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Classic Exhibits Welcomes Display Supply & Lighting to EDS

May 21st, 2011 Mel White COMMENTS
Display Supply and Lighting

New Galleries in EDS

Lighting and Exhibit and Electrical Supplies Galleries

Classic Exhibits Inc., a designer and manufacturer of portable, modular, and custom hybrid displays, announces the addition of Display Supply & Lighting’s (DS&L) products to Exhibit Design Search. Exhibit Design Search (EDS) is a comprehensive web-based search tool for trade show displays and accessories, and includes over 1400 displays, 2000 photos, and 50 trade show articles. Most Classic Distributors have branded versions of EDS on their websites.

The two new galleries, Lighting and Exhibit and Electrical Supplies, supplement the existing 26 display galleries by adding a complete line of halogen, LED, fluorescent, and incandescent lights to the search database, along with display needs like Velcro® brand products, multi-outlet strips, and replacement cords.

DS&L joins four other vendors as strategic partners in Exhibit Design Search. Those partners include Eco-systems Sustainable Exhibits, Optima Graphics, Brumark Flooring, and Classic Exhibits. Each partner contributes to and manages galleries that reflect their expertise and product lines. Classic Distributors benefit from a “one-stop shop” on their website and can order products directly from each strategic partner.

According to Rob Cohen, Vice President of DS&L, “DS&L is excited to support the efforts of our partners to market solutions using technology in sustainable, cost-effective tools like EDS. Classic Exhibits has built an effective portal that allows distributors and their customers to easily learn more about, and select, products that meet their needs, and we are proud to be a part of that solution.”

“We are delighted to partner with DS&L,” says Kevin Carty, VP of Sales at Classic Exhibits. “This collaboration reflects our core philosophy of “Shared Success,” in which we work with industry leaders to create best-in-class solutions for our distributors and their customers. For customers, Exhibit Design Search makes it easy to find the right products at the right price using a web-based search tool that promotes the brands that matter – our distributor’s brands. In this way, we win, our customers win, and our suppliers win.”

For questions about Classic Exhibits or Exhibit Design Search, contact Mel White, VP of Marketing and Business Development at mel@classicexhibits.com or 503.652-2100 x-210. For more information about Classic Exhibits, refer to www.classicexhibits.com or www.classicmodul.com.

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Based in Portland, Oregon, Classic Exhibits Inc. designs and manufacturers portable, modular, and custom-hybrid exhibit solutions. These solutions include the Perfect 10, Sacagawea, Magellan, Euro LT, and Visionary Designs. The Classic line also includes ClassicMODUL Aluminum Extrusions with over 200 profiles and hundreds of accessories for trade show, museum, architectural, and retail environments. Classic Exhibits products are represented by an extensive distributor network throughout North America and in select International markets.

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Word on the Street — March 28th thru April 1st

April 3rd, 2011 Mel White 3 COMMENTS
EXHIBITOR 2011 Follow-up

Word on the Street by Kevin Carty

EXHIBITOR Show Follow-up

To those who attended EXHIBITOR in Las Vegas, I hope you had an enjoyable time.

This past month was a very exciting one at Classic. I am delighted to announce that March will be the second largest sales month in Classic Exhibits’ history! Thanks to you, our distributors and friends, for your support, your orders, and for believing in our “Shared Success” philosophy.

Since I did not attend EXHIBITOR this year, I hope you will share your feedback and reactions via the blog. The Classic Team had only positive comments about the show: great traffic, quality leads, and an overall upbeat tone.

As you may have noticed if you were at the show, Classic Exhibits, ClassicMODUL, and Exhibits NW were fortunate to have built not just our own booth but also several others on the show floor.

Here are just a few. Let us know what you thought of these designs:

Cort Furnishings. The island display included ClassicMODUL black anodized extrusion, Aero Overhead Hanging Structures, and tension fabric graphics from Optima Graphics . . . and of course all the beautiful trade show furnishings from Cort.

