Marshall Yard:

I often ask clients (or potential clients), “why do you exhibit at this trade show?” You’d be surprised how many respond with, “because if we’re not there, people will wonder why.”

Why spend several - if not hundreds of several - thousand dollars on an obligatory trade show with little hope for profit? Particularly in this fragile economic climate, try to exhibit only at trade shows that meet your marketing objectives and present a clear means of returning on your invesment. Focus your efforts on trade shows which cater to:

• Your targeted audience
• Decison-makers (managers & directors, not their assistants)
• Vertical markets (specific products or services)

…are held in:

• Substantial venues (ie. OCCC, McCormick Place, LVCC)

…and allow for:

Customized rental exhibits

Some smaller shows, usually commencing in hotels, on fair grounds, etc., only allow exhibitors to utilize pop up exhibits: it’s hard to stand out when everyone is advertising on a black, 8ft. backdrop.

Try to secure an island or peninsula configuration. You’ll pay more upfront but these allow for higher identification, visibility from several aisles and clear division of space (conferencing, demonstrations, reception, etc.).

Rent an exhibit design that makes the most of your space and marketing objectives. Steer clear of “pulled from a shelf” designs or those created using modular components. Go for something clean, innovative and seamlessly functional.

Dear Exhibit House-

I am the Marketing Manager for a successful, progressive company and have a hearty amount of experience organizing our trade shows (for which I am the sole decision maker). I’m preparing now for my next big one and would like to prioritize my exhibit needs as follows (just to be sure my most pressing needs are met with innovation and efficiency):

20-30 stem lights. White, not silver. Ick. You never know what kind of an impression these make 16 feet in the air. I realize they cost a lot more than, say, Par-can lights but I’m really looking for a solid “flashlight” effect here, so mount up.

Docking station for our mixed berry smoothies. Give-a-ways like these have spunk. No embossed erasers here! These help bring qualified customers in (so we can sell them our sheet metal shears), so make sure there’s enough room in the booth to make at least 500.  

DOUBLE carpet padding. I cannot stress this enough. I wouldn’t want to walk around for three days on broken glass, would you? Double padding = comfort. I know, I know, I know…heaven forbid we have to change our electrical layout. Heaven forbid our lead man has to “slice through a 34-ounce steak with a spoon” again. But it’s VITAL.

Demo stations. Quantity TBD. I still have to meet with the nine people on my team to discuss. Should know within the next month or so.

Reception counter. In a bright orange to match our logo.

3-4 conference rooms. Transparent material would be fantastic, as we don’t want a “stuffy” environment. Please note, though, that it must also be sound-proof and allow for complete privacy.

Storage. We have a lot of salespeople. And they have a lot of stuff.

Regarding our budget: we have a 20×40 peninsula (but are trying really hard for an island) at either ACCM or AMCC 2009…can’t quite remember. It’s in Orlando, though, sometime before Easter. And though our $16,000 budget is all-inclusive (FYI - we’ll need an itemized contract so we can determine where to save costs, if necessary), I’m still waiting to find out whether it includes electrical service, foliage, installation or our travel expenses. Oh, and there’s a good chance it might include promotional items and rental of the exhibit space itself.

Regarding our time frame: we’re really hoping to get a rough quote - and a couple concepts - by Friday. And though we accept electronic information, it’d just be super to get five hard copies of your proposal. I’ll need to share it with, and get approval from, my team. Busy couple months, so it’s been tough trying to get everyone in the room!

Regarding invoicing: If you’re chosen as our preferred vendor, please send our invoices to our headquarters in Xi’an, China (address enclosed). We’ll cut a P.O. for the first 50% and will need to pay the remaining amount at least two weeks after the close of the show. Corporate policy.

I’ll be traveling overseas for the next five days or so but please feel free to contact me at any time with questions. Otherwise, please send your proposal at your earliest convenience.

Thank you!

Coordinator =  liason between departments

With the vast amount of trade shows in all the various industries, the primary focus is to draw attention to your service & product. 

A well designed custom rental exhibit will give you the framework necessary to interact with potential clients.   Forming an allegiance with a full service exhibit house can give you that Coordinator - liason between departments.   Helping boost those trade show results and enhance your trade show experience. 

The arena is full of competition, your exhibit space needs careful attention to detail,  it is important to achieve continuity for your product & services within your exhibit space.  Your products and services need to tell a streamlined story with emphasis on each chapter.  

An experienced exhibit house can help you with your 3D Marketing Strategies and coordinate between your companies departments to that the continiuty and the message you are trying to invoke is clear and precise. 

M - Manage your time between online campaigns, print campaigns & make sure you have personal
contact with prospects on a weekly basis if not more often.

A - Advertise yourself where ever you can, the online possibilities are endless

R - Reach out to multiple audiences by attending a variety of tradeshows

K - KISS - Your message should be “Keep it Simple & Straightforward”

E - Evaluate the competition and plan your strategy for upcoming trade shows & conventions

T - Target your market by making an exhibit booth that will shout…………………

I - IMPACT - Idea generation with an experienced Exhibit House Team can bring easy 3D Solutions

N - Networking at trade shows and conventions can bring your product and/or service to the front lines

G - Global Marketing can be effective through online tools, advertising networks, social media marketing,
blogging!

