Marshall Yard:

All this blogging and social media over-consumption is starting to contort my vocabulary into the more banal dialect characteristic of our modern era. So when I first read that the MPEA’s Board of Directors was getting cleared out, with the 13 bodies being replaced with 7 hopefully warmer ones, my immediate reply was “OMG, that’s gr8.” No, actually, that’s not how I talk.

The MPEA is indeed going through a bit of a transition period. Legislation was just passed to oust the 13 person board that oversees Navy Pier and McCormick Place operations, and legislation has recently been proposed to change the McCormick Place “union” labor pool into public employees. The 13 member McPier board is slated to be replaced with 7 appointees selected by Mayor Daley and Governor Quinn. Hmm.

One would suspect that this action came amidst a general lack of perceived impetus at McCormick - a cursory glance at  MPEA’s press release page reveals how much has been done to respond to the losses of NRA, NPE, HIMSS, and a laundry list of other tradeshows still talking about leaving the convention center by 2012. Not too much, in short, has been done. Read the rest of this entry »

This week was an interesting one for trade shows based in Chicago’s McCormick Place Convention Center in the near future. Apparently, legislation in Illinois proposes to convert tradeshow union laborers into public employees.

They plan to WHAT?

Yes, they plan to make the show more efficient, transparent, and effective, and less expensive to boot. All by a magical transition of changing the labor pools at McCormick into government employees (presumably municipal employees of the MPEA - we’ve mentioned them here before, me thinks…).

Actually, the FIVE labor unions will become THREE, laborers will no longer be able to strike, and contracts will be negotiable on an individual show basis.

One additional mandate was stipulated in the fine print of the legislation*:

All subsequent references to “Union” labor(ers) must hereafter include quotations hitherto delineated ["Union" labor]. Read the rest of this entry »

To those of you who think my recent posts about McCormick Place’s recent woes (losing NPE and HIMSS exhibitions) have been immature, glib, and even counterproductive, I have a refreshing piece of media for you to sample (and if you expect us to avoid such rhetorical tactics, please find a different blog about tradeshows).

Channel 11, being the ever-objective public news medium that it is (sarc.), has a brief expose featuring the challenges faced by McPier (MPEA) and Chicago’s convention industry.

Watch the Carol Marin interview… Is this Truth or Fiction?

After a two week span where we’ve seen two of Chicago’s bigger tradeshows “pass” on their 2012 contracts with McCormick Place Convention Center, the NRA has decided to negotiate their future shows as well. Strike while the iron is hot, one could say.

NPE’s first public announcement was made prior to leaving town - and obviously officials in Chicago thought it prudent to call their bluff… Whoops.

As coy as I’ve played with regard to this situation, it is a serious one for McCormick Place, MPEA (Metropolitan Pier and Exhibition Authority - gov’t. entity that governs McCormick and Navy Pier, AKA- “McPier”), Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau, and the City of Chicago. All are major stakeholders, and all have significant influence over how these confrontations pan out. There is one sure thing I’m aware of:

Other shows will be following suit. Any and every contract that can be renegotiated will be. Every aspect of the tradeshow cost structure is up for grabs. The days when the exhibit house was the only party to “dicker with” are over. The “take it or leave it” attitude has met its natural rejoinder: “Leave it.”

And our apologies to Oprah: We’re very sorry for the picture, and we’re very sorry that we tried to pin this on you. And on a personal note, I’ve never bothered to watch your show.

Received an inside tip that NPE and HIMSS may have skipped town for the same reasons that motivated Chicago’s most famous entertainer. Is this a conspiracy, or is there something more obvious that I’m missing?

I’m struggling to get my brain around NPE and HIMSS making decisions to leave McCormick Place.

Is it the weather? Chicago does get cold in the winter time.

Is it the business world expressing their disagreement with President Obama? I understand that some disagree with some of his policies. I suppose changing the host city for your tradeshow to a non-Obama city could be one way to flex your economic muscles.

Is it Chicago-style cuisine? Perhaps contemporary diets are incompatible with deep dish pizza and Chicago style ‘dogs - and that would upset expo attendees.

I’m at a loss here, people. Please help me pin down the cause for these two significant tradeshows departing from McCormick Place Convention Center. Thus far, it appears these are totally random occurrences, without any specific cause. Is there any way we can prevent this from happening to the other prominent trade shows held in Chicago?

