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Posts Tagged ‘Visionary Designs’

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Word on the Street — August 17th thru August 21st

August 21st, 2009 Mel White COMMENTS
Word on the Street by Kevin Carty

Word on the Street by Kevin Carty

Sales Uptick You Say? Feels Like You are Getting Busier?

 Hallelujah!

Well, I am a happy to say that you are not the only one busy this week, although I was beginning to wonder if the August through October trade show season was ever going to kick into gear. I am working on multiple quotes and projects, trying to get them all finished by mid-afternoon so this week’s post will be brief.  

Thankfully, we are seeing an increase in business, albeit about a week or two later than usual. But it is here and that’s all that matters.

I spoke with many of you this week. You said that design and quoting have been very busy the past few weeks, and now the orders are finally starting to roll in. You’re seeing a lot of 10′ x 30′ and smaller inlines, primarily hybrid booths, such as Visionary Designs, Perfect 10, and Magellan. We are seeing much of the same, with a small mix of larger exhibits and an onslaught of rental orders. The rental business is insane right now.

Everyone is saying that it feels like we are going to have a great finish to the year, but that the economy continues to be unpredictable. So we will see.

So what is the one thing that stands out the most to you with the sales uptick? For me, it is the aggressiveness required to win the business — whether it’s the quick turn times on quotes and production, or the unrealistic budget constraints. It’s clear there’s business out there, but everyone is holding onto their money a little tighter and looking for creative, cost-effective solutions. It’s understandable, and in most cases, very doable.

In the end, it’s new business and it feels good to be busy, even if it means a busy weekend as well.

Look for even more Sacagawea Hybrid Designs next week.  You’ll like the designs. We already know you love the prices.

Be Well!

–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 — June 8th thru June 12th

June 12th, 2009 Mel White COMMENTS
Word on the Street

Word on the Street by Kevin Carty

If you are like me, you find yourself talking to your exhibit industry peers to see “what’s up” in their world and in our industry. So, at the recommendation of others, I am going to write about what I am hearing each week and post it every Friday by noon. I look forward to your comments and feedback.

Week of June 8th thru June 12th

Budgets Looking Up Heading into 2010! 

That was the title of an article an industry friend sent my direction on Monday, and it really set the tone for the week.

In our business, we have seen a big spike in activity in design and quote requests so I thought i would make some calls and see if this was true for others. I spoke to some traditional Portable/Modular/Hybrid Distributors, Custom Houses, and a few suppliers of carpeting, lighting, and transportation services.

Their response confirmed our trend. With the exception of two companies, which said they are still hearing crickets rather than phones ringing, everyone else said that business has begun to pickup over the past two weeks. In addition, the projects seem real and have some meat. Not just “pie in the sky” speculative projects.

Everyone, myself included, is careful to mention that there has NOT been a comparable spike in sales, just in design and quoting. Which tells me that some money is being freed up for later summer and fall shows. The sales they are seeing right now are for refreshed graphics for existing exhibits and/or alternative “value” based exhibit options. At Classic, for example, we just introduced the Sacagawea Hybrid Series which has seen a lot of activity.

The other really consistent fact that all companies I spoke to confirmed was that their rental business is up anywhere from 25-50% over last year. Stands to reason right?!?!

They all agreed that May, June, and July will be spent getting back to basics. Making calls to as many people as possible. Keeping your company’s name out in the forefront is paramount during uncertain economic times like these. And for those who survive . . . the last thing you want to struggle with down the road is name recognition.

As I muddle and learn my way through this weekly blog thing, I encourage you to send me topics or questions that you would like feedback on. I would be happy to ask around as I make my calls each day and/or as I visit customers.

Talk to you all soon

Be Well

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

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The Tradeshow Exhibit Rental Business is Booming

April 29th, 2009 Mel White COMMENTS
Trade Show Rentals from Classic

Trade Show Rentals from Classic Distributors

The exhibit rental business is booming. That shouldn’t surprise anyone. Exhibitors, both large and small, are looking for cost-effective ways to maintain their exhibit marketing on tight budgets. Renting a display makes sense for a variety of reasons, including cost, flexibility, storage and handling. If you are weighing the choice between buying or renting, see 8 Reasons to Rent Your Exhibit (below) or the full article on www.all-about-trade-show-exhibits.com.

