The Exhibit Source Blog

If you are looking for a low-cost trade show display that is sure to stand out from the crowd, look at “Glide”. Glide has an unusual oval-shaped graphic background that will set your trade show exhibit apart. But just as important, it's the first portable exhibit that was designed to support a large-screen LCD monitor.

The 8' tall tower not only holds the video monitor and a shelf, but also provides integrated locking storage. Mounted to the sides of the tower is the large oval background banner, illuminated by a compact fluorescent edge lighting or optional LED lighting.

Experience the Portable Strength of these trade show displays. Built around a strong central tower, Glide blends true portability with incomparable strength and function.

No other portable trade show booth can support a TV screen this large! This trade show booth display is the Winner of the Best New Product Award at the Exhibitor 2009 Conference and The Only Portable System to receive an honor.

• Supports a 36” Monitor
• Integrated Locking Storage
• Choose the innovative oval shape or traditional rectangular fabric banner
• Sets up in less than 30 minutes
• Packs in one small, wheeled case weighing under 100 lbs.
• Save on shipping and storage costs!

Available for rent or for purchase. Contact The Exhibit Source.

You have made the commitment to attend trade shows. You have hired and paid the staff, expensed the travel and in some cases lodging, you have purchased the uniforms and you have a captivating trade show display. Because of it all, you have gotten some great leads. Now you have to follow-up on those qualified leads. This is the challenge.

Trade show lead follow-up has long been a problem. Why go through the effort and expense of exhibiting at a show with no follow-up plans in place. This is such a waste of precious marketing dollars.  However, it is done all the time by companies who must think that this activity is just not that important.

Lead Follow-up Problem Overall

Here is a breakdown of companies overall approach to leads, not just trade show leads.  One statistic shows that the majority of leads are never follow-up.

Does Your Company Qualify Leads for Sales?

• 58% No
• 42% Yes

How to “fix” this problem?

The root of the problem is “accountability.”  Senior management needs to require this information from their staff.  When there is a mandate from senior management, performance measures are normally in place to gauge progress.

Forward thinking exhibition managers tackle this issue with excellent results.  Sometimes they have tied it into calculating a return of trade show performance or they just want to streamline their internal marketing/sales processes.
 
Getting A Sales Person Involved

Have a key sales person in the planning process of the lead qualification form that you will use at the trade show.  Having their fingerprints all over the thinking process and the lead scoring parameters ensures they are more willing to follow-up.  This sales person can communicate to his/her peers the measures which are in place, so the teams knows their time is not being wasted with all of the non-leads.

Business 2 Community

Trade shows allow businesses a setting in to find new business leads, new clients and to attend to existing customers. In theory, trade shows provide one-stop-shopping with hundreds of potential clients under one roof. Seems like the perfect opportunity right?
   
Face to face contact with companies is a more efficient approach than calling or emailing prospective clients.   

The reality is very different.  The scale of many events and exhibitions can quickly overwhelm those very clients you are trying to attract. The right trade show exhibit can help. Exhibitors attend shows to reach sales targets, your trade show display needs to attract people to your booth so you don’t have to go looking for them.

Trade shows are great opportunities to network, build relationships with customers, and invite prospects to explore your goods or services. Try to plan your space and use your location to your advantage. But most importantly, promote yourself before the trade show. Let  your potential and existing customers know where you are going to be and offer them a show special.

For assistance in creating the perfect trade show booth, contact The Exhibit Source.

There are quite a few Boston Area trade shows coming up. Are you participating in any? If so, make sure it is money well spent. How? By having the right trade show displays.

If you are participating at any trade shows this year, maximize your ROI by attracting new potential customers to your trade show exhibit. How? By having an exhibit that is different and captivating.

An interesting and memorable trade show exhibit does not need to be expensive or wasteful. Consider renting. From table-tops to 10' exhibits to full scale custom modular trade show displays, The Exhibit Source offers a wide range of affordable rental trade show booth display options. Looking for a green option? The Exhibit Source is proud to be New England's exclusive distributor of the full line of environmentally-friendly displays.

