Tradeshow Tales Blog - classicexhibits.com

The “Build a Better Trade Show Image” Fest

February 9th, 2012 mel Leave a comment

I wanted to give you a heads-up on an exciting online event happening in the trade show world this month! We’ve been invited to participate in a special promotion — along with other exhibit industry vendors — to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the book, Build a Better Trade Show Image, by Marlys Arnold.

She’s put together a week-long gift-fest from Feb. 19-25. (Which also happens to be the 13th Annual “Build a Better Trade Show Image” Week) We’ll be offering (2) 30 minute design consultations, and there will be more cool gifts from the other vendors, including some great exhibitor education from Marlys. (In case you’re not familiar with her, she’s a trade show marketing strategist and has worked with exhibitors and show managers in all kinds of industries, including some of the largest shows in the U.S.)

To be sure you get in on the party, go to www.imagespecialist.com/tradeshowgifts and sign up for daily e-mails during the week of February 19 that will list all the gifts, plus some unannounced special offers. You won’t want to miss it!

In addition . . .

Beginning February 15, your customers will receive a FREE gift when they order a Classic Exhibits Hybrid Inline or Island, the complete 280+ page eBook of Build a Better Trade Show Image by Marlys Arnold. There will be a thank you postcard in their display packaging, complete with a promotional download code.

To see the download page, go to http://www.imagespecialist.com/classicexhibits

For more information about the promotion and a 45-page sample of the book, go to http://www.imagespecialist.com/classicexhibits/classic-exhibits-distributors/

Classic Exhibits will begin inserting the postcard into hybrid inline and island orders beginning Wednesday, February 15. The promotion ends May 31.

BONUS: Meet Marlys Arnold at EXHIBITOR at the Classic Exhibits booth (#1645) from 11:30 to 12:30 on Monday and Tuesday and at the Classic/Eco-Systems Sustainable Hospitality Suite on Tuesday afternoon.

–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.

Tags: Classic Exhibits, Marlys Arnold, Promotion, Trade Show Marketing, tradeshows
Posted in Mel White, Trade Show Exhibit Tips | No Comments »

ACT NOW to Attend EXHIBITOR FREE!

February 8th, 2012 mel Leave a comment

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It’s That Time Again . . . Register for EXHIBITOR FREE Courtesy of Classic Exhibits Inc.

To claim your VIP Guest Pass, go to www.Exhibitor2012.com/VIP and register using the Special Promotion Code 4044.

Your VIP Guest Pass entitles you to FREE admission to the Exhibit Hall and the industry’s best networking function, the Monday Evening Reception!

While there, visit Classic Exhibits Inc. in booth #1645 at EXHIBITOR2012. March 5, 6, and 7, from 11:30 am to 3:30 pm.

Be Better . . .

The Classic Exhibits Family of Companies: Classic Exhibits, Exhibits Northwest, and ClassicMODUL Aluminum Extrusions.

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Tags: Classic Exhibits, Exhibitor, EXHIBITOR 2012, Las Vegas, Trade show
Posted in Mel White | No Comments »

Back from the Magic Kingdom: Word on the Street — Jan. 30th thru Feb. 3rd

February 5th, 2012 Kevin Leave a comment

Word on the Street by Kevin Carty

Hey All!

As Mel mentioned last week, I was on vacation in Disneyland and California Adventure. And boy was it a blast. Going as an adult can be different, but taking your kids for the first time is just pure joy. Seeing them react to everything was priceless and an experience my wife and I will never forget.

I returned to the office on Wednesday, which was hard to be honest. It was not just catching up, but also getting back into the daily routine after spending seven straight days with my family.

Things are as busy as when I left on the 24th. We continue to have a full slate of work leading into spring. And, of course, we are working hard on our exhibit for EXHIBITOR in early March. The exhibit is going to be our best ever. It highlights our standard hybrid systems, our custom hybrid designs, as well as our rental capabilities. I am excited to show it to you.

A couple of thoughts while on vacation that I wanted to share.

1. We all work in such a fast past environment in this industry. How does one unplug from that? Or a better way to say it, “How do you unplug while you’re on vacation?”

For me, it has become much easier over the years. I remember times where I could not unplug at all — mentally or physically. I would always have my mind on what was going on at the office and would have my Blackberry with me at all times so that I could read emails.

