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EXHIBITORLIVE 2021 Edition

October 21st, 2021 Mel White COMMENTS
EXHIBITORLIVE 2021 in Las Vegas

Just Get Me on a Plane!

Thirty-two months have passed since EXHIBITORLIVE 2019… Nearly three years. We understand not everyone will be attending for a variety of logistical, financial, and personal reasons. And that’s OK. For those who will be in Las Vegas, either as an attendee or an exhibitor, let’s connect – before, during, or after show hours.

The Classic EXHIBITORLIVE team will be Kevin Carty, Mel White, Jim Shelman, Jen LaBruzza, Katina Rigall Zipay, and Harold Mintz.

For those not attending, we will be hosting a live feed on Tuesday. See below for details.

Booth Space and Times

Classic Exhibits at EXHIBITORLIVE 2021
Classic Exhibits, Booth 324

To visit the Classic booth, turn right and head to the perimeter wall, a 10 x 30 booth (#324). We have lots and lots to show you, like the NEW Symphony Portable System. We’ll also have examples of the tool-less Gravitee Wall System and SuperNova Lightbox, along with a wireless charging table, hand sanitizer stand, and custom counter.

If you are unavailable during normal show hours, visit us during the Strategic Partner hours:  Monday 4 – 5:30 pm and Tuesday 8:30 – 10 am. And if those don’t work, then contact us. Each of us has our secret hiding place before and after show hours where we’ll be happy to treat you to a coffee or a drink. If you get there on Sunday, Jim and Mel will be in Las Vegas pretending it’s not Halloween. Harold will be wearing his Sam Elliot costume. As usual.

Our Live Feed, Tuesday November 2

Kevin Carty at EXHIBITORLIVE 2021

If you’re not going to the show, Classic still wants you to experience EXHIBITORLIVE. On Tuesday, November 2, Kevin will host a live one-hour chat. He’ll stroll through the show and meet and greet attendees and exhibitors. You’ll see the Classic booth, chat with some interesting guests, and walk the floor. All live… so it’s bound to be entertaining (and perhaps a little post-Halloween scary).

Topics:

  • Day One Review of Show (attendees, traffic flow, atmosphere)
  • Current Protocols on the Show Floor
  • Trends in Exhibit Design from the Show Floor
  • Feedback from Attendees

Click HERE to join the Live Feed on Tuesday.  

The New Product Showcase

Symphony Portable Display System
Symphony SYK-1029

Surprise. Surprise. Our entry is the Symphony Portable Display System. We won’t launch into a sales pitch, which took an impressive amount of self-control.

Instead, we invite you to visit the New Product Showcase page and scroll past the losers to the “S” listing. Yes, that was mean and snarky, but we’re not in the New Product Showcase for a participation trophy. We intend to win!

If you happen to see any of the judges roaming the floor, don’t be shy about asking them if they’ve seen the remarkable

Treasure Hunt w/ Prizes

Who doesn’t love a Treasure Hunt where winning valuable prizes is only half the fun? We do! And you will too!

EXHIBITORLIVE 2021 Treasure Hunt Game

Captello, a lead capture and interactive gaming company, has organized a treasure hunt with 10 stops. Simply visit the Captello booth to get started (#942 and #544), and then scan the QR codes at each stop, like at Classic Exhibits.

Treasure Hunt at EXHIBITORLIVE 2021

For bonus points, Classic Exhibits has designed a Symphony Memory Match game. Complete it in 2 minutes or less and you’re on your way to winning a year’s supply of Rice-a-Roni, the San Francisco Treat. Or something like that. The details are a little fuzzy to us right now.  

If you want to play the Memory Match for fun, click on this LINK. But be warned. It’s a little addictive.  

WIE Booth and Breakfast

Women in Exhibitions at EXHIBITORLIVE 2021

The Women in Exhibitions annual breakfast will be on Tuesday, November 2 from 8-10 am at the Border Grill in Mandalay Bay. Register HERE:

The discussion topic will be “5 Key Skillsets to Know and Hone Now” with an expert panel consisting of:

  • Moderator: Liz Nacron, Partner, President Creative and Production, Live Marketing
  • Kent Agramonte, Marketing Director, beMatrix USA
  • Jen LaBruzza, Holistic Health Coach and National Sales Manager, Classic Exhibits
  • Anne Trompeter, Partner, Strategic Account Development, Live Marketing
  • Kelly Noonan, Global Event Marketing Manager, Tate&Lyle

You can also visit the WIE at booth #1428 on the EXHIBITORLIVE show floor. WIE can’t wait to see you there!

Women In Exhibitions at EXHIBITORLIVE 2021

Sponsors:

  • Diamond – EXHIBITOR Media Group, Classic Exhibits, Reality Engineering, Optima, Hill&Partners
  • Platinum – Brumark, CORT Events
  • Gold – Access TCA, Design Factory, Genesis Exhibits
  • Silver – EDPA Las Vegas Chapter, 21st Century, Steelhead, Live Marketing, beMatrix, NuVista, ASTOUND, Willwork, HT Connect
  • Bronze – Team Worldwide, Poretta&Orr, ExhibitForce, Crepe’s A Latte, Eagle Management

Not registered yet. Register for free by entering Code 4044 for a Free Hall Pass compliments of (you guessed it) Classic Exhibits. Register HERE.