Display Supply and Lighting @ Exhibitor 2011Display Supply and Lighting (DS&L). This inline included Silicone Edge Graphic profiles from ClassicMODUL, SEG fabric graphics from Optima, and some truly amazing LED lighting from Display Supply. Check out the picture, but don’t miss the video. Great work to Rob Cohen and his team. And additional kudos to Steve Pinette for a stunning design.

EliteXPO at Exhibitor 2011EliteXPO. This inline had a very cool lounge theme. It included several ClassicMODUL profiles, large format Duratrans and tension fabric graphics from Optima Graphics as well as LED backlighting panels from Display Supply and Lighting. Kudos to Dave, Lara, and Chuck. I heard a lot of great feedback from attendees on your booth design and theme. Nicely done!

New Leads 10 x 10. A great example of a Classic Exhibits 10 x 10 Sacagawea hybrid! Take a look. Turned out very beautiful and highlighted a very functional design. New Leads at Exhibitor 2011And special thanks to New Leads for allowing us to use their lead retrieval technology which runs off iPads. Very easy to use.

Optima Exhibitor 2011Optima Graphics Island. Not only was there a nice ClassicMODUL Tower in the booth, but did you see that Aero Hanging Sign structure?  Well done Jim, Dave, and the whole team at Optima.

EXHIBITOR Magazine. EXHIBITOR’s inline booth was a custom rental exhibit from Classic Rentals with a dynamic A/V presentation. The display demonstrated our flexible rental inventory and design capabilities. This was no kit. It was built using their design requirements for the show. Exhibitor2011_Booth

Classic Exhibits / Eco-systems Sustainable. And last but not least. I hope you enjoyed OUR booth: Your Home for Exhibits. Take a look at the pictures. What you might not know is that the structure is a Rental Exhibit! It highlights the true custom nature and capability of Jim Shelman and his whole crew at Classic Rentals / Exhibits NW. Thanks to Flying High Design for all the beautiful graphic work, to Optima for the printing, to Brumark for the carpeting, to Cort Furnishings for the comfy chairs and stools, to Nature Wall for the cool “real” grass wall in the ECO-Systems portion of the display. At the end of the day, that was probably the best overall design and display we have ever shown.

That being said, I want to say a personal thanks to Mel, Jim, James, Laura, Erik, Eric, Michael, Tim and of course Reid for their hard work last week. Not being there myself, I want you all to know how proud I am of our team and the job you did. Thanks!

Lastly, a huge thank you to our strategic partners:  Eco-systems Sustainable, Momentum Management, Cort, Optima Graphics, EliteXPO, and Display Supply and Lighting. Your guidance, generosity, and support made this year’s show particularly special.

Please share your comments about the show.

Have a great and restful 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 — March 14th thru March 18th

March 18th, 2011 Mel White COMMENTS
EXHIBITOR 2011

Word on the Street by Kevin Carty

It’s Showtime!  EXHIBITOR SHOW 2011.

It is that time of year . . . and if you have been “peeking” at Peek-a-Booth, you probably already know what a creative and exciting display we have in store for the show. It’s a  “Home” (of sorts) where you can relax and learn about all the great things happening at Classic Exhibits, Exhibits Northwest, Eco-systems Sustainable, and ClassicMODUL.

The Booth

We are in Booth #1455 this year — a dynamic 20 x 30 space that will showcase all the divisions of Classic Exhibits and its sister company Eco-systems. The theme is “Your Home” for Hybrid, Modular, Portable, Rental, and Green Exhibits. Be sure you stop by so we can take you on a tour on the latest and greatest from your friends at Classic.

Customer Appreciation Reception (Tuesday)

Classic Exhibits, DS&L, and Optima Graphics ReceptionOn Tuesday, we are hosting a party from 4-6 pm in the Eye Candy Lounge of Mandalay Bay. During show hours, please come by and get your drink ticket and then join us for some good old fashioned networking and downtime afterwords. The reception is proudly sponsored by Classic Exhibits, Display Supply and Lighting, and Optima Graphics. You can get your drink tickets at any of our partners during show hours. Quantities are limited, so come by our booths early.

