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The Trade Show Show Podcasts

May 13th, 2016 Mel White COMMENTS

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20 Exhibit Industry Influencers

Last month, I had the good fortune of meeting Todd Youngblood while attending the E2MA Red Diamond Congress (RDC) in Orlando. Todd runs The Trade Show Show, a podcast series about the exhibit industry. The RDC was fertile ground for Todd, since the event attracts trade show managers, suppliers, show organizers, builders, exhibitor-appointed contractors, etc. Basically, anyone with a vested/financial interest in the trade show biz.

Todd conducted 20 interviews on topics that should matter to trade show groupies (like you and me). Interviewees included:

  • unnamedJustin Hersch, Group Delphi
  • Lisa Apolinski, 3 Dog Write
  • Penn Arthur, Inhance Digital
  • April Hurley, The Expo Group
  • David Mihalik, ELITeXPO
  • Skip Cox, Exhibit Surveys
  • Jim Wurm, Exhibit & Event Marketers Association (E2MA)
  • Richard Maples, Shepard Exposition Services
  • Chris Griffin, TS Crew & Trade Show Supply
  • And 10 more industry influencers

I encourage you to listen to one, two, or all twenty podcasts. Listening to a podcast may make you a little smarter unlike watching that Seinfeld episode for the 37th time. Mouthing the dialogue does not make you a savant. I don’t care what your cousin told you. 🙂

The mission of The Trade Show Show is to dramatically enhance Enterprise-Wide Engagement and sales growth by educating industry insiders regarding the people, organizations, technologies, and innovations driving progress and continuous improvement. In other words, get more ROI from the most effective sales tool there is:  face-to-face business conversation. The show’s host, Todd Youngblood, has a genetic “need to know more.” This fundamental curiosity enables guests to articulate the heart of the value their knowledge and insights have for listeners.

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

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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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2016 Best Awards | Vote For Classic Exhibits (please)

January 27th, 2016 Mel White COMMENTS

best_awards

We need a favor… It’s about voting… and, no it’s not about Iowa or New Hampshire. Or the Academy Awards. Or who is the best dancer or singer. It’s about who is the BEST. Classic Exhibits was nominated for a BEST Award in the Exhibit Systems Manufacturing category. We’re honored, of course, but let’s not kid ourselves, we want to win. We would appreciate your vote. See the link to vote and the explanation of the BEST Awards. And thank you.

The E2MA and Exhibit City News present the first annual BEST Awards created to honor the Best in Exhibit Servicing & Technology among trade show industry service organizations and management companies.

The company with the most votes by March 4, will receive the BEST award and will be honored at the BEST Awards Gala Banquet at the 2016 E2MA Red Diamond Congress on Wednesday, April 27, 2016 at the Renaissance Orlando at SeaWorld in Orlando, FL.

This year E2MA’s 2016 Red Diamond Congress will be a part of Engagement World. Engagement World is being launched by E2MA and the Enterprise Engagement Alliance (EEA). The Engagement World conference and expo is dedicated to highlighting the world of enterprise engagement in business and its many strategies and tactics.  The event is designed to help organizations in all areas of business profit from this emerging new field that many experts believe will rival advertising in scale.

red_diamondThe event will consist of co-located education and exhibit programs addressing key areas of engagement, including:

  • The E2MA Red Diamond Conference:  Focuses on best practices in face-to-face marketing and communications, on April 25-28, 2016.
  • Engagement University:  Highlights key strategies and tactics related to ROI-based enterprise engagement plans, on April 26-27, 2016.
  • The Engagement Expo:  Features exhibitors and presentations by leading engagement associations and solution providers, on April 27-28, 2016.
  • The Rewards and Recognition Expo:  Features the leading suppliers and brands in the rewards and recognition business and an interactive education program on latest trends and best practices, on April 27-28, 2016.

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

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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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Deep Thoughts from the E2MA Red Diamond Congress

July 30th, 2015 Mel White 3 COMMENTS

RDC_1I attended the E2MA Red Diamond Congress in Boston last week — my third time at this annual two-day conference. The RDC is a small, but growing, group of stakeholders in the event and tradeshow industry which includes show organizers, general contractors, associations, distributors, tradeshow managers, suppliers, and labor.

Like me, you probably interact with a subset of these folks over the course of a year. So attending RDC gives me a broader perspective of the challenges facing our industry. When someone starts pointing a finger at “the bad guys,” those “bad guys” are usually in the room to defend themselves. It makes for challenging conversations.

I wanted to share a few takeaways from several sessions.  This year’s theme was engagement.

Justin Hersh, Group Delphi, “Watch Out the CMO is Coming”

“We spend most of our time asking our exhibit or event client ‘what they want’ and then creating a ‘spectacle’ to fulfill that want and attract attention.” Think of a fireworks display. It’s mesmerizing, but we don’t want to see it twice.

However….

We should be asking them, “Why they want it and then creating ‘wonder, awe, and connection’ which drives people to do something different.”

We need to resist the lure to create a mere spectacle. Instead we should create designs that motivate and inspire change.

RDC_4

Bruce Bolger, Enterprise Engagement Alliance, “Engagement Essentials”

“People don’t care what you know until they know that you care.”

“People want to:  Be part of something bigger than themselves. Feel a sense of belonging. Go on a meaningful journey. Know that their contributions make a significant impact of difference.”

“How does Monday morning feel when you have a bad boss?”

