Here’s a truth most marketing professionals don’t want to admit. They don’t understand Trade Show Marketing. They may be superstars on the web, in print, and every other part of their job, but their exhibition program is a mess. So they blame trade shows. You already know this, and you’ve heard all their excuses.
So, how do you fix it? The resumption of trade shows has brought an influx of new marketing folkswho are eager for information and success. In addition, experienced marketing professionals are now hands-on again because of budget cuts or staffing issues. Guess what… You’re the expert they need — someone who has the resources to train them without bruising their fragile egos.
Professional Trade Show Tips
Start by tapping into Trade Show Tipsin Exhibit Design Search which has almost 100 trade show articles. You can build a My Gallery that includes designs, photos, and articles. Then send them ONE LINK with all those resources. Voila! You become their “go to” person about trade show marketing.
Trade Show Tips is available on all versions ofEDS: Classic’s, unbranded, and branded.
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.
Many inline and island trade show exhibits include furniture, like lounge chairs, bar tables, stools, and end tables. Much of it rental furniture. More recently, rental options have expanded to include safety dividers, rugs and pillows, and even charging options for phones, tables, and laptops.
As trade shows resume post-COVID, this rental trend will continue, if not increase as exhibitors choose more cost-effective options. For most exhibitors, selecting from the show book can be confusing (and expensive). As better option is Exhibit Design Search with two comprehensive CORT galleries with over 200 rental designs: Rental Gallery #1 and Rental Gallery #2.
Rental Furniture Examples
Last week, new designs were added to the galleries. See below for some of the additions.
Counters and Pedestals,
like Rodney Dangerfield, get no respect. Yet, nothing works harder on the show
floor. They’re the ultimate Swiss Army knife.
At Classic, we know a little bit about counters
with over 250 custom, modular, and portable kits in Exhibit Design Search.
Yes, that’s a lot. Others might label it OCD, but we call it being
thorough. Hey, don’t judge!
A well-designed counter combines branding, design, and practical features like storage and accessories. Think about the last time you were on the show floor. Chances are you spent the bulk of your time standing or sitting around a counter.
We’re particularly proud of new Symphony designs shown below. They assemble without tools, pack flat, include shelves, and are perfect for graphics. Plus, they include a unique Classic feature – the locking countertop. Don’t see exact what you want in EDS? That’s nOCD problem. Let us design and build it.
You’ve probably seen the “Match Made in Hell” commercial by the Ryan Reynold’s creative team. The only thing missing was an empty convention center.
It’s been a tough year for the exhibition and event industry, as well as travel, food, and hospitality. With the release of vaccines, there’s a glimmer of hope for a healthier 2021.
It would be easy to pooh-pooh the holidays this year. To dismiss it and move on. And yet, neither you nor Classic has taken that path. During our Classic Conversations sessions in December, you’ve talked about what you’re grateful for. For example, how the pandemic strengthened relationships, broadened your skills, and allowed you to reassess your business. And how you have learned to embrace the present and are planning for the future.
The Classic Exhibits Family wishes you a Joyous Holiday and a Brighter New Year. Above all, we are grateful for your friendship and support throughout 2020.
PANTONE Color of the Year 2021
Introducing Cheerful and Dependable | The EXACT Opposite of 2020.
PANTONE 17-5104 Ultimate Gray + PANTONE 13-0647 Illuminating, a marriage of color conveying a message of strength and hopefulness that is both enduring and uplifting. Illuminating is a bright and cheerful yellow sparkling with vivacity, a warming yellow shade imbued withsolar power. Ultimate Gray is emblematic of solid and dependable elements which are everlasting and provide a firm foundation.
Please join us in congratulating Katina Rigall Zipay, Classic’s Creative Director, for receiving EDPA’s Designer of the Year Award.
The award was presented to Katina at the EDPA ACCESS Conference in San Antonio. The Designer of the Year Award acknowledges a designer who works diligently to enhance the professional standards of experiential/exhibit designers, contributes their talents, creativity and personal time to bring innovation to experiential/exhibit design.
She was also recognized as a 2020 EDPA Future Leader. Congratulations Katina!
EXHIBITOR Portable Modular Awards
Earlier this week, EXHIBITOR announced the finalists for the Eighth Annual Portable Modular Awards. We are delighted to have five finalists: Greystar Worldwide, NuNaturals, Verity, Odyssey Foods, and GE Appliances. This is our eighth straight year of having multiple finalists. And, yes, we are bragging (a bit).
See all 40 of the finalists on the PMA People’s Choice Voting Page. You can vote for your favorite, once a day, until March 1. Classic has won the People’s Choice Award on several occasions, including last year (yes, a little more bragging).
We encourage you to vote and support the PMA’s.
Event Marketer Fab 50
Absolutely Fabulous! If you understood that reference, then you’re clearly over 45 and watched too much Comedy Central (or PBS) in the 1990’s.
Our thanks to Event Marketer for naming Classic Exhibits a Fab 50 company, their annual editorial listing of the industry’s top builders.
What’s even more exciting is how many Classic Exhibits Distributors made the list – 34 TOTAL. That just proves we are in good company.
This year represents our fifth year as a Fab 50 honoree. If you watch Saturday Night Live, you know the importance of being on the Five-Timers List.
A HUGE CONGRATULATIONS to all the Exhibit Builders on the Event Marketer Fab 50 List.
Classic’s Exhibit Design Search
Recently, we updated EDS on the Classic website to the format of the branded EDS sites. Over the past three years, we’ve made significant UI changes to the branded sites, such as larger gallery images, full screen optimization, hamburger menus, and a mobile-friendly format. Those upgrades are now part of the Classic EDS.
Please let us know if you see any issues or have questions. We welcome your feedback.
Some Good News: As we head into 2021, we’ve made the decision not to charge a subscription fee for your branded EDS sites for at least the first six months of 2021. It’s in everyone’s best interest. We want you to have Classic products on your website. AND, we both know you’re more likely to be successful selling portable, modular, custom and rentals with a branded EDS. It’s that simple.
This applies to all Classic Distributors with an active branded EDS beginning in 2020 or added EDS this year. We will re-evaluate in May for the second half of 2021.
