The free event was open to the public where people got the chance to check out this amazing LEGO model (and many other very cool LEGO Star Wars models) and have their picture taken inside the cockpit.
CREATACOR worked with the LEGO team to produce the Holocron displays that were used for LEGO Star Wars creations produced by the public with the guidance of a LEGO Master Model Builder.
CREATACOR also produced the interactive build tables where the public were able to produce their own mini LEGO Star Wars X-Wing Starfighter to take home.
Another fan favorite was getting your picture taken with the adorable LEGO I Love NY Yoda model that was fitted on a CREATACOR-produced podium.
This week, we delivered the X-Wing Starfighter to LEGOLAND California where it will be an attraction for the rest of the year. Stay tuned for where it lands after that...
CREATACOR will be expanding our location this summer and the Times Union noticed. They came in to do a story a few weeks back giving us some great coverage on the front page of the Sunday Business section. Their timing was perfect as we were busy with several projects, the largest being OSRAM SYLVANIA's participation at Lightfair International held in Philadelphia. All areas were humming along as we were days from shipping the 5,600 square foot exhibit. Even our customer made the photos section as Ruby Rubenstahl, a Traxon programmer, was here for a full week programming the Traxon portion of the exhibit. All the prep did make for a great show.
Gerry and I meet with Eric Anderson of the TU and were able to get our ugly mugs on the front page as well while Linda and Tom, our two partners, were conveniently unavailable for the photo. Fortunately, they used Moira, one of our graphic designers, for the large photo as she is much more photogenic.
While the TU is a local paper, you have to love the power and reach of the internet. The story came out while setting up Lightfair in Philadelphia yet one of the OSRAM sales reps from Boston congratulated me for the great article and was truly impressed. He has google alerts for SYLVANIA so he saw the story the morning it came out. He didn't realize all the work we did or the great clients we get to work with everyday.
A big thanks to the TU for providing us this exposure. We are proud to be of the Capital District as well as associated with such great clients!
From the architects of the Ex Awards, Event Design Awards and the Top 100 Event Agency List comes the first editorial ranking of the best exhibit builders, the top 50 fabricators serving Corporate America by Event Marketer and Event Design Magazines.
Over the last few years, the exhibit landscape has become cluttered, cloudy and fragmented. According to respondents to an Event Design magazine industry survey, Fortune 1000 trade show teams, event departments and procurement officers are presented with "more choices than ever," have "a difficult time telling one exhibit partner from another" and "need an easier way to separate the great ones from the good ones."
After an intensive screen process conducted by the editors of Event Marketer and Event Design, along with the analysts at the Event Marketing Institute, CREATACOR is proud to announce; we have been selected as one of the top 50 trade show exhibit providers in the United States.
The Fab 50 special report appears in the April 2013 issue of Event Marketer magazine, which is read by 8,000 brand-side event and trade show buyers. It will also be sent to a bonus circulation of 3,000 procurement buyers at Fortune 1000 companies. It will then be posted online at both eventmarketer.com and eventdesignmag.com.
We're expanding again! For the 6th time since we opened our doors in 1987 we are adding to our overall footprint, The added space will allow us to serve our customers even better! It's been 10 years since our last expansion and this time we will increase our facility by nearly 50% to just under 90,000 square feet at our Clifton Park location. For more information, view the video below to hear Gerry Glynn, Vice President Operations, talk about our new digs.
We'd like to invite you to stop by our booth and discover everything Creatacor can do for you and your trade show and event participation. Also, if you visit our exhibit and Like Us on Facebook or Follow us on Twitter, we have a nice gift you'll be able to use right away at Mandalay Bay!
We'd also like to invite you to send us an email (info@creatacor.com) or give us a call at 1-800-611-0431 prior to arriving in Las Vegas to schedule a 20 minute appointment. You will meet with one of our trade show and event program managers to discuss your unique exhibit program needs. As a thank you for meeting with us, we'll present you with a very cool Jambox Ultra-Portable Bluetooth Speaker like this one.... This nifty device provides fantastic sound for hours of listening enjoyment from your computer or mobile device.
