Industry News
Curated headlines from the trade show and exhibition industry's top publications, associations, and expert blogs. Stay current with exhibitor announcements, show openings, industry trends, and market news from across the events world. Whether you follow technology, healthcare, food, or manufacturing events, our news feed surfaces the stories that matter to trade show professionals, exhibitors, and event marketers.
Trade Shows and the Desire to Change
Are trade shows are relevant? Is there a future for industry trade shows? Are companies willing to spend their valuable marketing dollars building a temporary structure just to attract new customers or meet with existing ones? The post Trade Shows and the Desire to Change appeared first on Classic…
Where’s Waldo at the Trade Show!
Where's Waldo at the Trade Show? @Pink Unicorn Comics? Nope. @Petting Zoo? Nope. @Zombie Killing Workshop? Perhaps. The post Where’s Waldo at the Trade Show! appeared first on Classic Exhibits.
How To Make Your Trade Show Backdrop Stand Out!
Many exhibitors assume a backdrop is a simple two-dimensional graphic along the backwall of an exhibit. But it can be so much more. A backdrop in a 10 x 10 or 10 x 20 booth space doesn’t have to be basic. Modern inline displays come in various shapes, heights, and configurations. The post How To…
Is Your Trade Show Display an Oreo or a Fig Newton?
As an adult I can rate just about everything on a cookie scale. For brevity, I’ll limit this article to Oreos, Fig Newtons, and Nilla Wafers, but be assured that the “science” behind my methodology includes Frosted Animal Cookies, Pepperidge Farms (as a collective group), Girl Scout Thin Mints, and…
Does Your Trade Show Exhibit Have To Be Clever?
That’s not to say your trade show exhibit shouldn’t be attractive. It should, but I would encourage you to focus on more practical matters the next time you design or rebrand your display. What do you need in the booth space to conduct business? Make it less about showmanship and more about…
What Cats Can Teach Us About Trade Shows
We are a nation devoted to pets, whether they're on the farm or in a purse. They learn from us, but we learn from them as well. The other day while watching Animal Planet with a cat in my lap, one on the sofa, and another puking upstairs ( it sounded like the world's worst ventriloquist), I…
Gravitee One Step — The World’s Easiest Modular Wall System
Gravitee -- The World's Easiest Modular Wall System. Unlike traditional modular wall systems, Gravitee has no loose connectors. The frames are constructed with durable engineered aluminum extrusion and the system uses time-tested patented technology. The post Gravitee One Step — The World’s Easiest…
Who is Our Biggest Trade Show Competitor?
Recently, I've been on the road, visiting Classic Distributors in the Midwest and South. We chat about industry trends, new products, and challenges in their market. Occasionally, they will ask me about competitors. That's a topic, to be honest, that makes me uncomfortable. The post Who is Our…
The 3 Essential Trade Show Marketing Questions
These are questions every designer should ask their client before designing the ideal trade show display. If the client walks in just thinking about the nuts and bolts of the project, they may miss an informed conversation on why they are exhibiting in the first place and that can fundamentally…
What You Should Know about Exhibit Marketing
Exhibit marketing is all about marketing your products or services to buyers at expositions, conferences, and trade shows. A successful exhibit marketing program will be rewarded with increased revenues, referrals, and industry networking. The goal is to understand how exhibit marketing differs…
Managing Your Trade Show Budget
Trade shows are expensive, and some costs are often puzzling to exhibition newbies, but there are multiple ways to manage those expenses with a little planning and some assistance from an experienced trade show professional. Don’t be afraid to tap into that expertise. The post Managing Your Trade…
Why Are Trade Shows Important for Business Growth and Branding
With the rise of online meetings and ecommerce, business experts have predicted the death of trade shows and live events for 40 years. Yet, the benefits of trade shows and events have never been more important for businesses. There were over 13,000 separate events in North America in 2025 alone.…
Best & Biggest Convention Centers in the US for Trade Shows
What are the biggest and best convention centers in the United States? And does overall size and location matter when it comes to a convention center? Unless you’re a trade show nerd (like me), you’ve probably never wondered if the Las Vegas Convention Center is bigger than McCormick Place in…
People’s Almanac of Trade Show Knowledge
We all love working with an informed client about trade shows and trade show marketing. They ask our advice. We give it. Sometimes we state facts. Sometimes we offer opinions. And sometimes, we should send them to an expert. The post People’s Almanac of Trade Show Knowledge appeared first on…
Life as a Traveling Sales Representative
Snake Oil Salesman or Snake Charmer. The traveling salesman has always had slightly negative, slightly shady reputation. If you’ve ever seen The Music Man, particularly the opening scene on train, you’ll know what I mean. I would like to think business has changed from the days of the “snake oil…
10 Online Tools for Classic Exhibits Distributors
At a recent Shared Knowledge University, we reviewed ten online tools available to all Classic Exhibits Distributors. The attendees told us that these tools are invaluable to their sales, marketing, and customer service teams and are unique within the exhibit industry. The post 10 Online Tools for…
Why Small Businesses Fail to Grow by Jay Goltz
Excerpt from the "Art of Running a Small Business." Many, if not most, Classic Exhibits distributors fall into the small business classification as defined by the Small Business Administration. Small businesses have challenges that larger businesses do not. The post Why Small Businesses Fail to…
Top 12 Trade Show Bad Habits
All animals, humans included, are creatures of habit. We learn how to survive, then follow those routines day after day. Trade shows are no different. Exhibitors and attendees find their safe space and get comfortable: same shows, same people, same message. The post Top 12 Trade Show Bad Habits…
Your Trade Show Marketing in 2026
When it comes to trade shows, many exhibitors don't have a detailed plan on how to market their company. They purchase a display, which they think is the key to a successful show. Your exhibit may be the star of the show but it's only one element in a comprehensive strategy. The post Your Trade…
IMEX America Hosted Buyer Lounge (Condensed Version)
IMEX America 2025 brought together 17,633 participants, including more than 6,000 buyers from 75 countries, reinforcing the event’s position as a high-value marketplace for the global meetings industry. At the center of this ecosystem was the CORT Events’ Hosted Buyer Lounge, designed as a…