similar booths. Little change to the exhibit staffing. Common frustrations year after year.

Recently, I chatted with a West Coast seafood broker who exhibits at two shows a year. They do no pre-show marketing. Post-show marketing consists of a few phone calls and emails. Their graphics changed two years ago, but not much.  Before the show this year, he asked me for advice. I offered tips about his graphics, about contacting his client database, and about including several customer service employees to the booth staff. Basic stuff. He contemplated changing a header graphic. Then ran out of time and did nothing different, except tell a mutual acquaintance that he “upped his trade show marketing program this time.”

I call this the Mobius Strip Approach to Trade Show Marketing. If you played with a mobius strip as a child, you know it’s the illusion of progress because you start and end at the same point. Not surprisingly, it’s the Mobius exhibitors who grumble the most about their meager ROI, while telling everyone about the costly changes they made. I’ve lost my diplomacy with those folks. They are idiots. For everyone else, you can change. I have faith. Here’s my advice to a brighter trade show future by taking a few baby steps.

Baby Steps

Photo_41. The Line:  You’ll never know if you’ve crossed the line . . . unless you cross the line once in a while. It could be a bold display structure, a new marketing campaign, or a social media message. I’ve found that whenever I cross the line, my team will guide me back to it, but just barely. That way we always make progress.

2. The Expert: Ask for advice. Too many sales and marketing professionals think they understand trade show marketing. They don’t. That’s not to say they don’t understand marketing. They do. They just don’t realize that not all marketing is the same. These are the same people who would consult with half a dozen banner ad experts before placing their first online ad, but would go it alone with a $300,000 trade show spend.

3. The People:  Two types of staffers should be in your booth:  Decision-makers and anyone who was a superstar at their first fast food, retail, or call center job. Anyone else won’t give you their best and will probably derailed those who want the show to be successful. If you had a time-elapse camera during the show, you would see them show up late, not approach attendees, and take a one-hour lunch during a four-hour show.

4. The Show: Get to know the show organizers. They want you to succeed because they want the show to succeed. They may have pre-show marketing tips, advice for connecting at the show, post-show analytics, or even some general suggestions about what works and what doesn’t work. They know the best spots on the show floor, which sometimes may not seem like winners, but work because they’re next to the lounge or a busy show floor intersection.

5. The Exhibitors:  Get to the show early and walk the floor. Better yet, walk with someone and compare notes. Talk to other exhibitors. The ones who arrive early are serious about trade show marketing. They are cleaning, organizing, and (like you) looking for opportunities to learn about their industry and trade shows.

6. The Labor: It never ceases to surprise me when exhibitors don’t ask the labor crew for advice. Labor spends their days wrestling with the decisions that exhibitors make. They, more than anyone else, know how to get from point A to point Z by skipping half the alphabet in the show hall. They still have rules to follow, but they know which ones can be bent a little. If nothing else, ask them to share with you what the really good exhibitors do. In addition, they can tell you the exhibit builders that shine and the ones that make their lives miserable. They’ll even share with you trends they’re seeing. They assemble displays every day and hear from the successful and not-so successful exhibitors.

Please share your thoughts about trade show marketing in the comments.

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

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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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FREE Exhibit Design Search Webinar

June 4th, 2014 COMMENTS
Mel_7

Mel White, Classic Exhibits

Hit the Ground Running . . .

On Wednesday, June 25, Classic Exhibits will offer a free Exhibit Design Search Tips, Tricks, and Techniques Webinar. Join us when we review significant updates to EDS since the last session, including an expanded My Gallery, Trade Show Tips, and the new Price Range tool.

If you haven’t attended an EDS webinar, you’ll learn how to streamline your sales and design process and turn prospects into orders. Techniques include understanding advance search options, building shared galleries, and navigating seamlessly within EDS in a fraction of the time.

If you have attended a previous EDS webinar, discover even more features that will turbocharge your sales.

This is a MUST for anyone with a branded EDS website!!!!

Seats are limited, so REGISTER NOW! [https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/909473202] EDS Webinar

Should you have any problems registering (GoToWebinar can be finicky sometimes), send me an email and I’ll register you. For more information about recent Exhibit Design Search updates, see the following blog post.

–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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French Lickin’ Mary Ann: Word on the Street — May 26th thru May 30th

May 31st, 2014 COMMENTS

SKU1Shared Knowledge University Graduates Another AMAZING Class!

A little over a week ago, Classic Exhibits held the Spring 2014 session of Shared Knowledge University (SKU). To say that it was our nicest group ever is not an overstatement. IT WAS!

Starting on Sunday May 18, 42 attendees arrived from all over the country to attend Classic Exhibits’ bi-annual training. Attendees came from as far as Pennsylvania, New Jersey and South Carolina and as close as Oregon and Washington — and many states in between. The group was the key to the overwhelming success of the event. They were prepared to learn, attentive in class, and hands-on once we hit the shop floor.

The events started casually on Sunday night where we hosted a dinner with attendees who arrived early. We had a chance to share stories at a local brewery before the event “officially” started. After that, we kicked into full gear Monday morning.

Each SKU involves a lot of preparation and a little anxiety since we want everything to be “just so.” But like always, everything went without a hitch.

