Trade Show TalesBlog

Posts Tagged ‘Trade Shows’

What Your Customer Doesn’t Know

July 1st, 2015 COMMENTS

100dayguarantee800

We recently introduced a 100-Day Money Back Guarantee on the Sacagawea Portable Hybrid System. No one in our industry has offered a money back guarantee before. It’s a first and in our opinion long overdue. As you can imagine, we’ve had a few distributors ask us about the logic behind this. So here goes.

Online Shopping

Most inline display shopping starts online. That won’t surprise you. Customers use the web to learn about their options, see designs, and check prices. Then they make that critical call or email to an exhibit sales professional. And, unlike the “old days,” they now come to the table with some knowledge and preferences — whether it’s right or wrong.

Sadly, the web isn’t always a proud beacon of transparency, particularly when it comes to online products. Renderings, text, and videos have a way of suggesting quality and features, even where none exists.

Masquerade Ball

VK_1233More and more, we’re seeing lower quality displays masquerading as upscale exhibits, especially basic hybrid displays. We’ve all experienced this trend with pop-up displays. And, sadly, many view pop-ups and banner stands as disposable. That’s unfortunate and not our opinion (Quadro). But that’s a different fight.

We have no issue with a $3000 hybrid as a $3000 hybrid. Those should exist for customers with a limited budget. However, we shouldn’t mistake a low-end hybrid as identical to a Sacagawea. It’s not. Yes, there may be visual similarities, but that’s where it ends.

Preaching to the Choir

Are we preaching to the choir? Yes. You know there are differences — but your customer doesn’t. Here’s what they don’t know.

VK_2113 A4 Render 1f1. Thousands of happy exhibitors have bought the Sacagawea — The World’s Best Hybrid.

2. Every Sacagawea comes with die-cut reusable packaging, numbered components, custom instructions, easy knob-assisted assembly, and the industry’s best HD fabric graphics. Yes, THE BEST Dye-Sub Graphics!

3. There are high-quality accessories such as monitor mounts, counters, standoff graphics, canopies, hostess shelves, literature holders, and tablet enclosures that are innovative, easy to install, and will last years and years. For example, the Sacagawea support legs are adjustable, meaning you can reposition them to compensate for heavier loads on the workstation counter.

4. Sacagawea is built with MODUL extrusion, the highest quality, most durable engineered extrusion in the world. No other aluminum extrusion has the same thickness, strength, and finish as MODUL.

So… why the 100-Day Guarantee? Your customer will ask why they should buy Brand X vs. a Sacagawea. And you’ll explain the differences. Then, should there be any doubt in their mind, you’ll tell them that only the Sacagawea comes with a 100-Day Guarantee. No one else offers that guarantee because the Sacagawea is the highest quality, most versatile portable hybrid anywhere.

In the end, we believe that quality and engineering matters to serious trade show exhibitors. And we’re willing to stand behind that philosophy with a guarantee.

Should you have additional questions, please let us know.

–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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Top 50 Trends Affecting Trade Shows and Events in 2015

May 29th, 2015 1 COMMENT

GES Trend Tracker 2015_Page_1_editedTrend Tracker Report

GES published their 2015 Trend Tracker Report where they list the Top 50 Trends in Trade Shows and Events. The trends are divided into four categories:  Budgeting and Planning, Marketing, Technology, and Design. It’s short — only six pages if you exclude the GES ad — and it’s worth sharing.

Some Snippets:

1. Enlisting Employees:  Turning to employees to influence and spread messages “within” via social media.

2. High-Tech Rides:  GPS-driven car services to and from events.

3. CEO Accessibility:  CEO’s of major companies are celebrities to most conference attendees. Is it time for a new term– “Buslebrities” or “CEOlebrities?”

4. Wearables and Biometrics:  Leveraging branding on wearables and sending content in real time

5. Leaner But BolderExhibit structures are becoming much more open and inviting. SHOCKING!!

6. Storytelling:  Storytelling is the key to driving emotional connections with jaded and detached attendees.

Download the full report.