But it has become much easier, probably because my twins are five, and they command my our attention all the time. Which is cool. And as for the Blackberry, well I turned it in for an iPhone sometime ago. And five year olds know how to work iPhones. So, even if I were incline to check emails, it would be nearly impossible because they usually have my phone, breaking all my records on Angry Birds.

But another reason is the amazing staff we have at Classic Exhibits. Truly, they make it easy when I, Mel, or any employee for that matter takes some time away. Their professional approach in Design, Project Management, Accounting, Purchasing, and Production makes it much easier to leave the office. Thanks you all very much!

2. Have you been watching the nonsense on TV lately with the political primaries. Well I have. Being away, I had more time in the evening to catch up on news. And man, it boarders on ridiculous how politics in general have become closer to the “Jersey Shore” and other reality shows than true politics. Mudslinging does not even begin to define the circus we get to watch everyday on the news shows. And the worst part it’s rarely based on . . . oh I don’t know . . . Politics!! The hardest part is that their comments are accepted as defining the current state of our great country. Rather than a concentrate on real indicators like unemployment and the Stock Market and where we are spending all this money.

Well I digress. Before my vacation, I limited my exposure to old fashion reading about candidates and seeing what their history in politics showed. Not on what TMZ caught them doing outside of a fancy restaurant.

I hope and trust you are all doing well and are having a successful kickoff to the New Year. I am excited to see everyone in a few weeks.

Be well!

–Kevin Carty

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

Posted in Kevin Carty, Word on the Street | No Comments »

The Great “Classic” Tradeshow Wall

January 30th, 2012 mel Leave a comment

Classic’s Great Tradeshow Wall

Sometime you just gotta take a flyer and throw it out there. If it sticks, it sticks. Jeffrey D. Brown has created an intriguing concept called The Tradeshow Wall, based on his success with The Guitar Wall. It’s part advertising, part resource center, part artwork. And, of course, it’s 100 percent unique.

We agreed to participate in the original free wall. Then after seeing it, we took the next step and had Jeff create a Classic Great Tradeshow Wall that includes images from Classic Exhibits, ClassicMODUL, and Classic Rentals. I like it.

FAQ’s from Jeff’s website:

Q: What’s the purpose of The Tradeshow Wall?

First, of course… is to do good… and do it well. Moreover, our goal is to create a highly recognizable, iconic site that is both an engaging and efficient referral resource for visitors, AND an effective and measurable marketing vehicle for Wall spaceholders fueled by a unique combination of simplicity and creativity… all in one sentence.

Q: Does it cost anything?

Well, that’s the good news. We’re giving away Wall spaces on a first come, first served basis (but we have a lot of Wall space to give away and don’t expect to run out anytime soon.) So the answer is NO… but, YES if you want to spend a little… like for high-quality custom professional (and creative) artwork for your wall space, or an Optional (but not necessary) Wall Space Management Account. Of course, now you can add more or bigger wall spaces beyond your free space or rent premium, top-row Wall spaces…or possibly your own… yes, your own Great Tradeshow Wall. But otherwise… NO.

Q: What’s the benefit of having a free Wall space on The Tradeshow Wall?

Well, let’s start with the low hanging fruit… it’s FREE. So that means ROI is relatively easy to achieve. Meaning that if you got one (1) new prospective, potential, reasonably qualified visitor to your landing page or website… you’re, as we say… ahead of the game. And then we can extrapolate from there.

Q: Who will visit The Tradeshow Wall and how will they know about it?

That’s an easy one. You may know that ten (10) years ago we started an odd little website called Tradeshow Blues… and a few other properties. Along the way we’ve connected with hundreds of thousands of tradeshow and event enthusiasts (Who would have thought?). We’ll start there… and throw in our social media reach, some email, a few strategic placements… and probably some measured yelling where appropriate.

Q: How do you know this Wall concept works?

Well, we’ve had well over a million (1,000,000) visitors to The Guitar Wall which has generated hundreds of thousands of referrals to our spaceholders’ sites and landing pages… for starters.

Take a few minutes to explore Classic’s wall. And let us know what you think. Cheers!