The greatest lessons I received from the elite public school system in suburban Illinois involved understanding the importance of knowing what the rules are, how exceptions are made, and how they are enforced. Knowing the rules helped me out of quite a few binds!

In the tradeshow world, it’s very much the same way (yes, I’m comparing convention centers to public schools - would anyone blame me for the comparison?). Understanding the technicalities that surround your exhibit, where and when to ask for variances, and what variances show management can or cannot accept, can define the success or failure of your tradeshow booth.

I recently had a client call me with a list of 5 shows that they wanted to exhibit at in 2010. They wanted to do a 20×20 exhibit that was 16 ft. tall. Maximizing visibility and utilization of cubic footage that they pay for has always been of utmost importance to them. Read the rest of this entry »

Everyone knows that the colors involved in a marketing campaign are of immense importance. Imagine a Coca-Cola or Marlboro ad that lacked the color red! Sometimes, however, it’s not only the COLOR that matters, it’s the exact shade or hue that a company depends on for a consistent campaign.

If your company uses a special “blue” that separates itself from the menagerie of garden variety “blues” in the marketplace, then this can present an immense challenge when working through a sophisticated marketing campaign. While this isn’t news for companies that are seasoned in working with their branding properties, it can become a major obstacle for newly unveiled marketing initiatives. There’s a simple solution which might not get mentioned by your ad company - but it matters for your exhibit company! Read the rest of this entry »

Catalyst Exhibits is hosting an open forum and hands-on tour for maximizing tradeshow strategies for 2010!

Join us Thursday, October 29th at 3:00pm for fun, stimulating conversation and refreshments.

You will have unprecedented direct access to Designers, Account Managers and Fabricators from all over the tradeshow industry. Hear their advice on solutions to your exhibiting problems in these difficult times.

Our straightforward, educational approach is proven to be the best way to enrich professionals on a process cloudeed by conflicting agendas of reduced Marketing and Logistics budgets in a recession. Learn how to achieve growth while others struggle to not shrink.

Please call to reserve your spot by October 23rd.

Due to large initial demand, additional dates and times may be added.

Catalyst Exhibits is located at 215 Exchange Dr., Crystal Lake, IL 60014

If you don’t have any questions, then perhaps this event is just not for you…

..seriously, you don’t have even ONE question?

For the rest of you, we’re hosting an event this month - the 27th, 28th, and 29th. Exhibitors have an opportunity to tour our 120,000 sq. ft. facility - take an unprecedented look behind the “aluminum curtain.” Talk candidly with our design and account management staff outside of a traditional sales environment. Learn the finer ins and outs of exhibiting - and the pitfalls that are essential to avoid.

We’ve decided to put forth some Q&A topics ahead of time:

• How do you define marketing objectives that drive the design of your exhibit?
• How to properly manage project timelines and understand hidden tradeshow realities?
• What are the practical considerations for the selection of custom elements, rental systems and hybrid solutions?

These are but a few of the topics we will be addressing - What are your questions? We want to hear them!

The blogosphere provides some tasty solder fodder for the Marshall-Yard to report on…

A client that we’ve enjoyed working with over the years had some very gracious things to say via their company blog - the B2b Marcom Blog. Check out Rick Short’s blurb, which also includes a very good explanation of our rental capabilities. Check it out…

I’d say more, but it would spoil the ending.

As our design and engineering departments deal with a deluge of new business that has thankfully discovered our exhibit house in 2009, I’ve been knocking on doors, metaphorically, to steer exhibitors for this year’s Radiological Society of North America Annual Meeting, (that’s RSNA09 to ppl in a hrry).

So it’s 2009, a big whopping recession, there’s a health care proposal in Washington that’s encountering, simultaneously, support and rancor amongst various niches of the health care industry, and companies are fighting tooth and nail to survive: What’s up with RSNA09? Is it a good show for your company? Isn’t attendance down at big shows? Shouldn’t my widget company spend all of its cash reserves ridding the balance sheet of any liabilities, and just hibernate until the economy is back on its feet? Read the rest of this entry »

After a swift and positive experience with show management’s approval of a prospective client’s design, I was ready to glide through another approval. After all, getting the approval of show management is a mundane, routine aspect of life as an exhibit house - it’s not as though we don’t know the rules, and we design to these rules on a daily basis. Further, we have experience in every exhibit hall in North America - it’s tough to surprise us with unexpected stipulations. But getting the ‘a-ok’ from show management is important to getting a project completed for a client - and we get things in writing in the event that a variance is needed for a design, and to protect against convention hall staff that decide to make up their own rules!