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

**********************************************

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.

 

All Eco-systems Sustainable Inlines/Islands are on SALE!

May 9th, 2015 COMMENTS

Vacation is two weeks away… for your kids! BUT you still have to go to work, punch the clock, and sell displays. It’s never easy this time of year, but our friends at Eco-systems have a solution. In May, June, and July, all inlines and islands are on sale. Plus, you can win cash. As in $111. See the details and contact Matt Wish (matt@ecosystemsdisplays.com) for a version you can email to your client database.

Lucky-7-5-15

What Not to Eat in Your Trade Show Booth

May 5th, 2015 15 COMMENTS

messykidBanner

Trade show experts tell us to never eat in the booth. It’s bad etiquette. From my experience, this arbitrary “food rule” is specific to North America. For example, at EuroShop, there was food everywhere, whether served to attendees or eaten by staffers. It’s time we dispense with this food hypocrisy. People are going to eat, so let’s agree on some guidelines. Some food is appropriate. Others not so much. Here are my suggestions of food never to eat/serve in your booth.

Anything Your Grandpa Would Take on a Fishing Trip

Potted meat, vienna sausages, sardines (in oil, tomato, or mustard sauce), saltines, and Milwaukee’s Best. Basically any canned meat sold at The Dollar Store and any beer that costs less than bottled water.

Any Regional Delicacy Eaten Mostly on a Dare

Rocky Mountain oysters, lutefisk, scrapple, geoduck, head cheese, turducken, chitlins, watergate salad, and chaudin. Plus, any meat you can’t typically buy at the supermarket (“Try these yummy rattlesnake nuggets!”).

Anything Served with Eyes

Fish, ducks, pigs, etc. If it’s hanging in the window of a Chinese restaurant in Chinatown, you may want to keep walking.

grossfood

Anything Your Mother Had to Force You to Eat When You Were 10 Years Old

Brussels sprouts, kale, liver, venison, tongue, lima beans, spam, mystery casseroles,  …. this list could be several pages long. Two more: Anything Served at the School Cafeteria on Friday or Anything Cooked by Your Weird Hippie Aunt.

Anything That Smells, Lingers, or Coats Your Fabric Graphics

Tuna fish, deviled ham, canned corned beef hash, bacon (sorry), garlic, onions, stinky French cheese, kimchi.

Anything in a Large Glass Jar Typically Found at a Bar

Pickled pigs feet, pickled eggs, pickled sausages… Heck, let’s make this easy and say anything pickled, except pickles.

Miscellaneous

  • Poutine (french fries with brown gravy) — This food explains a lot about Canadians
  • Spaghetti — There’s no graceful way to eat it, and you’re guaranteed to have a tomato sauce accident
  • Sloppy Joes — Or any food with the word “sloppy” in the title
  • Any Food That Turns Your Fingertips Orange
  • Any Food Requiring Special Utensils to Consume
  • Any Food Where You are Tempted to Lick Your Fingers and Then Wipe What’s Left on Your Pants
  • Any Food That Makes You Gag When Eaten by the Guy Sitting Next to You on the Plane

Please add your suggestions. We all know that the more food that’s available on the show floor, the less we have to spend entertaining clients. I’m all for the day when a client says, “I’d love to go to that steakhouse, but I ate so much at the show I’m going to have to pass. Thanks anyway.”

No, thank you!!!

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

**********************************************

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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Video | The Truth about Trade Show Flooring

April 30th, 2015 COMMENTS

flooring

The labor experts at TS Crew struck gold again with another video about the ins and outs of trade show I&D. This one focuses on flooring, aka “The Truth about Trade Show Flooring.” It’s a great primer for, well, just about anyone who has struggled with planning and understanding the steps necessary for a seamless carpet install. And, yes, that pun was intentional. Enjoy.

Be sure to see the first video as well, The Truth about Trade Show Labor.

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

**********************************************

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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