For Trade Show Exhibitors...

Are you going to be exhibiting jewelry at a gift or retail trade show this season? Do you plan to submit your product to a showcase display (often referred to as 'Launching Pad', 'New Product Display', etc.)? If so, here are a few tips to help you maximize the visual impact of your product, and make the most of this marketing opportunity:

1. Make sure that you choose STUNNING pieces of your work for the showcase. Think scale, color, composition, and uniqueness. You want items that will make people take notice. Don't be conservative! Go for 'WOW' factor.
2. Provide plenty of product for display designers to work with. 3 or 5 pieces are perfect for a display, so give them six items: Two large, two medium, and two small.

Here's the important thing: Your choices should coordinate, because the display designers can do MUCH more with a cohesive grouping than a slapdash bunch of leftovers. Provide six items that are all in gold metal, or turquoise stones, but each one has a different 'personality'... one is chunky and modern, another is dangly and feminine, yet another is classic and simple. You want impact here, not a hodgepodge of items. Get customers to notice your product, drive them to your booth with this display - then show them your selection firsthand.
3. Provide props or fixtures to enhance the presentation and viewing angles of your products. If you use neck forms, paint them your logo colors to tell your brand story. If you use natural materials - rough stones, metals, woods, shells - in your creations, provide rocks, sand, chunks of wood, or moss to enhance the elements of your designs. If your jewelry is modern, send glass blocks or bubble wrap rolls or tall glass vases to hang the necklaces & bracelets on. Display stylists will love you, AND your products will look better.
4. Be creative when you show off your products. If your jewelry is small, dainty, and hard to see, provide papers, cards, anything you can to help focus attention onto it. Photograph your delicate items and send large photos along with just one perfect item on a neck form. Better to show detail in large scale for impact than to have it overlooked.
5. This may seem to be a no-brainer, but when you drop off or send in items for the displays, make sure that your information is with your product! You company name, booth number, and show division should be included in the container. The name and cell phone number of a person at the show who can be contacted is very helpful - if something is broken, missing, or there are any questions about your product, you want the display stylists to be able to contact you/your employee on site for a solution. Calling the home office two states away isn't really helpful when a replacement part is needed.

6. Beat the submission deadline. If your items are supposed to be there by noon, get them there at 9 AM. If you are supposed to mail them in by the 10th, get them there by the first. Be prepared. Be early. Why? First come, first served. Your position on a list means nothing when it comes down to fitting it all into a small area. All trade show display stylists can tell you that the early birds get the best spots. (And no amount of wheelin', dealin', whining or bitching is going to make up for the fact that you brought us your product two hours after the deadline. Or on your way out of the show hall that night. Or worse, early on the morning that the show opens. You're in the back row, lower level, baby. And we don't care HOW many years you've been selling at this gift show - in which case, you really should know better.) This is your marketing.... take it seriously.

7. Check on your product. Early on the morning the show opens, go over to the display and look at your product. Make sure it is displayed properly (not upside down, etc.) and that your information is correct - your business name, booth number, and show division are all correct on the tent card provided by the show. If there is something that needs to be corrected, let the stylist know. NOW is the time to correct it, not in three hours when the stylist is done and gone.
Please do not walk into the display to do it yourself. Do not move another vendor's items to give yours more space. Do not add or swap items once the display is set. These are professional stylists who work hard to make your product and every other exhibitor's products look their very best. Respect their work, and thank them for their efforts.

8. Look at your competitor's products in this display. What did they send? How is it displayed? Does it express their image well? Does it catch the eye and stand out? Learn from what you see others doing.

Many of these tips apply to other kinds of products as well, helping to elevate your merchandise above the ordinary. With a little preparation and planning, you can take advantage of many free and low-cost marketing opportunities like display showcases at trade shows. It's a great way to add to your presence and square footage at a show.

Photo Credits: DWK @ SGS & SFIGF 2007-8, of product displays created by DWK.
This post originally appeared here on my blog in 2008.

On Display: Trade Show Tips

Are you going to be exhibiting jewelry at a gift or retail trade show this season? Do you plan to submit your product to a showcase display (often referred to as 'Launching Pad', 'New Product Display', etc.)? If so, here are a few tips to help you maximize the visual impact of your product, and make the most of this marketing opportunity:

1. Make sure that you choose STUNNING pieces of your work for the showcase. Think scale, color, composition, and uniqueness. You want items that will make people take notice. Don't be conservative! Go for 'WOW' factor.
2. Provide plenty of product for display designers to work with. 3 or 5 pieces are perfect for a display, so give them six items: Two large, two medium, and two small.

Here's the important thing: Your choices should coordinate, because the display designers can do MUCH more with a cohesive grouping than a slapdash bunch of leftovers. Provide six items that are all in gold metal, or turquoise stones, but each one has a different 'personality'... one is chunky and modern, another is dangly and feminine, yet another is classic and simple. You want impact here, not a hodgepodge of items. Get customers to notice your product, drive them to your booth with this display - then show them your selection firsthand.
3. Provide props or fixtures to enhance the presentation and viewing angles of your products. If you use neck forms, paint them your logo colors to tell your brand story. If you use natural materials - rough stones, metals, woods, shells - in your creations, provide rocks, sand, chunks of wood, or moss to enhance the elements of your designs. If your jewelry is modern, send glass blocks or bubble wrap rolls or tall glass vases to hang the necklaces & bracelets on. Display stylists will love you, AND your products will look better.
4. Be creative when you show off your products. If your jewelry is small, dainty, and hard to see, provide papers, cards, anything you can to help focus attention onto it. Photograph your delicate items and send large photos along with just one perfect item on a neck form. Better to show detail in large scale for impact than to have it overlooked.
5. This may seem to be a no-brainer, but when you drop off or send in items for the displays, make sure that your information is with your product! You company name, booth number, and show division should be included in the container. The name and cell phone number of a person at the show who can be contacted is very helpful - if something is broken, missing, or there are any questions about your product, you want the display stylists to be able to contact you/your employee on site for a solution. Calling the home office two states away isn't really helpful when a replacement part is needed.

