Businesses of all sizes share at least one common goal when it comes to trade show exhibits: to stand out from the crowd. The bigger your budget, the better your chance to make a big impact, of course. But with advance planning and the careful use of resources, small- to mid-sized businesses can make a big impression, too, and grow their business as a result.
1. Start small but think big. Most companies start by buying the smallest booth size, usually 10 x 10 feet. It’s fine to start small, as long as you plan for the future. If your company is experimenting with trade shows for the first time, consider using a rental exhibit instead of buying. With a rental display, you can learn what works and what doesn’t, without a long-term investment. If you do decide to buy, make sure the exhibit components can still be used if you decide to grow your booth size.
2. Be flexible. Modular exhibits are growing in popularity for displays of all sizes, because the components can be reconfigured to create different displays for different shows. For example, if your trade show schedule consists of four small shows and one large show, a good exhibit designer will be able to create a modular display that will work for all booth spaces. It pays to buy flexible booth components.
3. Get trade show expertise. For all but the largest companies, trade show management is not a full-time job. Instead, sales or marketing managers or office administrators are often tapped to add trade show management to their other responsibilities. Managing the myriad details and deadlines of even one show can be overwhelming if you have never done it before. Contracting for professional help for your trade show services can really pay off, saving staff time and making sure everything is in place for a successful show.
The Case of American Roller Bearing Company
Mark Ader, general sales manager of American Roller Bearing Company, has experienced the value of these principles, as his company has progressed over the last few years from a small trade show booth at their first show to the 20 x 20 foot island booth, now in the planning stages for use at three major shows in the coming year.
The company employs distributors to sell their products, so they do not target direct sales at their trade shows, but aim instead to gain brand recognition in established and new markets. “Our real goal to sell our name is to cast a bigger shadow,” he explains. Because they compete with multi-billion-dollar corporations, they decided they needed a larger presence than an in-line booth, including overhead displays. “By growing our booth, we are demonstrating our commitment to the industry and our ability to handle their business.” The exhibit designers at The Tradeshow Network Marketing Group were able to use the company’s previous booth components as part of the new, high-impact island configuration. “It helps us because we don’t have to jettison what we’ve already done,” he observes. One major component still in use from an earlier show is a history wall, showing the company’s growth over the last century, which was echoed in a brochure also created by The Tradeshow Network Marketing Group. “Everyone felt proud standing in front of it,” he says.
He recalls showing up at their first trade show, only to learn about all the elements that need to be pre-ordered, such as electrical and carpet. Although he and his staff “got progressively better” at handling the countless details, he decided to use The Tradeshow Network Marketing Group to handle show services. He sees the biggest advantage in the effectiveness of their own booth staffers, who can concentrate on making connections with distributors, clients and prospects, rather than worrying about booth set-up and takedown.
“Everybody in our organization loves it,” he says of the new booth and the start-to-finish show services. “It’s easier to get people to work the booth and they are much happier. On the last day of a show, when everyone else is tearing down their booths, we’re still trying to get people into our booth.”
