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2017 Portable Modular Awards at EXHIBITORLIVE

March 22nd, 2017 Mel White COMMENTS

EXHIBITOR Portable Modular Awards 2017

Occasionally, we get to “Toot Our Own Horn.” At EXHIBITORLIVE, Classic Exhibits had six finalists for the EXHIBITOR Portable Modular Awards. Our most ever. We won two:  Best Inline and Best Use of Graphics. Here is background on each winner from an article that will appear in EXHIBITOR Magazine.

Best Inline

Exhibitor: Spirion LLC (formerly Identity Finder LLC)
Design/Fabrication: Classic Exhibits Inc.
Design: ProExhibits
System: Classic Exhibits Inc.
Event: RSA Security Conference, 2016
Budget: $20,000 – $39,000
Size: 10-by-20 feet

Bathed in Spirion blue and accented by a pop of orange across the top, the SuperNova lightbox featured nothing more than text proclaiming the product name and three benefit statements. By selecting a mere 13 words with maximum impact, Spirion communicated its key messages in a glance — and managed to wow visitors and judges alike.

In the words of one juror, “Spirion’s space is proof positive that one powerful graphic can deliver an effective message. Elaboration is unnecessary — and often functions as a powerful foe capable of fouling even the most skillful design.”

Best Use of Graphics

Exhibitor: Classic Exhibits Inc.
Design/Fabrication: Classic Exhibits Inc.
System: Classic Exhibits Inc.
Event: EXHIBITORLIVE, 2016
Budget: $80,000 – $149,000
Size: 20-by-30 feet

Throughout the space, graphics comprised mostly grey-and-white line drawings of trees and apples, with delicate curls and curves used to craft the intended images. Accompanying text such as “It didn’t just fall from a tree. Introducing Gravitee One-Step Wall System” suggested the new product’s evolution.

The apple imagery comprised both line-drawn, neutral-colored fruit as well as full-color versions, whose shades of red, yellow, and green popped against the otherwise neutral palette. In addition, a roughly 10-foot-tall tower at the front of the space featured a tree illustration along with apple images that sporadically lit up, courtesy of imbedded LEDs.

Our thanks to Katina Rigall, Classic’s Creative Director, for all her work submitting the PMA applications. A very special thanks to Glenna Martin, our Graphic Design Manager, for her award winning design, which we loved so much that we used an updated variation on our 2017 booth. And finally, a huge pat on the back to the project managers and production associates at Classic Exhibits who managed and built these exhibits. There’s a reason why Shared Success is our #1 core value.

Finally, our sincere appreciation to Classic Distributors for your support and business. It means so much to us!

–Mel White
mel@classicexhibits.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/melmwhite
https://twitter.com/melmwhite
https://www.facebook.com/Classic-Exhibits-Inc-113601405319757

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Posted in Classic Exhibit Systems, EXHIBITOR, Graphics, Mel White, Portable Modular Awards | No Comments »

2016-17 Design Insights by Katina Rigall (Vlog)

January 8th, 2017 Mel White COMMENTS

Classic Exhibits Design Blog Post

Katina Rigall, the Creative Director at Classic Exhibits, shares her perspective on 2016 and what to expect from the Design Department in 2017. It was challenging year with the loss of Mike Swartout, our long-time Design Director. Since last spring, Classic has added two experienced (and amazing) designers and a stable of contract designers.

More recently, Q4 2016 was stellar (thank you!), not only in the quantity but also the quality of modular, custom, and retail projects. The size, the budgets, and the variety of design projects made it FUN to be creative. The first full week of Q1 2017 mirrors this trend. Please keep them coming, whether it’s a ground-up island design, retail project, or the re-branding of a kit.

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Shopping for a new or rental exhibit? See over 1400 contemporary islands, inlines, banner stands, and trade show accessories at www.classicexhibits.com. Click on Exhibit Design Search for the largest display selection in North America. To find a Classic Exhibits Distributors, click here.