At the risk of sounding like an infomercial hawker... "But wait, it gets better!" Everyone who schedules an appointment and meets with one of our trade show and event program managers will be entered into our daily drawing to win an iPad Mini.
As you can probably tell, we'd really like to have an opportunity to talk to you about your trade show program!
In case you are not familiar with us (if not, we hope to change that), Creatacor provides world class corporate trade show exhibit program management services from exhibit design and graphics to production and asset management. We are large enough to handle any trade show or event regardless of the size or scope but small enough to provide the exceptional customer care required in such a demanding industry. We are extremely detail oriented and have earned a reputation for being an excellent value as a trade show resource to our customers. Simply put, we become an extension of your staff... partnering with you to manage the daily details associated with your trade show and event participation. Think of the possibilities!
So, please contact us now to set up an appointment (info@creatacor.com or 1-800-611-0431), or swing by booth #1945... We are looking forward to seeing you at EXHIBITOR2013!
Creatacor, Inc., an exhibit design, fabrication, and trade show management provider in Clifton Park, N.Y., was recently awarded a new, three-year contract to continue working with OSRAM SYLVANIA, Inc., a leader in lighting solutions and services, specializing in innovative design and energy saving technology. The contract extends a decades-long partnership that began with OSRAM at the 1989 Lighting World trade show. In 1995, OSRAM purchased SYLVANIA from GTE, formerly General Telephone & Electronics, and Creatacor maintained the business following a comprehensive request for proposal process.
"Creatacor is pleased to be extending what has been a mutually beneficial, rewarding relationship with OSRAM SYLVANIA," said Thomas H. Lemery, president & CEO of Creatacor, Inc. "Creatacor has been working with OSRAM SYLVANIA for almost 24 years, but just as impressive is the fact that their account has been managed by Will Farmer, a principal of Creatacor, for the last 15 years. Will has become an expert in lighting products, and our latest contract with OSRAM SYLVANIA ensures they will continue to benefit from his lighting industry knowledge and decades of face-to-face marketing and trade show experience."
"I've had the pleasure of working with the standout team at OSRAM SYLVANIA for the majority of my time at Creatacor, and I'm glad to see the relationship continue," said Will Farmer, Creatacor vice president of client services. From special events, to graphic services, to point of purchase displays, Creatacor and OSRAM SYLVANIA have done great things together, and I look forward to all that we will accomplish in the future."
Throughout their nearly 24 year business relationship, Creatacor and OSRAM SYLVANIA have partnered on several hundred trade shows, events, and special projects. Their premier event is LIGHTFAIR® International, which brings together top lighting designers and architects each year to view the latest in lighting technology. In 1996, OSRAM SYLVANIA won LIGHTFAIR's best exhibit award, and received a booth design concept award of distinction at the event in 2008.
"The ADDY® Awards represent the true spirit of creative excellence by recognizing all forms of advertising from media of all types, creative by all sizes and entrants of all levels from anywhere in the world."
It's that time again. And again we are up for some nominations and are hopeful to bring home the awards to add to our collection. We're entered in 2 categories this year.
Trade Show Exhibits and Creative Services for LightFair 2012 - OSRAM SYLVANIA:
Industry Suppliers for Cards, Invitations or Announcements for our Holiday Card mailer:
We feel honored to be able to partake in these awards and to have been nominated but oh it would be so much better to bring home the award. Keep your fingers crossed. Visit our Facebook page and let us know your thoughts on our entries.
The 2013 ADDY Awards are presented by the Albany Ad Club and they will be held on March 1st at the Troy Hilton Garden Inn.
"One, two Chi!" could be heard from inside the LEGO® Legends of Chima booth as tribes lined up to compete in the Chima Arena. The booth is one of two new exhibits Creatacor produced for LEGO KidsFest which had its 2013 debut in Richmond VA this weekend.
The 6,000 sq. ft. LEGO® Legends of Chima booth was created for the new LEGO product line LEGO® Legends of Chima. The booth includes a giant main arena entrance that had five tribe rooms with training videos for tribes to learn how to compete with Speedorz, the vehicles used by the Chima characters to battle with one another or travel across the large land of Chima.
