Trade Show TalesBlog

Posts Tagged ‘Exhibit Design Search’

Up Your Game Newsletter — December 2020

December 18th, 2020 COMMENTS

Happy Holidays

Happy Holidays from Classic Exhibits

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

Pantone 2021 Colors of the Year

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.

See https://www.pantone.com/color-of-the-year-2021.

EDPA’s 2020 DOTY to KRZ

Katina Rigall Zipay, Designer of the Year

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

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

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

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. 

New Galleries in Exhibit Design Search: Video Review

November 24th, 2020 COMMENTS

Tim Patterson, aka Tradeshow Guy, takes us on an informative tour of the newest galleries in Exhibit Design Search. In this video, Tim navigates through TradeshowBuy.com, his branded version of EDS.

Personal Protection Equipment and Together Again Expo | July 2020 Newsletter

July 17th, 2020 COMMENTS

Your PPE Wingman

Personal Protection guidelines are starting to unfold for schools, universities, medical facilities, and businesses. We are deep in that mix and know it very well. Currently, we have about twenty schools under our belt, eight banks, and several hospitals. And the requests are growing exponentially.

PPE is an immediate need for these organizations, and they are desperate for your guidance and expertise. They don’t want tacky acrylic barriers held together with Velcro and unfinished wood. They want attractive, professional solutions.

You can significantly increase your closing percentage by asking us to participate in the call with your client. We’re available, whether you need assistance on product specifications, design, or simply a wingman to close the deal.

PPE Business is Local

From our experience, all PPE business is local. Your greatest asset is leveraging local relationships, personal friendships, and existing clients to find new opportunities. People love doing business with friends, acquaintances and vendors who support them. In most cases, they won’t find or contact you. You have to find them by calling, emailing, or visiting their website or social media pages. 

The planning process has started for schools, churches, banks, museums, retail locations and offices so the timing is ideal. Become the local expert for PPE products. We’re here to help you any way we can.

Exhibit Design Search Updates

Whether you call it shifting, pivoting, or evolving, we aren’t standing still. There are Five New Galleries in EDS: 

  1. PlaceLyft Office Systems:  Modular Personal Protection Office Solutions
  2. Hand Sanitizer Stands: Heavy-Duty Stand Tough™ Sanitizer Stands
  3. Safety Dividers: Customizable Aluminum and Acrylic/Sintra Partitions
  4. Office/Retail Lightboxes: SuperNova LED Lightboxes
  5. Interactive Displays: In Partnership with Blue Pony

New Rental Savings

Jim Shelman and his team have made extensive updates to the (3) Rental Galleries. New designs, more details, and even a SALE. 

The designs include SuperNova lightboxes, Gravitee inlines and islands, and even promotional prices on our newest portable system, Symphony. We expect rentals, especially customized rentals, to be active once trade show return as exhibitors choose smaller and more affordable options.

See all 12 Rental Designs on sale in Exhibit Design Search.

Join Us at the Together Again Expo in Orlando on July 24

Kevin, Jen, and Katina will be in Orlando on July 24 for the Together Again Expo. In booth #400, a 10 x 20 Symphony and Gravitee Display, along with examples of our Hand Sanitzer Stands. They are planning several live broadcasts.

No need to preregister. All are invited! Save the links below!

Pre-Show: Thursday, July 23 | Noon EST / 9 am PST
https://lnkd.in/gEJxVdS

Show Day: Friday, July 24 | Noon EST / 9 am PST
https://lnkd.in/gzeKMzv

If you are attending the event in Orlando, please stop by and visit them while adhering to mask and social distancing protocols. 

The show organizers have virtual training and panel sessions planned as well. You will need to register if you want to attend any of those activities. Fingers crossed that it sends the right message that the trade show industry can be active and responsible.

Employment Love Connection

Displaced? Furloughed? Laid off? We would like to help if possible. As a national manufacturer with over 200 distributors, we know there are people looking for other great people. That need will be even greater in the coming months.

Let us know if we can make any employment love connections. We would love to assist. Reach out to Jen LaBruzza, Harold Mintz, or Tom Beard.

Up Your Game Newsletter | November 2019

November 18th, 2019 COMMENTS

The NEW Symphony System

Designing a portable display system in today’s ultra-competitive market takes guts. Not only must it be durable, easy-to-assembly, and (preferably) tool-less, but it must also feature accessories like monitor/tablet mounts, workstations, counters, and storage. And if that wasn’t enough, it must be attractive and represent a real value.

In January 2020, Classic Exhibits will introduce Symphony, a portable system with over 30 mix and match configurations, seamless graphics, and dramatic shapes. Symphony will be both familiar and unlike anything you’ve ever seen before. That takes guts!  Coming Soon!

2020 Branded Exhibit Design Search

A few days ago, you received an email about the revised Branded EDS Program. We listened and made changes to the program introduced last year, including adding an earned rebate incentive. We made the incentive reasonable so most Classic Distributor Partners could reach those sales levels easily.

Best of all, if your wholesale sales were at least $150,000 in 2019
and you have an active EDS website, then you won’t receive an
invoice for 2020. Nothing. Nada. Gratis.

If you have questions about your existing Exhibit Design Search, or you would like to add a branded EDS to your website, contact Mel White, Jen LaBruzza, or Harold Mintz. They can explain the features and benefits of branded EDS sites, including our strategic EDS partnerships with Optima, CORT, Brumark, and Display Supply and Lighting.

Just Like the Wizard of OZ

At Classic Exhibits, we’re kinda like the Wizard of Oz. We love to create display magic, but we do it hiding behind a curtain as much as possible. On occasion we pull that curtain back, like at EXHIBITORLIVE or award programs. Otherwise, we’re invisible.

Recently, we agreed to a corporate profile in Exhibit City News, which we’ve never done before in any publication. It was in the September/October issue. If you didn’t get a chance to read it, here’s the online version: Classic Exhibits Inc.: An Industry Chameleon.

If we’ve learned anything over the years, it’s that people find it challenging to describe who we are and what we do, even our most loyal distributor partners. The article does a good job of making that clearer and includes quotes from Kevin Carty, Katina Rigall Zipay, and Mel White.

EDPA Access 2019

Kevin Carty and Jen LaBruzza will be attending EDPA Access in Tucson, AZ on December 4-6. Ask about several exciting custom projects (Star Wars, The Walking Dead, and corporate branding). There’s a lot going on at Classic and even more changes coming in 2020. 

Videos

Three Cool Features on Exhibit Design Search by The TradeshowGuy

August 27th, 2019 COMMENTS

Tim Patterson, a.k.a. The Tradeshow Guy and TradeshowGuy Exhibits, created this terrific video. In the video, he shows “Three Cool Things” on his branded version of Exhibit Design Search, like how to create a display gallery. Well done and worth sharing. Great video Tim!