Trade Show Displays, Advice, Popups, Exhibits

A General Over View, Trade Show Display Costs

Trade Show Displays will always be essential to better enable organizations to promote their product be it business to business or business to consumer. However, over time the cost of participating in trade shows is now up dramatically. While cost of design and materials for booths has risen the expenses involved in drayage, shipping, cost of square footage, set up and take down, transportation and hotels have skyrocketed off the charts. This has been exacerbated by the price of fuel and its effect on the shipping industry. Many companies are betwixt and between in the best way to develop innovative strategies to market their products and services effectively at trade shows and at the same time finding their way to critical cost savings.

The benefits of a custom design and style are obvious. You get the precise configuration you desire with custom shapes and all the effects you and the designers have in your display concept. But make no mistake, a custom design is an undertaking and there may be a few fits and starts and adjustments along the way. It makes little difference if your display is of average size or one of those city block undertakings. Peace of mind can be had by a good project plan in place with an eye toward critical path, agreed upon updates as to progress and milestones completed. At all costs try and avoid last minute changes of any consequence. Again, bear in mind custom is custom. When you and the designers get it right you will have a display aboslutely unique to your company, it's image, branding, desired message presented, a memorable Trade Show Display, and a successful trade show experience.

Be aware there may be times when your custom trade show booth might not have the same effect on you once erected as opposed to what's in your minds eye as seen in the renderings. That is not to say that the display is not precisely what you ordered. Many trade show displays can be grand in size, scope, and be comprised of marvelous and intricate shapes etc. and that's all good. But, once again remember the images you have in your mind are no doubt from artistic renderings. One way to keep the display in focus is by including renderings with different views from "both feet on the ground." Concentrate on renderings that will demonstrate what the trade show visitor sees from his or her perspective at ground level. Many a custom display look beautiful in the artist's rendered detail from a view of 15 feet off the ground at a 45 degree angle. Unfortunately at this angle no one walking the trade show floor will have this view.. "Line of sight" are the "Watchwords" The up side is of course if everything goes correctly your company image is projected in exactly the way you choose with no compromises. A one of a kind is a joy.

Here is an example, many refer to as "Case Studies," of a Stage One 10x10 display where the company planned to expand it's presence and "footprint" over time, but was working with a budget that would be available in stages.

You will see how easily and seamlessly this 10x10 Trade Show Display was expanded in the following examples.

As a result of the use of intelligent design, modular panel, truss, together with modular pop up trade show booths can now engender the custom made look and feel with out the hefty price tag of custom booths. Many of the features that are found in these systems are best represented in the concept of scalability. New features to the modular trade show booth systems may be added in the future with Lighting effects, Motion, interchanging Graphics and Video, are but a few examples of how companies can easily work the scalability concept into their marketing and advertising price range which translates into money saved and better spent. Organizations are finding new ways to "Expand" their trade Show Displays because of this new additional flexibility.

By adding another radius identical to the first we expanded the trade show display from a 10x10 to a 10x20 configuration. Note the truss work in the middle joining the two radius portions. We could have just joined them together at the hip so to speak, but we had additional ideas. Just a few pieces of additional truss where they joined did the trick. Why? This was done because we already had stage three planned and the additonal small amount of incorporated truss work joining the presentation areas gave the client more graphic display area. Observe the pedestals were positioned on the ends in such a manner that in viewing the demonstrations on the video display units the viewer would be standing sideways. Why side ways? Simple answer. By standing with their shoulders at a right angle to the back wall of display it took up less space in terms of obstructing the view of people who were still walking in the aisles. May seem silly but the object is to keep as much of the graphics in the booth visible as possible. Every single square foot of the displays is precious in maximizing marketing. Every little bit helps!!

After expanding the trade show display from a 10x10 to a 10x20 we decided to add one more touch. Light and Depth. There is no argument that motion and Light grab at our conditioned eye reflexes. By adding what we call a "return", a column with a bridge, which was attached to the back wall we accomplished both tasks. Again a simple low cost add on which fit into the "More available" over time budget.

As part of the bridge we added a light box with graphics and it really gave the trade show display additional "Pop." The return with the light box enables people walking the aisle from either direction to see the back lit signage before they reached the booth. This was an "Attention grabber." In addtion the add on placed at a right angle to the back wall provided a sense of depth to the Display.

Another low cost Trade show booth add on: At a later date the company also attached a monitor to the vertical section of the return facing out toward the people walking the aisles. This allowed my client to run a continuous "Product infromation" video loop which again was used as an "Attention grabber." We maximized every bit of usable space for marketing that was available which made sense, by adding more hardware, light and Video

The client now had the use of two 10x10's for simultaneous trade show Displays at different locations, an open 10x20 when required, a 10x20 with the attractive treatment of the return with added light box. There was also an extra addvanatge to the 10x10 configuration. When using a 10x10 configuration by adding the return with the light box as used on the 10x20 making for a killer 10x10 Trade Show Display. As trade displays or a trade show booth, choose your term, that's bang for the buck!

How Does a Trade Show Display Keep Growing?

This marketing effort was accomplised using the theory of modular construction with the thought of expandability, scalability, and mobility in mind as opposed to starting from scratch, with all the work inviolved to find a different look for each different need and paying the extra money required in a new display to meet that need. I mght add that this display was easily assmbled by company staff with no tools required. If you can spin a wing nut between your forefinger and your thumb you can easily assemble this trade show display!

The following year my client took a 20x20 space. You got It , Hahahaha. We used every bit of of hardware we already had following the modular construction, added a bit more with signage and they were off and running.

I would be more than happy to answer inquiries and take suggestions: Peter@smartbizinfo.com (A web master I am not, LOL).

I hope you have found this article useful. Kind regards and "Good Luck"!