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7

Nov

2022

Some Things Haven't Changed

Author: Steve Moskal

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 follows unprecedented increases over the last year in regular OTR freight and material handling. And don’t get me started on material handling.

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Number of views (1749)

14

Dec

2017

Wait! Wait! No, Don't Wait

Author: Steve Moskal

I was recently wrapping up a meeting with Joe Matillaro, one of our transportation and logistics partners from Superior Logistics. We were going over an upcoming, tight show schedule for a client to ensure we had enough time between events for advance warehouse delivery.

 

“I just want to remind you that ELDs are here, as of December 18,” Joe said.

 

“ELDs?” I was a bit puzzled. “What are they?”

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Number of views (4108)

16

Nov

2016

Wrinkled Fabric and Shipping Labels

Author: Steve Moskal

There never will be a shortage of advice, paid or free, when it comes to managing a successful trade show program. Go ahead, Google it or go to your choice of exhibit industry social media groups.

 

They are all there: ship to advance warehouse, take advantage of discount deadlines for ordering show services and audio visual, get the better carpet padding, bring extra extension cords, wear comfortable shoes, blah, blah, blah, and on and on.

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Number of views (2589)

29

Sep

2016

Discovery! Is There an App For That?

Author: Steve Moskal

Three things I learned this week:

 

Penny candy is now a dime;

The Waze app might be too good;

Shipping is not cheap anymore.

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Number of views (2450)

9

Aug

2016

I Got It. Sure You Do.

Author: Steve Moskal

Water skiing.

Holding onto a big, half-filled, water balloon.

Herding cats.

 

These are examples of tasks that would seem fairly easy once they’ve  been successfully completed a few times. The reality though, is just when you think you’ve mastered them....Splat! You fly off your skis and face plant into your own wake.

 

Trade show planning should be added to this list.

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Number of views (2363)

5

Jan

2016

Lose Some Weight in the New Year

Author: Steve Moskal

It started as a quick, “How are you doing?” phone call. Our client just finished her first full year of managing the company’s trade shows and events (among other things).

 

“If you told me a year and a half ago all the things I didn’t know, that I know now, I really would not have believed you.” She went on, “And all the unknowns? For my first show, I thought it was insane to pay for padding under the carpet. The sales people called me at the show open on a Sunday and started yelling at me about how their knees and feet were killing them.”

 

“Talk about a lesson learned,” she said.

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Number of views (2604)

16

Dec

2014

Don't Cut Off Your Nose to Spite Your Face (Or, Don't Let Material Handling Freeze the Sales Process)

Author: Steve Moskal

“Don’t cut off your nose to spite your face,” was a phrase I heard my grandmother say from time to time. It’s not used too often these days but it literally means, don’t go ahead with an action that could make things worse for you farther down the road. This is especially true if the action is done as a quick reaction, out of anger or not thought through.

 

I wanted to say this to a long-time customer the other day. In 2015, they plan on pulling out of three of the major shows they do annually because, “the CFO doesn’t like the fact that material handling costs are as high as they are and are not something that can be predicted and budgeted for,” (sic).

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Number of views (3204)

6

Nov

2014

It Only Takes Money!

Author: Steve Moskal

Brainstorming sessions are fun. The idea is to have a free-flow of ideas, wants and desires without the thought of possible impediments like actual cost and logistics. The sky is the limit and anything is seemingly possible. I don’t get the chance to participate in them as much as I used to though, so either they are becoming a thing of the past or fewer and fewer people care what I think. I’m hoping its not the latter.

 

I have seen David Bowie perform three times over the years. Each time he was a different incarnation of who he imagined himself at the time. They were good shows but I usually went because it was someone else’s idea and I was just a passenger at some point.

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Number of views (2232)

10

Jan

2013

It Wasn't Raining When Noah Built the Ark

Author: Steve Moskal

I recently met with a new client who was just hired by her company, and one of her job functions is to handle their modest trade show program. She is new to the trade show world and was very open to any advice I could offer.

 

We talked for awhile about typical issues such as the advantages of shipping “advance” to the warehouse versus shipping “direct” to the show site, consolidating shipments to save on material handling, and the pros and cons of renting a monitor as compared to owning and shipping their own.

Comments (0)
Number of views (2180)
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