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About
Because we believe that the trade show business is a marketing business, we view our offerings as marketing services. Yes... we have large and vigorous (in-house) exhibit design, fabrication, logistics and project management teams. Yes... we have dozens of loading dock doors and computerized fabrication tools for wood, laminate, steel and aluminum. Yes... we build exhibit stands and displays for trade shows and expos. Yes... we produce (in-house) compelling large-format graphic solutions on a variety of hard and soft substrates. So, at first glance, we might look exactly like any of the numerous other "exhibit houses" out there today. However, we view our capabilities as supportive of marketing goals... and that makes all the difference.
Why does all this talk of marketing even matter? The answer has to do with the history of the exhibit business. You see, most exhibit houses (virtually all of them) began "in the cabinet shop." These were cabinet builders looking for ways to grow margins and "regularize" revenue. They discovered the idea of building exposition stands for trade shows and the exhibit business was born. It is, as it always has been, a highly profitable fabrication business.
Over time there was consolidation - mergers and acquisitions - and some staggering large entities emerged. However, these were (are) just very large fabrication and labor businesses. They were never marketing concerns. The issue was always "what can be built and delivered" and not "what should be built and delivered." Sadly, this is still the case. Even today, most RFPs center around selecting designs first. Our industry has trained its clientele to shop for furniture, not strategy. Decision are made based up the shape of walls.
It is no wonder that the vast majority of exhibitors are not seeing results.
Our company - a full service exhibit management company - is different. It all started in the late 1990's with two executives at a large "traditional" exhibit house (Contempo Design - Contempo Exhibits). The two guys were Tim Roberts (sales manager) and Paul Stahlberg (design manager). They saw that clients were spending enormous dollars on outdated and/or poor performing exhibits, with no opportunity for rental. "There is a better way. Imagine what we could do if we built a company that could actually help these people accomplish their goals. In 1998 Catalyst Exhibits was established: all that was good about the old way plus an entirely new way of thinking.
We focus on two things: efficacy and efficiency. Before anything else, our clients programs must be effective. In order be most effective, these programs must be flexible. Flexibility is everything! (Please see the white paper we've created on this subject: On Flexibility and Your Exhibit Strategy.) However, under the old way of doing things - the traditional exhibit house model - flexibility is prohibitively expensive, so we pioneered a new way of working: a hybrid marriage of exhibit sales with custom rental. We don't care if you rent or buy, we just want your program to do what it should. (Remember, we are fixated on marketing. Custom cabinet makers just want to make custom cabinets!)
Custom exhibit rental has become a large part of our business. These are custom designed and fabricated exhibits created on a client-by-client basis and then installed on the trade show floor as rental goods. This approach gives small to midsize companies access to high-quality, high-impact exhibit services not otherwise available to them. We have hundreds of these clients and we are thrilled to serve them. We also service the Global Enterprise here and abroad. It all works together for our clients' benefit.
Everything we do is about IMPACT. We view design as a problem solving exercise... not a stylistic "distraction." Of course we want to create beautiful spaces. The thing is, we really want to create deliver beautiful spaces that accomplish our clients' goals! Take a look at our approach to design. You just may be surprised: The Design Process and Why It Matters.
Our company is built on the belief that clients can keep their trade show booths current AND market more effectively without blowing their budgets. We'd love to talk to you about your trade show challenges.
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