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Contemporary, Affordable Charging Stations for Tradeshows and Events

September 21st, 2016 Mel White COMMENTS

Event and Trade Show Charging Stations

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Posted in Charging Stations, Classic Exhibit Systems, Mel White, Trade Show Marketing | No Comments »

Avoiding Exhibit Buyer Remorse | 10 “Must Ask” Questions

June 2nd, 2016 Mel White COMMENTS

Trade Show Exhibit Buying Remorse

It’s common to express remorse after a big-ticket purchase. Typically when the purchase is infrequent, such as a home, car, or expensive equipment. We know our knowledge is incomplete, even when we’ve conducted research. So we roll the dice… and then cross our fingers.

Buying a trade show exhibit is that type of purchase, especially a corporate inline or island exhibit. It may be your first time buying a display. Heck, it may be the first time for your company. There’s a lot to learn. So, how do you avoid second guessing your decision? Honestly, a lot depends on your exhibit house. It’s important to choose one that understands your marketing goals, your budget, and your available resources. Most exhibit houses make their living by keeping customers long-term. They want to work with you on your exhibit design, your trade show strategy, and your ROI goals. It’s a cliché, but your success at a trade show is their success.

10 Questions to Ask

1. What services do you provide? This can vary from designing the ideal display to providing you with storage, I&D services, exhibit training, and graphic design. You’ll need to decide what services you need based on your budget and your trade show marketing goals.

2. How much do those services cost? Unlike auto repair, there’s no “book” which serves as a guide for time and materials. Prices vary depending on the region, the size of the exhibit house, and the services they value or don’t value.

Buyer's Remorse3. Can you provide me with 3-5 references? No brainer, right? Yet, so often we are reluctant to ask for customer references. Ask for customers who have purchased a similar size/price exhibit to the one you’re considering.

4. Will the exhibit include reusable packaging?  Unlike the headphones you bought last week packed in tamper-resistant plastic, an exhibit has to unpack and pack again and again. Smart packaging will save time, money, and frustration. Ask to see examples.

5. Does the exhibit include detailed setup instructions with numbered components? And, can the instructions be modified if we have suggestions after the first or second show? Detailed, logical instructions will save you thousands of dollars each year. Sometimes at a single show. Ask for examples.

6. What if my exhibit is damaged or if we need to replace lost parts? It’s going to happen no matter how careful you are. A true test of an exhibit builder is how they respond when you need a replacement part or a laminate repaired. Do they treat you the same as when you purchased your exhibit?

7. What is the warranty? This question shouldn’t be followed by a verbal dance. It’s an easy question. It should be an easy answer.

8. How much time/labor will be required to set up the exhibit the first time? The third time? This will vary particularly on a custom exhibit. Less so for a portable/modular display. You’re looking for a range. Then you need to compare the range to your experience on the show floor. Admittedly this will depend on your experience, your labor crew, and a 1000 other factors.

9. Who is my primary contact(s)? Who do I contact when I have questions about exhibit design, graphic design, shipping, I&D, storage, etc. Who is my emergency contact if there’s an issue at the show? What matters is not the person(s) but the answer. What’s the tone and do they have a plan?

10. How would you describe your best customers? What do they do right? There’s no such thing as the “self-made” successful trade show marketer. We all learn from others. Taking the long-road can be expensive and in some cases, a career killer. Look for shortcuts and the best advice comes from trade show warriors. Trade show are like landing on Neptune and encountering aliens. You don’t want to be the first one. You want to learn from those who didn’t get zapped or eaten.

What most exhibitors know about buying an exhibit could fit in a Ziploc baggie. They know just enough to get themselves in trouble. So be smart. Ask questions. Lots of questions. Pretend you are four years old again and ask the endless series of “Why’s” and “What’s” and “When’s” that drove every adult insane. You won’t regret it.

–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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EXHIBITORLIVE 2016 | Gravitee Strikes a Winning Chord

March 4th, 2016 Mel White 1 COMMENT

Kevin Carty, VP Classic Exhibits

Happy! Happy! Happy!

I’m at 32,000 feet, headed home from EXHIBITORLIVE 2016 in Las Vegas. After four weary days (and nights), I wanted to share with you the overall show vibe from the Classic Exhibits perspective.

