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Spring 2004

Creative Booth Design has Chickens Flying the Coop
George E. Fern Company Wins "Best of Show" Award at 2004 Exhibitor Show
Invitation to Associations - New offering for your members!
Taking the Journey...to the West Coast
Recognizing 28 Years of Exceptional Service
New Image Gallery Offers A Sampling of Capabilities
Focus on a Facility: Multi-Million Dollar Expansion at Memphis Cook Convention Center
Partnering for Success

The Industry Speaks

Archived Newsletters


Creative Booth Design has Chickens Flying the Coop

When the Unified Foodservice Purchasing Co-op, LLC (UFPC) came to the George E. Fern Company, they were in need of a completely new concept for their display at the annual Association of Kentucky Fried Chicken Franchisees Convention.
“Under the UFPC there are eight separate departments, each representing different services that we provide to the KFC system,” said KFC’s

Judie Foltz. “In previous years all of our departments have had their own separate booths. For this year’s convention, we wanted everything to be together in the same booth.” The UFPC manages the supply chain for all corporate- and most franchise-owned A&W, KFC, Long John Silver’s, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell restaurant outlets in the United States. This convention was for the KFC portion of this group.


The display area was 20' x 40' in size, utilized the corporate colors and stayed within the brand guidelines for the UFPC. Each of the eight departments of the UFPC (insurance, distribution, program management, purchasing, multi-branding, equipment sales, small wares connection and resource service) had their own section and information kiosk within the booth.

In the center of the booth was a separate enclosed room, or a chicken coop as they liked to call it during the show, filled with stuffed toy chickens used as promotional giveaways for visitors to the booth. The George E. Fern Company constructed chutes from the coop to a counter where visitors could reach in and get a stuffed toy chicken to take home. Nearly 2,000 toy chickens were given away during the convention!

“When we began designing the booth, we knew we had a lot of dimensions that needed to be incorporated, yet we didn’t want the booth to seem cluttered and too busy,” said Shirley Soltis, corporate meetings and displays manager for the George E. Fern Company. “Each of the eight departments were represented nicely and the chicken coop was a fun touch. The booth turned out wonderfully and looked great on the show floor.”

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George E. Fern Company Wins "Best of Show" Award at 2004 Exhibitor Show

Let us make your event the greatest show on earth was the theme for the George E. Fern Company’s exhibit that took home the “Best of Show” award at this year’s Exhibitor Show® held in Las Vegas at the Mandalay Convention Center March 15-17. The George E. Fern Company’s display was selected from among 315 exhibits at the show.

 

Professionals from all segments of the exhibit and corporate event industry judged these displays. There were several criteria for which the “Best of Show” display was chosen:
· Corporate identification
· Layout and use of booth space
· Design and use of color and materials
· Booth staff – dress and interaction with attendees
· Presentation of product or services


Held annually, the Exhibitor Show® is now in its 16th year and is the industry’s largest exposition of trade show and event resources. During the show there are hundreds of sessions dedicated to educating and furthering the skills required of attendees, exhibitors and other tradeshow/event organizers.

“Our winning booth design was very unusual, yet it beautifully conveyed all of the services we offer to exhibit and corporate meeting managers,” said Account Executive Shirley Soltis.

The George E. Fern Company’s display consisted of a vintage circus theme, bold colors and even mannequins dressed in authentic vintage circus attire – including one mannequin balancing on his hands while rotating. “This award-winning display is just another demonstration of how George Fern services and staff can help make your exhibit or entire tradeshow or corporate meeting the ‘greatest show on earth,’” said Soltis.

George E. Fern employees got “into character” to coordinate with the booth theme. There was a clown and even a Ring Master. The rest of the staffs’ outfits matched the bold décor and colors used in the booth, and popcorn was served.

George E. Fern’s corporate identification was integrated throughout the booth, from prominent placement on headers at the top of the booth to the front of the counters. All of the services the George E. Fern Company offers were also strategically included in the graphics on the booth.


 

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Invitation to Associations - New offering for your members!

The George E. Fern Company has recently updated the “Display Products” section of its website and is offering a 10% discount to members of any association who purchase displays or display products through our website. Why not offer your association members the opportunity to buy displays or display products at a discounted rate by placing the following link on your association’s website in the member services section?