When we approached show management with this second client’s design, we were caught a bit off guard by the emailed response we received [names have been changed 'cause I don't mean to spread ill-will]:

Sorry for the confusion – it appears portions of the posted rules and regs reflect general industry rules vs. show specific rules.  The [name omitted] Show’s height limit is 16ft. with no height variance allowance (unless it was by a foot or two at the most).  Therefore, no exhibit at The [name omitted] Show will exceed 16ft in height.

This was a slip up on our part – not sure how it happened – I’ll take the blame.

Unfortunately, we cannot grant a height variance for exhibits at The [name omitted] Show.  We’ll be sure to correct the information posted on the website right away.

Needless to say, my response was that of shock. The structure, as presented, was unbalanced and awkward as a 16 ft. booth. Luckily, so our competitors’ designs were in the same situation, since the client wanted us to maximize the height of booth [we were the only ones who checked with show management, of course].

With a tight timeframe before the show starts (less than 2 months away…), we had to go into redesign immediately. Ultimately, we presented a strong design that worked well for the client’s needs - though it may lack the commanding impact that a 20 ft. booth has over a 16 footer.

Lesson learned was that of the process we follow. It’s a reinforcement of why we do what we do. If you don’t get an approval in writing, you don’t have something you can actually sell to a client. Even if it follows the “letter of the law,” such laws exist at the whim of those running the convention hall. It’s better to reconcile a design with the actual rules before a contract is inked than to scramble through redesign, reprice, and reapproval after an agreement has been reached.

A great exhibit is only great when it garners the attention and favor of tradeshow attendees. Like a tree falling in the forest…

The past few weeks we’ve been hard at work consulting with our clients who are in search of a reasonably priced rental trade show exhibit that delivers a powerful marketing impact at their upcoming show. [cheezy statement, I know... I'm in sales, could you tell?]

Dealing with trade show management can be a smooth experience, and it can be anything but. In my own recent history it has been both. We’ll start with how the experience should have gone, and follow up with a horror story later this week.

I had been working with a new prospect for over a month - yet we had not inked the deal. I wanted to get confirmation that the booth conformed to the show rules. We designed it as such, but we had not received something from show management in writing. After a very cordial phone call, and a brief email exchange, wherein I sent the design off to show management with an explanation of the details therein, I received my written confirmation, along with a compliment about the allure of the design. Still awaiting review by the Fire Marshal, I sent him a certificate of the Power Net canopy we were using. The certificate details the fire retardant qualities of the fabric, as well as the mesh of the netting, and how permeable it is for a convention hall’s emergency sprinkler system. With all of these details, I received my final approval from the Fire Marshal. - I had a booth I could really sell!

With this upbeat experience under my belt, another client was at a similar stage in the game - we had designed to the show’s posted rules and regulations, they were considering our design and two competitors’. Time to run it by show management for an approval in writing. Business as usual in the exhibit industry - or so I thought…

The Healthcare Convention & Exhibitors Association hosted their annual meeting this past week - June 13-16 in Tampa, Florida. This year’s focus was on budgeting, marketing trends, and healthcare industry codes. Catalyst’s exhibit featured new display tables, and our revamped 10×20 custom exhibit.

As the industry deals with the challenges posed by the current recession, we’ve found a niche in a custom rental marketplace that is underserved, and growing in its ranks. We look forward to many exciting opportunities with Healthcare Exhibitors in the years to come.

This year’s show was highlighted by our European and International representative, who helped tie together our capabilities beyond domestic tradeshows - offering exhibitors the confidence that they can not only exhibit in Chicago, Orlando, and Las Vegas; but also Shanghai, and Dubai. Having a partner to help us facilitate those needs has proven essential in the flat world of 2009.

I’ve recently begun work with a trade show coordinator who has a very astute perspective with regards to the design of his company’s trade show booth. It was with very little surprise that he revealed to us (during the design input meeting) that he’s been designing trade show exhibits for much of his career. Only recently had he begun coordinating exhibits for his company.

