Inside Small Business | Small Business & Home Business Marketing

Choosing the Right Tradeshow Exhibit

Jim Berkman, US Exhibits

One of the most frequent questions I hear from companies that are beginning to attend trade shows is “What is the best kind of exhibit?” While this is a valid question, the answer, depends on the needs and goals of your organization.

There are three main categories of exhibit construction - Portable, Modular and Custom. While you will often find both purchase and rental options for each of these, a distinct fourth category has become popular over the last few years that I will call Custom Rental. When considering the options, it is important to realize that each category has unique strengths and weaknesses, so when choosing between them you will want to carefully examine the tradeoffs you will be making.

Before getting into more details, here are some things to think about:

• How many trade shows or events are you planning in the next 18 – 24 months? Are any of them overlapping or within a few weeks of each other?

• What is the size of the events you will be attending? Are they local, regional or national?

• What are the most effective ways to convey the value proposition of your company’s products or services? Are there any tools that you will need such as computers, video monitors, or extra space to display the product?

• Are your competitors at these shows and if so, what are they doing?

Portable Exhibits

As the name implies, these exhibits are designed to be easily handled, shipped and setup by one person. They are generally used in 10’ and 20’ inline booth spaces, and are what many companies start with because of their lower price point. While there are many different options available in this category, the primary ones are Banner Stands and Popup Exhibits.

Banner Stands are freestanding displays that stretch a graphic banner vertically. These units are usually about 7’ tall and range from 24” to 48” wide. These are ideal for events where you want to quickly and easily display your message, but are also very limited in time, space or budget. Depending on the size, brand and features, these typically cost between $350 and $1,200 each.

A Popup Exhibit is a portable backwall that is built with an expanding frame that locks similar to an umbrella. This is the most common exhibit used in 10’ and 20’ inline spaces. This gives you a professional looking backdrop with space for messaging, however because it is only creating the appearance of a solid wall, it does not provide much structural support for hanging or attaching anything to it. Depending on the size, brand and features, a 10’ Popup will typically cost $3,000 to $5,000 with fabric panels and $5,000 to $7,000 with full mural graphics.

Modular Exhibits:Modular Exhibits are heavier and more solid than Popup Exhibits, but lighter and easier to ship than Custom displays. Because of this, Modular exhibits allow more complex designs and generally have a more customized look than portables. They are also more structural, so additions such as shelves, backlit graphics and counters are common.

However, Modular Exhibits are still designed to be lightweight and lack the stability that Custom Exhibits offer. A common example of this limitation is that a wall built from Modular panels would not be able to support most flat panel monitors without some sort of monitor stand.

Depending on the size, brand and features, a linear 10’ Modular Exhibit will typically cost between $6,000 and $12,000, while a 20’ linear would be $15,000 to $25,000.

Custom Exhibits:Custom exhibits are constructed using larger wall panels (4’ x 8’ typical) which are more solid and structural than modular panels. They can be finished in a wide variety of laminates, and the components are individually built, so the look they provide is very individualized and unique. This also allows a custom exhibit to have excellent functionality for your needs, since you are not limited to stock-sized pieces. Because a custom exhibit is individually designed, it will usually offer good flexibility for doing different sizes and configurations.

Typically, a custom exhibit will ship in large wooden crates, which means that you can’t use a package carrier, such as UPS or FedEx, but instead will need to use a trucking company, like a Van Line or Common Freight Carrier. Also, because these are generally complicated to assemble, you will need to hire an outside labor company to setup and dismantle the exhibit.

Depending on the complexity of the design, the request materials, and the region of the country that your Exhibit Builder is in, the price of a Custom Exhibit can range from $100 to $300 per square foot. For example, a 20’ x 20’ exhibit space has 400 square feet, so an exhibit that is $150/square foot would cost $60,000. Additional expenses that you will want to factor in include storage, warehouse handling and touchup work to repair minor damage after each show.

Custom Rentals
Because of the high cost of Custom Exhibits, the category of Custom Rentals has become very popular in the last several years. Today, many Exhibit Houses offer full Custom Exhibits that can be rented for one or a package of several shows. This offers you many of the advantages of a purchased Custom Exhibit, but without the full commitment required. This is often an ideal solution for companies that have one trade show a year that is larger, or for when a company needs the flexibility to change directions more often then the 36 to 60 months that a purchased exhibit would be amortized over.

