Industry veteran receives prestigious industry award

 

CARLSBAD, CALIFORNIA — Dec. 5,  2017–  Jay Burkette was given the 2017  Ambassador Award at EDPA Access 2017.   Jay Burkette  is the Vice President of ExpoDisplays and has over 30 years of trade show experience.  He was honored for his contributions at the Annual Dinner on December 1 in a ceremony in Carlsbad, California.   Each year, five different awards are given to recognize amazing work in the industry.  The Ambassador Award acknowledges an EDPA member who has made an outstanding contribution to the organization and the industry.

 

 

Jay Burkette said of the honor,  “I am not often at a loss for words, but at the recent bestowing of  EDPA’s 2017 Ambassador Award,  “I was totally caught off guard. To be recognized in this manner by your EDPA peers is an honor that I will not soon forget.”  Jay resides in Tampa, Florida with his wife Suzie of 38 years.  They have 2 sons and 4 grandchildren.  Jay is also an accomplished stained / fused glass artisan and regularly donates art for the annual EDPA Foundation silent auction, which provides grants, scholarships and financial support to those within the trade show industry.

 

About EDPA

Founded in 1954,  The Experiential Designers and Producers Association (EDPA) is recognized internationally and serves thousands of professional members representing more than 300 corporations across 18 countries.

About ExpoDisplays

Since 1970, ExpoDisplays has been serving the trade show industry as an American Manufacturer. ExpoDisplays is a World-Class exhibit house in Birmingham, Alabama with a 47 year track record of creating extraordinary exhibits. ExpoDisplays is the manufacturer of the MultiQuad® exhibit system.

Contact

Terri Parker

205-439-8213

Terri@ExpoDisplays.com

 

 

 

Procrastination?  Last minute show?  Emergency?  We’ve all been there.  We’ve chosen a few of our favorite fail-safe kits to keep up your sleeve just for the occasion.  Because a quick decision still needs to be a smart one.

 

 

Evolution® 9′ Flat Wall  View Pop-Up

• Pop Up
• Clean, simple background
• QuickSet™ Light system
• Easy set up

 

 

 

ExpoLight™ Light boxes  View 

Whether massing a few of the same size, one of each size or using them as stand alone pieces, our back lit boxes are a simple but bright solution for the show floor.

 

 

 

Does it get any more simple than that?

 

 

 

Office Christmas parties aren’t boring obligations around here.   At ExpoDisplays, it’s something we LOVE to do and believe it’s a wise investment into our employees and their families.   Being a group of designers and makers of things raises the the level of expectation for our Christmas Event.  Plastic bows and a tray of chicken nuggets just won’t cut it.  We’re all about the theme.

This year’s Christmas Event was themed “Flapjacks and Flannels,” with red and black buffalo plaid adorning the guests, the interior, tables and pretty much every corner of our showroom.  A big breakfast spread and the invitation for super casual jeans and flannels pumped up the attendance this year.  Nevermind, this is how half of our employees dress every day. But it was nice to add the other half to the mix of us to that mix. The matching plaid parents and kids was a cute addition!  Guests were greeted with a donut decorating table to tide them over until the buffet style meal began.  With tons of sprinkles, M&Ms, frosting, pretzels the mess made by 68 kids was a yummy mess if anything.  Here’s the complete menu for the event:

 

• Eggs 
• Sausage
• Gouda Grits
• Waffle Bar with all of the trimmings
• Hashbrown casserole
• Donut bar
• Pancake dippers
• Coffee
• OJ
• Bacon – of course!

 

The breakfast spread was an unusual twist to traditional office party fair.  Games to keep the kids busy while they waited on Santa included a Santa Hat ring toss, Jingle Bell toss and a station to decorate ornaments.   We set up a fun photo booth with props snagged on Amazon.

 

We decided in the spirit of giving that we would make available some of our cute printables we used for
the party. Who doesn’t like kitschy little signs and free downloadables, right? Take a look at some of the signs we had hanging around our showroom and feel free to download them for yourself!

 

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Downloads      

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As a graphic designer who previously worked at  printing companies that dealt mostly with 2d, flat mediums, I was anxious about starting my career at ExpoDisplays. The company seemed like a great fit, but I had only minimal knowledge of what the trade show industry was about. My knowledge stopped at banner stands and pop ups. However, that was part of the appeal. Turns out, there’s a lot I can learn by getting out of my comfort zone.

In an industry this big, it’s impossible to know it all. However, working as a marketing designer in at ExpoDisplays, I have picked up a few things in the last year about exhibit design and the trade show industry. Here are some of the highlights:

 

• Navigating trade show terminology is much like playing Oregon trail video game. 
• Drayage is not something that involves water (like I previously thought- seriously) 
• Trade show displays are more than banner stands and pop ups. Our custom exhibits absolutely blew my mind. I had no idea there was such a thing as a 2 story trade show exhibit. Whether it be an interactive exhibit, an exhibit that involves a LED car game, or a fully functional waterfall, the bounds we are willing to push creatively as a company is out of this world. 

Designing graphics for a booth is MUCH more difficult than I expected. As a graphic designer with a background in various forms of 2d media design, it was a hard concept to grasp designing something that had space, dimension and walls. Doing it really well and maintaining the design intent, however, is an entirely different proposition.

The booth design is as, if not more, important than the graphics that go on it. To me, designing graphics that enhance and compliment the already established booth or display is what makes the final piece so engaging. No level of graphic masterpiece can cover up a poorly designed booth. Similarly, a well designed and thought out exhibit can be diminished if the graphics are sub par.

Collaboration is key. As a marketing graphic designer, most of my projects focus on designing things for the company. How do you design a trade show booth for a trade show company that is exhibiting at a trade show for trade shows? Right?! The answer is: A lot of collaboration, brainstorming sessions, mistakes, patience, and coffee.

The value of a good team.  From carpenters, to dealer support, sales and of course the designers, it has been eye opening at the various ways creativity and innovation surface. 

Every job comes with its own experiences and unique lessons that stick with you throughout your life.  I’m still a work in progress, and hope I always will be. Im thankful for a work place that I’m able to learn not only my job, but all facets of design and creativity. The atmosphere is conducive for creativity and I think its evident in our success. When you mistake work for fun, you know you’re where you’re suppose to be.

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– Jordan Morrow