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

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Tags: Classic Exhibits, Classic Rentals, ClassicMODUL, Guitar Wall, Tradeshow Wall
Posted in Classic Exhibit Systems, Social Media | No Comments »

This, That, and The Other: Word on the Street — Jan. 23rd thru Jan. 27th

January 27th, 2012 mel 1 Comment

Word on the Street by Kevin Carty

It’s Mel. This week, I’m filling in for Kevin who is at Disneyland treating his five-year old twins to the Magic Kingdom. For those on the East Coast and in the South, yes, there’s still a Disney Park on the West Coast. I know. It seems weird with Disney World a mere 3000 miles away, but five-year olds don’t know the difference . . . yet.

This week we’ll share some odds and ends . . .

EXHIBITOR 2012

It is oh so close. A mere five weeks away. We’ll be in booth #1645, a 20′ x 30′. And just like your typical customers, the exhibit design is nearly done, we’ve outlined the graphic concepts, and we’re juggling 100 balls at the same time. Next year, “we’ll be done by December,” our mantra since 2005.

Classic Exhibits / Eco-Systems Sustainable Reception. We’ll host a reception on Tuesday, March 6, in a Mandalay Bay Suite. The reception will be from approximate 3:30 to 7 pm, or until we exhaust our beer, wine, and snacks. Please touch base with us on Monday or Tuesday at EXHIBITOR for the room number.
Optima Graphics Reception. You’ll also see our friendly faces at the Optima Graphics Reception on Monday March 5 in the Mandalay Islander D-E Ballroom. Please check with our good friends at Optima for details.
Other Classic Exhibits Displays. Based on our latest count, there should be around four or five Classic-built displays at EXHIBITOR. Ask us about them at the show, and we’ll give you an unofficial tour.
New Product Showcase. This year we submitted the MOD-211 iPad Counter Insert into the EXHIBITOR New Product Showcase. The MOD-211 is available on most Classic Counters, Pedestals, and Workstations. It’s an easy and secure way to transform any counter top into a iPad station. You’ll see several examples in our booth.
FREE Pass. For a free pass to the show hall compliments of Classic Exhibits and ClassicMODUL, click HERE.

Upcoming Promotion

We’ve teamed up with Marlys Arnold, the Image Specialist, to offer her book Build a Better Trade Show Image to your customers. Starting in mid-February, we’ll include an “Our Gift to You” promotional postcard with most inline and island hybrid displays, such as Sacagawea, Magellan, Perfect 10, Visionary Designs, and SEGUE. The postcard will have a unique code where they can download the 280+ page e-book on how to launch, improve, finesse, or fix their trade show marketing program. It’s an excellent book, valued at $27, which every trade show expert or novice should own.

To see the download page, please go to www.imagespecialist.com/classicexhibits. Marlys will be at EXHIBITOR 2012, including several sessions in the Classic Exhibits booth and (probably) at the Classic Reception. We encourage you to meet Marlys and pick her brain on training programs available to you and to your customers.

ClassicMODUL Aluminum Extrusions

We hesitate to use this term . . . but the ClassicMODUL website is now “sexy.” Well, as sexy as engineered aluminum extrusion can get. We’ve made a number of significant changes to the website, including easier navigation, an extrusion depot site legend, and a very cool page flipping tool to browse the MODUL 6.0 Index. In the next week or so, we’ll also be adding extrusion photos in addition to the renderings.

When do you order from ClassicMODUL (and not Classic Exhibits)? Whenever you are ordering cut or full-length extrusions on projects you are project managing yourself. ClassicMODUL provides CAD services and can detail the extrusions you’ll need. They can guide you toward the most cost-effective solutions based on your design. Plus . . . there are ClassicMODUL extrusion depots in Portland, OR, Cheshire, CT, and Birmingham, AL.

Some New Products You May Have Missed (in Your Haste to Make a Living and Have a Life)

MOD-211 iPad Counter Insert

LTE-1001 and LTG-1001 Tapered Pedestals: These are less expensive versions of the always popular LTK-1001 Tapered Pedestal.
MOD-211 iPad Counter Insert: I know. I’m repeating myself. But it’s a great idea and it’s only $295.
VK-1850, VK-1851, VK-1852 SEGUE Table Top Displays
MOD-1285 and MOD-1283 Lightboxes with Rotating Header
VK-5081, VK-5082, and VK-5083 SEGUE Islands
SEGUE Sunrise DS (ex. VK-2314 and VK-1910): These are the two-sided versions of the popular SEGUE Sunrise, an affordable, no-tools assembly SEG portable display.