Upon entering the arena tribes gathered around a giant arena table that included challenges and obstacles set up for tournament play. A Speedorz training area was created with Speedorz training ramps which provided a great training area for kids of all ages from 2 to 92! The booth featured a 52' wide main entrance, Speedorz training area entrance, 31' ft wide arena table, Speedorz ramps, 20' circular arena sign, media tower with an giant 90" TV playing Chima videos, and of course the awesome Chima models Laval & Cragger built by the LEGO model shop.
Upholding peace and prosperity throughout the universe is an awesome responsibility and the LEGO Hero Factory team is up to the task! Another great new booth created for this year's LEGO KidsFest tour was for LEGO Hero Factory. The booth was inspired by the surreal & super high-tech Makuhero City and the Assembly Tower, where heroes are built. The booth included build tables where you can assemble heroes and a Hero table for displaying the awesome Heroes on Makuhero City risers.
Working on these booths with the amazing LEGO team was inspiring & a blast!
EWEA is one of Europe's largest trade shows for the renewable/wind energy market. AWS Truepower, based in Albany, NY exhibited in a 5m x 6m space at the Messe Wien in Vienna, Austria. Since they are ready for a new domestic booth, we transported their existing booth to Austria where it will reside for the next few EWEA shows. Creatacor partnered with von Hagen Design, based in Germany, to handle I&D and logistics for the event. Overall, it was a great success and the client was all smiles!
I also had an afternoon free for sight seeing. Here is a photo of the beautiful Belvedere Palace, which houses an impressive art exhibit including "The Kiss" by Gustav Klimt.
The Toy Industry Association kicked off the 110th American International Toy Fair on Saturday in the snowy winter wonderland of New York City with the Toy of the Year (TOTY) Awards. It was a huge night for The LEGO Group as they won four TOTY's, including the coveted overall "Toy of the Year" for LEGO® Friends. LEGO® Friends also won TOTY's for Activity Toy of the Year and Girl Toy of the Year. The LEGO Group also won a TOTY for Specialty Toy of the Year for LEGO® Architecture. For more info on the TOTY's, check out this article: "The Year's Finest Toys and Games Unveiled At 'Oscars' Of The Toy Industry".
The TOTY's on Saturday night was a great way to open for the show which started Sunday morning. Attendees got a preview of things to come before they even entered the show hall as a very cool LEGO® Star Wars™ Barrel Organ played the movie theme to Star Wars™ when played by attendees.
The LEGO booth opened up two hours before the show officially opened for the LEGO Collectors Event. The Collectors were treated to a early review of the amazing LEGO product lines which includes LEGO® Legends of Chima, their largest product line introduction ever! Check out the awesome models (Laval & Cragger) built by the LEGO Master Model Builders which are featured in the LEGO® Legends of Chima story & sets. Laval was protecting the left front of the booth and Cragger stood guard inside.
The LEGO Master Model Builders also built models (Emma & Stephanie) from LEGO® Friends line. Emma & Stephanie were on the right front corner of the booth with Emma striking a karate pose & Stephanie playing soccer.
All the best to the awesome team at LEGO for another wonderful Toy Fair and a big thanks to the Creatacor team for creating another great LEGO booth.
Stay tuned for the latest "LEGO Kidsfest News" from Rich & Wayne on the new epic booths Creatacor just finished. The 2013 LEGO Kidsfest tour begins in Richmond, VA and the three-day event is entirely SOLD OUT!
LEGO Systems, Inc., makers of the world's leading construction toys, announced that they will have 250 new sets at this year's American International Toy Fair in New York City. Creatacor & LEGO teamed to create a 4,500 sq. ft booth that consist of an awesome showroom to display the ever-growing & amazing line of LEGO sets. The booth also has a main business center for the sales team and retailers, five conference rooms, a PR area and of course area's for the new LEGO models built by the uber awesome LEGO Model Shop.
