Marshall Yard:

Thanks to Emma McDonald at frugalmarketing.com for that quote. Ours is a marketing medium that is construed as having a very short window of opportunity for sales. To earn an worthwhile ROI on tradeshow dollars can be a daunting task for marketing coordinators charged with organizing an exhibit booth. Ms. McDonald’s point, however, clarifies why that challenge seems so insurmountable: many view expo’s as a short-term project, with a show open and close occurring within a couple of days.

In reality, a trade show exhibit program spans, arguably by definition, over a course of multiple shows. In fact, the shows that you do not exhibit at play a role in the perceived success of your overall program. Are attendees ever wondering why you weren’t at the XYZ Show? The results from any individual exhibit booth are cumulative, in so much as you are building a presence over the course of many shows - not one.

With this revelation, it is no wonder why many choose to own? If you are only being judged upon this show (the show you are currently at - not in-conjunction-with any previous or subsequent expos), then so long as your exhibit is in good repair; has an effective design for the particular show audience, configuration, and your product or service’s ‘life cycle’; and isn’t too dated; you have a sincere opportunity for success…

Remember the “If” at the beginning of that monster sentence?

The decision to continue with an exhibit ownership program discounts the idea that an audience is actually built over the course of multiple shows. It disregards what we can only describe as a “buzz” that surrounds the hot new booth at a particular show. Purchasing ignores the evolution of your brand, products or services over time - it treats them as static marketing units that need only be stored, inspected, and at worst, repaired. Some believe that by introducing new graphics and some slight remodeling, a brand’s perception can be effectively renewed. These people must have a total disdain for architecture - as though it were a mythical study that effects zero utility to a trade show exhibit display.

Owning your exhibit is a financial decision. Renting an exhibit, and doing something new at subsequent shows - that is a marketing decision. The best part about it is that the former only occasionally costs less than the latter.