Speco’s 100-Year Anniversary Exhibit at IPPE

Commemorating Company History through a Tradeshow Exhibit

Speco, manufacturer of meat grinder plates and knives, exhibited at the International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE) 2024 with a custom 20×20 island exhibit that highlighted their 100-year anniversary. The organization, which manufactures entirely in the United States, has been family owned and operated for four generations.

The Speco family owners (third and fourth generation) Jaclyn LaGro, Craig Hess, and Charlee Antonelli

“Collectively, this is a huge accomplishment for all of us. Everyone has contributed throughout the years, and it’s a great feeling that we’ve been able to carry this forward to the century mark,” said Paul Faso, Domestic Sales Manager at Speco.

“We’re all very proud of it,” added Juan Carlos Mejia, International Sales Manager. “In our industry, being able to stay in business for 100 years just tells you of the quality of the parts and the quality of the service.”
 

Goal

Speco’s 100-year-anniversary exhibit debuted at IPPE, their first show of the calendar year and the start of their annual event marketing program. IPPE was held from January 30 through February 1 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta.

In addition to honoring company legacy with their IPPE exhibit, another major goal for Speco was to rebrand the space and to upgrade the hospitality features.

“For our rebranding, we wanted to take on a more modern, sophisticated look,” Paul said. “Then, we looked to integrate hospitality features into the booth, moving from the old-school mentality of ‘we don’t sit down at a booth’ to a look and feel that’s much more social – not just quickly exchanging a business card but really engaging.  We wanted a big step up in hospitality.”
 

Result

To increase the social element of their IPPE presence, Speco paired the unveiling of their exhibit with a kick-off celebration that included cocktails and cake.

Inside Speco’s cake and cocktails reception at IPPE

And for the Speco tradeshow team, the exhibit was exactly what they envisioned and received acclaim from both internal and external audiences at IPPE.

“Overall, everybody loved it!” Juan said. “The aesthetics of the booth, its coloring, the way the product really popped off the walls  – it could not have been better. All positive feedback. On the century mark, we had complete strangers coming in, congratulating us, and we had the space to comfortably host and get to know them.”

Value

“Condit exceeded our expectations without question, across the board,” Paul said. “Every employee we dealt with did an incredible job for us. It could have been as simple as needing a nut or bolt, and Condit went above and beyond to find that. From design, through manufacturing, and especially Johnny Frank – all of the team was impeccable.”

Condit was honored to support Speco in their 100-year anniversary celebration, their custom exhibit build, and their overall event marketing program.

“Condit has a very high standard of service, top down, and we look forward to continue working together,” Juan concluded.

Components of the 100-year booth build are headed to Omaha for the American Association of Meat Processors (AAMP) Convention and to Chicago for PACK EXPO, also home to Condit’s Midwest office.