While Custom Rentals offer many of the advantages of purchasing a Custom Exhibit, it is limited by what your Exhibit House has in inventory, so without creativity, it might look more generic than a purchased Custom Exhibit. Also, if you have more than 3 or 4 shows per year, the rental costs will exceed what you would pay for purchasing the same exhibit. Depending on the required elements, the amount of custom graphics and how custom of a design you are looking for, Custom Rentals can cost between $30 and $120 per square foot. So a 20’ x 20’ exhibit space with 400 square feet would run between $12,000 and $48,000. If you are doing multiple shows per year, you should be able to get a multi-show package that will save 5 to 20%.

It’s important to remember that as a marketer, you have very few opportunities where you get to personally engage your target customer when they are in the planning or purchasing mode. Because of this, trade show exhibiting should be an important part of your integrated marketing strategy. Your presence at a show can create strong impressions in the mind of your customer. Selecting the right exhibit for your needs is the first step in making sure that impression is a good one.

Author

Jim Berkman has over 15 years experience designing and producing Integrated Marketing Programs in the Trade Show and Event industry, and is currently Sales Manager for US Exhibits, Inc. in Sunnyvale, CA. Some past and current customers include GTE, Pfizer, Lucent, Dial, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Charles Schwab, OmniSky, Pearson Publishing, VIA Technologies, and Symbian. Prior to joining US Exhibits in 2004, he was with Contempo Design, MC2, and Exhibitgroup/Giltspur. Jim has also served on the Board of Directors of the San Francisco American Marketing Association, and is an Alumni of Arizona State University.

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10 Mistakes to Avoid at Your Next Trade Show

Leesa Barnes, Author

You’ve just decided to attend your first consumer trade show as an exhibitor. You have money in your marketing budget to spend on booth space, but the hardest decision is deciding which show will give you the most bang for your buck.

Whether you pay as little as $700 or as much as $3000 for a 10×10 booth space, you’re going to invest a lot of money in something that may not offer you a sizable return on your investment.

Here’re some mistakes and muckups you can avoid so your first exhibiting experience doesn’t become your last.

1. Exhibiting at a show in its rookie year. They have no track record, no guarantees and it may just turn out to be a waste of your time. Many shows don’t make it into their second year and if you want to build a relationship with your target market, you’ll do better to stick with trade shows that have an established reputation.
2. Expecting a financial windfall from product sales. Don’t go in thinking you’ll make enough sales to cover the cost of the booth. People attend a show to gather information and learn what’s new on the market, not to go on a huge shopping spree. Instead, take small samples of your product to the show, or offer a package containing your brochures and coupons for those who leave their email or phone number with you.
3. Selling items over $20. If you expect to sell a few dozen gift baskets priced at $50 each, you’ll go home with a car full of inventory. Instead, opt to sell a product that’s low cost, say between $10 to $20. People are less hesitant about parting with a $20 or $10 bill.
4. Not asking for incentives. The last thing the show organizer wants is empty booth space as it discourages attendees. So, wait until a few days before the show and ask the show organizer if there’s any empty booth space. If the show organizer says yes, you’re in a perfect position to bargain for a discount on the booth space or get it for free.
5. Not offering to lead a seminar at the show. This is an excellent way to showcase your expertise. Choose a topic that ties in nicely with the product or service you’re promoting at your booth. Offer 45-minutes of ad-free information, then use 2-minutes at the end to pitch your product. People will run to your booth and the mob that gathers around will only attract other buyers.
6. Sitting and looking bored. People will avoid your booth like the plague if you’re just sitting there with a bored look on your face. Get rid of the chairs, stand up and great attendees with a smile. This is much more inviting.
7. Not having a lively booth. On the flip side, just standing there with a smile isn’t enough. You need to entice people to stop. Be creative and be colourful so you can get attendees to stop and really take a look at what you’re promoting.
8. Forgetting to ask what comes with the booth. Some shows will supply a couple of chairs and a table for the money you pay to exihibit at the show. Most will just provide an empty space. Before agreeing to exhibit, always ask what is supplied with the booth. That way, there’re no surprises.
9. Focusing on too many products or services. In other words, if you have a 10×10 booth, aim to focus on just one product or service. If you don’t, you’re bound to confuse people and they won’t approach you.
10. Not displaying a banner. People want to know who you are, even if they don’t understand what you’re promoting. Having a banner that prominently displays your company will invite people to at least crawl past your booth.