The show opens up tomorrow morning so stay tuned for more info & of course photos of the booth, models and something very cool that LEGO brought along that's in the main entrance of the Jacob Javits Convention Center lobby.
ALBANY, N.Y. – Creatacor, Inc., an exhibit design, fabrication, and trade show management provider in Clifton Park, N.Y., showcased a dynamic, engaging custom trade show marketing environment for The Raymond Corporation at ProMat 2013. The Raymond Corporation is a global provider of unmatched material handling technology, expertise, and support to increase productivity and cost-efficiency. ProMat is the premier showcase of material handling, supply chain, and logistics solutions in North America
The Raymond Corporation trade show marketing environment was seen by manufacturing, distribution, and supply chain professionals from the United States, Canada, Mexico, and over 110 other countries. These professionals attended ProMat to find productivity, visibility, and cost-cutting solutions for their manufacturing, distribution, and warehousing operations.
The Raymond Corporation used the custom exhibit developed by Creatacor to showcase its reliable, durable, and innovative line of Raymond lift trucks. Their face-to-face marketing space included interactive video displays, commercial shelving units, and a collection of various product-filled pallets that were transported throughout the demonstration area. Atop the pallets were multiple grocery items that were donated to Chicago area food banks and shelters following the demonstrations.
"Creatacor is proud to have been involved in the development and installation of this compelling trade show marketing environment," said Thomas H. Lemery, president & CEO of Creatacor, Inc. "The global community of manufacturing, distribution, and supply chain professionals at ProMat 2013 were treated to a dynamic, engaging showcase of the capabilities and features of Raymond lift trucks."
ProMat is designed to offer productivity solutions and information by showcasing the products and services of over 700 leading material handling and logistics providers. The 2013 show, which took place from January 21 – 24 at McCormick Place South in Chicago, IL, was divided into three solution-specific centers. These included manufacturing and assembly, fulfillment and delivery, and information technology solutions. The custom demonstration display designed and fabricated by Creatacor was front and center at this event, highlighting The Raymond Corporation's superior material handling solutions.
It was a big event for runners and volunteers at the 20th Anniversary Disney Marathon, which took place this weekend. For the past several years, Tom Lemery, Creatacor President & CEO and is wife Gail have participated in the several walks and marathons hosted at Walt Disney World in Orlando each year. Being the 20th marathon at Walt Disney World, the event was quite special, with 95 runners attempting to complete their 20th consecutive Walt Disney World Marathon.
It was also a milestone for Gail and Tom as they completed their 14th 5K run at EPCOT, which benefitted the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. "It's a great opportunity for us to support such a worthy cause, stay in shape, and experience some Disney Magic. " Tom said. When asked, Tom would not tell us how long it took him to "run" the 5K but did reply: "I would call it; walking fast as opposed to running." as he chuckled.
Gail and Tom also volunteer their time to assist Disney Cast Members and race organizers with the different race activities. This year they were assigned to work the kids races, which took place on Saturday at Disney's Wide World of Sports complex. Nearly 5,000 kids of all ages competed in several races including the 100, 200, and 400 meter runs as well as a 1 mile run. There was even a "diaper dash" for toddlers, who were asked to crawl about 20 feet from one parent to another. Of course, Mickey Mouse was there cheering them on all along the way. One dad, who's son wandered off his assigned lane in an effort to meet Mickey up close and personal, said; "I think my son is more interested in going to Mickey Mouse than he is in me!" as he laughed.
The next Walt Disney World 5K for Tom and Gail will be Disney's Princess Half Marathon Weekend event in late February at EPCOT again, as they will go for their 15th souvenir medallion.
Creatacor recently partnered with EYP Architecture & Engineering to produce and install self-standing kiosks with graphics displaying renderings of the Computer Chip Commercialization Center (Quad-C) under construction on the SUNYIT campus. These displays were produced for NY Governor Andrew Cuomo's recent visit to be briefed on the project.
nfrastructure CEO Dan Pickett was on hand to meet with the Governor during his visit. nfrastructure, which helps some of the world's most successful enterprises design, build, and operate smart technology solutions, has a significant presence on the SUNYIT campus through the nfrastructure Center for Competency in Information Technology. NCCIT is a statewide public/private partnership between nfrastructure, the State University of New York Institute of Technology at Utica/Rome, and the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering. Baker Public Relations, a full service communications firm retained by both nfrastructure and Creatacor, accompanied Mr. Pickett to produce videos with the students, professors, and faculty members involved in the NCCIT partnership.