To those not in attendance, I hope you viewed our videos highlighting Day 1 and Day 2. They show how slammed we were both days. On the morning of Day 2, I was approached by another exhibitor who said, “Kevin, ya know in grade school where we all learned to share. Would you mind sharing some of your attendee traffic with the rest of us?” 🙂

IMG_0180All joking aside, we were fortunate to have heavy traffic on all three days. Exhibitors came to see our charging stations, tablet stands, and lightboxes, but the BIG DRAW was our new Gravitee One-Step Wall System. Gravitee was a HUGE HIT. We heard the accolades in our booth, but it was the compliments we heard while walking the show floor and at after-hours functions that was more impressive. Lots of kudos and several comments of “Gravitee is the next big thing in our industry.”

At the airport waiting for our flight home, my wife asked me why Gravitee was so impactful compared to past product releases. I will tell you the same thing I told her, using a recent build as an example.

Gravitee is the culmination of 23 years of Classic manufacturing expertise and growth. When we initially developed this new product, we sat down and reviewed the entire Classic Family of Products. What made the Intro Fabric Panel System so successful in the mid 90’s? The patented hinge! What made the Euro LT Modular Laminated System so successful in the late 90’s and early 2000’s? The slide clip connection system and panel lock! What has made Visionary Designs, our hybrids, and our custom builds so successful to this day? Our ability to customize, be nimble, and do what others either can’t… or simply are unwilling to do.

Gravitee was born out of 23 years of knowledge and Intellectual Property. In the end, we developed Gravitee, a revolutionary wall system that self levels, requires absolutely NO TOOLS, has two corner options that allow you to make ANY angle connection, works seamlessly with Euro LT and MODUL, and accepts direct print or SEG graphics. Plus, you NEVER have to notch the SEG when a graphic extends over multiple panels or curves.

IMG_0350Pretty cool. Now let me use a real world example. You may recall our show booth from EXHIBITORLIVE 2015 and 2014. It was a modified version of the VK-5095 Island featured in the Visionary Designs and Rental galleries. One of our distributors asked if we could create the same design for their HIMSS clients… but using Gravitee. Well, you know we said, “Yes!” Our show booths in 2014 and 2015 took three guys eight hours to set up, and it packed in two crates at 2200 lbs total weight. But the Gravitee version took three guys four hours to set up the booth! Half the time! AND it shipped in one crate, not two. Think about that from an operating cost. Your exhibitor will save up to 1/2 on labor , 1/2 on shipping, and 1/2 on drayage compared to the previous Visionary Designs build. Oh, I should probably mention, the booth cost about 7% less retail as a Gravitee System.

The Rest of the Show

Alright… you can clearly tell I’m excited about Gravitee. But let’s talk about the rest of the show. We saw so many wonderful Classic Distributors as well as a few new distributor prospects. End-users stopped by the booth in numbers we haven’t seen in the past, so there will be a about 80-90 leads sent to distributors next week.

20150918-0804We won! Classic Exhibits took home another EXHIBITOR Portable Modular Award! Last year we won for Best Small Island. This year we won for Best Inline 10 x 10 for the “So Young” booth designed by our very own Katina Rigall. A special thanks to Tim Patterson at Communication One Exhibits for bringing us this great project. Way to go TradeshowGuy.

The mood on the show floor was upbeat and the vast majority of distributors and suppliers told us they are growing. Frankly, the show floor itself looked better than it ever has. As an industry I applaud everyone for putting their best foot forward from a design perspective. Two people who walked HIMSS (which is HUGE as you know) said the EXHIBITORLIVE floor looked infinityly better from a design perspective.

Lastly, there are never enough words to describe the pride I have in our team/family here at Classic. To John, Jim, Reid, James, Jen, Glenna, Jim P, Katina, and Mel who joined me in LV, I can’t thank you all enough for all that you do as co-workers and friends in this business. Once again, you made the entire company proud with your efforts and enthusiasm on and off the show floor. And to each and every Classic employee who wasn’t in Vegas, you were with us in spirit and your efforts showed each and every time a distributor heaped praise on Classic Exhibits.

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Now, my back is killing me, my feet are numb, and my brain is genuinely fried, so I look forward to the weekend with my family. I hope you do the very same.

Thanks again to our distributors and our vendor partners for continuing to trust in your relationship with the Classic Family.

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

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