Exhibiting at a consumer trade show doesn’t have to be a total bust. Just understand the primary reason why you’re exhibiting and know the primary reason why people attend these type of shows

Author

Leesa Barnes, The Schmooze Coach™, helps consultants, virtual assistants, professional organizers, coaches and “solopreneurs” avoid cold calling by developing a fearless networking plan. Leesa is author of “Schmooze Your Way to Success: 9 Fearless Networking Tips for the Shy, Timid, Introverted & Just Plain Clueless.” Go to http://www.schmoozeyourwaytosuccess.com/ecourse.html and sign up for her free 8-lesson e-course called “From Clueless to Fearless: Secrets from the Schmooze Coach.”

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The Golden 5 of Stationery Design

David Dresen, Director of Design, Logoworks

I appreciate your unrelenting desire for punishment. It seems that there are some people out there that are actually reading these articles, and between you, my editor, and myself, I have a following of at least three. Thank you for your time and support. I addressed the different types of logos last month, and why or why not you should choose a specific type. This month I’d like to address the next step in the process: your stationery design.

You now have a logo that represents you, your company and your future. Congratulations, now what? How do you take that image, that first impression, and make it work for you? How do you continue to establish that important brand? The next step in doing so involves you personally. It is your business card and stationery design. This step should not be considered lightly since your business card is sometimes the very first impression people will receive of your company. The design should solidify your brand that was created through the logo, and also provide vital information for your customers to get a hold of you. Before you start to think of every item you sell or every service you provide, STOP!

The same design principles that I have talked about in every article still apply here. A clean, professional, functional look is vital. I have a list of 5 items you need to consider before you start to add all that clutter to your business card and stationery design.

1. Lets start with the biggie first, MONEY. How much are you willing to spend? This topic alone could be an article in itself because of the multiple factors involved in the process. I might have to address this in a future article, but for now, here is a quick sampling of items you need to consider.

· Is the design a standard size? This applies to both the letterhead and business card.

· How many colors are you using?

· Are you going to utilize both sides of the letterhead and business cards?

· Are there any bleeds, meaning does the ink go off the edge of the page?

· Is there going to be embossing, foiling or die-cutting?

· The stock you’re printing on plays a big role in the cost. Don’t use any stock that is a special order from your printer, unless you understand the cost involved.

If you have money to burn, take advantage of some of the fun things technology has for you, but don’t get carried away!! Remember, a strong, clean design will always be better than a cluttered, expensive one.

2. How much is too much? The use of SPACE in design is probably one of my favorite design elements to use, and one that the customer doesn’t usually understand. “There is too much wasted space.” “I could easily use that space for more products, or listing all my services.” “How about using that area for putting all my credentials and certifications.”I hear all these things. But before you have this conversation with your designer, consider the following: White space, or space in general, is vital in a strong design. Allowing elements to stand out without blasting them at the viewer through color or size is very beneficial. A cleaner design will not only allow the viewer to recognize important elements faster, but it will also entice them to actually look at something longer. What a concept; someone actually looking at the business card you just gave them!

3. This may reduce my readership down to two, but I have to bring up WATERMARKS.

I have to admit, there might be a use for these, but there is definitely no excuse for using a watermark in more than one color. First, a watermark by name is not meant to be readily seen. If you go and get a piece of cotton letterhead stock, and look at it through the light, you will see something magnificent, an “actual watermark”. That is how they are intended to be used, something very subtle, elegant and clean. Keep watermarks to a minimum, and only use a single color when you do.

4. Does the design interfere with FUNCTIONALITY? That funny text in the middle of the piece of paper is there for a reason. The sender usually has something important to communicate to the reader. A good design should NEVER interfere with the message being delivered. The design elements are there to compliment and strengthen, not distract, the reader.

5. A good design will incorporate KEY ELEMENTS of the logo into the design. This can play a major role in the branding of the identity the designer has created. If done correctly, you will be able to push your branding beyond just using the whole logo or mark. For example, the Bahamas logo uses a stylized leaf pattern, and that leaf pattern is used to expand their brand throughout their collateral material. The result had been an extremely strong, impressionable marketing campaign that has helped them boost their tourism revenue.

These are just a few of the things to be considered when starting your stationery package design. I want to re-emphasize the theme that I have established in all my articles, that of a clean, professional look. There is no amount of money that can make up for a poor design that in turn establishes a poor impression on your customer. Your stationery design is meant to be an extension of your brand, but more importantly, retain its functionality.

Related Topics: Design, Graphic Design, Small Business    No Comments