Recently, a client came to us to design a new 20×20 exhibit space for them. They are a high end bike distrubutor for North America.

The design went well, the client was on top of every aspect of their big bike show in Las Vegas. As is often the case the budget they had to attend the show, design and produce their booth, was running very thin when it came time to ship the booth.

We discussed crating, however the 500-1000 to build the crate was pushing the outer limit of the budget, and I didn't push them to build the crate due to concern for their budget. You know where this is leading.

The trip out to vegas forturnately was uneventful. Though the freight company did manage to get the booth to the show decorator a day late. The show came and went with success for our client.

On the way back the shipment which was just an open pallet had some type of fluid spilled all over it. This caused a significant time commitment on my client's part and my part to have the shipment inspected, fill out claim documents and submit them to the carrier.

Had we pushed our client to build the crate this would have saved us all a lot of heartache. So the moral of this story is to go ahead and spend the dollars to build the crate. It is easily worth it and the crate can be used over and over again. And in our case we can put graphics on the crate to make it a rolling bill board to bring even additional value to the table.

Happy Exhibiting

Peter Winters

Presentation Resource

804.648.0800 www.presres.com

Just K.I.S.S.

1.) Trade shows are expensive. Just because several of your employees might express interest in going doesn’t mean they should. Your company will already be dropping a great deal of money on the display itself. If you’re attending events that are out of town you have to add hotel and air accommodations as an additional expense. Don’t put unnecessary people behind the booth. It will only cost you more.

2.) Stay close to home. Participating in local trade shows is the best way to give everyone in your company the same experience while also saving your business money. This will also keep you from having to pick and choose between employees- everyone wins.

3.) Personality, Personality, Personality. Whoever is manning your booth needs to be a “people person.” They should be smart, articulate, energetic, outgoing, and professional. You want someone who represents your company and your brand.

4.) Dress the part. Even if your trade show display isn’t top of the line, your employees can still look their best. Staff members who carry themselves in a professional manner, both in the way they act and dress, will certainly outshine any flaws in the display itself.

Richmond, Virginia - May, 2007 - With the green revolution currently consuming the country; the prospect of new energy saving technology has become more appealing then ever. Exhibit Warehouse, a trade show and graphics company based out of Richmond, Virginia, has made it part of their mission to create award-winning trade show exhibits while continuing to protect the environment.

As the trade show industry continues to become an increasingly important marketing tool for small businesses and large corporations the need for eye-catching displays is on the rise. Unless company’s can create a display that will “wow” their audience their time and effort can often times go unnoticed. High quality graphics and effective lighting techniques are critical in gaining an audiences attention and mesmerizing them in a trade show display.

Exhibit Warehouse’s new line of low power, high brightness LED light boxes are not only environmentally friendly but they also give exhibits an edge over many of their competitors. LED lighting is lightweight and easy to transport. Designed in America and manufactured in China, this new technology consumes one third to one fifth of the power of opposing tube-based systems while emitting far less waste into the atmosphere. In addition, LED technology has a ten year life expectancy compared to traditional tube systems which may only last one to two years. Finally, disposal of LED light boxes are low impact compared to the mercury and gas found in traditional tubes.

With environmental issues currently in the limelight, the demand for products such as LED lighting from Exhibit Warehouse is at an all time high. This new green technology is not only environmentally friendly but it will also put your company in the spotlight at any trade show or convention.

This is where direct response marketing comes in…

Targeting the right audience is one of the most important aspects of direct response marketing. In fact, experts calculate that 40% of the battle in obtaining the desired response is based on the clients you are trying to attract. Targeting customers who have no interest in your business is only a waste of time and money.

For example, we created brochures that are exclusive to a specific kind of business. We send out targeted brochures to architect firms as well as separate brochures to automotive based companies. Narrowing our focus allows us to concentrate on the specific needs of our customers.

Once you have determined the demographics of the customers you are trying to reach, it is important to extend an offer. What better way to get business then to give your clients incentives for working with you? Extending an “offer” is an additional 40% of achieving a direct response. The offer has to be something that your clients will be eager to partake in, and usually should include an expiration date, not to far in the future. Testimonials are a great way to make your prospects feel confident with your products and services.

Making an offer can be as simple as saying “Buy One, Get One Free,” or “Buy today and receive an additional 25% off purchase.” The point is to get noticed and make someone want to do business with you. Saving money is appealing, and can often help when initiating that first sale.

The additional 20% of direct response marketing comes from your creative execution. This could be creative mailings, infomercials, e-mails etc. Make yourself stand out. Make your brand stand out.

Marketing your business is not only important when it comes to trade shows, but it is also important in the everyday interactions you have with your clients. Be sure to record the response that your business gets from these newly implemented techniques. You can constantly update and correct your marketing goals in order to gain more business.

This years Exhibitor show was the biggest show the publishers of Exhibitor magazine have produced. Attendence was more than 9% over last year. Below are a few of the things that stood out for me.

1. Some of the exhibit management companies were very impressive. Exhibit Works "non booth" was very open and inviting. They separated themselves from the "look at me" trying to hard booths.
2. Exhibitgroup Giltspur was interesting, they created a lounge atmosphere that encouraged networking. The champagne and chocolate strawberries didn't hurt either. Again, very clean open presentation. My only dig on them is that their canopy while interesting, you could not make out the company's name. So much for branding something cool.
3. SoftSpace had a Sahara look. Sheer fabric bright colors and some very cool kiosks incorporating flat panel displays.
4. Another cool space was Globotech. If you are in to bright colors, interesting shapes, at a reasonable price these guys are for you. Very POP like.