6. Beat the submission deadline. If your items are supposed to be there by noon, get them there at 9 AM. If you are supposed to mail them in by the 10th, get them there by the first. Be prepared. Be early. Why? First come, first served. Your position on a list means nothing when it comes down to fitting it all into a small area. All trade show display stylists can tell you that the early birds get the best spots. (And no amount of wheelin', dealin', whining or bitching is going to make up for the fact that you brought us your product two hours after the deadline. Or on your way out of the show hall that night. Or worse, early on the morning that the show opens. You're in the back row, lower level, baby. And we don't care HOW many years you've been selling at this gift show - in which case, you really should know better.) This is your marketing.... take it seriously.

7. Check on your product. Early on the morning the show opens, go over to the display and look at your product. Make sure it is displayed properly (not upside down, etc.) and that your information is correct - your business name, booth number, and show division are all correct on the tent card provided by the show. If there is something that needs to be corrected, let the stylist know. NOW is the time to correct it, not in three hours when the stylist is done and gone.
Please do not walk into the display to do it yourself. Do not move another vendor's items to give yours more space. Do not add or swap items once the display is set. These are professional stylists who work hard to make your product and every other exhibitor's products look their very best. Respect their work, and thank them for their efforts.

8. Look at your competitor's products in this display. What did they send? How is it displayed? Does it express their image well? Does it catch the eye and stand out? Learn from what you see others doing.

Many of these tips apply to other kinds of products as well, helping to elevate your merchandise above the ordinary. With a little preparation and planning, you can take advantage of many free and low-cost marketing opportunities like display showcases at trade shows. It's a great way to add to your presence and square footage at a show.

Photo Credits: all taken by DWK at SGS & SFIGF 2007-8, of product displays created by DWK.

'Perspective'

A comment I read on a retail blog a few months ago came back into my mind on Sunday. It was written by a retailer, whom I admire and respect, and she made a statement about the actual 'legitimacy' of those who call themselves retailers. She was coming from the perspective of protecting herself and her ideas by not sharing them with those who weren't within her sphere of reference, and in that context I do understand it. But in all honesty, the way it read could very well be taken as a slam against e-tailers or any business that transacts sales of product in any method other than a brick & mortar store. That was the way it rang through my head this weekend.


In a related conversation with some antique show dealers this past weekend, it came up that many people think that this way of selling (at shows) is not a viable business, but a hobby instead. Hmmmmn. Those people are sometimes owners of retail stores, yes? And they buy their products from vendors in showrooms and at gift SHOWS. Shows where temporary booths are set up to show off product, usually direct from the creator/artisan/manufacturer. So, a showroom is OK. A rented space in an antique mall or at a show is not. Curious, isn't it, how perspective changes things?


Kind of like how the media has jumped on a 'new trend in retailing' - PopUp Stores. Major brands build out a store, stock it, advertise it, blitz it, and tear it out again after a week or two or a season. This was happening all over the place during the holidays. Media experts praise it for creating a demand for immediate action by the customer by creating a limited offer and sense of urgency (the basis of every sale tactic ever taught). Stores love it for helping them control staff & overhead costs, while also pushing the brand image to the top of media radar. So, major brands set up a temporary sales space and it's media worthy. Meanwhile, people who sell all kinds of products & merchandise have been selling at wholesale, trade, and industry shows for decades, but the perception is that they aren't in business. ???


Please let me assure you that the people who sell antiques and art and craft (and anything else at any kind of show) are working just as hard as the average retailer in a brick & mortar store is. Every single time they sell, they have to build the whole 'store', so to speak, not just unlock a door and turn the sign around. They have to set up the booth, the lights, the fixtures, and then stock the product - usually in one day. Every day before and after a show they are bustin' it to handle every facet of their busines - the planning, buying, paying, recordkeeping, inventory, etc. - just like 'regular' retailers are during 'off hours' (is that a misnomer or what?!). E-tailers burn the midnight oil buying or creating, staging & photographing products, loading photos & info onto their web store templates, and also handling all of the mundane tasks of running a business. There is so much behind the scenes of retail that the customer never sees... but it's also true that there is so much that one industry or segment does not see in another.

Whether you have a store on main street, a store on Etsy, a space in an antique or craft mall, or sell at shows, you know that retail is hard work. Anyone who attempts it deserves respect - especially now, in a difficult economy and a negative world. It's not less legitimate, valuable, or 'real' just because there is no brick & mortar building involved. We can all learn so much from each other - ways to improve our business operations, appearance, costs, marketing, etc. that we really shouldn't be creating divisive terms and attitudes. I hope this article causes you to reassess how you value others in business - because whatever form their business may take, there may be a lot you can learn from them. And vice versa!

This weekend my husband and I were selling vintage furniture & home decor at an antique show here in Seattle. Since I didn't decide until late on Wednesday to participate, we had exactly two days to prepare product and load our trailer, then one day to set up our booth at the show. Following the eight-hour show, we had several hours of breakdown and re-loading the trailer. That translates into four 12+ hour days of solid physical work in a row. We did it because we need to make a living, and we choose to do that by doing something we love. And that, my friends, is work, not a hobby. Today, though I am resting my sore muscles, I am hard at work on my computer, writing blog posts, articles, seminar outlines, and plans for upcoming shows. It's not in any way a 'day off' for me, even though to someone looking in from outside, it may seem that way.

