Marshall Yard:

Catalyst Exhibits, Inc. - Our core business is divided into two interrelated segments - custom rental solutions and what we refer to as a “program.”  This distinction however is purely internal to our exhibit house, we work with all clients in the same way. 

We aren’t simply looking for more clients; we are looking for clients with whom we can build relationships that foster mutual trade show success.  If you are simply shopping for the cheapest frieght options, we may not be the best choice.  If you are looking for a partner to help you grow your business, we are a better fit.

Our mission is to conceive, create, deliver and manage experiences on and around the exhibit space and the trade show floor, not just within it. 

What does this mean? Depending upon your needs, you might call it an exhibit, an exhibit program, a custom installation in a consumer environment or a VIP experience.  You might need to reach an audience outside of the traditional exhibit venue.  You might want to create an experience elsewhere that drives traffic into the trade show environment.  You might want to get your team fired up. Or you might want to launch a product.

We live where design meets message to most effectively foster success. 

We certainly consider our deliverables solutions to our clients’ challenges-why else would we be in business? Our solutions, though, extend far beyond exhibit design, exhibit engineering, craftmanship and logistics-to experiential trade show marketing, unconventional financial solutions and innovative environments, including custom rentals.  We’d love to learn about your challenges.  By giving us some idea of your marketing strategies and your upcoming trade shows, we can help you develop a plan for success!

Dan runs the CNC Machine out in the shop, that stands for Computer Numerical Control, Dan said they can run any part on this machine, motion control is a basic function of the CNC Machine, motion is actuated by servo motors, not like before with cranks & hand wheels.   Throwing around words like Interpolation, which is: a mathematical method of creating missing data. An image can be increased from 100 pixels to 200 pixels through interpolation.   Dan came to Catalyst in 2000, 2003, 2006? His stint in the joint this time is going on over a year.  The first time he came to Catalyst, albeit, he enjoyed it and said it was a great place to work. Deciding he needed to finish his internship he went on to green pastures.  (or so he thought)  Dan came back to Catalyst, and once again had to interview with Andy for the position, again he enjoyed it but then got ancy and decided he was going to try his hand at something else, in yet another greener pasture.  Being that he is back, I’d say that pasture was not as green and perhaps he stepped in a pile of something.Originally from Streamwood, and going through the entire Streamwood school system from kindergarten to the end, he said he doesn’t miss it, nor would he ever think of moving back. He still keeps in contact with a friend, Nick, which he grew up with and has known for 25 years.

Moving to Crystal Lake in ’03, with his wife, they will celebrate their 5^th year anniversary in December.  Dan has two children ages, 4 and 2 and spends a lot of his time chasing them around.  His hobbies are keeping up his house and his lawn, enjoying summer way more than winter, he would love to travel to Puerto Rico at some point in his life.  Come Labor Day, you can find Dan down in Southern Illinois visiting relatives; he would like them to meet his wife and kids. 

AHR Expo is coming to New York, for the first time in 17 years, the AHR Expo for HVAC&R Industry Professionals will be at Javits Convention Center.  January 22nd-24th, 2008 will bring forth a wealth of information at AHR Expo, buy, sell, network and learn is what Kevin & I read on the website.  (Kevin is sleeping under his heat lamp right now-ain’t he the cutest) Before his nap, he said he loved the heat lamp, and would I investigate anything related.   Actually, I need a heat lamp, its like the arctic back here!

With the AHR Expo being housed in the Empire State Region, the attendance is supposed to climb.  This is the biggest residential and commercial HVAC&R area in the market in the U.S.   With hopes of drawing in many more attendees and exhibitors who have not had a chance to attend in the past.

With 1500 Exhibitors already signed up, there are many more international companies from over 30 various countries.   According to a survey from AHR 2007, 95% of the visitors said they found products & information to improve their business operations. 

Planning and preparation of your trade show exhibit can improve your effectiveness, and give you a better edge after the show ends.  Involving management shows a deep support team and the process of setting trade show goals can come full circle and your achievements can be astounding.

HVAC equipment is expected to grow to a 14.5 billion dollar buisness by 2019, planning to exhibit at AHR Expo could be of great value in trying to grow your business, with new and exciting features being offered at this years AHR Expo, education in new technologies and networking are among several possibilites.

Kevin dug out some pictures of Catalyst Exhibits, Inc. annual Dog Day from a few years back and wanted to share a few tid bids on Pet Care and the Global Pet Expo Trade Show 2008. This year the trade show will be taking place on February 14th-16th, 2008 at the San Diego Convention Center.   In 2007 there were over 760 Exhibitors that attended and took up over 230,000 square feet of exhibit space. 

If you are attending the expo as an exhibitor, keep in mind that this is over a 41 billion dollar business.  With pet’s becoming part of our families, and being subjected to many more environmental issues, you will want your exhibit to make an impact, you’ll want your exhibit to be what you want your products to be.  Build a better trade show image with a great marketing program, attending trade shows can be time consuming, finding an inspired exhibit company can help make that process a bit more simple.  Allowing you more time to focus on the your prospects, and making them feel comfortable with your knowledge of the products & services you are exhibiting. A innovative exhibit company helps you intertwine the details of your product, services & knowledge blending them together for you in an eye catching, creatively cool trade show display.

