Trade Show Display Advice

By: Barry Siskind

A dilemma many exhibitors face is how much information to include in their trade show display. For small exhibitors with one or two product offerings the answer can be difficult. For larger exhibitors with a multitude of products and services which might also include several departments, the answer can become a nightmare. There is often so much to tell and the exhibitor wants to make sure the visitors get the right message. The solution starts by taking a step back and looking at the trade show display from the visitor’s perspective.

Show visitors begin with the best of intentions. They have walked the show and seen dozens of exhibitors displaying a myriad of products. If there is a technical program at the conference or event, they will have also sat through a number of seminars and workshops. These visitors are only human. There is only so much information the human mind can absorb. So, the lesson to be learned is that creating a trade show display that tells too much is self-defeating. The last thing these attendees want is more information.

Another consideration is that in many cases, visitors already know the details about your product or service. They learned about it on the internet. They visited your web-site, read reviews in trade magazines and heard from their community through social media. Once again a trade show display that attempts to tell people what they already know is futile.

The solution is to ensure that the attraction efficiency is maximized when you are creating your trade show display. This means that a good trade show display will grab your visitor’s interest quickly without adding to the confusion they may already be experiencing.

This simple lesson may be easier stated than implemented. The trick is to look at the world of marketing.  We are inundated with marketing messages everywhere: billboards, radio, television, newspapers, magazines, the back of ticket stubs, across the outside (and sometimes inside) of subways and buses, elevator doors, the computer you are using at this very moment, sidewalks, movie theatres, you name it. It seems that there isn’t a blank space that hasn’t been touched by a marketer. Your visitors have experienced the same. Marketing clutter is unavoidable.

So, the most productive method of creating an attractive display is through simplicity. It’s not a matter of what more you can say, but how you can say it with less. This starts with a clear focus for your trade show display and two crucial criteria – what is the message and who is it designed for?

What is the message?

If I were to ask you to identify your brand message in one or two sentences and you hesitated, that should be a clear clue that homework is needed. Trade show industry guru Bob Dallmeyer says, “If you can’t write your idea on the back of a business card, it’s not an idea.” How true this statement is.

What about those exhibitors with multiple products or those who share the costs of the trade show display with their departments. How do you handle the conflicts in messaging? The answer highlights the need to create one overall message rather than trying to broadcast many. Then once you have the attendee’s attention, you can direct them to specific areas in your trade show display where their needs will be met.

Who is the message designed for?

Assuming that everyone who is attending the event is interested in your message or will buy your product is a fallacy. Albeit there may be some situations in well targeted regional shows where you are looking to reach a very specific market. But in most cases trying to reach the entire audience may not be productive. The solution is to ask, which candidate will respond most favorable to my message (or product offering)? Create a profile ahead of time of who this person is then when you are designing your display keep the profile in mind.

Next time you are developing a trade show display let simplicity guide your decisions. You will find you results significantly better.

Can you take a client’s brochure and blow it up for an exhibit graphic?

Answer: Maybe, but there are a few things to consider. First depending on the final size of the exhibit graphics, the images might not be large enough resolution and that needs to be checked. Secondly, the design and layout of the brochure is very different from the exhibit graphics and there are many things to consider. With exhibit graphics the design needs to be more visual with limited text, also the important images and information can not be below a person’s eye level in order to be visible. View our GRAPHICS page and download our Guide for more information.

What do you do when you have a custom exhibit one color and you need it another color? What happens if your booth is an inline and you change your booth space and need to reconfigure it to be smaller; but the ends don’t really match each other? What if you want to change your existing custom display but do not have a lot of money in the budget? You use vinyl!

Applying a new surface covering provides an alternative way to change the color and the texture of your trade show display. This self adhesive covering will coat over your existing trade show display structure. It is an easy and effective way to revitalize your custom trade show exhibit.