The Optima Graphics Reception (Monday)

Make sure you come by Monday evening for this annual event which is always an excellent place to catch up with old friends and network. It is being held in Mandalay Bay, Islander Ballrooms D and E, after the show breaks until 7 pm. Classic Exhibits is a proud sponsor of this event as well.

One-on-One Meetings During the Show

If you would like to schedule time with one of us during the show hours, please email Mel White at mel@classicexhibits.com . He is handling the scheduling for the meetings on the show floor. Take advantage of this one-on-one time!

Wondering what to expect at the show? Take a look at the blog posting Mel wrote last week regarding the recent ExhibiTrends event he attended. It is a great snapshot of what you can expect from the show overall this year.

Multiple Displays on the Show Floor

Classic Exhibits is very proud to have more than just our 20 x 30 island unit on the show floor this year. Please make sure to see our handiwork at our vendor partners booths: Cort Furnishings, Optima Graphics, DS&L, New Leads, EliteXPO and the EXHIBITOR Magazine display. Not only are they great partners of Classic, but we also built all or part of their exhibits for the show this year.

Portable Modular Summit (Wednesday)

EDPA will host the Portable Modular Summit again this year. This session will meet on Wednesday, March 30 from 9:30 am to 10:30 am in Tropics A-B of the Mandalay Bay North Convention Center (look for the NORTH Convention Center sign on the right side of the main entrance hallway, just past the Starbucks). For more information, click here.

On a personal note, for the first time in 16 years I will not attend the show this year. A combination of being busy with several large projects, being very busy at Classic overall, and managing some staffing changes requires that someone stay behind and manage the ship. So I will be doing that. I will miss seeing those who are attending and want to personally thank you as always for your continued support of Classic Exhibits.

Be well and have a restful weekend. I am sure you will need all the rest you can for your week in Las Vegas.

–Kevin Carty

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

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Bye Bye Pop Ups? Hello Hybrids!

March 9th, 2011 Mel White 1 COMMENT

ExhibiTrends 2011

Distributor Open House

I attended a Distributor Open House recently, where the distributor invited customers to see the latest trends in trade show marketing (ExhibiTrends 2011). Over 20 exhibit-related companies participated, ranging from portable manufacturers to lead-generating companies, and from flooring suppliers to graphic providers. The event was well-organized and extremely successful.  About 300 current and potential customers walked the event.

I don’t know how many of your are planning to attend EXHIBITOR, but I thought I’d pass along my observations from the Open House since I expect (and hope) they echo what we’ll see in Las Vegas in about three weeks.

I spoke with about 90 end-users that day. For the most part, these folks had portable/modular displays and were considering newer options.

End-user Feedback:

  1. Several vendors, including Classic Exhibits, showed Silicone Edge Graphics and SEG displays. Most end-users had never seen this graphic treatment, but quickly understood how it worked and the benefits. We showed  the SEGUE Sunrise and the VK-1900 . . . two very different displays at two very different price points.
  2. The SEGUE Sunrise, in particular, appealed to those customers with pop up displays who wanted something new at about the same price and the same setup time.
  3. Knob-Assembly.  Here’s where I’m going to show my ignorance. Why is Classic the only display manufacturer with knob-assisted assembly for their portable hybrid lines, such as Perfect 10, Sacagawea, and Magellan? The end-users at the event loved it!
  4. Almost every customer interaction went like this . . .
  • The Look. They loved the curves of a portable hybrid, like the Miracle, MOR, and P10. Nearly everyone said it as a more custom, more high-end look than their current displays. Oddly enough, and I supposed I shouldn’t be surprised, there was no one design the group liked best. Their preferences were evenly divided among the six displays.
  • The Feel. Most had no experience with tension fabric graphics or engineered aluminum extrusion. It only took a minute or two for them to recognize the benefits once they touched the frame, the graphics, and the knobs.
  • The Price. Obviously, prices vary on our hybrid systems. These end-users saw a $3000 Sunrise, (2) $6500 Magellans, a $7500 Perfect 10, a $2000 SEGUE lightbox, and an $11,000 SEGUE. Here’s where I was surprised — No one balked, no one flinched, no one objected to the prices! After two years of hearing, “It’s TOO MUCH!”, it was a pleasure to see sanity return to the exhibit market.