As a long-time employee of Classic, one of my favorite parts of SKU is that first moment when the group arrives at our facility. It’s our home 8-12 hours a day, so seeing the reaction of the attendees as they walk in is always something I look forward to and enjoy. For most, it’s an eye-opener, with reactions of “Oh wow! You were not kidding.” The shop and the tour reinforces what they have heard from Jen LaBruzza, Reid Sherwood, Mel White and me for years.

Our proud spring 2014 graduates ranged from industry veterans of more than 25 years to folks that were new our industry. Which in itself added to the value of the session. I witnessed a lot of sidebar conversations from student to veteran where ideas were shared and contact information was swapped in hopes of helping one another on future projects.

Spring 2014 SKU Video

The two-day event was not just classroom and shop-level training. There was a lot of fun as well. We are proud of the City of Roses and love the opportunity to show all things “Portlandia,” which includes an evening at the always interesting Kennedy School in NE Portland. Originally an elementary school, it was opened in 1915, then closed in 1975, only to be re-opened in 1997 as a restaurant and hotel including many unique spaces such as the “Detention Room”…now a cigar bar and the “Gym”…now a large group event space. It’s a great place that the group enjoyed, some perhaps a little more than others. 🙂

Evening two, we ventured into the Pearl District of Portland to the Bridgeport Brewery, a restaurant and bar that was opened in what used to be one of many vacant industrial buildings in downtown Portland. The Pearl District is clearly “THE” hotspot in downtown Portland. It’s an Urban Living area complete with restaurants, coffee shops, stores, and apartments/condos.

Before dinner Tuesday night, we took a detour to the Exhibits Northwest Portland showroom for a cocktail reception hosted by Jim Shelman (GM) and the gracious staff at Exhibits NW Portland. It’s a beautiful showroom, and the ENW team created a relaxing atmosphere after two grueling days of intense training.

SKU Photos

I have received many thank you emails since sending the honored graduates on their way (after they recited their secret Graduate Pledge). In particular, I was touched by their comments about the Classic people they met, from Production to Accounting and from Design and Customer Service. Many praised their dedication, openness, and sincerity. One person asked a project manager if Classic was an Employee Owned Company because of everyone’s committment to the business and to the company’s core values of Shared Knowledge, Shared Responsibility, and Shared Success.

Time and time again, what I am most proud of is our people. Take away the shop, the products, the website. Take it all away, and we are still left with the greatest and most dedicated group of employees a company could ask for. And the fact that it “shows” to those coming just for two days is what makes SKU so successful each and every time.

So thank again to all who attended. We appreciate your business and your support for our work families and our home families. And most of all, thanks to the entire team that makes SKU . . . SKU. It’s a great opportunity for people to learn about what we do and more importantly how hard we work to make everyone successful. Finally, a special thanks to our guest speakers:  Dave Brown from Optima, Eric Albery from Eco-Systems Sustainable Exhibits, and Tim Patterson, the Tradeshow Guy!

Have a great weekend with your families. June is upon us if you can believe it! We look forward to serving you as we roll into the summer.

Be well.

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

p.s. Want to know what Mary Ann has to do with SKU? Well, you’ll have to attend the September 29-30 session. Contact Jen or Reid for more information.

p.s.s. Eric, you finally graduated. Dave, not yet. One more semester.

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Retail Displays Gallery: Word on the Street — May 19th thru May 23rd

May 23rd, 2014 COMMENTS
SuperNova LED Lightbox

SuperNova LED Lightbox

Say What?

Let me guess . . . you don’t view Classic Exhibits or ClassicMODUL as retail display builders? Quite honestly, I don’t blame you. We don’t design and build cardboard product displays. We never get orders for 1000 merchandising racks. No one comes to us for rounders or rolling clothing racks or 500 pieces of slatwall hardware.

And yet, every week we’re designing, building, or fulfilling a traditional retail order. Much of it is custom, which shouldn’t surprise you. We are an ideal source for custom retail fixtures since we excel in engineered aluminum extrusion and wood fabrication. We love these jobs because they fall into two camps:  1. Pure custom, which is both challenging and rewarding, and 2. Lots and lots of straight or curved extrusion cut to specific lengths.

Lately, there’s been an addition to the mix as retailers have “discovered” backlit fabric graphics. Silicone Edge Graphics with SuperNova LED lights are all the rage, which makes sense. Shipping large print graphics is expensive. Too often, they arrive damaged or the hardware is cumbersome to assemble and then gets tossed after one season. Aluminum SEG frames, fabric graphics, and LED lighting solves most of those challenges, if installed correctly the first time.

Did I mention tablet stands for iPads and Surface 2? No surprise. Those are very popular as well.

Show Me

Now that’s the attitude we’ve come to expect from our distributors. There’s now a Retail Display Gallery on the Classic Exhibits website that shows samples of retail projects. Sadly, we don’t get to see everything, especially if the job calls for cut extrusion. And, frankly, some clients are reluctant to share images for competitive reasons. We assume the final product is stunning since we don’t always see it unless the distributor sends us photos.

Click here for the Retail Displays Gallery. Or you can find the links in the Exhibits or Resources menu. Or in the footer on the Classic Exhibits website.

Have a wonderful and safe Memorial Day weekend!

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

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