Turn On Your Imagination

Check out the conclusion of our new video series — "Turn On Your Imagination," where you can meet the staff and learn what CDP is all about!

New Product Spotlight

Glass Block Panels Go retro with our Glass Block Panels! These sturdy, thermo-plastic units are modular and lightweight for ultimate flexibility. Perfect for any lighting configuration, this product will make your presentation pop! Weekly Rental Price 2'x4' — $145 4'x4' — $275

Almond Light Box Get your message out in a whole new way! Our Almond Light Box is a free-standing graphics carrier that displays your branding with flair. Easy setup and built-in lighting make display a snap! Weekly Rental Price $650 (graphics extra) Dimensions 73"H x 52"W x 12"D

Ask the Expert

Welcome to Ask The Expert, our brand-new column where we answer your show-related questions. My name is Spencer Hill, and with many years in the entertainment industry, I know the ins and outs of the business and want to help you have the best project possible. Please send your questions to expert@conceptdesigninc.com and maybe your question will be featured in next month's issue!

Q: How do I light your products?

A: Most of our products are constructed from plastics, fabrics, and metals. These materials take theatrical light wonderfully. For example, our CyTower is constructed using dual-frost acrylic to take the light, diffuse it, and disperse the colors thoughout for a great look. Other elements with tensioned white poly-blend fabrics provide amazing lighting as well as projection surfaces. Backlighting works fabulously. LED wash fixtures along the ground, from the air, or on trees work well and give a lot of color control. Arc-source moving head wash units would be another great option with deep color saturation. My favorite thing to do is backlight an element with a bold color and then apply a fuzzed-out gobo pattern from the front for a cool effect. For a more budget minded approach, use a Wide Source 4 Par (or Parnell) on a baseplate up-lighting behind the elements with a nice bold color gel. These fixtures, or their generic counterparts, have a great size to punch ratio and look high tech even in view of the audience. Always keep in mind how much ambient light will be in your room. In a dark ballroom where you have complete control, you can do a whole lot with a few fixtures. A brightly lit tradeshow floor will take far more instruments to get the same intensity.

Five Tips for Emailing
Busy People

We receive tons of email every day. From coworkers to friends to spammers, our inboxes are flooded with more messages than we can shake a stick at! It's no surprise then that our correspondence can also get lost in the morass. So how do you make sure you stand out from the crowd? And how can you get a response from the people that do see your message but ignore it anyway? Check out these five tips and learn how to email the busy people in your life and get results:

An e-mail is more likely to get a response if it is short and to the point. In our technology-saturated world, people are busier than ever and must often wade through countless emails every day. Make it easy on your readers by providing a clear, descriptive subject and text that is concise. When you respect your recipient's time, you stand out from the crowd and ensure that you'll get a quick response.

Different people require different approaches. Take the time to learn about your audience before you hit 'send' to guarantee your message is well received. Is your recipient creative? Make your case using descriptive language that inspires and paints a vivid mental picture. Do you need to connect with a tech wiz? Learn the basic industry terms and use them correctly. Craft your message to fit your reader and your emails will get the results you desire.

Are you the type of person who send dozens of emails just to "check in?" If so, you can guarantee that your readers are hitting delete just as fast. Respect your readers and only send an email if it's to communicate important or timely information. No spam, ever. Try to send only to people with whom you have an existing relationship. Your tactful use of the outbox will build loyalty and respect — things that go a long way in preserving great business relationships.

Before you email a busy associate, try to find the answer to your questions on your own. You'd be surprised how many problems you can solve independently if you try. When you just can't move forward without a response, take the extra moment to think about all the related questions that may come up so that you can address them in one shot. The last thing anyone wants is an email volley that never ends!

Flattery goes a long way! When you express a positive attitude to a busy supervisor or associate, he or she may be more likely to respond. Always thank your recipient for their time and consideration. On the same token, be careful not to overdo it either. If you follow up every email with a superfluous "thanks" you might just find yourself on the business end of the delete key. By showing appreciation (with tactful restraint), you will be equipped to communicate with even the most unreachable of people!

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