Some Changes to Exhibit Design Search You May Have Missed (in Your Haste to Make a Living and Have a Life)

Audio Clips: Over the past three months we’ve added 30-40 second audio clips to many kits in EDS. These clips give a brief description of the features and benefits of the products, such as the Quadro S Pop Up, Xpressions, Visionary Designs, or Design Monday.
eSmart Galleries: We recently changed the name of these galleries from Eco-Smart to eSmart. Not a big change, but one that was intended to send a subtle message. The eSmart Galleries are not only eco-friendly designs, but also distinctive and affordable designs whether your client is interested in a green display or not. We encourage you to include the eSmart galleries in your search whenever you’re looking for a 10 x 10, 10 x 20, or island. Go for the design . . . get Green as a bonus.
Brumark and Display Supply and Lighting: These are not new, but way down at the bottom of EDS, there are four galleries for Flooring, Exhibit Supplies, and Lighting. These are the Brumark and Display Supply and Lighting Galleries. If you use these galleries, please let them know. If you would like to see changes or additions to these galleries, please let them know. They are important strategic partners of Classic Exhibits and of Exhibit Design Search.

Anywho . . . we are looking forward to seeing you at EXHIBITOR. Please stop by the booth and join us at the Reception. If you would like to meet with Kevin, Reid, Jim Shelman, or me during or after show hours, please let us know. We are filling in our appointment slots PDQ.

See you later alligator! (I am so old).

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

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Tags: Aluminum Extrusions, Classic Exhibits, ClassicMODUL, displays, Exhibitor, exhibits, iPad Stand, Trade Show Marketing, Trade Shows
Posted in Mel White, Word on the Street | 1 Comment »

Bob’s Sage Advice: Trade Shows Work

January 26th, 2012 mel Leave a comment

Bob Moore, Bob's Red Mill

Bob’s Red Mill Natural Products Article

If you’ve ever visited us in Portland, you know that we always treat you to lunch at Bob’ Red Mill. Bob’s Red Mill packages whole grain products, such as oatmeal, beans, bread mixes, etc., for supermarkets in North America and around the world. You may not recognize the name, but the next time you visit your local supermarket, head to the “healthy foods” section and you’ll see Bob’s Red Mill products in clear cellophane bags. They also happen to have a restaurant and company store on International Way.

We do not work with Bob’s Red Mill directly, nor would we, even though they’re just 100 yards down the road from our facility. They work with a Classic Exhibits trade show distributor based in Salem, OR.

Recently, there was a short article in Oregon Business where Bob Moore, the founder of the company, shared his advice about staying independent. The article is insightful, and you’ll love his quote about trade shows at the bottom.

“You can’t grow outside your territory unless you go to trade shows.” Sweet.

Enjoy.

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

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Tags: bobs red mill, Classic Exhibits, Portland, Trade Shows
Posted in Mel White, Uncategorized | No Comments »

Meet Katina Rigall, Designer: Word on the Street — Jan. 16th thru Jan. 20th

January 22nd, 2012 mel 2 Comments

Word on the Street by Kevin Carty

Our Newest Design Addition — Katina Rigall

We are excited to welcome Katina Rigall to Classic Exhibits. Katina has an extensive custom design background, along with a solid knowledge of portable, modular, and hybrid displays. She is going through our training program this week, otherwise known as “15 Years of Facts Crammed into 7 Brutal Days.” Rather than give you a high-highfalutin, PR-spin of Katina, we thought we’d let her introduce herself.

Katina Rigall, Designer

“I was born and raised in Portland, OR and studied Interior Design and Art History at Oregon State University as an undergraduate. The summer before I graduated and my last semester of college, I worked as a designer for cruise ship interiors. Imagine the themed spaces from the kid’s play area’s to the night clubs. This gave me my first taste of experience design and I loved it!”