Perspective is interesting...what's yours?

The Little Things

I'm in the midst of prepping for the upcoming Seattle Gift Show. As part of that, I'm stocking my toolbox (a rolling three-chamber dealie with a rounded top that I lovingly refer to as 'R2' - as in 'R2D2', get it?!) and filling a crate with miscellaneous items to be used as props in the New Product display. I throw all kinds of stuff in there because I never know what I'll need - until that small item shows up allllll by it's lonesome little self, desperate for some proppin' to make it shine!

The photos here illustrate how just about anything can be used to lift, elevate, spotlight, and assist in the visual presentation of small items like jewelry. Even bubble wrap, as seen above, adds a playful element to the colorful and contemporary beaded jewelry and gives it a sense of movement.

Placing necklaces around the necks of these stunning glass vases causes them to curve and drape, just as they would when worn on a woman's body.

Jewelry is created to be worn on a living, moving, breathing body - and it usually looks its best when the prop makes the necklace or bracelet curve and sway and reflect light, much like our arms and necks & shoulders do when we wear it. Earrings are meant to sway from our ears, so lying them flat to show them off is just a sure-fire way to make them look bland. Hang 'em from something, drape them over or on top of fluid fabric...anything to give a sense of movement. Even rings look best when worn - if you've ever gone to Tiifany's to just try on a huge rock, you know that it only really begins to sparkle and shine when it is slipped onto your finger and you lift your hand to the light. It's all truly just rocks and metals, until it moves and catches the light!

Props should reflect the nature (pun intended) of the product, as well...these chunks of bark add texture and roughness, which draws attention to the smoothness and shiny surface of the stones used in the jewelry.

Sorry the lighting in these photos is so off... but you can still see that using even simple photos on paper and adding jewelry to them in a playful way, brings a spark to already beautiful merchandise. This exemplifies a typical last-minute brainstorm situation: I was given a ziplock baggie of eight pieces of teeeny tiny jewelry to put into a large display area. (Oh yeah, and make it look STUNNING! ahem.) I paged through a tourist magazine nearby, found an article on the Chinese New Year celebration and subsequent art exhibit at a museum, and started cutting out the photos. I also went to the exhibitors' booth and grabbed a few of her postcards to use.

The lovely face of the statue in the photo works well with the 'heart' shapes of the jewelry, her ears obviously lent themselves to a pair of dangling earrings, and the modern black/white/gold combination of props actually elevated the product from simply 'sweet' & 'delicate' to 'classic'. (Damn, I'm good!) They loved it, BTW.

My friend June Beach is a jewelry designer with an eye for color and display. She makes the most amazing things, including beach glass / sea glass jewelry. When she photographs it, what props do you think she uses? Why, sand and driftwood, of course! Do visit her blog at Beach Haus Designs for more great jewelry display ideas. (She sells wholesale, too!)

If you are exhibiting jewelry at a show, or arranging some in a display case in your store, remember to get creative with props and add movement to your displays!

Portland Gift Show

Let's Make Business Personal Again!
Yep, that's me, up there on my soapbox again...
I mean, really, how many times can we hear "It's not personal, it's just business" before we just GAG? We all know that phrase is fulla' bull. If it's your small business, then ALL of it is personal. Right?

So, my seminar concept was let's take our small businesses - retail shops, service providers, product manufacturers - and personalize them. By doing so, you'll make a personal connection with your customers, and you'll succeed. And really, who wants to be the same as every other shop in town??!!!

My seminar titles was officially 'Store Design - Tell Your Story', so I explained the wine industry concept of Terrior, and talked about how that 'Pride of Place' can translate into your entire environment to tell your story. You do that by using color, texture, materials, style, and appropriate choices to express the values, mission, and purpose of your business. The two stage displays shown here morphed a bit throughout the presentation to illustrate the concepts. I discussed store layout, flow, displays, zone concept, web presence, and more. It all related to the visual impact your business has.

I am so blessed to have had exhibitors at the show who allowed me to use and promote their products in these displays. They are generous, giving, and ready to help others. People are wonderful, you know? And it really is ALL about people!

Retail is not about products and merchandise and displays - retail is about connecting with people. Designers & Manufacturers connect with buyers. Shops & Stores connect with their customers, and help their customers connect with other people through the products they buy. Delighted gift recipients connect with the giver and with the store that provided the gift. It's so simple - a 'circle of life' kind of thing. I think that especially in the face of never-ending reports on a failing economy, we tend to forget the purpose of what we are doing in retail.

I also connected with wonderful attendees at my seminar - many of whom joined me for an impromptu 'after party' when I led a walking tour on the show floor as soon as I wrapped the stage presentation. We moved at a pretty fast clip, visiting booths that I thought were great examples of expressing the story of the products. This translates into telling a story in your store - something all of the 'tourists' loved. Some booths feature displays that can be duplicated down to the last detail in any store, to maximize the presence of the merchandise. They are giving you tools to succeed - FREE! Again, it's all in the concept of 'connecting' with one another. Alone, we may not make it. Together? We all succeed!

My heart is truly in helping small businesses succeed. And no offense, guys, but women entrepreneurs are my soul sisters. Designers, handcrafters, artists, independent manufacturers who are creating jobs and contributing to their communities and local economy - oh, I just have SO much respect for these courageous people. And I have no doubt, after meeting and talking with some of them this past weekend, that THEY will be the big successes that show up on Oprah and Donny Deutsch and in glossy magazines very soon.