Toward the end of the event, I walked the floor to see the other exhibits. I saw one pop-up, and it was for a lighting company. Not one display manufacturer was showing a true pop up. Optima Graphics had an Xpression, but I’m not counting that as a traditional pop up. Everything else was a hybrid, a modular, or a tube structure with pillowcase graphics. I’ll be curious, and I invite you to do the same, to count how many pop up displays are shown at EXHIBITOR.

Don’t misinterpret me. I’m not predicting the demise of the pop up. Goodness knows, we sell LOTS and LOTS of Quadro EO and Quadro S kits. However, we may be witnessing a tipping point in conjunction with the end of the recession. Customers who have deferred purchases for two to three years are back in the market. They are willing to spend money, however cautiously. When they purchase, they want something different. Something with most of the benefits of a pop up display, but without the ho-hum, been-there, done-that look. If those end-users are a guide to what we can expect to see at EXHIBITOR, then expect to see lots of interest in portable and modular hybrids, especially those that do more than simply mimic the look of a pop up.

Best of luck to everyone at EXHIBITOR. Please visit us at booth #1455. We’ll show you our latest island configurations, rental designs, Eco-systems Sustainable Displays, and, of course, the best portable and modular hybrids in the industry.

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

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Posted in Mel White, Trade Show Exhibit Tips | 1 Comment »

Jeopardy Questions — Test Your Knowledge of Classic Exhibits

March 5th, 2011 Mel White 1 COMMENT

Several weeks ago, a Classic Distributor asked me to create Jeopardy questions for his weekly sales meeting. He planned to test his Account Executives and Project Managers on their knowledge of Classic products and services. I thought I’d share them with you.

Below are all the answers and then the corresponding questions. So grab your buzzer and discover how well you know Classic? Share your score for a chance to win a prize.

The Classic Exhibits Jeopardy Game

Classic Exhibits Jeopardy

Classic Exhibits Jeopardy

Answers

  1. Answer:  The Classic system named for the first explorer to circumnavigate the globe.
  2. Answer:  The system named for the Native American woman who accompanied Lewis and Clark and served as the official interpreter for the expedition.
  3. Answer:  Bo Derek and this Classic hybrid system share this descriptive, head-turning name.
  4. Answer:  Standard powder-coat colors include black, silver, yellow, red, blue, green, and white.
  5. Answer:  This portable hybrid system requires no tools – All Knob Assembly.
  6. Answer:  SEG
  7. Answer:  Aero Overhead
  8. Answer:  From 80 to 95 lbs.
  9. Answer:  Classic’s closest strategic partner and the company that prints all its tension fabric graphics.
  10. Answer:  The most versatile and varied of Classic’s hybrid display lines (also the original hybrid line).
  11. Answer:  The most successful product line launch in Classic’s history (introduced within the past two years).
  12. Answer:  Which two lines are mostly knob assembly, but still require the hex key tool for base plates and counters?
  13. Answer:  This search tool contains over 1400 exhibit designs.
  14. Answer:  This product line relies primarily on Silicone Edge Graphics (SEG).
  15. Answer:  projects@classicexhibits.com
  16. Answer: Eco-systems Sustainable Exhibits
  17. Answer: 289
  18. Answer:  SEGUE Sunrise Portable Hybrid Display
  19. Answer:  Eco-systems Sustainable, Brumark Flooring, and Optima Graphics
  20. Answer:  We’re not just different. We’re better.
  21. Answer:  Past Five Days
  22. Answer:  My Gallery
  23. Answer:  MODUL Aluminum Extrusions
  24. Answer:  Design Monday
  25. Answer:  Miracle, MOR, and Mirror
  26. Answer:  Peek-a-Booth
  27. Answer:  10 business days
  28. Answer:  15 business days
  29. Answer:  Die-cut foam packaging
  30. Answer:  EO and S
  31. Answer:  Complimentary Design Services
  32. Answer:  Shared Success
  33. Answer:  Sacagawea, Perfect 10, and Magellan
  34. Answer:  Euro LT