The Exhibit Source provides a complete selection of event and trade show exhibit solutions for clients ranging from start-ups to Fortune 500 companies. Our concept-to-completion suite of services includes exhibit design, construction, shipping, install and dismantle, graphic design, and signage. Want an effective trade show display? Contact us.

If you are heading to a trade show, it is important to make an impression with your trade show display and get the best return on your investment as possible. When go to a trade show on a tight budget, this may be even more important.

Purchasing a pre-owned trade show exhibit can offer savings of as much as 50% over the cost of a new display - and many still have the manufacturer's warranty. Pre-owned trade show exhibits can be customized with your graphics and tailored to communicate your marketing message.

If you are spending the time and money on a trade show it is important to do the show right with memorable and captivating trade show booth. Our inventory of pre-owned exhibits changes often. For current availability, and information on pre-owned trade show exhibits contact The Exhibit Source.

FREE graphic header with the purchase of a pre-owned exhibit!

If you are heading to a trade show, you need to get the biggest bang for your buck. When you are taking the time and spending the money on a trade show or expo, it is important to do it right with memorable and captivating trade show exhibits.

With everything from 20 x 10 foot trade show displays to table top and multi-quad exhibits, you have your choice for your next trade show exhibit.

Your company needs to maximize trade show ROI with innovative exhibit design, high quality displays and graphics.  Perhaps you need lecterns or brochure racks, those are also available as well as green exhibits.

The Exhibit Source specializes in creating large-scale graphics that utilize color saturation and seamless designs, up to 10' dimensions.

Since The Exhibit Source specializes in creating unique looking exhibits for their clients, that means they pull from different vendors, mixing and matching display options to create just the right exhibit to fulfill a client's needs.  Contact Us.

Here are some steps on measuring your trade show ROI:

Get Your Leads:  Gather up your list of trade show leads from each show. At least do the shows you really want to track first, like the expensive or largest shows. Find out who came to your trade show booth and put the list in Excel. You’ll need the spreadsheet for extra columns and calculations.

Get Your Customer List: Somewhere in your company is a list of all your customers and what they bought. It may not be neat and tidy and available, but it is there somewhere. It may be in a database, it may be invoices…you may need to look and compile.

Compare Leads to Customers: Look up every company listed as a lead that visited your trade show booth to see if they are also in your customer database. Are they there? If yes, add in your leads Excel file a column that says “bought” and mark them as Yes. Then add a column and type in how much they spent.
 
Calculate ROI: When you total up the sales you can attribute to the trade show, compare that to the cost to exhibit at the show. So, if your sales were $100,000 and your costs were $10,000, then you've got an ROI of $100,000/$10,000 = 10 to 1. Now you have a yardstick to compare which trade shows to exhibit at and which ones to drop. And you have a metric to compare trade shows to other marketing media.

Bonus No. 1: Tracking New/Repeat Business: Keep track of the date of all sales from leads from the trade show. Were they already a client before the show? So, you helped influence a repeat client. Did they buy repeatedly after the show? Then total up all those sales, not just the first one. Did they buy for the first time after the show? Then your trade show lead became a new client.

Bonus No. 2: Tracking Product/Segments: If your client database has the info readily available, you can also check out and record on your spreadsheet what products and services they bought. Did they buy the new product you introduced at the show, or your popular existing products? Do the products and clients fall into more than one market segment for you? If so, see if the biggest segments were the ones you targeted at the show. You may be surprised, and you may want to change your trade show exhibit messaging and promotions.

It takes some work initially, but it is worth the effort to finally determine your Trade Show ROI.

TSNN.com

The New Year is almost upon us, and it is time to think of some resolutions for your business. Resolve to spend your marketing dollars wisely. When you choose to go to a trade show, you need to do it right. Or, if you are spending your dollars on a smaller scale training meeting, your money still needs to be well spent.

The Exhibit Source provides a complete selection of event marketing and trade show exhibits, from national trade show promotions and key product launches to small-scale training meetings.

We can help you calculate your budget, create the displays and trade show exhibits as well as take care of the shipping, installation and dismantling logistics. Let us help you resolve to make the most of your marketing budget, contact The Exhibit Source for trade show booths and displays.