See you in Vegas Baby!

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Posted in Classic Exhibits Inc., EXHIBITOR, EXHIBITORLIVE | No Comments »

COVID-19 and Rewriting the Rules of North American Trade Shows

October 5th, 2020 Mel White COMMENTS
North American Trade Show Rules

MOBIUS STRIP: A surface with one continuous side formed by joining the ends of a rectangular strip after twisting one end through 180°.

The Pandemic is an Opportunity

My Advice to #EXHIBITORS. Let’s Not Finish Exactly Where We Started.

Recent announcements from Las Vegas and other cities about capacity increases are a positive sign for the #tradeshow industry. Everyone wants our lives and our businesses to return to normal. However, the #COVID pandemic also represents an opportunity for REAL CHANGE — for Exhibitors, Show Organizers, General Show Contractors, and Convention Centers.

North American Trade Show Rules

To return to the status quo would be more than disappointing. It would be a disaster for the long-term viability of our industry and trade shows in North America. We can no longer bury our heads in the sand and pretend there aren’t problems that affect everyone committed to trade shows.

You are Not Powerless

#EXHIBITORS… You are NOT POWERLESS. Not now. Use your collective influence to advocate for more transparency and flexibility. For too long, the “competitive environment” of a show has prevented individual exhibitors from banding together to force change. Yes, you want to crush your competitor, before, during, and after the show. But, don’t let it blind you to cooperating with other exhibitors to create a more positive, productive, and profitable experience for all stakeholders.

There’s no better time than right now to rewrite the rules of North American trade shows. At great place to start is NAB Show Cares.

I’d love to hear your comments and ideas: mel@classicexhibits.com.

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Posted in Mel White, Trade Show Marketing, Trade Shows, Uncategorized | No Comments »

Sandboxes and Tonka Trucks

August 7th, 2020 Mel White COMMENTS
Custom Trade Show Exhibit

When I was a kid, there was nothing better than Saturday mornings.  I’d wake up bright and early, plop myself in front of the television set, and watch my shows (Magilla Gorilla or Astro Boy, anyone?). After a few hours, my mom would turn the set off and push us to “go play outside.” 

Once outside, the first stop was always the glorious sandbox where I kept my Tonka Trucks. 

Ahhhh, my Tonka Trucks… These classic metal toys were absolutely made for sandbox play. Dump trucks, Front-End Loaders, Bulldozers – all were at home in the sand. I spent hours creating and building in my imaginary construction sites. 

Turning an Idea into a Concept

While that was a lifetime ago, this past February I had an opportunity to revisit the box.  I received an email from AE Lena Jones (Deckel and Moneypenny in Louisville, KY) asking if Classic “wanted to play with some trucks.” 

Seems her Client – Chevron – was looking for something unique for an upcoming show. D&M’s shop was jam-packed and so she reached out to Classic for some support. She said Chevron was looking for a way to have attendees actually “walk-through” one of their Diesel Particulate Filters (DPFs). Time out! I can’t even say DPF let alone know what the heck it is or does. But I soon learned. If you’ve ever seen a semi or big rig driving down the highway (or had a Black Hawk Tonka Truck), chances are you’ve seen a DPF. Take a look at the Tonka below. I’ve circled the DPF.

Diesel Particulate Filter

I have since learned that Diesel Particulate Filters, found on just about every big rig in the country, captures significant amounts of the toxins that a truck generates and stops them from spewing into the air. Chevron’s idea was to have attendees actually walk-through one so they could see why their DPF works so much better than the competition’s filter.    

So that was the assignment. Create an over-sized version of Chevron’s Diesel Particulate Filter large enough for attendees to walk through.

Enter Classic Designer, Kim DiStefano

We were not given any build drawings or designs. Just a verbal description and a dusty old Tonka truck. Enter Classic Designer, Kim DiStefano. 

Kim loves these types of assignments. What designer wouldn’t? Little to no info on how the product actually works. No idea as to available budget.  Rendering and ballpark pricing due in a couple of days. Ahhhh, the perfect assignment. 

In just a few days Kim came back with the following renderings looking for input from client.

Lena shared the renderings with her client and of course… Chevron loved it!  The order was placed and a few weeks later… Voila!!

Actual vs. Rendering

Chevron Diesel Particulate Filter Exhibit

Crazy cool, right?! Take a look at how close Kim’s rendering and the final DPF that Classic produced match up.

  • Custom Trade Show Exhibit
  • Custom Trade Show Exhibit
  • Custom Trade Show Exhibit
  • Custom Trade Show Exhibit
  • Custom Trade Show Exhibit
Classic Exhibits Designs

Got a funky opportunity and not much time to get it through your own system? Consider letting the Classic Team take a whack at it. These sorts of custom projects now represent a whopping 65% of our business. 

