Artistic Signs, Sign Supplies, Street Art and Sign Depot at SGIA

Let the Networking Begin – SGIA Expo 2012

Las Vegas was a whirlwind of excitement and the SGIA Expo had a lot to do with it.  Sign Depot was invited to attend the SGIA Expo at the Las Vegas Convention Centre, and I knew I needed to make the most of it.  It is not very often that you are surrounded by thousands of people in your industry, including suppliers, attendees and leaders in the Sign and Print Industry.  Navigating my way through the crowd was the easy part.  Finding ways to leave an impression on those I spoke with was what I set out to do.

The video above was only half of the crowd.  I was on a landing and there was a second level of the show behind me.  The SGIA Expo was an enormous trade show with over 22,000 people registered and I was determined to get Sign Depot’s custom artistic signs on the radar of those in attendance.

Finding Your Niche

To get a good feel for the show I started by visiting some of our equipment suppliers.  I found out what they had planned for new year and to see what new products would be available to Canadian Sign Shops.  Knowing all the new materials that would soon be available gave me a good idea on how Sign Depot could incorporate their new items into our artistic signs.  We always strive to be sign innovators because we want your custom sign to stand out and be noticed.

I also asked the suppliers what most attending the show were looking for info wise so I could be ready to converse about the hot topics happening at SGIA.  With a good idea of what those at the SGIA Expo were looking for, I was off and running.  Well, not running but ready to network my way across the sign industry.

Interestingly enough many had heard of Sign Depot and the work that was happening at our Kitchener Ontario workshop.  It was the article in Sign Media about the Award Winning Beertown Sign that made us recognizable in USA. Not only was it a great jumping off point, I was able to elaborate further about the custom signs Sign Depot manufactures and how working with our wholesale sign department could bring them a whole new revenue stream.  This was of interest to many and I found my ID badge being scanned for further contact info over and over.  Knowing the niche market I was targeting made all the difference.

Finding The Fun  

All work and no play would take all the fun out of artistic sign making.  Choosing to stay on top of trends and looking for new sign innovations is fantastic but a little outside inspiration can go a long way.  So I decided to take it to the streets!

Watching some of the live demonstrations reminded me of the Sign Depot workshop.  It is always great to see those in the sign industry show their skills, but after the SGIA Expo I decided I needed some real outside inspiration too.

Where else but Las Vegas can you find artists creating right in front of you? 

They say What Happens In Vegas, Stays In Vegas but I think these signs are meant to be displayed for all to see.  I think you may recognize a few.

 But it seems where ever I go, I always manage to find a pirate ship.

Do you attend conferences and events in your industry?  Let us know your experiences.  Leave a comment below, send us a tweet, or post your comment on our facebook page.  We want to know if it made an impact on your business.