From the SUNYIT site: "The Quad-C will bring leading researchers and industry partners in nanotechnology onto the SUNYIT campus. The building complex will be centered around a state-of-the-art clean room for nanotechnology research. The remainder of the building will house office, research, collaboration and support facilities for a myriad of corporate and research partners."
A few weeks ago I was asked by Natalie Relf, an associate editor at Exhibit City News, to answer several questions about selecting the right exhibit builder for an exhibitor's trade show program. To follow are Natalie's questions and my answers. If you have any comments or experiences you would like to share with us, please e-mail me at: tlemery@creatacor.com.
Q1. How can a client choose the best contractor according to their needs (ie., are they building a 100 x 100 double-decker vs. a 10 x 20 pop-up.)?
There are several ways for an exhibitor to choose the right exhibit provider.
A. First, you (the exhibitor) must allow for the proper amount of time to complete your research and final analysis. An exhibitor should get started 12-18 months before his or her show date for larger exhibit productions and 6 to 12 months ahead for smaller spaces. Keep in mind, it’s never too early to get started. While time is a commodity that seems to harder to find, it is still one of the most important factors determining the success of the project and should be prioritized.
B. It is important when selecting your exhibit partner, especially when bidding out your trade show exhibit production, that you (the exhibitor) are able to compare apples with apples. The best way to do this is to give each bidder the exact specifications to bid on; including all show related services as well as an exhibit design. This is extremely important. The exhibit design package should include renderings and construction drawings of the exhibit you would like built. Assuming you are looking for a custom exhibit solution, consider bidding out the exhibit design work first. Once this is done you can submit the design specifications to the provider for a construction quote. Another option is to simply take a project that was previously fabricated and ask your bidders to provide a quote on the production of that exhibit. This will allow you to compare the quotes submitted by the bidders but also to compare their quotes with the actual cost of the exhibit. Be sure to ask for an itemized quote so that you may conduct a line-by-line comparison. A trend we are seeing is procurement personnel getting heavily involved with exhibit RFP’s. They tend to ask for rates and markups as a measuring stick to compare suppliers. While rates can be important, they are not an accurate measurement of the actual cost to the client. By requesting suppliers to bid on an actual project, the client will have a more accurate picture of the cost. This can be done even if the client isn’t looking for a new exhibit but wants a new supplier to offer costs for maintaining the program. The client can supply the exhibit specs in the RFP and the show schedule so each supplier submits the cost for each event including handling, shipping and show service costs. While these will be estimates, they will paint a much more accurate picture of what the client can expect to pay.
C. Finally, do your homework. Request an “RFI” (Request for Information) from the provider(s). In my opinion, this should be a simple questionnaire such as; where are they located, number of employees, number of years in business, general description of services provided, URL, main contact, and at least 3 customer references as well as 3 supplier references. You can find out a great deal about the provider by asking the right questions of both customers and suppliers.
Q2. What are some of the crucial factors to consider when choosing an exhibit builder?
A. Have they produced projects similar in scope to what I envision my needs to be?
B. Do they know my industry and/or do they currently produce exhibits for clients in my industry? Are they working directly with my competitor?
C. Will I (the exhibitor) be considered a big fish or small fish in their pond. Being too small may mean you get less attention while being too big can mean you are taking a risk that the provider may not be able to provide all the services you require.
D. How long has the company been in business and are they financially sound.
E. Finally, do I think I can work with them. It is important that you feel your exhibit provider is your marketing partner, willing to do what it takes to work with you to achieve your goals and objectives.
F. How will the relationship work? At Creatacor, we provide a single point of contact for all communications. This is strategically important as our client has one person who is an expert on their project and program. While there is a team working behind the scenes, it is much easier for the client to have one person that can answer all questions.