With quite a story to tell...

I will be speaking at the upcoming Portland Gift & Accessories Show!

SUNDAY, JUNE 1, 2008
10:30 am to 12:00 pm
Seminar: Store Design - Tell Your Story
Speaker: Debi Ward Kennedy, Retail Designer Speaker Writer

Based on my design work with wineries in Washington State, I've created this seminar to introduce the principle of Terrior - the French concept of ' Pride of Place'. Information will focus on the individual and unique story that each independent retailer has to tell. Based on your location, your products, your customers, and your business 'personality', you can create a retail environment that tells your own story.

I'll discuss and demonstrate how to make choices & changes that will elevate your visual impact, brand image, and sales:
1. How to arrange your store, including traffic patterns, architecture, and shopping habits of your customers.
2. Planning display areas based on scale, lighting, viewpoints & perspective.
3. Making design choices to build your brand image and tell your own story: color, style, materials.
4. How to take your store’s current look and add/expand it to another style or change to keep up with the changing trends (including Eco-trends), and using what you already have in the way of props, fixtures, etc. and rethinking them to serve in a new capacity with a new look.

Resources include suppliers and suggestions for finding inexpensive fixtures & props, plus a listing of exhibitors at the show who have provided items for use in a dynamic stage display.

With the new management of the show by GLM/dmg world media, there are several changes in the seminar format. One is that seminars will take place on a stage located right in the midst of the show floor - no more back rooms hidden away! The seminars will also be free of charge to attendees, which I know many people will appreciate.

If you'll be at the Portland show, please stop by the stage on Sunday morning and introduce yourself - I'd love to meet you!

For more show information, go to http://www.portlandgift.com/

Gone Country

Let's shift our attention to the left side stage setup...This is the 'Old West' side of the biz.
Shops with country flavor, primitives, antiques, rustic mountain wares, and prairie-style decor can relate to this style. In an interesting twist, if you changed out the cowhide chair to a wicker one, and used soft green or blue instead of reds on the other large pieces, this would be very Shabby Chic. Or Beach Chic. The concepts are the same, just change the materials & colors.

The large panel of embossed red metal is sitting up on a table (skirted in black so you can't see it!). This could be a wall painted red, or a large old door or fence section. Something old and big and rustic to add weight and a shot of color to the display. Then the large cabinet/hutch/bench is in a deeper shade of red, and the red wooden trough pulls your eye through the display. This is called 'color spotting' or 'color mapping' - using a vibrant color to lead the viewer's eye through the display.

The white cabinet and white cowhide on the chair & stool add a bright contrast to all the red. The rough bark of the chair frame leaves no doubt that this is rustic style, and the square shapes (metal panel, cabinets, chair panels) reflect simplicity. There is a rusty metal gate (not too viewable in the photo, sorry)that is a match to the rusty metal candlesticks. Again, as in the other display, we are repeating elements and shapes for balance. Bambi? He's there just 'cause he's cute! I talked about how adding a touch of whimsy is important in display. Bambi could have an Easter basket hung around his neck, or wear a Rockies jersey, or have a red ball over his nose at Christmas...a useful prop all year. Get a 'mascot' like this and see how many fun ways you can use him in displays - your customers will keep coming back just to see what he's up to!

Adding plants brings in nature and softens all those square hard edges, and they could be bundles of wheat or big moss balls or grasses and still accomplish that. I used bright green because A) it was right outside the room in the planters and B) red and green are complimentary colors, and they make each other look good. Ahhhhh, Art 101!!!!

Below, you'll see the first version of this setup - which, after my previously-mentioned review through photos, I restaged. When you look at both shots together, you see the improvements immediately.

The chair in this^ position leads your eye out to the left and off the stage. Not so great when you want to keep attention ON the stage, instead of wondering who may walk in that door in the corner at any moment. In a store, you want the viewers' attention riveted to the display and the products in it, not somewhere else. By moving the chair to the other side of the display, a sightline is created that begins at the red cabinet on the left and ends on the chair on the right. Bringing attention right smack into center stage.

On that red cabinet/hutch thing, you'll see a few accessories. Of course a piece like this is great for hats and scarves, so I used some, and I also showed that it could be used to display jewelry or dishes. Coffee cups hang from the pegs. I know this isn't the way this furniture would be used in a home. But in retail display, you don't have to think literally. You have to think creatively so you can come up with unusual and interesting ideas that catch your customers' eye.

Like putting saucers and cups on tops of candlesticks. Or maybe hats on candlesticks.
These are the kind that don't have the sharp point sticking up to hold the candle in place, and they are much more versatile. They act like pedestals to raise items up in a grand 'tah-DAH' kind of way. Again, this is an example of how you show your customer that the item is not just pretty, it is functional - and useable in more than one way. Ask anyone what that item is and they'll say a candlestick. (Or, if they are wacky, maybe they'll say 'A murder weapon from Clue'...) But how many would say 'A hatstand'? Show 'em what to do with it!

A note about the candles in that shot (Sorry it's fuzzy): They are 'intelligent candles' from Doug Thorson in the Denvermart. They come four to a box or one in a blisterpack, and in a small gold plastic candleholder - but can be lifted out of that and placed into your own candelabra & chandeliers! They have LED bulbs, and a switch on the bottom to turn them on - ONCE. Yes, you read that right. Once. Turn the candle on at 9 AM on Monday. Eight hours later, it shuts itself off. And then eighteen hours later, it comes back on at 9 AM again. Every day. All by itself. When the batteries run out (several months), you just reset by turning it on again. Once. To call this brilliant is an understatement...you know and I know how many hours this saves a retailer!

And time saved is time you can spend creating more fabulous displays!