The benefits include:

1. Low cost solution
2. Available stock for fast delivery
3. Variety of colors to choose
4. Textured surfaces available
5. Easy to apply
6. Environmentally friendly

In this example, the client changed their booth space and their trade show exhibit no longer matched their requirement. They did not want to purchase an entirely new trade show display because they were primarily displaying their product. So they chose to resurface a portion of their booth structure to match a series of rented tables that were used to place their product on and they added more color to their space with a series of new banners stands. The estimated cost to resurface this portion of their trade show display was slightly over $1,800; compared to an over $9,000 price tag to recreate their entire custom exhibit with a new color laminate. This is a huge cost savings initiative that provided a unique and creative new exhibit design for this show.

What is the process? A determination needs to be made to see if your trade show display is a viable option for this type of solution. The booth needs to be set-up and totally cleaned before any new surface can be applied. The area that is being changed needs to be sanded down and the key is to be able to apply the new coating in smaller sections so that you do not create many bubbles in the process. This way of changing your color is designed to help clients get through one additional budget year. This is not considered a long term solution. But if your situation is presented to our company, we will work with you to find the best solution. Our staff is equipped with the tools and products to make this surface change a reality. Contact us for additional details at 877-730-5300 or visit our website at http://www.thetradeshownetwork.com

By: Kelli Cathelyn

1. Your customers always recognize you because your booth has stayed exactly the same for the past five years.
It is never a good sign when a potential lead points out they can always tell it’s your booth because it has never changed. Everything is always exactly how they remembered. It is so important nowadays to keep at least the graphics on your booth up-to-date. You don’t want to bore your audience with the same message year after year. Keep it fresh and your customers will be sure to notice.

2. The photos you used were circa 1990’s.
Make sure that you are not using dated photos. If your company is relevant in technology the photos on your booth should show this. You wouldn’t want images of humungous old computers your company owned 5 years ago displayed when you currently work on sleek flat screens. There are many factors that go into selecting the right photos. If your company plans on investing in a booth that will last them quite a few years, interchangeable graphics may be your best option. They give you the benefit of replacing your images when they are no longer relevant.

3. You’re launching a new product/ service.
A trade show is a great opportunity to showcase your new line. Develop fresh graphics that will highlight the products/ services. This is especially important if you are at a more customized show. You don’t want your target audience to see your booth and walk right past without a second glance at your new line. If you don’t want to redesign your entire booth, a banner stand would be a great way to emphasize the latest information.

4. Your booth isn’t drawing in customers.
If your customers are just walking past your booth without a second glance, you definitely need to redesign your exhibit. You only have seconds to attract your audiences’ attention. If you’re having trouble figuring out what you should change take a look at your competition. Try to see what makes them so effective. Do they have a video screen projecting their latest products? Is their booth set-up in a unique way? Do their graphics pop all the way across the room? After you’ve evaluated these things you should be able to make some very effective changes, if you are still puzzled on why you’re not generating traffic let your trade show company help you figure out how to make your next show a success!

5. The exhibit you have is too small or the traffic flow isn’t working.
The size of your booth may deter customers from coming in if the space is too crowded. No one wants to bump into each other while trying to view your products. We had a client come to us because their traffic flow was not working. They needed to provide samples of their product, but their current booth was not set-up in a way to accommodate this. We helped them redesign their exhibit so there was an easy route for the consumers to get through for a sample while still walking past graphics that provide knowledge about the company and the different products they offer.

6. Your trade show booth can’t accommodate the technology you’d like to use.
There are many technological options you can use in your booth that can make you stand out against your competition. You can have the standard product videos, and computers or the innovative touch screens, wii gaming systems and photo booths. Interactivity is a great way to get your consumers interested and to help generate leads.