For the purchase of displays and display products, available to members, at a discount,
go to http://www.geofern.com/disp_pr.htm

To learn more about this offer, contact your George E. Fern Company account executive or Shirley Soltis at 816-221-0525. This offer is available to current association clients of the George E. Fern Company as well as other associations that wish to provide an added benefit to their members. The offer is limited to items purchased (not rented) from the “Display Products” section of the George E. Fern Company website.

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Taking the Journey...to the West Coast

The theme, “Taking the Journey Together,” resonated during the entire joint conference of the nation’s two largest professional associations on aging, the American Society on Aging (ASA) and the National Coalition on the Aging (NCOA), held April 14-17 in the Hilton San Francisco in San Francisco, CA. There were approximately 4,000 attendees from various groups and organizations that work with the elderly. There were over 800 sessions offered and 200 booths for attendees to visit.

“This show has grown tremendously over the years,” said Jennifer Fiske, account executive for the George E. Fern Company. “It started out as a grassroots effort and has become a very professional show that is vital to its industry.” Fiske has been working with the show since 1988.

A new addition to the show this year was the International Art Gallery. One of the biggest challenges for Fiske and her team was setting this up and making it work.

“Jennifer was a great asset to the show. She and her team are so creative,” said Brooke Scallion, marketing and development coordinator for the ASA. “This was the first year for the International Art Gallery, and the George E. Fern Company helped everything come together. It looked wonderful on the floor.”

The annual conference will be held in Philadelphia next year.

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Recognizing 28 Years of Exceptional Service

On March 23, Indianapolis mayor Bart Peterson presented the Indianapolis Convention and Visitors Association’s annual ROSE awards to outstanding members of the hospitality industry. The George E. Fern Company’s own Sam “Sammie” Johnson was among the honored recipients. Johnson was one of 12 chosen from 67 nominees this year.


The ROSE (Recognition of Service Excellence) awards honor Indianapolis’ official and unofficial city ambassadors, those in hospitality service-related industries who positively influence a visitor’s experience during their time in Indianapolis such as cab drivers, front desk workers in hotels, rental car agents and others who work with visitors on a daily basis.

Johnson has worked for the George Fern Company since 1972 as a trade show decorator. He enjoys setting up and laying out shows. “I love to work and I love doing my job,” said Johnson.

The George E. Fern Company has been a pre-senting sponsor of this event since its inception 13 years ago. They provide the backdrop draperies, stage carpeting and skirting, registration and signage.

“The George E. Fern Company has also been involved in the ROSE Awards committee meetings and the development of the annual themes including entertainment, decor and all technical aspects since the show’s inception 13 years ago,” said Tom Drullinger, account executive for the George E. Fern Company. “This has been a labor of love for our Indianapolis staff for many years and it’s such an honor for one of our own to win this prestigious award.”

Winners were chosen by a panel of community leaders based on their knowledge of the workplace, courtesy to customers, either behind-the-scenes or one-on-one, and the ability to exceed expectations. The 13th annual event was held in the Sagamore Ballroom in the Indiana Convention Center.

 

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New Image Gallery Offers A Sampling of Capabilities

The “Image Gallery,” a recent addition to the new and improved George E. Fern Company web site, is designed specifically for clients to view a sampling of the company’s design capabilities. The “Image Gallery” is meant to give show managers and exhibitors ideas to bring to their shows or events.

The photos and graphics in the “Image Gallery” show a portion of the George E. Fern Company’s capabilities. In this section of the web site, visitors can view design concepts for kiosks, registration areas, displays, entrance units, technical drawings and various graphics.

To learn more about what the George E. Fern Company can do for you, contact your account executive or call 888-621-3376.


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Focus on a Facility: Multi-Million Dollar Expansion at Memphis Cook Convention Center



The Memphis Cook Convention Center has been undergoing a $92-million renovation.
In 1995, with a goal in mind of bringing major meetings and conventions to town, the convention center board and mayor of Memphis decided it was time for the facility to be upgraded. The city of Memphis spent approximately $2 billion in development for downtown and the convention center. The convention center is located on the downtown trolley line and is within walking distance of numerous hotels, attractions and world-famous Beale Street.


The complex includes 190,000 square feet of column-free exhibit space; space for more than 650 10' x 10' booths; 31 breakout rooms ranging in seating for 10 to 1,000; a 2,100-seat acoustically superior performing arts center; a 35,000-square-foot exhibit hall (the South Hall) and a 28,000-square-foot ballroom with an adjoining kitchen. The Cannon Center for the Performing Arts is also located within the Memphis Cook Convention Center, home of the Memphis Symphony Orchestra.