As a designer, he understands how the trade show exhibit space functions - the balance between aesthetics, function, and marketing message. He advises his team on how to value the various designs that exhibit houses have created for an upcoming show. In this case, it’s for the Worldwide Food Expo, held in October at McCormick Place. The WWFE is largely an equipment and product show for restaurateurs of various stripes. The demands placed on exhibits are similar to other shows where product and equipment demonstration rules, and visibility, marketing message, and architecture must all revolve around the placement of a large machine, or a number of smaller products. In order to get attendees to see your widget, you need to separate yourself from the crowded “skyline” of hanging signs, towers, and video monitors. Something exceptionally pleasing needs to draw the eye of those passing through, and this coordinator understands that. Read the rest of this entry »

As Iran erupts into riots and chaos with their recent election (and by “election” I mean “perfectly executed exemplar of the democratic process in its purest form”), I thought I’d tally up the votes for and against virtual trade shows.

I’ve had a cruel fascination with virtual trade shows for quite some time. In fact, I have between 5-10 aborted blog posts wherein I abysmally attempt to analyze this topic. Too long winded, and a bit too “soap box-ish” when it came time to post, so I thought those subjects were better off in blog-limbo (”draft”).

Here’s how virtual tradeshows have been treated here in cyberspace (there seem to be 3 general arguments):

1. Tradeshows are so expensive that virtual trade shows will continue to gain importance: they’re the wave of the future, and super-duper-green to boot.

2. Virtual tradeshows may never quite overcome tradeshows, because business people need to meet face-to-face, hug, and cuddle over that freshly inked contract.

3. Virtual tradeshows are stuck in the social networking fluff-world - not conducive to replace the serious business that actually takes place at trade shows

Because this tradeshow blogger always thinks he has an exciting new viewpoint, I’m going to offer my own spin: Read the rest of this entry »

NPE is the big buzz at McCormick Place this week of 6/15/09. If you don’t know what NPE is, go here, here, here, or here. I’ll be bringing some highlights from the show, as well as photos and stories of any travails I encounter.

“I don’t know how to put this, but I’m kind of a big deal.”

HCEA is the Healthcare Conventions & Exhibitors Association. Their annual tradeshow for exhibitors is coming up! This offers Healthcare companies to see some of the latest and greatest ideas from exhibit houses, and determine the best direction for their 2010’s exhibit program. That means exhibitors are trying their hardest to sell, sell, sell themselves [and their shiny new display booths] at the ‘09 HCEA show.

“ABC. A -Always, B -Be, C -Closing. Always be closing. Always be closing.” … “Coffee’s for closers, ONLY.”

We’ll also be taking a look at virtual trade shows; an experience I recently encountered with a graphic designer turned trade show coordinator; as well as critical aspects of evaluating exhibit designs. It’s going to be a great week here at the Marshall-Yard: the #1 trade show blog in the United States, and [arguably] the #7 trade show blog in Nepal.

Some advice worth heeding, and some you might find amusing… Your weekly “fix” of the frugal exhibitor:

Get your Exhibit Program out of a Rut!

Desperate sales people may DESTROY the success of your trade show booth: What to do to PROTECT it!

Anything you can do to please the union labor at a show - DO IT.

And who are these people who think tipping doesn’t happen on the convention hall floor? There must be people who actually believe this snippet.

Coping with the stress and strain of exhibiting at a major trade show… Couldn’t all of us use a little of that?

I have a checklist that I go through before I’ll ever bring an exhibitor into a dialogue with one of our trade show exhibit designers. The checklist isn’t without exceptions - sometimes special situations merit special treatment of prospective clients - but the checklist is not intended to preserve the schedules of our designers, but to improve the effectiveness of the booths they create. One of the most important questions I ask is where the booth is located on the tradeshow hall floor.

Booth orientation has serious implications for the success of your trade show. Factors to consider include  the location of entrances, internet stations, concessions, main aisles, competitors, partners, large exhibitors, and pop-up/portable “mazes.” Ceilings heights, the character of a particular hall’s “scale” of exhibits, and the presence of any natural light (versus harsh show-hall lights). All of these factors play a distinct role in how your exhibit should be designed. Is your designer weighting these issues, or are they merely interested in how many widgets they need to fit into your space, versus how many you can afford? If the focus is on the widgets, do you think you exhibit will be a success? Read the rest of this entry »

Online ads aren’t the only thing that marketers expect to increase over the next year. While an overwhelming 68.7% of marketers expect to increase their Online advertising, 37.6% also expect their Event marketing to increase, with 49.9% seeing no change in that figure. While that isn’t an overwhelming increase in Events, it does reflect an opposing trend to many other forms of marketing. Take a look here. Budgets for radio, broadcast, and outdoor marketing are down significantly, whereas Events, Direct Mail, and Telemarketing are modestly increased.