Wait there's more… I will be back tomorrow with another post.

Happy Exhibiting. 

1. Industry Experts. The industry's most experienced professionals will be there to impart their wisdom to those of us who are novice, who want to stay on the leading edge, or who have many other responsibilities than one of these specialties. Check out the roster of industry heavy hitters.

2. New products. Every industry is moving at light speed today. Events, Trade Show, and Exhibits are no different. From new flat panel displays, led light boxes, tension fabric systems, and extrusion and truss systems there are thousands of new products that will help you communicate your message. With this show they are all concentrated in one place accessible over a few days. Get a preview of these new items here.

3. Education. There are numerous training events that are part of Exhibitor 2007. Whether you are a seasoned pro or just beginning there is a workshop for you. Strategy, Budgeting, Brand Management, and the How Tos are all covered. There are also certified trade show manager curriculum courses are available. See these learning opportunities here. 

Top Ten Trends Impacting Events You’ve been put in charge of your company’s next event and you’ve been told to “think out of the box!” So what do you do? This session will show you how to:   • Know what’s hot and what’s not   • Find what will work for your company   • Find the right entertainment   • Discover new venues   • Develop your creativity   • Make your event a success through the latest event trends
FACULTY
Rebecca Coons

If your job, career, or interests lie in either of these market segments this should be enough to convence you that the ROI on this event is high. The icing on the cake is that it is held in the entertainment capital of the world. Learn and have fun, what a great combination. See you in Vegas.

Happy Exhibiting

1. The majority of companies are using popup style trade show hardware. These displays have approximately 100 square feet of graphics. Dye, UV, or BioInks (Usually Corn-based) can be used to produce trade show graphics in lieu of traditional petroleum-based solvent inks.  Especially, the BioInks have lower production costs than any of the other inks. They also have the advantage of being UV fast. The only downside is they are hard to find. The leader in this segment is VUTEK with its BioVu inks. When ordering your next set of graphics ask your provider if they have Dye, UV, or BioInk capability.  Take a look at this article.

2. Use LED or CCFL for lighting and light boxes instead of traditional incandescents or fluorescents. These lighting choices are significantly more energy efficient that traditional bulbs or tubes. For example a 100 Watt incandescent bulb consumes 5 times the power of a ccfl or led lamp with the same brightness. Plus, the other two last 50 - 100,000 hours or 5-10 years without having to change them. All of these are fairly new, but none-the-less available. One source is here.

3. Other areas you can focus on this trade show season are using recycled paper for business cards and brochures, take public transportation to and from your next show, use ad specialty items that made from recycled plastics, ceramics, and paper. You can find some of these items here.

We are probably still a long way from making Al Gore or your CFO happy; however we have made progress. Whether the ice caps are melting because of a natural cycle or our over use of fossil fuels these steps are good ones to take. They make good business sense and they may just help turn the tide for our environment.

Happy Exhibiting 

1.  Plan Ahead

In 2006 our company attended a national show in Miami. I spent approximately $2000 in transportation costs alone.   About $1200 of this was unnecessary. Had I planned ahead I could have had a beautiful crate on skids built and shipped one crate to the show and back. Instead I shipped many items next day just to get them there on time. Had I registered for the show 6 months early, not only would we have a better location, but we would have saved $250 on the booth rental. Brochures had to be rushed, another $300. Ad specialty items produced quickly another $125. Late reservations meant that I was extra distance from the Convention Center, cabs $100. As the ads say "Planning ahead, priceless!" Actually it adds up to over $2000. 

2.  Be Thorough

Do not take the time to go to a trade show and expend all that energy and do the minimum. Get the attendee list, mail an offer before the show that gets people in your booth, advertise in the trade show publications or web sites, develop a compelling message that will get attendees excited about talking you and not your competitor, don't eat, sleep, or sit in your booth, capture as much information on people as you can, and do the follow up. You know the steps do them all and create the best opportunity for success this year.

3.  Send a Clear Message

Most of us spend the majority of our time on the semantics. How many, how much, when, where, etc. etc. etc. While all of these are important they pale in comparison to the what. What is your offer, what do you do better than everyone else, and most importantly what are going to do for me? Working diligiently to craft this message is the most important thing you can do other than showing up. Talk to clients, talk to employees, talk to vendors, brain storm, sweat over it, build it up, tear it down, get it right.

If you do these three simple things this year you will be ahead of the game. You also will likely produce good returns from your trade show investment. Finally, you will be so busy that the double fudge brownie may be a possibility.

With all the security at every entrance, 3 days of meeting and greeting, and a 4 block 90 degree walk back to my hotel I made a very poor decision. Fortunately it worked out for me. 

So here are a few recommendations I will make to have you avoid my mistakes.  

1. Think long and hard about anything you take to a trade show. Less is more. Make sure every item adds real value to your trade show experience and will directly lead to success. Be careful about information that is on your laptop. Do not keep customer or other valuable information on your computer.
2. Pad lock any trade show furniture together.
3. Ship everything in one lockable crate. Make sure the decorator can deliver this to your booth before leaving after the trade show is finished.
4. Do not leave your belongings unattended at any time.
5. Have a roller case that will accommodate your laptop and other valuables that you carry to your hotel each night or while away from your booth.
6. If you do not have one large case, box your valuables and ship them directly from the convention center before you leave. Most shows have FEDEX, UPS, DHL or other carriers on site.
7. If you have highly valuable pieces in your booth take the extra step of hiring a security company to watch these at all times during the trade show. 

These are a few ideas of how to secure your valuables at your next trade show. If you have ideas comment on this article. Also, I have included a few photos of cases we have used. Very big and safe.