Classic Exhibits Jeopardy

Classic Exhibits Jeopardy

Questions

  1. Question: What is the Magellan Hybrid Portable Display (Ferdinand Magellan)?
  2. Question:  Sacagawea
  3. Question:  What is the Perfect 10?
  4. Question: What are no charge color options for the Perfect 10 Portable Hybrid Display?
  5. Question:  What is the Perfect 10 (or Perfect 20) Portable Hybrid System.
  6. Question: What is Silicone Edge Graphics?
  7. Question:  What is the name of the hanging sign system from Classic Exhibits?
  8. Question:  What is the average weight of a packed roto-molded with wheels?
  9. Question:  Who is Optima Graphics in Fenton, MO?
  10. Question:  What is Visionary Designs?
  11. Question:  What is the Sacagawea Portable Hybrid line
  12. Question: What is Sacagawea and Magellan?
  13. Question:  What is Exhibit Design Search (or Design Search on your site)?
  14. Question:  What is SEGUE? (which is why it is named SEGue)
  15. Question:  What is the generic email address for Project Management/Customer Service at Classic Exhibits?
  16. Question:  What is . . . (1) A sister company of Classic Exhibits, (2) The Greenest Exhibit Company in the World, (3) Available on Exhibit Design Search in the Eco-Smart Galleries, or (4) Available to Bay Area Exhibits clients since BA is a Classic Exhibits Distributor?
  17. Question: What is the number of counters, pedestals, and workstation designs available in Exhibit Design Search?
  18. Question:  What is . . . (1) Lowest priced hybrid display by Classic at $2575 with graphics, (2) The only tool-less SEG display in the world, or (3) The ideal alternative for the pop up weary customer.
  19. Question:  What companies/products are included in Exhibit Design Search, in addition to Classic Exhibits?
  20. Question:  What is the tagline for Classic Exhibits?
  21. Question:  What is the daily photo gallery from Classic Exhibits, accessible in Exhibit Design Search via the Photos button?
  22. Question:  What is the online tool in Exhibit Design Search for collecting display ideas and sending them to clients?
  23. Question:  What is the extrusion system that Classic Exhibits uses to build all its hybrid displays such as Perfect 10, Sacagawea, Visionary Designs, Magellan, and SEGUE?
  24. Question:  What is the weekly design email broadcast from Classic Exhibits that showcases the latest designs?
  25. Question:  What are three popular designs within the Magellan Hybrid product line?
  26. Question:  What are the online webcams where distributors and clients can view exhibits in Classic’s Setup/QC area?
  27. Question: What is tThe typical lead time for a 10 x 10 display, excluding pop ups and Quick Ship Displays?
  28. Question:  What is the typical lead time for a 10 x 20 display, excluding pop ups and Quick Ship Displays?
  29. Question:  What is the standard packaging for Sacagawea, Perfect 10, and Magellan displays?
  30. Question:  What are the two pop up display systems from Classic Exhibits?
  31. Question:  How much Classic charges for any initial design rendering and one revision?
  32. Question:  What is the guiding principle behind Classic’s relationship with distributors?
  33. Question:  What are the three portable hybrid systems from Classic Exhibits?
  34. Question:  What is the modular laminate system from Classic Exhibits?

Email your score to me to win a Classic Exhibits Fleece Vest (Deadline: 3/31/11) . Two winners will be selected from a random drawing.

Click on the Comments link and share your experience.

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

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Posted in Classic Exhibit Systems, Mel White, Trade Show Exhibit Tips | 1 Comment »

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