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Jack Myers, MyersBizNet, “Future Proofing the Business of Exhibits an Events”

“Our historic relationships are dissolving. What are the new relationships? Are you connecting vs. simply communicating?”

“We must learn how to build better relationships through technology.”

“Brands that create passion and engaged relationships win.”

Eric Schaumburg, eventr.io, “Simplifying the Event Eco-system”

“You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.” Buckminster Fuller

“We are standing on the precipice of Events 2.0…. For all of us to participate and capitalize on this transformation, we will need to eliminate the proprietary and fragmented nature that has become synonymous with tradeshows, and align our goals with those of the younger, consumer-driven, sharing economy.”

“Millennials:  anti-establishment bias, belief in radical transparency, trained to sniff out inefficiencies or vulnerabilities, intensely idealistic, strong sense of right and wrong, philanthropic.”

“The Experience Starts Online First, Face-to-Face Second:  Set the expectation, Protect the Brand, Engage sooner, engage frequently, Make the F2F like coming home”

Simplifying the Event Ecosystem

Leonora Valvo and Joseph Carrabis, insightXM, “Engaging with Data”

“Without trust, marketing does not work.”

“People don’t trust you because you say they should; people trust you because THEIR FRIENDS say they should.”

“The experiential trilogy is — attention, engagement, and trust.”

Allison Graham, AllisonGraham.biz, “How to Leverage Events to Drive Business Outcomes”

“We don’t need everybody. We need to find the people we can be ourselves with.”

“Just showing up at an event is a very good way to become busy but not profitable.”

RDC_5

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

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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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Join Us @ 2015 Red Diamond Congress

May 22nd, 2015 Mel White COMMENTS

You are cordially invited to the 2015 Red Diamond Congress from July 20-22 in Quincy, MA. The RDC provides education, information, and networking opportunities for Exhibit and Event Marketers Association members, industry colleagues, and guests. It also explores new models, new methods, and new practices for the entire community of exhibit and event industry professionals.

Classic Exhibits is proud to be an official sponsor of the Red Diamond Congress. Should you have any questions, please contact Jim Wurm at E2MA (jimwurm@e2ma.org) or feel free to email or call me, Mel White, at Classic Exhibits. See you there!

2015 Red Diamond Congress Invitation

–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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E2MA Red Diamond Congress | Day 2 Notes

July 31st, 2014 Mel White 2 COMMENTS
Photo courtesy of Deja Views

Photo courtesy of Deja Views

Day 2 (RDC Innovation Day)

It was a day of epiphanies about the trade show industry. Bob McClintock, COO of SMG, gave the morning keynote:  A New Facility Model: Facility as Service Provider. I know. The title sounds pretty boring, but the topic and the speaker were anything but. SMG manages McCormick Place, the Pennsylvania Convention Center, and 70 other venues.

A. Evolution of Convention Center Service.

  1. Originally convention center managers were “Landlords.” And Convention Center design could be described as “prison architecture,” or in the trade as “Boxes with Docks.”
  2. Competition has forced them to adapt to become “Service Providers” with the goal of Hotel Quality Experiences.
  3. Those include local, fresh, and healthy culinary experiences, shopping and dining experiences, and updated, contemporary buildings. The new model is designed to keep attendees in the building.
  4. Labor changed as well, adopting a service provider mentality instead of a rights holder attitude.
  5. Finally, he shared three in-progress success stories:  Cobo Center, McCormick Place, and Philadelphia.
  6. I even learned a new acronym to describe the new business model:  WISMBR — What’s in Sight Must Be Right.

As with Day 1, there were more sessions than I could attend, but let me touch briefly on three. Here’s a link to the full Day 2 Schedule.

Photo courtesy of Deja Views

Photo courtesy of Deja Views

B. The Event Forecasting/Measurement Tool, by Bob Hughes. Bob’s company, The Hughes Group, has developed a new event forecasting and management tool that not only allows marketers to validate their exhibit and event spends, but also provides instruction on how marketing, sales, and operations can collaborate to optimize exhibit and event outcomes. It’s a deceptively simple online tool with a powerful database and analytical tools. It’s still in final stages of development, but I’ll let you know when it’s ready. It’s perfect for any trade show manager who wants a clear path to measuring ROI and collaboration with sales and marketing.

C. Driving Business Using Social Media, by Glass Mountain Media. Just a couple of comments from the session and then a very entertaining video about digital media.

  1. Social Media must tell a story about your business and reinforce your culture.
  2. Social Media must have a purpose and data to measure to its effectiveness.
  3. All companies must think of themselves as publishers in a world dominated by digital content.
  4. Quote:  It’s never been easier to reach customers. It’s never been harder to engage customers.
  5. Encourage, not discourage, your employees to use Social Media, but coach them on how to use it for your company.

D. Closing Keynote:  Enhancing Exhibitor Value Enables Show Growth, Amanda Helgemoe and Sue Huff. There’s no possible way I could do justice to this enlightening and informative presentation about the ongoing economic pressures in our industry. Let’s just say that not everyone takes a long-term view about creating a healthy, sustainable face-to-face community. Take time to review the slide show (click on the image). You will see an obvious disparity in rising costs. You will and you won’t be surprised by the results (hint: see the chart below).

Advocacy_2

Last but not least, a generous thanks to Jim Wurm and his team at E2MA for a terrific conference. If you didn’t attend, you missed something special.

–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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