I have operated over a dozen exhibition stores for Event Network. I’ve proudly represented brands such as Lego, Mythbusters, Pixar, Star Wars, Ripley’s Believe It or Not, and Titanic. Other exhibitions covered such topics as the Dead Sea Scrolls, Po… — I have operated over a dozen exhibition stores for Event Network. I’ve proudly represented brands such as Lego, Mythbusters, Pixar, Star Wars, Ripley’s Believe It or Not, and Titanic. Other exhibitions covered issues such as the Dead Sea Scrolls, Pompeii, Mummies of the World, King Tut, and more. These exhibitions were located at the Pacific Science Center in Seattle, The Oregon Museum of Science & Industry in Portland, and the Ontario Science Centre in Toronto.

Our telescope rounder acts as the centerpiece of our store. Our Space story is among our most popular. There is a major focus on product knowledge in our shop, and telescopes are definitely an unknown for a lot of shoppers. One of my favorite things… — Our telescope rounder acts as the centerpiece of our store, and our Space story is among our most popular. Our shop focuses significantly on product knowledge, and telescopes are unknown to many shoppers. One of my favorite things is sharing knowledge on how to use telescopes to benefit the recipient. I love putting the giant box over my shoulder and helping guests to their cars. That’s just one small thing that makes the customer remember us the next time they need something from us in the future.

It's hard to explain Christopher Marley's work when you can’t experience it in person. He usually shows in Natural History environments, but we wanted to support a local artist at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry. This turned out to be a gr… — It's hard to explain Christopher Marley's work when you can't experience it in person. He usually shows in Natural History environments, but we wanted to support a local artist at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry. The decision turned out to be a great choice. Word of mouth and social media coverage significantly impacted our culture. Guests had an unexpected emotional reaction, the likes of which I've never seen in all my museum experiences. He had minimal product associated with his work, so we had to embellish quite a bit. The plants became a nice touch that spoke to our Science vs. Nature approach.

Sometimes you have to go DIY to get something you want. I loved sourcing the wood, going to the art shop, and making a rare trip to the hardware store. It was my first time using chalkboard paint, which was eye-opening, but now I love it! I'll never… — Sometimes you have to go DIY to get something you want. I loved sourcing the wood, going to the art shop, and making a rare trip to the hardware store. It was my first time using chalkboard paint, which was eye-opening, but now I love it! I'll never pass up a random Pyrex jar or an orphaned library card file to sharpen a presentation. Touch was the theme for this display - we wanted guests to interact with the product. We minimized the amount of jewelry to project the illusion of exclusivity.

The Apollo 50th anniversary of the moon landing was a massive draw to the museum. We ended up with several displays around the store, and well over half of our selection was space or Apollo themed! We regularly create Shop and Support signs to encou… — The Apollo 50th anniversary of the moon landing was a massive draw to the museum. We ended up with several displays around the store, and well over half of our selection was space or Apollo themed! We regularly create Shop and Support signs to encourage guests to support the museum. I thought it would be fun to emulate the historic moment when the flag was set on the Moon by Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin.

There is something for everyone in this section. From left to right, you'll notice a section for Dad, a wall for young folks, and a curated grouping for trendy teens and more savvy shoppers. The feature table was to inspire our young guests and empo… — There is something for everyone in this section. From left to right, you'll notice a section for Dad, a wall for young folks, and a curated grouping for trendy teens and more savvy shoppers. The feature table was to inspire our young guests and empower them to seek something that would make the anniversary special for them as well. Kids as young as six-years-old make their own buying choices, so we strategically place items where they're accessible.

Here is a partial view of our shop. When we approached our visual aesthetic, we knew we were going to use recycled and repurposed materials. All of the wood detail you see is made of repurposed barn wood, scraps, and other sources. It was a decidedl… — Here is a partial view of our shop. When we approached our visual aesthetic, we knew we would use recycled and repurposed materials. All the wood detail you see was made of repurposed barn wood, scraps, and other sources. It was a decidedly Portland vibe, and the craftsmanship has held up swimmingly.

We collaborated with Patagonia on a small selection of products. The OMSI logo was prevalent on all of the products. We were honored to learn about their sustainability initiatives and how to be better retailers. The nylon, wool, and cotton materials were recycled or repurposed. The Patagonia mission statement is the shortest I've seen: "We're in business to save our home planet."

Say hello to Florian the robot, a nod to the legendary German music pioneers, Kraftwerk. We are usually given little to no budget for our windows, so we tend to go for a DIY approach for a lot of projects. Florian looked great once we added the smal… — Say hello to Florian the robot, a nod to the legendary German music pioneers, the band Kraftwerk. We usually have little to no budget for our windows, so we use a DIY approach for many projects. Florian looked great once we added the minor details and got some decent lighting in our holiday display.

This was one of my favorite windows. I called on my musician friends to lend me guitars, and we hung them in the window to great effect. Once again, this was more of a DIY project. I think the hanging wire was the most expensive material for this wi… — This was one of my favorite displays. I called on my musician friends to lend me guitars, and we hung them in the window to significant effect. Once again, this was more of a DIY project, and I think the hanging wire was the most expensive material for this window!

As huge music lovers, the Guitar exhibition window was a labor of love for us. Cheeky names like ATOM and the ANTZ and The Volcanic Eruptions (featuring Sam Andreas and Faults) were a lot of fun to come up with. Note the gig at the Lava Lounge is th… — As huge music lovers, the Guitar exhibition window was a labor of love for us. Cheeky names like ATOM and the ANTZ and The Volcanic Eruptions (featuring Sam Andreas and Faults) were a lot of fun. Note the gig at the Lava Lounge is the day of the eruption of Mt. St. Helens. It’s rewarding to have guests let us know that they get our “Easter Eggs.”

We had the opportunity to put a holiday spin on the Guitar exhibition window. I mean, the SLEIGHER poster is priceless! We loved the idea of using the iconic ELVIS logo and turned it into elves with Rockabilly coifs sporting guitars and drums. These tapestries are time-consuming but so worth it to produce handmade work.

Store Quality is an obsession of mine. Paying attention to the smallest details to every part of my store adds up to a world class presentation. Keeping it that way is a challenge, so making sure the entire staff is educated on how to keep things ni… — Store Quality is an obsession of mine, and paying attention to the minor details of every part of my store adds to a world-class presentation. Keeping it that way is a challenge, so ensuring the entire staff is educated on keeping things nice and crisp!

I loved this quick window. Our marketing team had us waiting for weeks to get an idea of what we could (or couldn’t) create with the Ripley’s brand. We took a chance and went with some of the features we knew would be in the exhibit. We put it together in less than two days. We wanted a sideshow feel, which came across with the unfinished edges on the posters. We envisioned the “Believe it or Not” brand represented by a massive exclamation and question mark. The result had a cheeky game show aesthetic. That’s A LOT of glitter!