Once you have made the commitment to market your products and /or services through trade shows you need to make sure that you are getting the most for your investment. Trade shows can be an effective means of advertising and generating sales, but unless you develop a plan to carry out your trade show, it may not be as beneficial to your organization as it could be. Here are some tips to make sure you are getting the most out of participating in trade show events:

Before the show:

1. Determine the image you want to portray at the trade show event.

Just like creating a business plan you need a plan when participating in trade shows. Talk with your marketing/advertising personnel to make sure that the themes you have in print advertising and literature are the same ones you want to portray at the trade show event. Keep the focus the same (usually big ticket items or the primary product/ service you are offering) and make sure your messages can be conveyed easily to a new prospect. Most people walking by your booth look at it for five seconds and determine if it is of interest to them – make sure you get the prospects you want to stop at your booth.

2. Determine how you are going to utilize your show space.

The bigger the space you have the more area you have to show your products and services. Some people just want to hand out literature and start with a skirted table. Others have either an 8’ or 10’ display with some shelves and graphics to display their products and services. Still others go custom with larger spaces that allow them to have several “areas’ within their trade show exhibit booth to showcase different products and/or services.  How you utilize the space is dependent on the message and image you want to convey to the potential prospect. So for example, if you want to convey the message that you are the number one company in this market – your space better be large and bold.

3. Understand the exhibitor manual guide to the show

The exhibitors guide can help you understand how to conduct yourself at trade shows and what you can and can not do with your booth space.  It should also provide you with a list of companies participating (who could be prospects as well) along with a floor plan and a schedule of when the show floor is opened.  Try to get your booth space in the corners, entrance ways, or anywhere near high traffic areas. You want to see a steady flow of traffic by your exhibit booth.

4. Have a meeting well in advance to the show to prepare.

In order to make your trade show participation runs effectively you need to make sure that you communicate your plans. Make sure the right sales people are available to work the booth, determine what you will hand out to the prospects, get a display purchased or rented, and make sure you have the booth area decorated to match your advertising theme and image.

5. Set objectives and measure the results

Once your plans have been set you need to establish how the results are to be measured. It can be as simple as “one closed sale” to collecting 50 “A” leads.  Make sure you identify what an “A” lead is and if possible document that information at the show. Determine who and how you are going to follow-up on all leads. Are you sending out literature, contacting all leads, or a combination of the two?  Whatever it is, make sure you determine how you are going to measure the success of the participating in any particular trade show event.

During the show:

6. Quickly qualify potential customers

As prospects come to your booth be prepared to ask them some qualifying questions that will help you quickly determine if the person is a good candidate for your products and/or services. Once you determine if they are a good candidate make sure to collect their contact information either through a business card or lead retrieval system and then document on that card information about your conversation for future reference. Do not try and collect everyone’s business card, focus on the ones that are interested in what you have to offer and fit the criteria of a strong prospective customer.

7. Don’t just hand out the literature to anyone

Most literature at trade shows is never read. It is sometimes more prudent to provide a one page flyer or to offer to send the literature via email or mail. Even better to ask if you can hand-deliver the prospect a brochure after the show and have a meeting to discuss the information in more detail. Regardless, limit the amount of literature you hand out at shows.

8. Create a “trade-show demo”

Instead of standing around asking the prospect sales type questions, it would be more beneficial to create a “trade show demo”. The demo could be a rehearsed list of your products major features and benefits that can be communicated to a prospect in less then five minutes. Make sure everyone at your booth can recite this demo for any prospect.

After the show:

9. Follow-up on the qualified leads you obtained.

Call each qualified prospect (as identified in the beginning of this process) and arrange a follow-up call or meeting. You need to make sure you call them within a week of the show while you are fresh in their minds.

10. Conduct a post show evaluation

With everyone’s input that worked the show, find out how you can improve on your company’s participation in future trade shows. Did your booth attract the right audience? Was your booth strategically placed?  Did you ask the right questions and obtain qualified leads? Should you participate in this show again in the future – or look for new shows with a different target market? How did you compare against your major competition?
Using these simple tips can help you better market your products and/or services through any trade show event.  Good luck!  Contact us if you are interested in learning more at www.thetradeshownetwork.com

There are a number of unique options that you can choose from to customize your trade show booth display and make it stand out while coinciding with your spatial requirements. During a trade show, you have a limited amount of space to maximize your exposure and brand imaging. Make every inch count with a custom trade show exhibit booth display.

