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Shooting from the Hip — 16.10 (EDPA Access)

December 20th, 2010 Mel White COMMENTS
Shooting from the Hip (trade show tips)

Shooting from the Hip by Reid Sherwood

The Exhibit Designers and Producers Association (EDPA) held its annual meeting a few weeks ago – ACCESS 2010. The meetings are always held at a warm weather resort the week after Thanksgiving. It starts on Wednesday with a golf tournament or a fishing trip for the non-golfers (I always play golf since I can fish in ice in Michigan but can’t golf in it). Mel and I attended as the representatives of Classic Exhibits and ClassicMODUL.

The Marriott Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL was the resort this year. Yes it was chilly, but it was Sawgrass, so who cares. Our scramble group finished 2-under on the valley course. The team consisted of Ken Karns (Elevation Exhibits), Ray Montague (Avalon), Gina Porcaro (Optima Graphics), and me. I think Gina and Ken got tired of carrying us. Ray had a bit of a breakthrough moment on a 100 yard chip shot. He yanked it left by 25 yards and said, “I must just have to aim to the right. I have been pulling that shot left for 45 years.” We all had a good laugh. Well, not Ray, but the three of us and our caddy did.

Our caddy, Donald, was part golf coach, part psychiatrist, and part travel agent. He knew the distance from the edge of every rough to the center of the green on each hole. I was approaching the green on a short par 5, and Donald tells me I am about 75 away. I said, “Ah, a sand wedge. My favorite club.” So I take dead aim and proceed to scuff the ball about halfway to the green. Donald, who is clear across the fairway (up in some rough looking for Ray’s golf ball), hollers loud enough for the entire course to hear, “YARDS REID! YARDS!”

EDPA

As most of you know, unlike TS2 or EXHIBITOR, this event is specifically for builders, suppliers, and distributors of the trade show industry. There are no end-users. This makes the event more casual and generally more cooperative. There’s more time to chat with distributors, strategic partners, suppliers, and competitors.

I want to commend Jeff Provost and the staff of EDPA. For the first time since I have been involved (about 7 years), I felt like our involvement in the Supplier Showcase was appreciated. I had Jeff and several staff members thank us for participating in the Showcase. I don’t recall that happening in the past, and it was very refreshing. Traffic in the Supplier Showcase was solid on both days because the EDPA made sure to place the sugar, caffeine, and carbohydrates in the show hall. Very smart.

Sessions focused on design as well as other relevant topics. We know design sells. We were reminded of it again. Thanks to those who presented.

Congratulations to Optima (Dave Brown and Gina Porcaro) for taking 1st Place in the Golden Ham Awards, sponsored by Exhibit City News. To see a video of their skit, click here. No offense Gina, but it will never compare to the Golden Pharaoh commercial Dave and I did in Tucson. Although we took second because a Brit pronounced “ALUMINIUM” as only a Brit can, it was the best skit (and everyone knows it).

A special thanks to Dave Mihalik and Lara Davie from ELITeXPO for all their hard work on the silent auction. The pheasant hunt I won will be a blast.

In the end, it was a great few days. My thanks to all who made it possible.

Merry Christmas!

–Reid Sherwood
reid@classicmodul.com

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Optima Graphics Wins the Golden Ham Award

December 14th, 2010 Mel White COMMENTS

Congratulations to our friends at Optima Graphics for winning the Golden Ham Award at the 2010 EDPA Access Conference in Ponte Verdra, FL. Dave Brown and Gina Porcaro are the feature actors in this one-minute spoof of a Progressive Insurance commercial.

Click on the Image to See the Video on Optima's Website

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Kevin Carty Elected to the EDPA Board of Directors

December 10th, 2010 Mel White 1 COMMENT

During the 2010 EDPA ACCESS meeting, Kevin Carty, Vice President of Sales for Classic Exhibits Inc., was welcomed as a newest elected member to the EDPA’s Board of Directors with an initial two-year term. Kevin and Classic Exhibits/ClassicMODUL are very active within the exhibit industry as members of not only EDPA but also TSEA (Trade Show Exhibitors Association) and HCEA (Healthcare Convention and Exhibitors Association) .

The Exhibit Designers and Producers Association (EDPA), founded in 1954, is an internationally recognized national trade association with more than 400 corporate members from 18 countries that are engaged in the design, manufacture, transport, installation, and service of displays and exhibits primarily for the exhibition and event industry. Its purpose is to provide education, leadership, and networking for the advancement of its members and the exhibition industry. The mission of the EDPA is to advance the interests of members engaged in the design, production, and service of exhibits, events, and experiential environments. The success and integrity of our industry will be enhanced through advocacy, communication, education, and good works.

EDPA leadership and guidance comprises of an Executive Board and a Board of Directors (a total of 24 volunteers from within the industry), one of whom is the Executive Director of the Association. Only qualified individuals who are representatives of members in good standing of EDPA are eligible for nomination. Board members are elected by the membership at large through an electronic balloting process with newly elected members being announced at EDPA’s annual ACCESS Conference and Showcase. Nominations are brought forth by the Executive Committee, contacted and vetted by the Vice President of Administration then presented on a ballot to the membership.

