Trade Show Booth Concept Design

here's a look at something you haven't seen much of on my design blog: the design concepts i create for NON-retail spaces.

i've shared a few trade show booth shots before, including the display setups i've created for wholesale gift shows in the USA. i've also shared the redesign i undertook with my daughter in her 'Heeling Sole' barefoot massage studio in Texas several years ago. (i'll link all of those posts at the end of this one)

when you combine those two things, you see Deb designing a trade show booth concept for her daughter to set up at the national convention of her industry...

i'd like to share the project with you with the goal of helping you prepare for any trade show, convention, even pop-up space that your business might have as you promote what you do.

continue reading for my narrative and Jeni's input on our process and how those goals were met...

Hotel MoJo... and HoJo

I began my visual merchandising career in a hotel gift shop,
a brand new venture that my Mom worked with the hotel owner to develop and open in the 1970's

at the Howard Johnson's Hotel across the street from Disneyland...

 That window on the left (which used to have a neon 'Kathy's Gift Shop' sign in it)
is where I experimented with merchandise to create my FIRST window displays ever.
I was thirteen years old when I started, thanks to my Mom trusting my ability.
The shop has expanded four times since then, 

and one of my Mom's original employees now manages it 

(along with the new one in the new Marriott Courtyard Hotel across the street,

owned by the same company). 

Ever since working there for six years, 

I've been watching the evolution and demise of the hotel gift shop...
 viewing many on my travels to speaking engagements, gift shows,

and of course visiting the Disneyland Hotels to see what they are doing.

Hotel gift shops have devolved 

from huge shops that carry every possible thing a traveler might want (or forget)

and offering a plethora of souvenirs silly and sublime,

into the newly-coined 'quick stop shops' in an alcove next to the registration desk,
which carry a measly offering of tiny personal care items and bottled beverages.
The change is disheartening.

Today, I read something with a more positive outlook

regarding hotel gift shops...

a new view from some independent hoteliers that have created an opportunity: 

they reach out into the community to source handmade, artisan, local products,

and to give a more entrepreneurial / independent store spirit to their shops

than we've seen in the mainstream before.

Not only that, but the design of these new shops is less 'corporate' and more 'indy' in style!
Quirky, inviting, personalized, and decidedly forward-thinking,
they are spaces that would stop any weary traveler in their tracks!

BHG has a column in their magazine called 'FRESHSHOPKEEPER'

and it was in this column that I saw these photos and read about this new direction:

I encourage you to go grab a copy of the August 2016 issue of BHG Magazine

(Better Homes and Gardens)

and read up on this new outlook.

It bodes well for the hospitality industry, for retail in general, 

especially for artisans and makers who want to get their product into local shops.

It's a whole new sales opportunity that is not dependent upon

huge wholesale shows and mass-manufactured, imported goods.

Gift Shop Buyers at boutique hotels like these

are looking for exceptional, quality, unique merchandise

that will reflect the local community, attractions, and history

in a fresh, new, engaging way that customers respond to.

And that's evolution, my friends! 

Just an aside here....

I saw the Hotel Emma during construction last summer.

My son Joel is the Project Manager for the fire suppression system on the project.

Now that I have seen this photo of just one of their space designs,

I can't wait to visit him in San Antonio again so that I can see the finished hotel!

Make It Sparkle for Mother's Day

 Oftentimes, the simplest changes can make the biggest impact in a store or booth...
case in point is how you display your jewelry.  
With Mother's Day approaching, jewelry is high on the 'Hot List' of wanted gifts - 

so make it stand out in your store!

There are hundreds of ways, hundreds of fixtures you can purchase or that are provided by suppliers.
I tend to lean toward simplicity because I like the PRODUCT to be the star of the show.

Jewelry is such a small product, in a small scale, that making a visual impact with it is difficult.
I've posted about how to present your jewelry at shows and jewelry in windows before,

but recently I saw two ways to present delicate jewelry that sparked my interest....

The first, shown in the photos above and below, 

is a way to update those black velvet jewelry forms that seem to be in every store around... 

I saw this in the gift shop of the Mission San Luis Rey, California:
simply wrap them up in some thin cotton muslin fabric, stapling as you go to create a smooth look.