Q3. How does the company decipher what the clients' need? What criterion are those decisions based on?
At Creatacor we have an extensive questionnaire that gathers information about the exhibitor’s trade show program and expectations including but not limited to these items:
A. The exhibitor’s corporate identification and how they want the company to be perceived by their customers
B. Products and/or services to be represented at the event(s)
C. Is there a desired method to demonstrate products and services? Live demos, group presentations, self guided tours, etc.?
D. Marketing strategies and objectives
E. Specific exhibit design requirements
F. Exhibit design likes and dislikes
G. Pre-show promotion and post show follow plans
H. Supporting events or sponsorships associated with the event
I. Other trade show or event participation plans
J. Prioritized desired results by which their exhibit program will be measured.
Q4. How can the client tell if one company can meet those needs better than another?
By following the advice noted in question 1, an exhibitor should have all the information they require to make an educated decision. Price alone should not be the determining factor when selecting your exhibit provider. It is extremely important that the exhibiting company’s contact person, that is the person or people who will interact and work with the exhibit provider on a daily basis, be comfortable with the provider and that there is a sense of partnership. Many times exhibitors select the provider based solely on price only to find out that they do not receive the “added value” that comes with a solid partnering customer/supplier relationship.
Q5. What is involved in building the "best" possible exhibit?
These questions must be asked to gauge success of your trade show participation. If after the show the answers to those questions is “Yes”, then the exhibitor has achieved their goal of building the best possible exhibit for his or her company.
A. Will the exhibit communicate the personality, culture and the best overall marketing message for my company?
B. Will the message ring clearly with my customers and prospects? A post show survey and follow my be required to answer this question.
C. Will my products and/or services be represented the best way possible with my marketing strategies and objectives in mind?
D. Will the exhibit physically meet the demands of the event (enough people space, product demo space, conference rooms, information fulfillment area, product demos, graphics, etc.)?
E. Will my pre-show promotion activities and actions provide the desired results?
F. What are the plans for following up with prospects and existing customers after the show?
G. Will my exhibit integrate with my advertising, website and other supporting activities, events or sponsorships associated with the show?
H. Will my exhibit work for my other trade shows or event participation plans? I. Will I meet the desired results by which my exhibit program will be measured.
Q6. Are there any new service trends making contractors more user friendly?
The trend in exchange of information continues to parallel advances in technology with a fantastic array of communication devices and software. Excellence in “Customer Service” has been and always must be the number one priority for an exhibit provider and that starts with communications. Communicating and obtaining accurate information to and from a supplier or your exhibit partner is essential for the exhibitor to make decisions and take actions that will optimize their trade show and event participation. At Creatacor we offer web integrated programs, which include: show scheduling, budgeting, asset management, graphic production, portable exhibit programs, job cost tracking, shipping and logistics, and many other points of information designed to help an exhibitor manage their entire trade show program.
The uber awesome LEGO model shop built a life size (Hobbit scale) replica of their recently released set LEGO The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. The set is based on the opening scene of the movie The Hobbit: An unexpected Journey. The set captures the scene and Bilbo's Hobbit Hole, Bag End, in amazing detail. A team of 12 LEGO model employees worked for 3,000 hours building the replica and used over 2 million 1x1 bricks to build Bilbo's home. The model shop also built related set elements, and the LEGO minifigures that are also included in the set. Creatacor worked closely with the model shop in building portable platforms for the set replica, which required a space of 234' and needed to be easily shipped around the country for upcoming events. We also worked with the model shop with the tree on top of the model and to make sure we had a chimney that really smokes!
[Keep your eyes peeled for Rich, Brandon and Jim helping with the setup!]
Our world and your world over lap and intersect every day. Our blog focuses on everything from serious trade show and exhibit industry matters that can effect our business lives to announcements to related stories and anecdotes we hope you will find interesting and or amusing. Check back often to see our latest blog entries and to let us know what you are thinking. To subscribe to the Creatacor Blog, visit our RSS Feed, or click the link to subscribe via email to get our latest entries delivered to your inbox.
