Marshall Yard:

I’ve recently begun work with a trade show coordinator who has a very astute perspective with regards to the design of his company’s trade show booth. It was with very little surprise that he revealed to us (during the design input meeting) that he’s been designing trade show exhibits for much of his career. Only recently had he begun coordinating exhibits for his company.

As a designer, he understands how the trade show exhibit space functions - the balance between aesthetics, function, and marketing message. He advises his team on how to value the various designs that exhibit houses have created for an upcoming show. In this case, it’s for the Worldwide Food Expo, held in October at McCormick Place. The WWFE is largely an equipment and product show for restaurateurs of various stripes. The demands placed on exhibits are similar to other shows where product and equipment demonstration rules, and visibility, marketing message, and architecture must all revolve around the placement of a large machine, or a number of smaller products. In order to get attendees to see your widget, you need to separate yourself from the crowded “skyline” of hanging signs, towers, and video monitors. Something exceptionally pleasing needs to draw the eye of those passing through, and this coordinator understands that. (more…)

Sorry for the awkward humor, but I’m heading to the second game of the White Sox’ double header today (weather permitting). The main pitch [sorry] of today’s trade show blog post hits at the three distinct business models present in our industry. First, there are design agencies, who design home run exhibits, and must broker out the manufacturing of the exhibit to various other vendors. Next, there are exhibit companies, who also create championship booth designs, but who possess the internal capabilities to create the displays that have been rendered for clients. Lastly, there are companies who are neither of the above: They contract with design firms - who then design exhibits for the exhibit company’s clientelle, later to be built by the exhibit firm. What are the advantages or disadvantages of these three business models?

Let’s consider the cost of designing: The agency will likely bill the exhibitor for design time. The exhibit company with in-house designers will [sometimes] consider design part of the exhibit overhead. Buried in the price of your exhibit is the time spent on your custom design, but based on a very rough estimate of how many hours any project of a certain scope would take to create. Other companies with in-house capabilities will still charge hourly for design time, so this second group is actually varied with how they handle design time. The third group - who contract their designs through a third party vendor - is similarly varied. Some may handle the design cost in the price of the exhibit - likely marked up to account for the risk therein. Others may charge up-front for design. When it comes to how designing is charged to exhibitors, it would be a smart idea to get clarification of this detail up front (like on the FIRST conversation with an exhibitor). In some occasions I would even try to get this information in writing. With a sour trade show economy, there are floundering firms whose behavior leaves something to be desired. What do you think the best business model is for your needs? Up front design charges, overhead treatment of designing, or direct billing, after the fact? More importantly, how do these business models affect execution or implementation of your exhibit design to a working, walking, talking exhibit booth? (more…)

This blog post didn’t make it past the “draft” stage when I wrote it a month and a half ago. Let’s just say I may have jumped the gun! Though it may seem mildly unrelated to a trade show blog’s purpose, I find the threat of inflation to be especially thorny for the rental or purchase of expo booth displays. In fact, the prospect of rising prices should concern us all when it comes to the subject of exhibiting at upcoming shows. I’m not omniscient, however likely that may have seemed prior to this admission, so you tell me - Are we to beware of inflation, or should we concern ourselves more with those deflating marketing budgets instead?

As our nation, and indeed the entire world, continues to borrow its way out of the current recession, we’re presently faced with rising bond yields. For those of you who based your marketing strategy on buying bonds, this is awful. But then again, you’re not bond traders, you’re marketeers! Bond prices are falling, so it’s a good thing your marketing plan was actually based on more sound methods-like internet SEO, social networking, e-marketing, trade shows, and event marketing. But will these things start costing much, much more? (more…)