Bradley H. Smith >

Recommended (awesome) vendor #3: 3DL Design – tradeshow exhibits and displays

Tradeshows are expensive. Period.

You REALLY need a vendor that you can trust. I have used 3DL since 1992. Their guidance through the world’s second largest tradeshow – RSNA – shaped my success for tradeshows forever.

Why they are awesome.

• Creative with design, traffic flow and pricing.
• Listen to my ideas and build on them.
• At show support – INCLUDING the show’s damn paperwork.
• Great people. They type you WANT to do business with.

http://3dldesign.com/index.php

Kathleen Ard,  262.842.0530

 

EXAMPLES: They take my napkin doodles and make them real.

Large scale: 20' x 60' x 24' tall, conference room and product workstations. I need to compete with GE, Siemens etc in medical imaging. 

 

Small scale: I actually DID give them a skecth on a cocktail napkin for these kiosks. They built my design exactly > http://bhsmith.typepad.com/ibradleyblog/2011/04/inline-booths-are-very-challenging-to-create-and-work-here-is-what-i-found-to-work-well-.html

Recommended (awesome) vendor #2: Facilitations for promotional items – “tchotchkes”

Promotional items vendors are dime-a-dozen… as well as many via mail order. I have used Facilitations, based in Acton, MA for over ten years.  

Why they are awesome.

•  Face-to-face (and Skype) meetings – as the costs for promo items can go into the multiple thousands of dollars, I REALLY like to know the vendor.
• Brings exact samples of the product – I can touch the quality.
•  Very, very good prices.
• They triple check  your art and can adjust to fit the exact application. Different materials (ceramic, cloth, plastic) have different graphic attributes.
• Great people. They type you WANT to do business with.

www.facilitations.com

Tom Wachtell, Owner tel 978.263.8589

 

EXAMPLES:

http://bhsmith.typepad.com/ibradleyblog/2011/04/everyone-toasted-my-brand-at-the-industry-annual-evening-cocktail-event.html

http://bhsmith.typepad.com/ibradleyblog/2011/04/speaking-of-tchotchkes-put-your-marketing-messaging-and-logo-on-the-back-of-the-t-shirt-people-wont-.html

http://bhsmith.typepad.com/ibradleyblog/2011/04/turn-your-tradeshow-tuchotchke-into-an-conference-souvenir-and-attendees-are-guaranteed-to-grab-and-.html

 

Recommended (awesome) vendor #1: Liverpool Litho, commercial printer - perfect for B2B

I have used Liverpool Litho, based in Syracuse, NY, for almost twenty years - across four jobs in three cities including InfiMed, MUNCmedia, Shareholder.com and NASDAQ OMX

Why they are awesome.

•  Excellent quality, mid size presses and smaller. Copy business too.
•  Very, very good prices.
• Direct file to press (both digital and traditonal offset plating).
• They PROOFREAD your work PREPRESS. That has saved my ass more times than I would like to admit.
• Exceptional work ethic. Very polished.
• Great people. They type you WANT to do business with.

http://liverpoollitho.com/homepage.html

Tom Wallace, Owner 315 457-7007 > twallace@liverpoollitho.com

Their head of graphics and prepress, Jane Sadler, is a dream to work with. 

 

Placesettings for an industry luncheon of 1,500. I had them print 4 over 4 on very thick stock with slits to lock the roll together.  Smiling faces on the outside, logos and testimonials on the inside.