The result is a neutral background that helps bounce light (instead of absorbing it, as black does)

that will set off jewelry in any tone.
I've seen new versions made with burlap - but burlap is a tough fabric to try a DIY project with.
Note that these light-colored forms are placed inside a dark wood cabinet.
The contrast created contributes to the stand-out effect.

*I recommend this presentation for everything except fine jewelry.

You won't ever do better than using a dark velvet or satin fabric 

as a background for presenting sparkling diamonds and precious stones. 

Shades of black, navy blue, espresso brown, deep emerald, and deep charcoal are best for those products. 

They bring out the sparkle like nothing else can*

The second solution is a DIY one, executed with aplomb and style

by a vendor at the recent JunkBonanza antique show in San Diego, CA.
Sacred Heart Studios created neck forms from salvaged wood - to great effect.

Simply cut shapes from old wood (and the marvelous patina inherent in the grain) 

add stunning texture to displays in this vintage & reclaimed furniture booth, 

bringing the eye directly to the beautiful jewelry made from salvaged metals and findings.

When your jewelry is THIS unique, your props and forms should speak the same language.

She's looking into producing these forms for sale, so check with her website for availability!

What else can you do to freshen up your jewelry displays?

*Bring nature in: branches, bark, rocks, sand, shells, moss/lichen all add texture

and will set off the colors and themes of the jewelry you sell.

*Go for contrast: like the suggestion to pair deep rich velvet with sparkling jewels up above,

think about using matte finish fabrics and surfaces paired with shiny metallic jewelry - 

and vice versa. Use dark color backgrounds with light jewelry, as well as the opposite.

* Imagery Sells: pages pulled from magazines or books will help you 'Tell A Fashion Story':
Pair high fashion shots of shoes, handbags, and dresses with color-coordinated jewelry.
Use the images laying flat, create a collage on the wall behind a jewelry display, and

bend images around vases and boxes to add 3-D effects to the display.
See my ideas for using paper in jewelry displays.

*Sell The Dream: Breakfast at Tiffanys. Need I say more?
Well, YES! See what I have to say about merchandising in the iconic film set.

*Be Original: Use fixtures and props that create and express your brand image.
See what this vintage show vendor did that made me stop in my tracks...
and this vintage show vendor who created a gallery-quality booth.

 and this boutique's unique solutions for presenting such tiny products in a BIG way.

Now you have the tools and ideas to improve your jewelry presentation...
get in there and FOOF IT UP for all of the daughters, sons, husbands, and dads

who are desperately looking for inspiration for a Mother's Day gift!

connect with me on social media:

Forward-Thinking Design

I stumbled across this image that I snapped at the Seattle Gift Show back in 2009...
it's the Lollia booth, located on the Skybridge between the North and South halls of the Washington State Convention Center.

I love everything about this booth design and displays. Everything.

It perfectly fits the feminine nature of the product line and the brand image. It reflects the burgeoning (even in 2009) style of using reclaimed materials in displays. The tight color palette is crisp and clear and does not distract from the products. The curvy table legs and chandeliers and wallpaper motif again reflect the brand's feminine aspect. And chandeliers? HELLO? In 2009, they were just about the hottest design motif in Christendom. There's light to draw you in. There's a spaciousness that allows everything to be seen at a glance - but enough detail to draw you closer. Nothing is jarring or distracting - your eye goes EXACTLY where they want it to go: dead center.

Perfection. And forward-thinking, because this tradeshow booth display would work just as well today as it did five years ago. And it could be replicated in every store that carries these products. That's good design.

Tips & Tricks for your Trade Show Displays

 It's gift show season again, 

and for those of you who participate as exhibitors/vendors,

here's a re-run of a post I wrote a few years ago

For Trade Show Exhibitors

In it, I offer up some tips, tricks, ideas and information

about how to maximize your presence at shows,

using some of the marketing opportunities offered by management.

And just exactly what those 'Exhibitor Display' areas are for!

Having created exhibitor/vendor displays & seminars at the 

Denver, Seattle, San Francisco, and Portland Gift Shows,

I've seen the good, the bad, and the ridiculous -

click the link above to read all about it.

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