“After graduating, I worked with an established interior remodeling firm for over three years, where I learned how to plan and execute detailed kitchen designs while collaborating with experts from various trades. As much as I enjoyed these projects, I felt I needed to expand my design skills to work in a more creative niche. I returned to school at the Fashion Institute of Technology in NYC to get my Master’s degree in Exhibition Design.”

“I love art and its ability to impact the viewer, and I consider my medium to be large 3-dimensional experiences that utilize colors, shapes, lighting, and graphics to encompass viewers at an event. My projects at their best are large scale sculptures in addition to thoroughly functional branded experiences that inform people about products and services in a memorable way. After working in Exhibit Design for a custom house on the East Coast for over four years, I am very happy to be returning to my hometown to work with Classic Exhibits where I can continue to do what I love.”

We are very excited to have Katina back in the Pacific Northwest where she was born and raised. We believe she will greatly impact and expand the Classic Exhibits Design Department. She brings great talent and personality to the job, and her custom experience is sure to bring new ideas and designs to the Classic Line of products.

As a member of the EDPA Scholarship Committee, I often meet students from FIT and see their great work while attending the program. It is especially exciting that Katina is a graduate of the FIT program.

Please take a moment to welcome Katina to the Classic Family as you work with her on new design projects.

Have a great week!

–Kevin Carty

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

Tags: Classic Exhibits, custom exhibits, Exhibit Design, Katina Rigall, Trade Shows
Posted in Kevin Carty, Word on the Street | 2 Comments »

100 Global Trends in 2012

January 12th, 2012 mel Leave a comment

100 Things to Watch in 2012

JTW Intelligence released their seventh annual year-end forecast of key trends that will shape or significantly impact consumer behavior in the near future. Continued economic uncertainty is at the center of or driving several of these trends; another theme is the rising idea of shared responsibility. As always, new technology is a key factor as well.

To view the full slideshow, click on the image.

For the shorter executive summary, click here.

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

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Tags: 2012 Trends, Classic Exhibits, JTW Intelligence
Posted in Classic Exhibit Systems, Mel White | No Comments »

2011 “State of the Company” Letter from Kevin Carty

January 11th, 2012 Kevin Leave a comment

Kevin Carty, VP of Sales

Happy New Year! Hope you had a great Holiday Season.

Classic Exhibits Inc. and its divisions continued to rebound in 2011, after showing solid increases in 2010. Across the board, volume grew from 22 to 33 percent, depending on the division. Most refreshing, we saw no single trends, meaning our sales came from kits and custom, rentals and extrusions, and trade shows and retail. Nearly every week we were surprised by interesting projects that challenged and stimulated us.

New Systems Released

SEGUE Sunrise Portable Hybrid

Most new kits were based on MODUL TSP extrusions, which use silicone edge graphics. SEGUE Sunrise is a good example. Released in early January 2011, the Sunrise was one of those product releases you dream about. While it wasn’t the first SEG backwall on the market, it was the first to get it right from assembly to packaging. The Sunrise assembles without tools on both the single and double-sided versions and packs in die-cut foam packaging. Much like the Sacagawea and the Perfect 10, the Sunrise addresses a specific price point while not sacrificing design or value.

We introduced several iPad solutions as well. These have done well. If you haven’t seen them, I would encourage you to add them to your arsenal: the MOD-211 iPad Counter Insert and the MOD-1276 Kiosk.

Design Monday Anniversary

In February 2011, we celebrated the 6th Anniversary of Design Monday. Kudos to Mel White, Mike Swartout, and the Classic Design Department for creating a marketing broadcast that transformed Classic and made a difference to our distributors. Other manufacturers shared their designs, but Classic made it a weekly feature. You can imagine the discipline it takes to create three new designs each week, but it’s that discipline that sets Classic apart. It forces us to never be complacent about innovation.

Exhibit Design Search/Website Changes

ClassicMODUL Aluminum Extrusions for Trade Shows

NEW ClassicMODUL Website

If you were watching closely, you saw lots of tweaks to Exhibit Design Search. We upgraded the UI, reorganized the galleries, finessed the Design Descriptions, and added 30 second audio clips. All that in addition to daily photos in P5D, new kits, articles, FAQ’s, and bi-monthly specials.

