Van Rogers was definitely a quirky guy from another era.  Sporting a ten gallon hat and a waxed moustache, Rogers was hailed on trade show floors as “The Colonel”.

But Rogers was a visionary in the industry recognizing the need early on for standards and professionalism. He was a founder of the Exhibit Designers & Producers Association (ED&PA) and was involved in the creation of the National Trade Show Exhibitors Association (NTSEA).

In this video, Jeffrey Blackwell speaks about Van Rogers and his impact on the business.

Related video: The Rogers Company Celebrates 65 Years

The Rogers Company is marking an important milestone in the company’s history by celebrating its 65th anniversary in 2010. This makes the designer and builder of trade show exhibits and other branded environments one of the most experienced and well-respected companies in the trade show arena.  You can watch an interview with Jeff Blackwell, president of Rogers by clicking on the image above.

Van Rensselaer Rogers first established Rogers Display Studios, Inc. at the Old Arcade in downtown Cleveland after returning from Hollywood and a stint with Walt Disney. Van Rogers became a true force within the trade show industry, easily recognized with his iconic ten-gallon Stetson hat and waxed mustache. He was a founder of the Exhibit Designers & Producers Association (ED&PA) and was involved in the creation of the National Trade Show Exhibitors Association (NTSEA). In 1972 Van Rogers sold his company to NESCO Inc. which continues to own The Rogers Company today.

[Photo:  Van Rogers poses with Horace Power, a character he created for Reliance Electric]

Rogers is currently headquartered in Mentor, Ohio utilizing a 150,000 sq/ft facility to design and build custom trade show exhibits for companies all over the world. The company also has an extensive rental inventory allowing it to accommodate a wide range of budgets.

“Over the 65 years we’ve been in business, the trade show industry has changed tremendously,” said Jeffrey Blackwell, president of Rogers. “We’ve continuously evolved with the times in terms of technology, materials, design tools, and engineering. The only thing that hasn’t changed is our intense commitment to exceptional customer service.”

Rogers recently launched Return on Exhibiting, a new service to help companies achieve 100% post-show lead follow-up in order to maximize their trade show ROI. Return on Exhibiting represents the company’s core principals and is just the latest expansion of services to better meet the needs of their clients. Blackwell sees the move as a natural extension of Rogers’ service oriented culture.

“We have always provided our clients with complete transparency in terms of their billing and we have also worked with them to ensure they are getting the very best value for their money,” he says. “Today, we’re bringing that service full circle and helping clients maximize their post-show activity and further increase their trade show ROI.” Another Rogers innovation has been the company’s launch of Tradeshowfeed.com in April of 2008. This thought-leadership website serves as an information and exhibitor advocacy resource for the wide range of marketing executives and staff that participate in trade shows.

The Rogers Company engineers creative solution for
Saint-Gobain Performance Plastic’s ONESuit® at major trade show

Maximizing booth space, engaging attendees, and staying under budget are top priorities for many clients of The Rogers Company. Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics, a leader in materials technology, was no exception when it faced the challenge of exhibiting its line of ONESuit® hazmat suits at 2009’s FDIC. Read the full story

The process of going to a tradeshow is never easy — for an individual or a company.  Whether it’s travel, organizing staff or setting up a booth, just the shear logistics of getting there can be a distraction from why you went in the first place.   The Rogers Company has tried to alleviate this just a little bit by providing a guide to streamlining the design, build and delivery process for trade show booths.  We’re not all designers, but if we think like one when we’re working with one it could make life a whole lot easier. Read the full story

Going green in a booth design may seem like a luxury, particularly in today’s economy.  Rogers eBook Exhibiting Green offers some tips on booth strategies that are good for the planet and also save time and money.  Download the PDF to read more… Read the full story

We noticed that a big destination for visitors to the site has been our Design Trends category.  Here are some of our most popular articles in that category for your reading pleasure:

5 Ways to Take Advantage of Tension Fabric
3D Brochure
Rogers Posts Free E-Book on Green Tradeshow Design
Free E-Book on Tradeshow Design from Rogers
Less is More in Norway

Tension fabric systems are great. They’re lightweight, easy to ship and store, and changing logos, images, and colors is a snap. So why do some booths completely miss the point of this fantastic design tool and building material? Companies who use tension fabric systems tend to recreate the square boxes that they’ve always called home at tradeshows. When we’re presented with a versatile technology we tend to see it as a better version of something old but we don’t let our imaginations really sore with it. Here are some ways to go above and beyond with tension fabric: Read the full story

So while we’re not sure entirely how this works, it’s darned cool. It’s the closest thing to fully interactive holograms bridging the gap between the online world and the cyber realm.
The applications seem endless. There’s definitely a “Wow!” factor here but after the dust settle, it seems like there could be some very practical applications at trade shows as well as in sales.

Sukki Jahnke of the Rogers Company speaks at Event Expo in Cleveland on exhibit design and how Rogers helps its clients build business. There are a whole slew of videos from the event hosted on New Image Media’s website. Read the full story

Here are some very cool pics from the Euroshop in Düsseldorf this past February. The show is focused, obviously, on retail environments but there are all kinds of great ideas for any kind of branded spaces. It being a tradeshow itself, Euroshop is also a great place to see how these design ideas play in a tradeshow environment.

So a question out to our readers: Why are European tradeshows so much more dynamic looking than their American counterparts? Leave you comments below past the pictures. Enjoy! Read the full story