The trends of modest increases are paired with modest increases for marketing budget through the second half of 2009, and through 2010. Budgets were slashed across many different industries for the first half of 2009. This has greatly affected the trade show exhibit business, with exhibit houses lowering prices and responding with additional services. Even tradeshow organizers and convention halls have responded with stimulai of their own - reduced booth space pricing, and some early indications that services for things like I&D and drayage may be reduced from their inflated levels. Our “The Frugal Exhibitor” segment chronicals online sources keeping tabs on the ebb and flow of tradeshow values.

Sorry for the awkward humor, but I’m heading to the second game of the White Sox’ double header today (weather permitting). The main pitch [sorry] of today’s trade show blog post hits at the three distinct business models present in our industry. First, there are design agencies, who design home run exhibits, and must broker out the manufacturing of the exhibit to various other vendors. Next, there are exhibit companies, who also create championship booth designs, but who possess the internal capabilities to create the displays that have been rendered for clients. Lastly, there are companies who are neither of the above: They contract with design firms - who then design exhibits for the exhibit company’s clientelle, later to be built by the exhibit firm. What are the advantages or disadvantages of these three business models?

Let’s consider the cost of designing: The agency will likely bill the exhibitor for design time. The exhibit company with in-house designers will [sometimes] consider design part of the exhibit overhead. Buried in the price of your exhibit is the time spent on your custom design, but based on a very rough estimate of how many hours any project of a certain scope would take to create. Other companies with in-house capabilities will still charge hourly for design time, so this second group is actually varied with how they handle design time. The third group - who contract their designs through a third party vendor - is similarly varied. Some may handle the design cost in the price of the exhibit - likely marked up to account for the risk therein. Others may charge up-front for design. When it comes to how designing is charged to exhibitors, it would be a smart idea to get clarification of this detail up front (like on the FIRST conversation with an exhibitor). In some occasions I would even try to get this information in writing. With a sour trade show economy, there are floundering firms whose behavior leaves something to be desired. What do you think the best business model is for your needs? Up front design charges, overhead treatment of designing, or direct billing, after the fact? More importantly, how do these business models affect execution or implementation of your exhibit design to a working, walking, talking exhibit booth? Read the rest of this entry »

TGIF … With NPE approaching, a mammoth trade show that occurs at McCormick Place in Chicago once every three years, things got a bit hectic this past week at our facility. Thankfully, we have a great group of exhibitors going to the show, who understand our process, and how critical deadlines are to the effort. It makes for a well orchestrated build-up, and not a chaotic one!

I had a pleasant conversation with a prospective client who is considering our 20×20 standard rental exhibit, which is renting for $10,000. After going through most of the details of what the rental includes he asked a very pointed question:

Tim: Ok, I know from experience that sometimes I’ll see a rendering, and it looks really bold and slick, and then the thing gets to the show, and the booth is just - the beams look like 6×6 inch on the renderings, and you get to the expo and they’re 1 1/2 x 1 1/2 - and it looks flimsy and just awful. What are these made out of? How big are they? Read the rest of this entry »

Consumer savings rates are up in 2009 - do you have any doubt that your company has the very same mindset? Here’s to a leaner budget, and a happier boss!

Stephanie is seeing dead people DISCOUNTS

Deals at Print Expo ‘09 for Drayage

Might Union labor give us a break on exhibit booth setup rates during the recession? Could it be true?

Cut costs on Pre-Tradeshow marketing - boost booth attendance for less money!

Tips for the smaller display exhibitors - make the most of your space

In an industry like any other, where every vendor proclaims to be “thinking outside of the box” and other jaded “-isms,” I have a complaint: Why does the procurement process always evolve around which furniture and styles should go into an exhibit display?

Not only do most interactions between exhibit houses and exhibitors start with furniture arrangements-they proceed to price and logistics. This is when my blood pressure rises and I start to mutter incoherently to myself… Why is our industry so fixated on this mode of doing business?

Can we agree that the reason exhibitors spend tens, hundreds, or millions on their exhibit programs is for the purpose of marketing and selling? Can we agree that it is not because they are trying to sell furniture, and it is not because they are overly fascinated by warehousing and commercial freight details? I’m going to go out on a limb that the boardrooms that approve marketing budgets do so on an understanding that it will increase their brand’s, product’s, or service’s exposure, and otherwise increase sales opportunities. Why do we start off the discussion by discussing the widgets we think ought to be crammed together in your booth? Read the rest of this entry »