The ClassicMODUL website changed dramatically, www.classicmodul.com. If you haven’t been there recently, we encourage you to take a tour. The extrusion galleries are much easier to navigate. We’ve added a legend showing which depots have which extrusions, and (my favorite), the MODUL 6.0 Index can be viewed via Page Flip software. It’s pretty cool. As a reminder, we encourage you to contact ClassicMODUL when you need aluminum extrusion for designs you are constructing yourself.

Distributor Events

Historically, we have always been eager to participate in Distributor Events, such as open houses and training. There was a lull in those events during the recession, but 2011 saw a resurgence. We partnered with several Distributor Open Houses and Marketing Events. We applaud those distributors who took the time and effort to organize in-house activities. A special shout out to Atlantic Exhibits for their two ExhibiTrends events. Excellent turnout and they both ran like clockwork.

Alternate Markets

Like many display shops, retail and museum jobs have always been part of the mix. But this year we really pushed that envelope. Projects included studio set work for several television networks, a flagship store for Comcast Xfinity, retail fixtures for an athletic apparel company, and my favorite, building a museum onsite at a music festival celebrating the 20th anniversary of the band Pearl Jam.

These projects and many others were learning experiences that opened doors for Classic and our distributor network. We expect the trend to continue in 2012. In fact we started off the New Year with an in store display celebrating the Rose Bowl Victory for the Oregon Ducks. This display was designed to hang in a storefront of the flagship NikeTown store in Portland. Pretty cool.

VK-5077 Island Exhibit

Islands are Back and Better than Ever

Islands are back and not just those with meager budgets. Well thought out, design-centric islands with realistic budgets are growing and a clear indicator of the “paced” economic recovery.

Internally at Classic, Exhibits NW and ClassicMODUL

Mel and I have always bragged about the great family atmosphere at Classic. In 2011, as we grew, we added employees to that family. And our employees did their job preparing for Classic’s employment needs in the future. At least five newborns were born.

Exhibits NW added folks to the Classic Rental Division. They have been wonderful additions who fit the culture and work ethic. I know I speak for Jim Shelman when I say how happy and thankful we are for the talents they bring to the company.

We expanded the Customer Service Department, adding two new FT positions to Set-up Instructions. We have consistently gotten high praise for our personalized set-up instructions, and Jeff and Pavel made them even better. Great job guys!

The Classic Production Department has grown as well, as business grew through out the year. They have all proven to be very talented additions who we hope will remain in the Classic Family for many years to come.

Thanks to the Staff

MOD-211 iPad Counter Insert

I wanted to say a special thank you to the Classic Exhibits, Exhibits NW, and ClassicMODUL staff. As always you make Classic . . . well, Classic. I appreciate all that you do to keep our customers and their customers happy. This past year, like many before, we celebrated many double-digit anniversaries at Classic. It always chokes me up when we celebrate anniversaries once a month. Usually there are several folks who are celebrating 8, 9, 10, or even 12 years at the company. Thank you for your dedication and your hard work.

On a personal note many of have asked about my travel schedule. I have stopped traveling for the most part with the exception of industry events like EXHIBITOR, EDPA, and The Randy Smith Memorial Golf Classic. Except for a rare trip here and there, I have chosen to stick closer to home. And to be honest I am really enjoying it on a personal and professional level. I like being in the office every day and having more time to run the business with Mel and our management team. And I love being able to come home to my beautiful wife and two five year olds each day.

Having said that, I know this leaves a void in visits to you. For that I apologize. We expect to add to our outside team this year, sooner rather than later, to complement the great work that Mel and Reid have been doing. I look forward to updating you on this in the coming months. And certainly look forward to seeing you all in Las Vegas at EXHIBITOR 2012.

Speaking of additions, I want to welcome to the Classic Family a new Designer. Katina Rigall starts on January 16. She is a talented and much needed addition to the Classic Exhibits Design Department. I know I speak for Mike when I say, “We can’t wait for your arrival Katina.”

I hope you have a very successful 2012 and that we continue to be a part of it. Thanks for all your support and business over the past year. We really, really appreciate it.