Resources for Products used in this display:
(#0000 denotes permanent showroom in Denver Merchandise Mart, http://www.denvermart.com/ )

Painted red hutch/bench - Far West Furniture http://www.farwestfurniture.com/
Painted white cabinet- Far West Furniture http://www.farwestfurniture.com/
Metal panel, Iron Gate - Olde Good Things mail@oldegoodthings.com
Bark & leather chair/stool - America West *
Set of 3 candelabra - VIP Imports #2181
Bambi & LED candles - Doug Thorson Sales #1229
Rustic wood trough - My Amigos Imports myamigosimports@sbcglobal.net

*the contact info I had for them is incorrect, and since they were a temporary booth, I can't locate them. But I'm working on it....Please know that I did have their booth number on my handouts, so that at the show, my seminar attendees could easily find them. And that is really what it was all about. I'm sharing this info here as a bonus.

A Closer Look...

Let's take a closer look into that stage setup, shall we?
Today, I'm focusing on the right side - the Contemporary 'New West' look.

As you can see from the shot above, the style here is masculine, streamlined, and solid.
Wood & metal provide the structure - the chair, black wood cabinets, and coatrack are the fixtures. The screen and metal cactus provide depth, with that round wood tabletop in the back bringing enough light to contrast with the black fixtures - and its wood tones coordinate with the table in front. I could have used fabric, sure, but the effect would not have been as crisp and appropriate.

Another benefit of addding that tabletop is that it introduces a large circular form - and that ties together the other circular forms in the display. The screen has rounded shapes on it, the Buffalo Bill Cody bowl in front is round, as are the metal serving bowl & platter. Repeating shapes is as important as repeating colors. In this display, the square shapes and the round shapes accomplish the goals of looking contemporary, and of keeping things simple & solid. (Masculinity just seems to go hand in hand with 'simple' and 'solid', does it not? Sorry, guys!)

You'll notice that beneath the metal bowl, there are some stacked books. Actually, these are boxes that look like books, and they provide an excellent way to use the concept of 'lifts, levels and elevations' thankyouverymuch Christopher Lowell. (BTW, What ever happened to Christopher Lowell? He was a riot!) By using items like this (books, bricks, wood planks, flowerpots, etc.) to raise some of the products up above the main surface, we create interest. That bowl sitting on the table wouldn't be nearly as interesting.

This is the simple idea that apparently started the 'firestorm' at EaglesNest!
Crosses are a hot item in decor right now, as the whole Southwestern/Western look seems to be everywhere. (Thank Mary Emmerling for introducing this design aesthetic to the masses). You'll see them in accessories, fabrics, art and jewelry. I am always asked how to display jewelry, and ideas like this are easy for everyone. This cross could be an urn, a statue, a hunk of wood or a large rock. Using home decor accessories to display jewelry adds interest to both pieces - plus it helps shoppers see that the item is more than just a pretty thing, it's functional! Notice that the necklace I displayed in this setup is simple, contemporary, and coordinates with the metal bowls. (It's mine, but there were many similar - LARGER - ones at the show).

Now, I purposefully designed this display setup to reflect a 'New West' aesthetic style. I was speaking to an audience of buyers & shop owners in the Rocky Mountain region, and they could relate to this. If I had been speaking in San Francisco or Seattle, I could have built a very similar display - and just by leaving out the rusty metal cactus, the Buffalo Bill bowl, and the crosses, I would have a very contemporary art moderne style display. It would work in Bacchus' museum gallery store or in the Columbia Winery retail shop. Lesson: A few large props and/or products can add a 'theme' to a display just as a dash of cayenne adds spice to food: It only takes a little bit!

If I were to put this display on a retail sales floor, I'd add more glassware (a few large wine decanters, maybe), a stack of those metal chargers beneath the one standing up, and a stack of books on the chair. Then, right next to this whole setup, maybe on the left side where the coatrack is, I'd place a black metal shelf unit to hold more product. I'd fill it to the brim with crisp clean rows of glass, metal bowls & chargers, some of those crosses and boxes that look like books, some real books on wine or Western Art, a big glass bowl full of battery-op tealights, and perhaps a few nice black leather pillows. This enables customers to shop the shelf unit instead of tearing into the display itself.

Thank you, again, to all of the wonderful exhibitors who allowed me to use their products in my seminars. Especially Far West Furniture, who provided double the amount when another vendor backed out. Love you guys!!!!

Resources for products used in this display:
(#0000 denotes permanent showroom in the Denver Merchandise Mart; http://www.denvermart.com/ )

Black Wood Cabinets - Far West Furniture http://www.farwestfurniture.com/
Wood Table w/ Turquoise Inlay - Desert Diggs #1560
Black Metal Screen - VIP Imports #2181
Black Metal Coatrack - EaglesNest #1239
Set of 3 'Book' boxes - EaglesNest #1239
Battery Op 'Smart' Tealight Candles (programmable) - Doug Thorson Sales #1229
Rusty Metal Cactus - LoneStar Group #1568
Buffalo Bill Cody mache' Bowl - Kellogg #1367
Metal Bowl & Charger - Universal Ironworks / Necessities #2416

Display Evolution

When I am presenting a seminar, I build some pretty huge displays onstage.

No PowerPoint slide presentations for this girl – nope, I prefer to create real-life displays that can be studied and touched by attendees. (I am also terrified that my computer will go kaput mid-presentation....)Sometimes, I structure my seminars so that I can actually be building the displays 'live' during my presentation – but I tend to get out of breath when I do that! Besides, it requires me to do the unthinkable and actually turn my back on a crowd. Not liking that so much! As I did in Denver, often I'll build displays ahead of time and refer to them as I speak.

