From a recently published article – Todd Koren – Leading Absolute Exhibits

‘Absolute Exhibits produces trade show displays and exhibits for rental and sale, as well as providing both exhibit design and graphic design services and tradeshow marketing consultation. It is a single source exhibit house for all trade show and convention related needs. AE services clients throughout the world including Brazil, Germany, U.K., India, Japan and here at home, in the USA. We pride ourselves by helping our foreign clients to exhibit in the United States successfully and stress free. This is accomplished through the use of international based sales people who both understand local business culture and are experts at exhibiting in the United States.’

Todd Koren leads Absolute Exhibits in partnership with his parents. AE has three locations, their headquarters in Tustin, California, the major fabrication plant and project management offices in Las Vegas, and the newest office/fabrication plant in Orlando. Todd is the company visionary along with overseeing the more practical aspects of operations, manufacturing, and accounting.

Todd – “I had a vision while still in college of developing a business incorporating my dad’s incredible sales abilities into a sales team in the trade show industry. We opened our doors in August 2000 as an Abex distributor and within a year we were the largest Abex distributor in the United States. I knew the key to the trade show industry was marketing and we did so with a vengeance.”

As in every aspect of American life September 11 changed our industry. Shows were cancelled and postponed and with that the orders going to those shows. Todd analyzed the situation and decided that AE needed to add an I&D company into our service package and having worked with outside rental companies, he moved rentals to in-house.

Todd – “It was really a move forward or expire situation. Clients and prospects were falling by the wayside, really in a paralytic state. People were going to the show with exhibits that they already owned so we needed to offer installation and dismantle services, refurbishment, and rental extras.”

Although building a client database in a slow and steady fashion it became apparent that it was time for a great leap forward. AE needed to provide full rental exhibits as was being done in all of the rest of the world for the past decade.

Todd – “I first traveled to Paris for the JEC Show and realized that everyone was renting their exhibit. Then to London to ICE and I saw the same. We were already working with MERO-TSK in Germany and when they approached AE to be their USA master distributor I saw the moment clearly. We would build rental exhibits based on their systems – a sort of tinker toy approach – where everything came back into our warehouse and was disassembled, restocked, and made ready for re-use.”

Along with Todd’s vision came a new reality. AE began to add foreign speaking sales personnel in their domestic offices and internationally as well. AE became a resource for many international pavilions. Many clients both foreign and domestic jumped on board as AE was a real source for the complete project.

Todd – “Here was the twist. Internationally most rental exhibits are “turn and burn.” That did not fit into my education in respect to the environment. We had to create exhibits that were modern, creative, environmentally sound, and would meet the clients’ needs. Using systems from Mero-TSK and adding custom panels and accessories completely changed what we could offer on the tradeshow floor. Our rental inventory also helped us through the recession so that we could be price competitive for our clients and prospective customers that we met on the show floor. People have needed help to remain as exhibitors on the show floor as did all of the people that worked for us. Now that we are through the worst of it I can say that how we ran our business may not have been pretty, and our bottom line was always hedging towards pink if not red, but we are still standing and have kept 75 families employed through the recession.”

Moving forward Absolute Exhibits is now building in Europe, Asia, and Central and South America. AE clients leaving the USA now can work with the AE design team and account representatives to insure great exhibits across the world.

Todd – “I have spent countless hours talking to and visiting with foreign exhibition builders. No client is ever left on their own in a foreign country and somebody will always speak English with them onsite. I know the frustration of working in a country where virtually no one has spoken English and we will not put our clients into that situation.”

Signing with Absolute Exhibits brings you an entire team of dedicated workers – your account executive, production coordinator, exhibit designer, graphic artist, and installation and dismantle director all ready to take your calls. There are no offsite or outside resources. Every question gets answered in house. Absolute Exhibits will handle every aspect of your exhibition project.

In addition to Absolute Exhibits the Koren family has formed a philanthropic entity. Todd has lead the company in gathering a semi-truckload of toys for disbursement at Christmas in New York for 9-11 families and then spear-headed the moving of two semi -trucks filled with supplies for Haiti after the earthquake. He is a generous contributor and does not just write the check. He moves people.

Todd – “My family has always taught me to be active in my philanthropy. We have not always been in the position to write a check, however, I know how to rally my troops and working with our employees in the spirit of giving back has been a very meaningful experience. Now we have taken on the charge of helping charities, foundations, and philanthropies to raise money. We have a store next to our southern California location, as well as an ecommerce website. Twenty percent of each sale goes directly to the charity chosen by the shopper. We have had some hitches, but we have gotten off the ground and I am personally going to make this happen in a much bigger way. It is not easy for the average person to write an extra check each month. However, every time they need a gift for a birthday, wedding, anniversary this is a simple way to give back. This is my mother’s concept and I will see it through.”

Todd Koren is the man that leads Absolute Exhibits. He has established the company objective – “The mission of Absolute Exhibits, Inc. is to present efficient and effective exhibit solutions that build brands and business relationships.” Relationship is the key word. He has the energy, the confidence, the knowledge, and the foresight to build a company. He moves from business to philanthropy with the same set of components. He has the ability to make people believe in themselves, so much so that when you meet him you just want him to be your friend.