Prairie Display/Chicago, Inc.

https://www.prairiedisplay.com/Blog/Details/ArtMID/689/ArticleID/129/Swag-Bags-for-Good

Swag Bags for Good A number of years ago, I published two blogs on event marketing and sustainability (part one and part two). Here we are, post-COVID, our industry is coming back and we are once again talking about the same idea - thinking green and saving some green.   Organizations are looking for ways to demonstr...

https://www.prairiedisplay.com/Blog/Details/ArtMID/689/ArticleID/128/Some-Things-Havent-Changed

Some Things Haven't Changed This year, 2022, has probably been the most challenging many in the trade show and event worlds have faced. There have been shortages of materials and labor, increased costs, ROI uncertainty and challenges managing expectations.   And speaking of cost increases, UPS is raising rates about 7%. This ...

https://www.prairiedisplay.com/Blog/Details/ArtMID/689/ArticleID/127/North-to-Alaska-Parts-Two-and-Three

North to Alaska - Parts Two and Three Two and a half years ago, I posted a blog about a trip our family took to Alaska. We celebrated Shelley’s birthday by taking a cruise that led us through Alaska’s Inside Passage, into Glacier Bay National Park.   On one amazing day, we were joined by the Glacier Bay National Park Ranger team, a...

https://www.prairiedisplay.com/Blog/Details/ArtMID/689/ArticleID/99/Has-It-Really-Been-a-Year

Has It Really Been a Year? A year ago today, I was making final west coast travel plans to supervise set up of a client’s properties during the first week of March. Two weeks later, I was informed the event cancelled due to concerns about spreading the newly discovered COVID virus. In addition to the exhibit floor, the f....

During one of our archeological digs here at Prairie in the past few months, we uncovered this holiday card we sent out back in 2011.

The 12 Days of Crunch Time

On the twelfth day of crunch time, an event was dumped on me … with

…Twelve height restrictions
* Eleven mistyped labels
Ten bills of lading
Nine endless cab rides
Eight weekend installs
Seven special drayage
Six exhibit rentals
Five flight delays
Four forced freight shipments
Three mismatched monitors
Two conflicting trade shows
And a last minute graphic update

Hopefully, “crunch time” will be back again soon!

Have a safe and healthy holiday season.

https://www.prairiedisplay.com/Blog/Details/ArtMID/689/ArticleID/98/The-Spring-Cleaning-That-Moved-Into-Fall

The Spring Cleaning That Moved Into Fall I was on a Zoom conference the other day where one of the attendees (an exhibit house employee) remarked that there was so much dust on the machines in their shop they couldn’t see how any more could possibly pile up.   Ouch!   A chilling realization for many in our industry that trade shows and...

A very well-written and to-the-point post by one of our industry partners.

Time to Market — Momentum Management | Trade Show Labor Services, I&D As we all seek to come out of this pandemic, I hear a lot from just about everyone I speak with from our industry about how it’s going to be when we all “Get back on the floor.”  Many have offered reasonable advice or predictions.  Still I wonder. There are some pretty easy softba

https://youtu.be/UJoz-29ESFo

Elephant in the Room 10/19/20 Most trade shows and face to face marketing events have been put on hold until at least the first or second quarter of 2021. Many events have gone "virtual" ...

https://www.prairiedisplay.com/Blog/Details/ArtMID/689/ArticleID/97/Trying-to-Make-Sense-of-All-This-or-Did-the-Exhibit-Industry-Have-a-Plan-B

https://youtu.be/SxfbvKwF_ws

Elephant 9:21:20 The "Elephant in the Room" is the first in a series of videos, hosted by Steve Moskal at Prairie Display/Chicago, discussing the the trade show and event wor...

https://www.nbcnews.com/business/business-news/america-s-100-billion-convention-industry-back-changed-forever-n1231228

America’s $100 billion convention industry is back, but changed forever While nothing can replace an in-person connection, online conventions have their pluses — from reduced costs to easier access to guest speakers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2GxY_geb3s&feature=youtu.be

Visual Communication Solutions for Conference Centers Visual Communication Solutions for Conference Centers

Communicate with customers and co-workers with the Sharp retractable banner stand. Customize your message and easily move to where ever it needs to be... lobbies, business entrances, passageways or meeting spaces. Special quantity pricing and quick turnaround!

Working from home?

https://www.prairiedisplay.com/Blog/Details/ArtMID/689/ArticleID/96/Inspector-Gadget-Redux

https://www.prairiedisplay.com/Blog/Details/ArtMID/689/ArticleID/95/Tennis-Courts-and-Trade-Shows

Found this Christmas card that we sent out a number of years ago (before e-blasts and Constant Contact). Here is how it read:

T'was the week before Christmas and all through the shop
New orders were slowing and production was almost at a stop
Machines were being idled, cleaned and readied with care
For hopes that January deliveries soon would be there

Marketing budgets were temporarily off track
So product was ready, stacked on the racks

When out in the parking log there arose such a clatter
We sprang from our workstations to see what was the matter
When what to our wondering eyes should appear
But a frazzled mar-com manager with eyes wide with fear

She was dressed for vacation but dragged a lap top
She had sketches and files and a leaking coffee cup

She mumble words about rebranding and a January deadline bind
And how she would accomplish it before she completely lost her mind

There were graphics for new displays and updates for old
There were banners and counters that needed to be portable

We sprang into action, to the team gave a big holler
We filled all her needs quickly and were under budget dollar

We heard her explain as she left in time to catch her flight
"Thank you Prairie for being there and taking care of my plight!"

https://www.prairiedisplay.com/Blog/Details/ArtMID/689/ArticleID/94/North-to-Alaska-Two-Different-Experiences

North to Alaska - Two Different Experiences My father served in the U.S. Army from 1952 to 1954 during the Korean conflict. While the majority of his platoon was sent overseas, he and a few others in his company were deployed to the Alaskan Territory (Alaska did not become a state until 1959) to guard Elmendorf Air Force Base, outside of Anch...

Here is a blog from 4 years ago. Still true: https://www.prairiedisplay.com/Blog/Details/ArtMID/689/ArticleID/64/Its-Cooler-by-the-Lake

It's Cooler by the Lake If you live in or around Chicago, August is often referred to as the “dog days” of summer.   There’s usually a week or two of hotter weather and higher than normal humidity. For my friends and family out west, humidity is the thing that makes it feel like you have 50 extra pounds on your shou...

https://www.prairiedisplay.com/Blog/Details/ArtMID/689/ArticleID/93/Finding-Your-Inner-Trade-Show-Self

https://www.prairiedisplay.com/Blog/Details/ArtMID/689/ArticleID/92/Taking-a-Break-and-Finding-New-Fears

Taking a Break and Finding New Fears Shelley told me enough was enough. I needed to take a few days off to catch a breather from the last three months of trade show and event craziness. After all, she said, there never seems to be a good time and “you keep telling me the next two months will be just as busy”. So what better way to ...