However, lest anyone get the idea that designing & creating displays is a completely foolproof, flawless process for me (or anyone else, for that matter), let me show you the design evolution of what I created onstage in Denver.

First, I had to form a concept in my mind. This is the Rocky Mountain region, and this was a gift & resort show. Lots of souvenir & resort products, and Western-style clothing, jewelry, accessories, & décor. So obviously the buyers who would be in my seminar didn't need to see a display that was Shabby Chic style. Make sense? So, I decided to create one display that was a bit more 'primitive country' in style, and one that was 'contemporary' in style. Sort of an 'Old West' meets 'New West' thing. Hopefully, these two styles would resonate with the majority of the buyers in my seminars. I made all of these decisions before I even left Seattle.

Next, I had to think about what kind of merchandise I was going to borrow from exhibitors to build these displays. Along the lines of the styles above, I decided to put colored painted furniture and possibly something from bark or barnwood in the rustic display, and black & polished wood furniture in the contemporary one. I never know what I'll be using until I walk the floor, shop the booths & showrooms, and start visually linking things together. But having a guideline helps me save time while I run breathlessly through a show!

On Friday night, we arrived in Denver, checked into the hotel, and headed straight to the DenverMart. Within one hour of walking two floors of showrooms, I had over a dozen of them agreeing to lend me something for my seminar. The next morning, the most excellent Mr. Deb (my hubby) helped me to gather up those products. Then we hit the temporary booths in two halls, and gathered another dozen products. Once we had them all, and the seminar room was available, we loaded everything inside. Then, I started arranging it onstage. Here is a shot of the first way I set it up:

Here's a great tip for displays: set it up, then photograph it. Look at the photo, instead of at the display itself. Somehow, you see it differently. Kind of like looking in a mirror, it changes your perception. You can critique your work and make adjustments.

Once I saw it through the camera's lens, I decided it was out of balance. It isn't always right the first time out, and that's okay. I asked Mr. Deb what he thought, he made a suggestion, and I moved some things. Yup, much better! Take a look:

Simply by rearranging a few pieces, shifting a bit, balance was restored. The eye goes right where I want it to – right smack into the center of each setup - not wandering off to the sides.

One problem with the 'before' was that the black furniture, the black screen and black coat rack in the right side setup were disappearing into the black background. In order to correct this, I needed something light to add contrast. Well, behind the black curtains, we discovered some round tables with wood tops. We set one up on its side so the wood was visible. By placing this behind the black screen, it makes the outline of the screen pop. It also coordinated with the wood table and brown tones in the display.

You'll notice that the displays angle inward. They lead the eye from high to low, and either left-to-right or right-to-left, depending on which one you are looking at. I built them so that they focused attention to center stage - where I was standing. This is a great way to build two window displays on either side of your store door - make the viewer's eye travel through the display, and land right smack on your entrance door.

Another adjustment was to add a bit of nature to the displays. I 'borrowed' silk greenery from the hallway planters (YES, I put it back!), but it could have easily been bare branches or wheat stalks or a tumbleweed.

Every product in those displays was available for purchase at the show.

(Ok, well, I lie. Obviously not the round table. And not the scarf, hat, jewelry, and gloves, which were mine. And the wine glasses and white china were - ahem – borrowed from catering. I think they kept wondering where all the coffee cups were disappearing to...) Using products from exhibitors gave me the opportunity to not only share great ideas, information, & inspiration about display, but to show these buyers some great products and send their business to the exhibitors. A win-win-win for everyone.

And after the seminars, when Mr. Deb and I returned all of the products to exhibitors, we heard rave reviews from everyone – how many people had rushed to their booths & showrooms, saying 'I saw this thing in a seminar and I want to order five of them!' (That stone cross from EagleNest was apparently 'the' hot item. The showroom owner said I created a firestorm!)

Like I always say, show 'em how to make it look stellar, and they'll beat a path to your door!

Next post, I'll focus on one side of the display and point out a few more things….

The Whirlwind Winds Down...

Three days of constant talking, running, hauling, thinking of on-the-spot answers to questions, and drinking considerably less caffeine than I am used to, has worn this Diva out!!! (Note to someone, anyone: Build a Starbucks on the corner by the Comfort Inn & DenverMart, PLEASE!) My voice is pretty much gone at this point...I think I may have said no more than three words to my dear husband on the whole flight home. I gave every last bit of myself in my seminars and consultations, and that's all she wrote, honey!

The Denver Gift Show was a blast, let me tell you....
Many thanks to Evonne Eiseman and Carol Hash of the market staff, who took excellent care of me and Mr. Deb. They are such fun... Evonne is a brunette double for actress Diane Keaton - only not neurotic, just bubbly! Saucy Carol has some really cute clothes that I covet! These ladies both work tirelessly to make sure the shows are a big success, and they pull it off every time. I know he won't read this, but thank you, Wizard of Oz Craig for making sure the sound system was on its game. Except for one little ear-piercing snafu, which I think was entirely MY fault, 'the man behind the curtain' rocked!

I did get to meet Ray Gaulke of the Gift & Home Channel, and we had a great discussion about networking online and how it is changing business. Ray has asked me to participate in providing content for GHC, and I am excited about what we are going to do. Stay tuned...

I met so many wonderful people in Denver...attendees at my presentations, exhibitors who provided awesome products for my stage setup, show & market staff, and a few assorted characters (ahem...Woody, the jokester). I'll have several posts in the coming days to recap that and the content of my seminars. Which is hard, because I always include so much information in my presentations & handouts that it's quite a chore to condense them. But I'll try!