First of all, it is important to think vertically as well as horizontally. Once you find out your special restrictions you can start customizing your trade show booth display to take full advantage of every square inch of space that you have to work with.

The height of your display space can be used effectively to guarantee that your prospects can easily locate your booth at the show.

By using a display that maximizes the vertical space that you are allotted you will be able to clearly illustrate your brand imaging and ensure that interested prospects will be able to find your booth.

If you are having a custom booth created you will want to find out your vertical limitations early on in the planning stages so that the custom booth designer will be able to use them to your full advantage.

In a trade show exhibit, every inch of space is important which is why you must carefully consider how you plan on delivering your message and marketing objectives. If you have several products that you’d like to feature then you should consider using plasma television screens to inform potential clients about each respective product.

This tactic will save you valuable space and add a sophisticated touch of design to your custom display. You can devote a screen to each product that you would like to have featured and customize each demo to contain all of the pertinent information concerning the product that you want featured on each screen.

Instead of creating boards and having to condense the amount of information on them in order to make them aesthetically pleasing, you can have all of this important information conveyed through your video demo. The incorporation of plasma screens is your booth design will enhance the functional and visual effects of your booth.

Effectively maximizing the space of your display will ensure that you draw prospects to your booth and are able to get your marketing message across to them. By having a custom booth display made to fit your specific spatial requirements you can optimize the success of your booth at the event.

When it comes to selecting your next trade show booth displays there are a number of different options that you must consider. Booth displays come in a variety of styles and you will need to find the one that is most appropriate for your company’s display. This is why it is important for your company to select a booth display provider that will guide you through all of the steps when it comes to building custom trade show booth displays.

Professional trade show booth displays are designed to connect prospective clients with your business. This is a very basic yet important step that is necessary for your business’s success. The more clients that you are able to connect with, the more successful your business will be.

This is why many businesses decide to showcase their products or services at trade shows. Trade shows serve as a perfect opportunity for company’s that have a product or service that they would like to sell to be introduced to future customers. While the trade show itself provides you with this opportunity, it is your responsibility to make sure that your product or service stands apart from the competition and that your display captures the attention of prospective customers.

This is where you must come up with a strategy for a successful booth display design. A professional company that specializes in creating trade show displays will be an invaluable tool in assisting you in coming up with a top notch trade show display.

If you want to experience success at all of the trade shows that you attend then you need a strategy and booth display that will deliver you the results that you are looking for. The only way that you can find guaranteed success is by heeding the advice of a professional marketing service that has helped hundreds of other clients set up successful trade show displays.

Only a company that specializes in producing booth displays will know all of the latest trends in trade show displays and know how to capture the attention of your prospective audience. They will be able to provide you with all of the advice that you need to end up with a finished display that will serve its purpose well.

If you are coming up with a new product or would like to revamp your existing booth displays, consult with an expert marketing strategist in coming up with an entirely fresh and innovative trade show display for your next showing.

The success of your product launch may rely heavily upon your trade show booth display, which is why it is imperative for you to make sure that your booth display is innovative, informative, and exciting. These characteristics are certain to draw attention to your booth and win over the interest of prospective clients.

When your business is coming out with a new product there is typically a lot of excitement and buzz going around your company in eager anticipation of the new finished product or service. This very same exhilaration needs to be translated into your trade show booth display and conveyed in a manner that will attract the attention of potential customers.

By capturing this enthusiasm for your product or service into your trade show booth display you will be certain to find a number of customers that are interested in finding out more about the products and services that you offer. This is why your company should enlist the services of a high quality custom trade show display designer to guarantee that your new product launch is a tremendous success.

Taking advantage of custom displays will significantly increase your odds of a successful trade show event. The custom display professionals will design a display that is appropriate for your specific product and innovative in its appeal.