Built in 1924 for a cost of $3 million, the original Ellis Auditorium was so advanced for its time that another facility wasn’t needed for another 50 years. It featured a moveable stage that was entirely electric and (according to a period brochure) took a mere 12 hours to move! In 1974 the Memphis Cook Convention Center was built as an attachment to the auditorium and was marked as one of the first major projects meant to revitalize downtown Memphis.

For information, call the Memphis Cook Convention Center at 800-726-0915 or George E. Fern Company at 615-246-0357.

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Partnering for Success

The George E. Fern Company serves as the official exposition contractor for more than 800 events annually. Here is a partial list of upcoming events...

o RSSI (Railway System Suppliers, Inc.) – 2005 in Omaha, NE and 2006 in Louisville, KY.

o National Quartet Convention – 2004, 2005 and 2006 in Louisville, KY.

o Gen Con Indy – 2004 and 2005, Indianapolis, IN.

o Gen Con Socal – 2004 and 2005, Anaheim, CA.

o Star Wars II Celebration – 2005, Indianapolis, IN.

o Blish Mize Spring Market – 2005, 2006 & 2007 in Overland Park, KS.

o Blish Mize Fall Market – 2005, 2006 & 2007 in Kansas City, MO.

o National Youth Workers Convention – 2004 in Anaheim, CA; Dallas, TX; and Atlanta, GA. 2005 in Sacramento, CA; Pittsburgh, PA; and Nashville, TN.

o GLADA Car Show & Sale – 2004, 2005 & 2006 in Louisville, KY.

o Midwest Turf Expo – 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 & 2008 in Indianapolis, IN.

o Vision 2005/2006/2007 – 2005, 2006 & 2007 in Overland Park, KS.

o Forge Fair – 2006 in Cincinnati, OH.

o Charlotte International Auto Show – 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 & 2009 in Charlotte, NC.

o Volleyball Championships (National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association) – 2004 in Charlotte, NC and 2005 in Kansas City, MO.

o Association of Rotational Molders – 2004 in Cleveland, OH.

o American Association of Bovine Practitioners – 2004 in Ft. Worth, TX; 2005 in Salt Lake City, UT; 2006 in St. Paul, MN; 2007 in Vancouver, BC and 2008 in Charlotte, NC.

o United Fashion Focus – 2004 in Uncasville, CT.

o Davidson Fashion Focus – 2004 in Seven Springs, PA.

o Barnum Fashion Focus – 2004 in Cleveland, OH.

o Macon Fashion Focus – 2004 in Atlanta, GA.

o Service Fashion Focus – 2004 in Covington, KY.

o Loeffler Fashion Focus – 2004 in Buffalo, NY.

o Heil Fashion Focus – 2004 in Paducah, KY.

o Davidson Fashion Focus – 2004 in Winston-Salem, NC.

o Reading Recovery Conference of North America – 2004, 2005 & 2006 in Columbus, OH.

o National Taxidermy Industry Tradeshow – 2004, 2005 & 2006 in Louisville, KY.

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The Industry Speaks


“Your staff responded faster, better and with greater efficiency than any of your competitors could have possibly done, and as you know,
I have worked with all of your competitors.”

John Short
UMKC Design/Build Competition at Union Station
Show Site: Kansas City

“Thank you for the tremendous job you performed in support of the 2004 Arnold Fitness Weekend. The many ways the weekend expanded were coordinated by you with great professionalism, dedication and much hard work.”
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Fitness Weekend 2004
Show Site: Columbus, Ohio

“... Signage, décor and other general contracting work for a show of this size can be very complicated. You and your staff proved that it could be done very well... It was a relief to know that on the other end of the radio was the prompt, professional and helpful George E. Fern team.”
Jared Cohen
American Association of School Librarians
11th National Conference and Exhibition
Show Site: Kansas City

“Of all the great collaborations throughout the ages, none has come close to the one that exists between the George E. Fern Company and the American Correctional Association. Your hard work, dedication, attention to detail and so much more that goes on behind-the-scenes, all helped to make my job so much more effortless.”
Marge Restivo
American Correctional Association
Show Site: Nashville, TN

 

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