Thanks,

–Kevin Carty

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

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Tags: Aluminum Extrusion, Classic Exhibits, ClassicMODUL, displays, exhibits, Exhibits Northwest, Hybrid Displays, iPad kiosks, island exhibits, Magellan, Sacagawea, Silicone Edge Graphics, Trade Shows
Posted in Classic Exhibit Systems, Kevin Carty | No Comments »

Pedestals and Workstations and Counters! Oh My!

January 5th, 2012 mel Leave a comment

The Debacle

MOD-1176 Pedestal

Do you remember last year’s trade show debacle? The booth staff complained about the lack of storage. The marketing manager wondered where and how to demo your company’s product. Especially embarrassing was the aimless wandering of potential clients.

This year is different. You included, at the suggestion of your exhibit designer, pedestals, workstations and a reception area. These are the unsung workhorses of any exhibit, easy to overlook during planning, but always missed during a show. And, like nearly every teenage romantic comedy, what seems practical and unexciting at first transforms into a something smart and endearing at the end.

Pedestals

Let’s make this easy. Picture the pedestal as the cup holder of your exhibit. There’s a reason modern cars have multiple cup holders. They’re necessary and convenient, not just for the driver, but for every other person in the vehicle. Even modest pedestals increase your storage capabilities by cubic feet. Never again will Barbara or Bill complain that there is no place for her purse or his European carryall (aka man purse). Plus, the front of the pedestal will serve as valuable graphic real estate for your brand.

Pedestals in an inline booth, such as a 10×10 or a 10×20, do triple duty. First, they offer locking storage. Secondly, the right pedestal delivers additional branding space. Lastly, whether in a 10×10 or a longer inline, a pedestal provides a focal point for your booth staff and client to meet, chat, and then explore opportunities.

Pedestals can be basic, like the LTE-1001 with a shelf and open storage, or more elaborate such as a MOD-1176 with multiple counter tops and locking storage. The key is to find the design that matches your exhibit marketing goals and budget.

Workstations/Kiosks

MOD-1227 Workstation

Workstations have become indispensable to any display. For many of us, we wonder how we conducted business on the show floor before there were monitors, tablets, or the Internet. It’s where your booth staff ultimately rocks your bottom line. The workstation allows you to showcase your product, whether you’re dealing in widgets or software. This is where your staff, client, and product meet and the demonstration begins.

Consider your workstation carefully. Will the workstation be a conversation center highlighting your product? Or, does it need to be constructed so your staff can conduct a semi-private conversation with your potential client? Graphics, A.V., and lighting can enhance your workstations.

The perfect workstation can be both a practical and an aesthetic addition to your exhibit. Workstations can be simple and straightforward such as a MOD-1177 or double-sided with literature holders and storage such as MOD-1227. As monitors have gotten larger, workstations have evolved to accommodate them. It’s not uncommon for freestanding workstations to hold up to 42” monitors, with even larger monitors on the backwall.

Reception Counters

MOD-1143 Reception Counter

Even in a well-designed island booth, clients can get lost on that larger stage. That’s where a reception counter comes in handy. The reception counter serves as a guide or central location for exhibit attendees, much like a receptionist counter in an office. At a minimum, this is where attendees get acquainted with your product or service, grab a piece of candy, or simply rest their feet for a few minutes on the padded carpeting.

The card reader typically is stationed at the reception counter. There’s more counter top space than with a pedestal and typically multiple locking doors and shelves for storage. All that storage makes it the ideal location for brochures, catalogs, or giveaways such as promotional pens, flashlights, or calculators. If the staff is engaged with other clients, the “receptionist” can provide general information until someone is available.

Reception counters can also provide another graphic opportunity generally much larger in area than the pedestals and workstations. And, unlike many pedestals or workstations, reception counters can be either modular or custom. It all depends on your visual requirements. Some examples include the modular LTK-1134 with storage and a monitor insert option or the MOD-1143 with a privacy shelf, storage, and graphic insert panels.

All that careful planning means you can breathe easier this year. You’ve signed the purchase order, chosen the appropriate pedestals, workstations, and counters, and your new exhibit will be built and delivered with plenty of time. You are trade show ready and trade show smarter. Good luck!

Mike Swartout, Design Director
Classic Exhibits Inc.
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/mike-swartout/8/7b7/246

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Tags: displays, exhibits, Graphics, trade show counters, trade show pedestals, trade show workstations, Trade Shows
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