A shot of the stage setup and yours truly, yappin' away. (Thanks Mr. Deb, for the photos & video!) Take a gander at those yummy golden yellow walls...they painted the forum rooms and wow did it make a difference! Have you ever watched the Oprah show, and thought that the whole audience looks like makeup artists have gone out there and spiffed 'em all up? There, it's pink lighting. Here, it's golden yellow walls. Everyone in the room looked MAHvelous, dahlink! And there were LOTS of people in the room...

According to Evonne, I totally shattered the market record for attendance at a seminar. Twice. 147 people in the first seminar on Display (and it was at 8:30 AM, too!) and 89 in the afternoon session on Store Design. Evonne had to run out and make more copies of my handout while I was speaking, so that everyone could get one! I am always thrilled when I am interacting with a crowd of people who really are interested in these subjects. I mean, obviously they are MY passion, but to see retailers who realize the value of visual presentation in their stores makes my heart skip a beat. Thank you to every single person who attended my seminars in Denver - you made MY day!

PS: I just received an email from the Gift & Home Channel...we are on our way!
And I learned that I've already been mentioned in one of their blogs. Oops, I've asked that they make sure and correct my name on there! ;0)

Channeling Success

I love the taglines in the ads for the Denver Gift Show: 'The Big Lines. The Hard to Finds. The One of a Kinds.' That pretty much describes me.... ;0) Today I was searching the DenverMart website for something, and re-discovered a resource that I really want to share with you all.

I also discovered something I didn't know! It seems that between my Sunday morning seminar on display design and my Sunday afternoon seminar on store design, someone else is takin' over my stage!

That's ok - it's Ray Gaulke, President of the Gift & Home Channel, who will be speaking about the many resources his new online television station offers to retailers and businesses around the globe. Videos, photos, experts, an online forum, polls, facts, all manner of great stuff to help you improve your business. I highly recommend them, and I had totally forgotten to mention it here. (Sorry, Ray!) Adding you to my links next!

I'm actually excited to meet Ray. I love chatting with leaders of large companies who are working to help small businesses succeed. First the President of GLM trade shows, now Ray. We all share a passion for being a resource to other people & businesses, and strive to work together for success - very inspiring.

Check it out here: www.giftandhomechannel.com


Edited to add: I received a very nice email from Ray, thanking me for this 'plug' of GHC. He was stuck at LaGuardia, facing hours of flight delays due to weather. I sure hope he can get to Denver!

Edited to Add: Yes, Ray was finally able to get a flight out of New York. I met him Sunday morning just before my first seminar - what a gregarious gentleman!!! We had time later to talk about GHC, and he's invited me to join them by contributing to their blog and via video podcasts. Hopefully very soon, I'll have news on that front for you. I am honored to be asked to participate! What a great way to connect with others and to share information.... if you haven't checked out Gift & Home Channel yet, hie thee over there!

It's Right There In Black & White!

Tradeshow booth design by Rosanna Inc. is, in one word, Brilliant!

White fomkore panels, a few black felt pens (okay, okay, they probably had it printed), and some creative brains - and you get this incredible concept for a booth. Simple, graphic, easy up/down, easy transport, easy easy easy. Those panels are affixed to the front of the huge rolling boxes that transport product. Unload, put against the wall, pop on the panels, and arrange products. The backdrops wedge between the base boxes and the top rail of the pipe-n-drape around the booth.

And effective: All of the marvelously playful colors of Rosanna ceramicware show up perfectly against the white. There is ample space for traffic flow. This photo was taken during show setup a few years ago - I do beleive they added some kitschy chrome & naugahyde kitchen table sets in the center of the space, providing an area for order-writing and sticking with the theme of a kitchen. And speaking of theme, what is more perfect for this product than a kitchen?

(hmmmm...maybe a candy shop or soda fountain.....)

I wanted to share this idea with you in case you are racking your brains trying to come up with a display idea for your show booth or showroom for the summer show season. Sometimes, simple is the most effective route you can take. Plus it gives you more time to sneak outside and catch some rays!

Also, in finding the correct link to Rosanna, Inc. for this post, I also found her blog. O dear....on it, she announces her summer warehouse sale which is being held Tomorrow and Saturday. If you are in Seattle, get thee to an ATM and hustle down to SoDo to see what bargains Rosanna has cooked up! (PS: right around the corner from her warehouse is the Seattle Goodwill Outlet - you could score some cool furniture for displays there! And don't forget to head over to Sand Point on Sunday for the long-awaited reprise of the Sand Point Antique Market...)

Sunshine and bargains in Seattle....is there anything better?!

Product photo: Rosanna, Inc.

Seasonal Color Forecasts

Pantone Color Forecast Fall 2007

I am preparing the style plan for some product displays that I'll create at the summer San Francisco International Gift Fair in late July. There is only one place to start this kind of project, for me, and that is the Pantone Insitute's Color Forecast. If you click on the link, you'll go straight to the page on their website that details the fall 2007 forecast colors, moods, styles, and inspirations for fashion & home. Leatrice Eiseman, one of the principle designers for Pantone, lives here in my neck of the Northwest woods and is a brilliant colorist. I love hearing her speak on color trends.

The Pantone seasonal forecast is an invaluable tool for retailers, trust me. No, you may not want to order every product in these colors - but you sure can paint a wall or display backdrop or even one single prop in one of these colors to make your displays relevant to current trends. And that catches your customers' eye, which sells products...amazing how that works!!! You can SO easily rev up even old merchandise by slipping in a touch of 'THE hot color' of a season...add some solid pottery or linens in one of these colors to existing neutrals, and you've upped the ante considerably.