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Word on the Street — June 21st thru June 25th

June 24th, 2010 Mel White 2 COMMENTS

Word on the Street by Kevin Carty

Your First Day in High School

Do you remember your first day in high school? This week, I’m doing something I haven’t done in almost 12 years. I’m going to a trade show for the first time.

Now as you might imagine, I have been to many, many trade shows over the years — just like you. But this week I am attending as a first time exhibitor. I can’t remember the last time that happened. And it is an interesting process.

What to bring? How to best approach the attendees? What classes to attend? Etc.

I am used to EXHIBITOR, TS2, and EDPA. I know all the usual suspects, friends, competitors, and even many of the end users that come every year. Those shows have become somewhat of a reunion week for many of us. Don’t get me wrong. The shows are work, and we are constantly creating ways to make our presence at these industry shows fresh . . . but again, it’s still familiar. I know what to expect, what to bring, and what classes to attend.

HCEA Conference in New Orleans

This week I am attending and exhibiting in the HCEA Conference for the first time. And when I originally signed up, I had a clear idea of what our goals were and how the show was going to be. I still have a clear idea of our goals, but I have to admit I have no idea what the show is going to be like. I know some of the players as it relates to fellow exhibitors, but just some . . . and I have no clue what the attendees are like.

I have admit — It’s freaking weird! I have been doing this for 16 years next month, and, yet, I feel like I am walking into freshman year of high school all over again. Knowing some of the kids that attended the same elementary school, but in large part not really knowing anybody and not knowing what the process is like. It is exciting and a bit nerve racking at the same time. In addition, this will be my first visit to New Orleans. I’m still not quite sure how that happen considering my extensive travel schedule.

Sacagawea Portable Hybrid Display by Classic Exhibits

Sacagawea Display for the HCEA Show in New Orleans

Thanks to some very good industry friends, colleagues, and mentors, I was able to ease my nerves a bit after calling them this week. But I must admit, as of Wednesday, I was still calling people asking them what I should wear to the different events associated with the show.

This show is going to be a unique experience for Classic Exhibits. We are partnering with Optima Graphics on a booth space geared solely around Exhibit Design Search. Since neither Optima nor Classic sells anything direct, we are actually going to HCEA in more of a partnership role than anything else. Meaning, our booth space will be another location for Custom Houses to bring their healthcare clients to show them smaller islands, inlines, modulars, hybrids, portables,  and graphics.

I am excited to see how the show turns out and to work closely with many of our existing customers and their clients. I am also attending a full slate of classes offered in the curriculum.

Wish me luck! And if you are attending or exhibiting, I will be the shy guy in the corner twiddling my thumbs afraid to ask the hot Sophomore girl to dance. 🙂 NOT!

Seriously though, if you are in New Orleans for the show, please stop by and say hello to Dave Brown and me. We are in booth #100.

Be well and have a great weekend.

–Kevin Carty

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

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Word on the Street — May 24th thru May 28th

May 29th, 2010 Mel White COMMENTS

Why we participate in the TS2 Show

Word on the Street by Kevin Carty

Why Does Classic Exhibits Participate in TS2

As I traveled this week, I was asked this question several times. And not for any reason other than people were curious why we participate in TS2, when we already exhibit at EXHIBITOR, EDPA, and HCEA.

Well, there are several reasons . . . .

For starters, as some of you know, I am on the Exhibitor Appointed Committee (EAC) for the TS2 Show and have been for about four years. Classic has been a part of the show since 1994, and we continue to believe the show has value and that the concept should be supported not only by us but by the entire industry.

Over the past few years, the show has hit some speed bumps, but it is recovering. Personally, our experience has always been positive. I can say without any hesitation that TS2 has been a very successful show for us every year. One reason — we are a big fish in a small pond at TS2. For reasons that make very little sense to us, very few portable/modular/hybrid manufacturers exhibit, so we end up with the majority of those leads. That means less competition on the floor and better yet, virtually no competition when Classic distributors follow up on the leads. Fortunately, end-user attendance has been solid every year.

Secondly, more so than EXHIBITOR, TS2 is our opportunity to connect with many of the Custom Houses that represent Classic Exhibits and ClassicMODUL. Why TS2 more than at EXHIBITOR? Location. Historically, the show has been in DC, Philly, Chicago, and now Boston. Locations rich with Custom Builders that use Classic Exhibits for their smaller system needs as well as ClassicMODUL for their aluminum extrusion builds.

If you are considering attending, we have free passes to the show this year. Just click on this link to download an application. The pass gets you into the exhibit hall, the block party, and the mixer.

At TS2, we will have an exciting 20′ x 20′ that will show lots of large fabric graphics using the new TSP aluminum extrusion profiles that accept Silicone Edge Graphics (SEG). Its a really beautiful design in my opinion.

Lastly, let me say that as the TS2 EAC Committee Chair, I and the rest of the EAC members are working diligently with Show Management to restore the show to the position where it truly was “The Tradeshow for Tradeshows!”

I look forward to seeing you in Boston from July 13-15. If you would like one-on-one meetings with Mel White, Reid Sherwood, Jim Shelman, or me, please let us know soon. We are scheduling appointments, and available time slots tend to fill fast.

Hope you all have (had) a great Memorial Day weekend.

–Kevin Carty

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


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