Making Your Trade Show Exhibit Count

Regardless of the venue, professional quality trade show exhibits are the expected in everything from local events to the largest national gatherings. And, while poorly designed trade show displays won’t exclude you from participation in a show, they may well be the only impression you have a chance to make on potential clients and customers for another year or more. Whether you are planning on having an exhibit for the first time or have planned trade show booths in the past here are some things to consider that may make your next show a success.

Cost Justification

Professional quality trade show exhibits are expensive to design, implement and man. On average you can expect to invest anywhere from a few hundred dollars to a major investment of thousands of dollars.  After you add in lighting, banners stands, and various accessories, that means a potentially high budget expenditure on a booth that has, on average, three seconds to impress a show participant.

Answering the following questions will help you focus on how much to spend and how to spend it:
What are your goals for your trade show participation?
How will your exhibit help to meet those objectives?
What size are the events in which you plan to participate?
Are they national, regional, local, or a variety?
How many such events will you participate in each year?
What location type (in-line, corner, end, island) and size of trade show exhibit display space will you reserve?
Will you need a company that specializes in trade show freight services or will you handle shipping and storing the exhibit yourself?

All of these factors go into determining how much you should plan to budget to buy your trade show exhibit. The more you expect to use your exhibit the more you need to think about the quality of its construction. You may be going to only one event but the size of the show and the number of potential visitors to your booth may well increase your need to make maximum impact with the kind of exhibit your purchase.

Contact Distributors That Know What They Are Doing

You generally will make best use of the dollars in your budget to contract an experienced distributor. An experienced distributor works like a consultant and can take you through the selection and design process while helping you avoid the potential pitfalls along the way. You may go to two or three shows a year while this is all they do. A good distributor will know the options available and what will work best for the kind of image you want to present. Look for a company that has been in business over ten years with a proven track record of results. Ask for referrals and to see examples of the work if possible.

One word of warning – although distributors will present you with an amazing variety of features and options, make sure you settle on something that accurately represents your company. Remember those first two questions to ask before planning an exhibit: What are your goals for your trade show participation and how will your exhibit help to meet those objectives? A successful trade show exhibit should reflect your company’s overall marketing goals and business strategy.

Determining the Type of Booth You Need

Much of this depends on the average size shows the exhibit will be used for or if this is a repeating annual event the location on the show floor you will have. If you have a corner location far from the main flow of traffic, you may want to spend a little more to have something designed that will attract attention. If you have a large, prominent, location you should consider an exhibit that offers demonstrations and seating. Portable, modular, and hybrid exhibit systems are all options thought many companies are gravitating toward custom designs. All of these factors illustrate why a good consultant or reliable distributor is essential.

Be Aware of What Works and Future Trends

One aspect of planning trade show exhibits that is often overlooked should be the most obvious. There is no better drawing board for your future trade show booth than the last show you attended. Look around. Take note of the kind of exhibits that attracted you. Watch show attendees and take note of several things: number of visitors, length of time visitors remain at the booth, how well the exhibit reflects the company using the exhibit, and overall effect on you as a potential client or customer. After several down years, all indicators point to an upturn in trade show attendance, so plan ahead to make the most of it.

For All Of Your Display Needs

At Camelback Displays, we offer the full spectrum in trade show displays, truss and much more. Our exhibit experts can match your company with the best trade show exhibits that not only match your budget, but also your style and image. Our trade show booths range from table top kits in all varieties to in-line displays such as pop ups, hybrids, tension fabric, panel systems to full blown custom island exhibits utilizing functionality and aesthetics.