Too often, exhibitors view renting as a marketing or design compromise. Larger rental displays, especially those from show management, are often battered, dated, and UGLY. They scream, “Hi, I couldn’t afford a new display so I rented this #!@% display from the show.” Renting 10′ x 10′ exhibits hasn’t been much better. The choices have been a pop up display, a different pop up display, or a fabric folding panel system. These are all utilitarian choices, and with the right graphics can be very effective, but they are never going to win you a “Best of Show” award.

Thankfully, rental designs have come a long, long way, especially if you are considering renting from a Classic Exhibits distributor. Take a moment and review the inline and island rental options in the Classic Gallery. You’ll notice some standard designs, such as pop ups, panel displays, and truss systems, but the vast majority fall under the heading of hybrid designs. Hybrid designs, such as Visionary Designs, are precisely what their name implies — hybrids. They rely on the strengths of multiple systems and combine them into a unique solution. This makes the final designs custom looking, but with much greater flexibility than a custom exhibit. Hybrids are impressive and unmistakable, not only for their soaring aluminum extrusion structure but also for their large format graphics.

The following are examples from the Rental Gallery:

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When It Comes to Graphic Design, I’m an Idiot

April 23rd, 2009 Mel White 3 COMMENTS
Classic Exhibits and Graphic Design

Classic Exhibits and Graphic Design

When it comes to graphic design, I am an idiot. I’m not embarrassed to admit it, although I probably should be since I manage the marketing for Classic Exhibits and ClassicMODUL, and assist in the marketing for Exhibits Northwest. Yet, there’s rarely a day that I don’t make graphic design decisions about our websites, sales literature, email marketing broadcasts, and trade show displays. Does my lack of graphic design expertise show? I certainly hope not. Frankly, I think we do a pretty good job.

Like most marketing managers, or any manager who understands his or her limitations, I rely on talented people, such as graphic designers. Not only do they understand the tools, such as Photoshop, Illustrator, or Quark, but they spend their days immersed in graphic design issues.  They understand the nuances and the trends. They remind me that this color text on that background is unreadable and that I’ve created visual clutter and confusion in my effort to say and show too much.  If I ask them to add a “star burst” with a price, they guide me to a more contemporary solution that doesn’t reek of 1980’s clip art.

Fortunately, I’ve learn some valuable lessons over the years regarding graphic design, which I’ll share. These aren’t font, color, or layout tips. Remember, I’m an idiot. These are tips for anyone working with graphic designers, tips that hopefully will save you time, money, and slow the aging process.

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Classic Exhibits Gets Some Street Cred

April 15th, 2009 Mel White COMMENTS
Earning Our Street Cred

Earning Our Street Cred

I’m neither an old man, nor a young man . . . unless you ask Kevin who referred to me as a geezer at EXHIBITOR. Nor can I claim to have a long history in the exhibit business. My experience is limited to about 10 years with three exhibit manufacturers. Many of you know my background (and my former employers), so I won’t go into details. The details are not important, except to say that I’ve worked for two companies that were competent, resourceful, creative, aggressive, and second-tier players in the portable/modular market. There is nothing wrong with being a second-tier player, especially if the company is filling a niche, is profitable, and is clearly a first-tier player within that niche. And in both cases, my former employers were good companies with great products.

What about the third company? Classic Exhibits is the third, and if I was honest, I’d admit (reluctantly) that about five years ago Classic was perceived as a second-tier player. Was that perception fair and accurate? Probably not, but perception carries a lot of weight in our industry, especially in the portable, modular, and hybrid segment. In fact, we hadn’t been a second-tier player for many years, but Classic took a very low-key approach about marketing the Classic Exhibits’ brand. If you didn’t know us, and didn’t work with our designers, our project managers, and our production team, it was easy to image us as “Five Guys in a Garage.” Five VERY TALENTED guys in a garage who could do just about anything, but, sigh, . . . still just five guys.

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