I pulled colors directly from the forecast, and divvied them up to form two palettes: one Autumn, one Winter. I am creating two separate displays around those seasons at the entrance to the Moscone South Hall. Here's a sneak peek:

Autumn

Espresso Brown, Persimmon Orange, Saffron Yellow, Royal Purple, Moss Green, and Gold metal. It's an exotic, rich, textural, layered, Earth-friendly, Eco-conscious, and 'Green' main course with a Moroccan side dish.

Winter

Espresso Brown again, Deep Slate Blue, Ocean Teal, Periwinkle Blue, Chili Pepper Red, Moss Green again, and Silver metal. Urban, contemporary, minimalist Swedish design aesthetic, simple living, artist-made/high-art craft look. Holidays with panache, not kitsch: Cocktail party Christmas.

Exhibitors will receive this information from the show producers, and then choose & send in products that I will use in the display setups. (And I DO so love not having to run all over Moscone gathering them, I tell ya....) If you will be attending the San Fran show as an exhibitor, make sure you come by during setup and say hello! (Bacchus, this means YOU! Bring the baby!)


An Added Note: Kate commented that she likes the way I used the Pantone forecast palette to create my own....that is really how they intend you use it. It's supposed to be a tool for your business - if you have an ultra-modern store, some colors won't work well. Ditto if you're a shabby cottage style home store. You need to be judicious, and choose what works for your style, your brand, your customer base. Take that royal purple and pale it down to a grayed lavender & pair it with the moss green, or rev up the chili red by adding gray with it in groupings. Make color trends work for YOU - not the other way around! It's your store, and you're the expert that your customers listen to & follow.

SFIGF Link: http://www.sfigf.com/
Pantone link again:
http://www.pantone.com/pages/pantone/Pantone.aspx?pg=20367&ca=4

Shop 'Till You Drop!

I was over in Eastern Washington at the beginning of the week, installing the new decor & displays at Hogue Cellars. It turned out....well, FABulous, if I DO say so myself! I promise I'll post photos as soon as I get a minute - I'm busy working on the final visual plan for summer displays at Columbia Winery, which I install next week.

And today, in the mail, I received that packet above.

First thing I thought was WHAT?????? SPRING GIFT SHOW ALREADY?????!!!!

Time flies when you're having fun, I tell ya. I'll have just enough time to get back from a trip to Texas, catch an event with SARK, and then I'll be heading down to the design center to shop the show. Then there is a 'women in retail' business conference, a bridal shower, and yet another winery retail shop design all packed into the month of MAY alone. Whew!

I do have to comment on the graphic design of the show brochure....man, that is just inspiring. I love it. It will remain on one of my inspiration boards long after the show! Stunning. (Ooooooh, I hope maybe they have shopping bags or totes with that motif on it, too!) I'm looking forward to seeing lots of new holiday decor merchandise. Whoops, getting ahead of myself there.....

Better get back to summer merchandise display planning. Photos as soon as I can!

Design Evolution

Start with THIS: This season's Seattle Gift Show logo, on collateral sent to me by the marketing director of Western Exhibitors:

Envision THIS: A 3-D replication of the logo. White boxes, artwork, aqua 'bows' on top.

OK, well, truthfully, that photo is NOT how I envisioned it.
I saw each of the four squares in the logo shot being enlarged and printed separately, then I would attach them to the fronts of the boxes so they would be a larger and exact replica of the logo. Apparently the printer had some issues with the jpeg image that the graphics department sent him, and this is all he could do with it. Hey, display necessitates flexibility - we do what we can with what we've got! It worked out ok.

Using the white cardboard Easy Pedestals, MDF tables, acrylic cubes, and now these white boxes with logos on them, we set the stage.....



Here it is, ready and waiting for product....
You can also see the mannequin heads with stylish coiffures in aqua blue. Paper is our friend! Cheap, bright, colorful, attention-getting paper whimsy. I just can't resist!

Once the products/merchandise are brought to us and added, in sections that correspond to divisions of the show this time, the whole area takes on a different look:

This is a shot of the whole display, taken at about 6 PM on Friday. Four hours past deadline for product submission. Approximately two hours later, we had added many more items and were too exhausted to shoot final photos.
May I just say God BLESS all of the exhibitors who brought their merchandise to us before the deadline! I felt like a teacher listening to excuses why the homework was not done on time: My dog ate it. My truck broke down, My shipping container isn't here. My hotel screwed up. My flight was late. The taxi got lost. I couldn't find my booth space. I couldn't find YOU. I came by but you weren't here. (Sorry. Nature calls occasionally in a ten hour day....) Oi.

I think at the next show, I'll have some sort of reward for all who do plan ahead and bring us a box of merchandise as they unpack to set up. Or who send it ahead to the marketing director. Maybe candy, Starbux gift cards, SOMETHING. When you are on time, polite, helpful, and understanding that the deadline exists for a reason, this 15 X 30 foot space has a design plan created to maximize visibility for each display cube, each vendor gets ONE cube space, and that not everyone can be "front & center", we love you with undying devotion. This is a tough area to merchandise, it is many long, hard, physical hours, it is constant re-working of the setup to make everything fit, and it is free as a show courtesy to North Hall exhibitors. We are determined to do our VERY BEST to assist you in having a successful show. Trust me, we really are good at it. See?



So, there you have it. Display from start to finish. Concept to Completion. Inspiration to Exhaustion! And yeah, I love it love it love it. So did exhibitors, attendees, and Mike & Wendy Dean (owners of Western Exhibitors show production) - they all complimented the design use of the show logo & colors, as well as the setups that made products such standouts. Thanks, we really appreciate that!