Classic Exhibits was founded in 1993 and is currently one of the top exhibit producers in the USA. This is no accident. Continuous investment into new technology and display structures keeps Classic Exhibits ahead of the game and a favorite in the exhibits industry. Working through a network of distributors like Creative Imaging Displays, Classic Exhibits reaches all major cities in the USA and the world. They are also involved in many efforts to improve the overall industry. We discussed The Exhibitor Advocate and The Exhibitors Conference Alliance in previous blogs to highlight many efforts to improve our industry. Classic Exhibits works with many organizations like this to advocate for exhibitors and brings cohesion into the industry. The Classic Exhibits Industry Showcase will dive deep into this great company to provide insight and context to how they became one of the most revered manufacturers in the industry!
Production Capabilities and Product Offerings
Before we get into the history and quarks of Classic Exhibits, lets examine their production capabilities and products. As a custom manufacture Classic can design and build nearly anything you can imagine. During the COVID pandemic many manufactures including Classic expanded into retail and commercial spaces to offer custom designed interiors that are either permanent or modular in nature. However, exhibits are the main focus and specialty of Classic Exhibits. This includes pre-designed, custom designed, and rental options so there is an option for every exhibitor. Recently, rental displays have gained in popularity due to their flexibility and low entry cost. Classic Exhibits even offers customization to rentals in some circumstances! Check out this article on Combining Rentals and Purchases for the Perfect Booth for more details!
Our websites Exhibit Design Search function is a library of thousands of designs from Classic. It is simple and easy to browse many pre-designed layouts that are customizable. Pricing, templates, and specs are included in this section to make online shopping easy! Rentals, islands, accessories, and furniture are some of the many categories available to shop! Our blog post, Exhibit Design Search makes display shopping fun, cover many aspects of this great feature.
Unique History
Classic Exhibits is based in Portland, OR and was founded in 1993. The company began as a designer and manufacturer, changing in many ways throughout the years. Today Classic Exhibit’s is a leader in charging stations, tablet holders, backlit displays, and reception Desks on top of their know modular and custom exhibit capabilities. In the 90’s they led the way in fabric wrapped panel systems and accordion style pop up displays. Classic’s experienced team has a knack for identifying industry trends and capitalizing on these opportunities. They were one of the first companies to offer Hybrid Modular exhibits and led the way with tablet holders and charging stations.
The passion at Classic Exhibits is obvious in every aspect of the company. From sales, to design, to production, the team has a laid back attitude and family atmosphere, while getting the job done quickly, accurately, and with great attention to detail. On the multiple occasions our team has visited Classic there is always an exciting project in the works.
A Voice of Cohesion in the Industry
Classic Exhibits is all about shared knowledge and working to improve the industry as a whole. The trade show industry is very competitive and many companies isolate their knowledge for a competitive advantage. Classic’s approach is to share information that helps distributors, contractors, show labor, and industry professionals succeed in the industry. At SKU, we learned about The Exhibitor Advocate and the Exhibits and Conferences Alliance. The Exhibitor Advocate is just that, an advocacy organization that bring exhibitors together to solve problems in the industry including show labor, regulations, and convention center issues. The Exhibits and Conferences Alliance was founded in the COVID era to advocate for the industry to the federal government. This organization played a major role in lifting unnecessary regulations hindering the industry.
Shared Knowledge University (SKU)
SKU is one of the best events for distributors and professionals in the trade show industry. Creative Imaging Displays attended SKU in November of 2023. This event brings industry professions from all over the country to learn about Classic Exhibits and other partners in the industry. There is a classroom portion and a hands on portion of this boot camp. Be prepared to meet some passionate people that keep you moving all day! An unintended consequence of SKU is its ability to bring competitors together in unique ways. Can you imagine eating dinner, bowling, and building an exhibit with your direct competitors? It may seem uncomfortable or awkward but you quickly realize the benefits to this approach.
When working in a competitive industry it is easy to develop a cutthroat attitude. When you have fun and build exhibits with others in the industry, it humanizes your competitors and you see everyone has families, friends, hobbies, and they are all just trying their best to get ahead. Additionally, many of these people become your friends or collaborate to help each other in business!
Exhibit Design Search
The Classic Exhibits Industry Showcase would not be complete without a focus on one of the best distributor tools in the industry, Exhibit Design Search! This tool offers a branded portal for your clients to view all of Classics products, designs, rentals, and accessories. There is even an entire section dedicated to Trade Show Tips! Browse over 1400 designs in inline and island configurations. Each design is available to purchase as is, or customize to your liking! The Custom Exhibits Gallery is a perfect place to see these custom products in action and to observe the quality. Exhibit Design Search is the best place to start for customers interested in exploring custom options. This is another example of Classic Exhibits dedication and innovation to improve the overall industry!
Over the past 30 years Classic Exhibits has revolutionized the trade show industry in a number of ways. What will the next 30 years bring? As we dive into video walls and interactive displays, the future of the industry is going to look much different then it does now! What do you think? Share your comments and also your experiences of Classic Exhibits below!