Kevin wanted me to share with you his excitement from the other day.. WORMS! He loves eating worms, trust me, we have no shortage of rain so the pickings in the parking lot are great.  The more plump the better in his book.  He asked that I share with you some things not to feed your pets;

Foods to Avoid Feeding Your Pet
- Alcoholic beverages (Stanley my cat would be very upset at this one - he finds open beer delightful)
- Avocado
- Chocolate (all forms)
- Coffee (all forms)
- Fatty foods
- Macadamia nuts
- Moldy or spoiled foods
- Onions, onion powder
- Raisins and grapes
- Salt
- Yeast dough
- Garlic
- Products sweetened with xylitol

Kevin took a little trip into my office yesterday while his 40 gallon habitat was cleaned of turtle dookie, a chore that the girls need to do about every two weeks.  Yeah..yeah.., I will get to CES Trade Show 2008  in a moment, but for all you turtle surfers, I’ve gotta give you a little tip; I thought you needed to completely empty the tank, but one of the ladies..(haha) if you could hear her mouth..you’d understand, told me that you actually don’t empty it completely, it does need to have some level of bacteria left in it.  

CES Trade Show 2008 will be held January 7th-10th, in Las Vegas with Bill Gates kicking off as the keynote speaker.   While Kevin was in my office, he took a liking to the keyboard, and the questions about technology started flying out his little muppet mouth.

Catalyst Exhibits, Inc. represented four clients at CES last year, the custom exhibits that were designed for CES ranged from 30′ x 30′, 55′ x 60′ and a meeting room that was 4200 square feet.   Exhibitors at CES range from Home Networking, Gaming, Audio Visual and Wireless Technologies, just to name a few.  Emerging technolgies are coming forth at lighting speed, and as we sit at our computers its not surprising in the least that they are outdated, and considered dinasours.  Actually, the moment they shipped from the factory, they have been put on the endangered list.

Don’t look at “creative” to be a garnish on the rim of a cocktail, creative approach should extend to everything you do when it comes to the exhibit solution and experience.  Finding financial solutions, overcoming logistical hurdles, and yes, even the innovative materials that go into the end result of an exhibit. 

We believe that everything communicates..not just the design of the exhibit, but the execution thereof, the manner in which the exhibit is managed and what happens with it.  Learning about your needs,  we want to maximize your investment dollars to meet real business goals.  

Creating experiences is a big part of what should be done for clients when they are attending and exhibiting at trade shows.  Focusing on customer objectives and how to achieve them, flawless engineering, production, fabrication, facilitation and program management are vital.  This is where some companies struggle, mediocre execution in these areas can begin the downhill spiral.  Providing good to great execution of the above, is not providing enough.  Great execution is fundamental.  When evaluating prospective exhibit partner, pay close attention to execution, if the execution is not there, nothing is there.  

Lights, Camera, Action!  LDI 2007 - Kevin (the Mississippi Map Mascot) was sunbathing under his heat lamp, and was daydreaming about being on the big screen.  Kevin decided to call  some old relatives and ran across his family tree, not even realizing his ancestory he discovered he was related to Gamera, remember Gamera? From Godzilla.  Kevin got very curious about the live entertainment industry, not sure he will follow in Gamera’s footsteps but  I directed him to LDI Tradeshow 2007 - November 12-18th, 2007, Orange County Convention Center in Orlando Florida.

LDI is where there is an abundance of technologies for the live entertainment; industry, lighting, audio, special effects, projection and staging are just a few topics that are covered in several educational seminars and events through out the week. 

400 vendors were the last LDI tradeshow,  covering cutting edge topics.  LDI has been taking place for 20 years. A well know name  that exhibits at LDI tradeshow is Rose Brand, this is truly a success story worth reading; read how Rose Brand decided to start exhibiting at trade shows and the impact it has had for them.  Rose Brand started out selling cleaning cloths, and over the years developed into selling theatrical cloths and now if there is something you need in the entertainment industry, it is most likely that Rose Brand can help you. 

Looking for answers about starting to exhibit?

With the ever changing needs of marketing, tradeshow display exhibits are one of the profound marketing pieces, when you are in the process of your exhibit decision when you keep in mind some of the following, your experience in the tradeshow market will be better enhanced.

Your exhibit environment should communicate excellence and focus, keeping clean lines and spaces are critical.  Creating comfortable and organized spaces - organization is essential, it is important to realize that we can sell retail ideas without duplicating the retail experience. Tradeshows should not be a retail experience.  Wanting the exhibit space to transcend retail parameters.  It is about the brannd, and that’s about the feelings.  This is important too, while its abstract, it is nonetheless real. 

Create the feeling of brand, leverage what you have done so far, and take it further. 