This means that you will have a custom display that was designed around your specific product only using the freshest ideas and marketing strategies available for trade shows. You will not only be able to wow booth visitors with the impressive features of your product or service but you will also impress them with the professional booth display set up that you have.

The most extraordinary trade show displays are always the talk of the event, even if the products they represent are less than interesting. A good booth display will draw attention and it’s your responsibility to have produced a product or a service that will attract business.

You can also incorporate accents and banners into your display and use professional stands to showcase these additional advertising embellishments. They can be strategically placed in lobbies to make sure that potential customers don’t accidentally miss your booth.

With a professionally designed trade show display you’re sure to draw attention to plenty of interested prospects and introduce them to your new product or service.

When it comes to your trade show exhibit design, there are several key components that you want to accomplish. The design of your exhibit can make or break the entire successfulness of your trade show experience, which is why it is imperative to make sure that your approach is on target.

One way that you can guarantee that your trade show experience is a success is to enlist the services of a professional company to help you come up with your trade show’s exhibit design.

The first component that you want to accomplish in your trade show exhibit design is to make sure that it is unique. Attendees will get tired of looking at exhibits that are similar in design and offer little to separate them from the rest of the exhibits. This is why you need to strategize to come up with a unique design that will be sure to stand out amongst the crowd.

An expert trade show marketing company will help you to come up with a unique design for your display. They will be able to provide you with innovative set up displays and fresh ideas to make sure that your exhibit is unique in its design.

The second key component in creating your trade show exhibit design is to make sure that you capture the attention of your target market with your display. This means that you need to carefully choose the keywords that you use in your brand advertising and to make sure that your exhibit concisely speaks to your targeted audience.

The guidance of a company that specializes in creating trade show exhibits will help you to successfully capture your audience’s attention. From the original inception of the plan all the way to the exhibit’s final set up, they will work with you to make sure that your exhibit draws the attention of your market directly to you.

Finally, the last key component to making sure that your trade show exhibit is successful is to maximize the resources that you have. This means that you will want to take advantage of any accessories or other useful marketing tactics that will maximize your opportunity for success.

Find a comprehensive trade show exhibit company that also offers marketing services and they will be able to help you successfully accomplish all of your goals for your next trade show. They will provide you with an invaluable resource in attaining success.

When it comes to fresh ideas for trade show events, a number of custom trade show exhibit booths are becoming more environmentally friendly and using modular designs. Modular designs can be described as creative, cost effective, and safe. These designs are becoming more and more popular throughout the trade show industry.

It really does not make sense to have separate custom trade show exhibits, of various sizes created for trade shows where you’re featuring the same product or service. A number of different companies will do this in order to accommodate trade shows that have various spatial constraints.

Different trade shows may only have spaces open for a certain size, or it may be outside of your budget to rent one of the larger spaces, for whatever the reason, there are a number of different explanations as to why you may need to have a display of various sizes for one product.

Spatial constraints and budgets may also come into display when you are designing your next trade show design. Wouldn’t you like to have a design that will work well in any space and within any budget constrictions? If you answered yes, then it is time for you to think modularly.

Modular designed custom trade show exhibit booths still feature innovative ways to attract potential clients to your booths. They just are able to accomplish this by using displays that can accommodate different sized spatial constraints. They are smaller in their design and they have additional elements that you can add for bigger displays or take away for smaller ones.

Not only are modular designed custom displays cost effective for your business, but they also help out the environment. By making your display reusable you are cutting down on the usage of natural resources and you are also conserving the energy that would be needed for the construction of these displays.

You will also have a display that you can use at any trade show in any special constraints and you may be able to participate in shows that you skipped out on in the past because you did not have a display that would coincide well with spatial or budget restrictions.

For your next custom display it only makes sense to have one created that is modular in its design. You will save yourself money, help out the environment, and be able to participate in more trade shows. It is a win-win situation for all.