And remember… you’re never too old to play.   

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Posted in Classic Exhibits Inc., Custom Exhibits, Harold Mintz, Trade Show Marketing | No Comments »

Submit Your EXHIBITOR “Plan B” Story for Publication

November 8th, 2017 Mel White COMMENTS

PlanB_EblastImage2

Would you like to see your name in print? EXHIBITOR Magazine is currently looking for Plan B stories.

Plan B is a humorous column about trade show disasters (e.g. missing graphics, last-minute booth alterations, exhibit fires, missing staffers, AWOL tractor-trailers, flooding, and more). More importantly, it’s about how you or your client solved or at least coped with them.

If you’ve suffered a snafu (or a straight-up disaster) and lived to tell the tale, email EXHIBITOR’s senior writer, Linda Armstrong (larmstrong@exhibitormagazine.com) to share your story.

If the tale fits the column parameters, she’ll take your short but detailed synopsis, massage it into column format, and send it your way for a final fact check. When it publishes, you’ll receive the free byline — and industry kudos for your disaster-aversion techniques.

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Posted in Classic Exhibit Systems, Mel White, Uncategorized | No Comments »

Customer Service Just Got Easier at Your Next Trade Show

November 1st, 2016 Mel White 1 COMMENT

This photo was shot with a Canon EOS 5D Mark III and L-series lens.

What’s the Difference Between a Shopping Mall and a Trade Show?

Most retailers devote significant time and money to customer service training for their employees. The same can’t be said for exhibitors and their booth staff. They assume their team will be professional.

Recently, I was invited to conduct a Booth Etiquette and Sales Training seminar for a medical services company. It would have been easy to pull together a PowerPoint. Instead, I asked the attendees if they had ever worked in any job where they were expected to approach, assist, and advise someone on a purchase. Of the 52 attendees, all but four raised their hand. I then asked them to think about the “rules” they learned.

mall2

Here’s What They Told Me 

  1. Acknowledge every customer who enters your department, even if you are busy.
  2. Smile.
  3. Don’t bad-mouth your competition.
  4. If you have time to lean, you have time to clean.
  5. Arrive on time. Don’t leave early. Your customers expect the store to be open at the scheduled time and remain open until they have finished shopping.
  6. Listen. Follow the 80/20 rule of sales by listening at least 80 percent of the time.
  7. Ask open-ended questions.
  8. Say “Thank you,” “Please,” and “You’re Welcome.”
  9. Dress appropriately for the job, including basic hygiene. At a minimum, polish your shoes, use an iron, brush your teeth, and comb your hair.
  10. The “Hard Sell” rarely works. The “Consultative Approach” rarely fails.
  11. Don’t chew gum on the sales floor.
  12. Don’t eat on the sales floor.
  13. Don’t drink any beverages on the sales floor.
  14. Wear comfortable shoes.
  15. You can’t be an expert about everything. Ask a colleague to ask who may know more about a product or service.
  16. Don’t make assumptions based on a customer’s appearance.
  17. Start conversations . . .  not a sales pitch.
  18. The customer is always right (or mostly right).
  19. Things get messy, but they can’t stay that way.
  20. You’re not a carnival barker. You are a sales professional.
  21. If you make a commitment to find something, to add them to the mailing list, or to call them when an item goes on sale, honor that commitment.

These “Rules” Should Seem Very Familiar

After all, working on the show floor is very similar to working in a shoe store, electronics store, or a restaurant. You are there to assist customers. Sometimes your customers know exactly what they want. Other times, they expect you to guide them to most appropriate solution after determining their needs. Sometimes it’s slow. Other times it’s busy, but either way you are onstage and expected to perform flawlessly and to be a professional.

And yet, we often see behavior in a trade show booth that would be unacceptable in any retail situation:

  • Eating and drinking on the show floor
  • Drifting into the booth 45 minutes after the show starts after partying until 4 am and reeking of alcohol
  • Congregating in packs, ignoring customers, bad mouthing competitors, and acting like working the show floor is a punishment
  • Monopolizing conversations with customers, disregarding basic sales skills, and launching into a laundry list of features and benefits
  • Using literature and the lead retrieval machine as a substitute for asking open-ended questions
  • Failing to acknowledge customers with a smile or a “be there in a minute”
  • Pre-judging a customer based on appearance or after glancing at the color of their badge
  • Not following up on a lead or a promise to a potential customer

Nearly Everyone Knows How to be Successful on the Trade Show Floor

You learned the basics when you worked at Macy’s or LensCrafters or AutoZone or Olive Garden. At a minimum, you learned to be nice, to be polite, and to treat each customer with respect. At a maximum, you learned how to sell and the importance of customer service. The products and services you now represent may be more complicated and the selling price higher, but the skills are basically the same.

So next time you enter your booth, whether you have a table top at the local Chamber of Commerce show or a 30′ x 30′ custom exhibit at your industry’s premier event, remember what you learned working nights and weekends at the mall. And don’t forget to shine your shoes and iron your shirt or blouse. Appearance counts!

Please share your comments!

–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 »

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