Engender a feeling of hospitality beyond that which some might expect.  Do not think in terms of clients, think in terms of guests.  You want them to feel comfortable, confident and cared for.  Your tradeshow display should reflect leadership, in products, service and ideology.

Kevin went home today a little before lunch, my 15 year old son drove me to work and I held a very active Kevin in his little tiny cooler.    Boy, I must say..Kevin is a pig! I changed his water each day he was here, being its a hiatis, I didnt do the entire filter thing, and he made a mess of the tank!

I think his next stop will be with Mark Lynch..and they can throw back some Irish brew, or whatever those shanty Irish are drinking these days., I’d ask mom, she comes from the wrong side of the Irish tracks, but she gave up drinking, since her kidneys went out several years ago!
P.S….deb..sorry you thought he was a dead mascot..he was just on a little over nighter!

What makes exciting exhibits so effective? Dancing girls? Booth Babes? Now, that’s just in bad taste.. Is it the $100.00 bills affixed to the booths? Well, that could work, but no.  How about all the promotional items & giveaways?  

The recipe for success is the carefully orchestrated planning process behind the marketing solutions.  Perfecting procedures, making things happen in an exceptionally timely and nimble manner.  With a management team that is available to you 24 hours, that guides you through every step of the exhibit process, which should start with reviewing your objectives, gaining a complete understanding of your unique issues and determinging how 3D Exhibits and Marketing can best meet your goals.  Once that knowledge is gained, the process simply begins!

Yes, a jaw dropping exhibit gets you all tingly and strokes the ego, but tingly doesn’t keep your butt employed.   Don’t simply look for an exhibits provider, look as well for a marketing partner.  Meet with, discuss why you are attending particular shows, analyze your specific objectives and talk budget. 

Make sure your exhibit tells a powerful story and accomplishes your unique goals.  That is what Smart Marketing is all about. 

Below is just an example figure to better give the reader an understanding of the Rental vs. Purchase picture:

Exhibit Purchase

Upfront purchase cost: 75,000.00
10% annual upkeep 22,500.00
Storage (3 years) 7,200.00
Handling (3 years) 4,500.00

Tax 5,000.00
Rental furniture (2 shows) 5,000.00

Cost over 3 years (2 trade shows) $119,200.00

Exhibit Rental

Upfront rental cost $75,000.00
15% discount -11,250.00
2nd show rental 75,000.00
Reusable graphics (2nd show) -11,250.00
15% discount (2nd show) -9,000.00

Cost over 3 years (2 trade shows) $118,500.00

We urge our tradeshow clients to consider the following factors as it relates to rental versus purchase of exhibit booths. Most important are business and financial considerations:

We urge our clients to consider the following factors as it relates to rental versus purchase. Most important are business and financial considerations:

· NPE trade show is every three years – IMTS trade show every two. Why purchase a booth that will represent an unproductive asset over three years?

· Exhibit Rental frees up cash flow – no ongoing costs that require vendor payments.
· Exhibits do not appreciate, so buying is not always the best idea.
· A purchased solution requires depreciation expense, plus renting is often tax deductible.

Intangible comparisons
· You have no configuration flexibility with a purchased product – you get the same look year-to-year (what’s new?).
· With rental, new booth design, account management and detail blueprints are included in each new design.
· Rental provides a truly custom look and feel, showing corporate strength.
· If anything happens to your rental property, it’s not your problem.

Questions
1. Is carpet and padding included in the purchased display booth? Rental carpet is always replaced when stained, worn, torn or faded.
2. Does the purchase include custom shipping crates? Is there a plan in place for special shipping and handling of exhibit booth properties to and from trade shows?
3. Is the exhibit booth flexible enough to configure into different size exhibit booth configurations as well as accommodate a variety of show rules and regulations? Does it address varying height restrictions, set back rules, etc?
4. How much will it cost to run new exhibit designs and set up prints for each new configuration?
5. Is this trade show booth a new construction or a refurbish/rebuild?
6. What is the quality of materials used in the construction? For example, all of our aluminum structure is made of high grade 6” x 6” aluminum, capable of wire management and can withstand a great amount of weight for attaching additional

7. What is your plan for the next NPE show? By 2009, McCormick place will have its new wing constructed and the layout of the hall will be very different than this year. Your exhibit booth assignment will be far different than what it is for this year’s trade show.

We are in the midst of a trade show and event revolution.  Never before has brand and image become as important as it is today in the trade show exhibition industry.  Companies should strive to constantly reinvent themselves.  If you take pride in doing things the same way you’ve always done, you may soon find yourself left in your competitors dust.

 It is no longer about simply showing your products at trade shows and clsoing a sale on the spot with a slick sales pitch.  Today, the focus has shifted to using your trade show exhibit as a 3D marketing tool to create and define your unique brand - a living personality for your company.  A well-designed trade show exhibit should be: Inviting, Memorable, Refect your company image.

Creativity is not just building an exhibit, it’s the total concept.  Your exhibit should match the personality of your company.  75% of all visitor’s overall first impression is based on what they see, 15% is based on the booth staffer and 10% on the overall products.