With the IMTS - International Manufacturing Technology Show just around the corner, September 8th - 13th in Chicago. Is your trade show exhibit ready to hit the floor in cutting edge style for the Emerging Technology Center? With research and development at the forefront, exhibiting at IMTS gives you the opportunity to network and partner with leading industry organizations.

Suggestions from experts at IMTS  in controls, computers and technology will allow you to gather valuable resources, gaining knowledge that can offer ways to help eliviate several of the challenges in productivity.  IMTS 2006 brought in over 1200 exhibitors, don’t miss your chance to gain exposure and line up your booth space.  Registration is open, starting your exhibiting plans and trade show strategy early can help produce more satisfactory results.

With a highly anticipated growth in attendee’s, take advantage and get your trade show booth featuring your products and services lined up to be seen on the exhibit floor at McCormick place Lakeside Center, North, South & West Buildings. 

A stunning 3D exhibit display can set apart your companies products and services and attract the needed attention to launch your business into an ever growing marketplace.  With an array of over 15,000 products being viewed at IMTS, showcase your product and score big on the trade show floor.

Plasma’s and monitors can add a dramatic effect and give your trade show exhibit  a well rounded and complete “visual display“. 

Why not utilize a monitor to fill in for your booth management team while you are engaged in conversation with prospects, attention getting presentations will give those trade show attendee’s something to stick around for.  Invoking questions that they can later ask you to answer. 

If you have a large exhibit space, what a better way to present multiple products and/or service divisions.   Large companies that have a variety of products often utilize plasma’s to showcase each division and with that it creates a seperate entity within the one trade show exhibit, but yet the entire brand is incorporated.

Creating a presentation to entice your potential visitors into your exhibit space, can be accomplished quite easily and a creating a marketing solution to include LCD’s and Plasma’s can help keep the flow of traffic consistent and will help you reach your trade show goals.

Exhibit Displays & Tradeshows!

Why are people doing it? Why should I spend the money?  I have six valid reasons that your appearance at trade shows can benefit and build your global business marketing plan and strategy.

Build Brand Awareness

Increase Leads

High Customer Visibility

Increased Market Competition

Launching a new identity

Launching a new product

No matter what market you are in, medical, automotive, gift market, landscaping,  electronics, multi-media, gaming, photography, there is a trade show out there for you.  There is also a whole bunch of competition.  There are enormous opportunities waiting for those who get it right.  Opportunities not only for your company, but for you within the company.  Opportunities to capture leadership within your business, or business position. 

Ask yourself a few questions?

Why Exhibit?

How do I do it successfully?

When should I exhibit?

Where should I exhibit?

Know your market place and know your competition!  Success in a trade show program is about focus and targeting resources and energy.  If you are unsure of some of the above questions, we can direct you to the best strategy fit for your given situation.

Custom Trade Show Exhibit Rental

Whether it is called an exhibition, fair, expo or just good old fashioned trade show.  These events  can bring you extraordinary results when it comes to forming relationships with prospective clients.  With the never ending coast to coast conference calls, webinars, emails and the growing use of internet based meetings, tradeshows can be a place where you get back in the ring of personal contact and customer service.

The necessity of exhibiting at trade shows and actually reaching out to shake the hand of clients can add high credibility to your companies products and services.  Giving the prospective client a comfort zone of who they will be dealing with on the other end of the phone, will help them form their opinions early and get them one step closer to their decision making process.

If you are launching a new product or service, consider exhibiting at a trade show.  Research and planning will be a key to making the trade show a success.  When decision makers are able to touch and feel your products, they will remember it better than if they saw it online or via a web conference.

I ran across the Ten Trade Show Exhibit Best Practices on About.com - I agree with the many of the points that Darrell Zahorksy points out in this line-up. Stressing in a few of the articles I have written I firmly belive that the “create a buzz” that he speaks of is one that should be at the top of this list. By spending time informing potential clients of your appearance at an upcoming trade show helps them plan accordingly.

Also pointed out in the article is training your trade show team, trade show floors can be like downtown Chicago on Christmas Eve at Macy’s..yes, Macy’s, no more Marshall Fields. The aisles of the convention center are often times packed with prospective clients, not only with buying power but alot of heavy hitters and decision makers. If you don’t educate your booth team and give them the proper mental equipment for proper boothmanship the outcome can be detrimental in a final decision for a prospective client.

Susan Ward says to plan your exhibit in terms of your audience, another statement that I highly agree with in terms of amazing trade show displays and results there from. In order to draw in your potential clients, you must understand what it is they are looking for, and why it is they are attending.

Steve Woodruff from Small Business Branding wrote: Above all differentiate, you are competing for limited time and memory. That simple statement of eleven words gives you a base to build upon when you are entering the ever growing industry of trade show marketing.