The Exhibit Source Blog

If you are attending a trade show, you need to work your trade show booth effectively. Make sure you match your message to the audience, the particular attendees going to the show. Also know how you’re going to promote that message to get people to your trade show booth. Be sure you have a very specific plan to follow up with anyone you talk to and capitalize on that.

A pre-show marketing strategy is very important. Promote that you’re business is going to be there, for example, include that information on your website, promote your participation on social media sites, send out mailings to invite people to stop by, and send emails and newsletters and include that information. The more people who see your name, logo and message, the greater the chance that as they tour the exhibition hall, they’re going to seek out your trade show booth.

Also, create a concise message that matches the audience and then have properly trained booth staff to get everyone on the same page, looking toward the same goal and delivering the same message.

For assistance in creating a trade show display for which trade show attendees will stop, contact the Exhibit Source.

Smart Business

Fall is one of the busiest times for trade show events. From mid-September through November, businesses exhibit to decision makers, sharing the latest in products and services at conference, conventions and trade shows.

When searching for a company to help with your trade show display, look for experience in designing, creating, and building trade show exhibits. But beyond an eye catching display,  here are some "must haves" every trade show booth should contain.

1. Office supplies. Come prepared with writing materials, scissors, rubber bands, safety pins, binder clips, paper clips and other miscellaneous office supplies. Include adhesive products such as masking tape, Duct tape, double sided tape, Velcro sticky dots, push pins and tacks. These items will come in handy when taping down electrical cords, hanging posters and repairing unexpected tears.

2. Basic tools and electrical cords, extension cords and adapter plugs. A basic tool kit including screw drivers, pliers and hammer will come in handy. If you are relying on electricity; make sure you have what you'll need to plug in lighted displays, monitors and printers.

3. Personal comfort items. In addition to shoes that are comfortable and offer good support for standing long periods of time, you also need  a mini medicine chest, aspirin and antacids, mints and chewing gum, eye drops, throat lozenges and lip balm as well as bottled water and quick, easy snack items.

4. Camera/FlipCam. Keep a visual record of your trade show booth experience by taking pictures of your trade show booth, sales team, and convention visitors. Where appropriate, use your FlipCam (or similar recording device) to capture real life comments from customers and prospects about your company.

The Exhibit Source offers affordable, creative trade show display options for your next trade show exhibit rental. Looking for a unique trade show exhibit design, contact us.

Wall Street Journal – Market Watch

Whether you have a trade show booth that needs an upgrade, or if you need a new trade show booth, you can contact the Exhibit Source. As you know, trade shows are hectic and fast paced. Your booth display has about 3 seconds to attract new and potential clients. In order to do that, you need to stand out from the others, but most of all, you need to stand out from your competition.

No doubt, trade shows are worth the time and money when done right. But with the money, time and employees that you are investing in the trade show, you need to make sure you make the best impression. Your trade show exhibit needs to grab qualified prospects, make them curious, and quickly show them what sets you apart.

The Exhibit Source understands the importance and the investment of your trade show display, which is why we offer numerous options of display styles.

Click “trade show exhibits” for more information.

Most businesses that regularly attend trade shows believe that they are a good investment. However, there are methods and strategies to get more leads with your trade show exhibit design:

1. Get a bigger booth
2. Get a booth space closer to the hub of traffic, or by a bigger competitor
3. Get a corner booth space
4. Backlight your trade show display graphics
5. Design your exhibit to more boldly, and clearly say why attendees will benefit from working with you
6. Put fewer elements on your exhibit, but make the remaining images and messages bigger and more concise
7. Use graphics with images and benefits that appeal more directly to attendees at your vertical market shows
8. Put benefit statements on your trade show exhibit graphics
9. Replace your tired old display with a new trade show exhibit
10. Make your exhibit architecture more inviting to enter
11. Pick more exciting colors on your exhibit
12. Bring fewer products, such as only your most popular products, to minimize clutter
13. Get a taller exhibit
14. Add more lighting
15. Put messages on your flooring
16. Avoid an exhibit that looks like everyone else
17. Keep your booth neat and clean throughout the show
18. Move interesting equipment and technology to the outside of the booth
19. Use a theme that gets attention and memorably ties into your competitive advantage or offering
20. Match your exhibit message to your other marketing materials

For assistance in creating your trade show display, contact The Exhibit Source.

TSNN

Trade shows are your company’s chance to debut a new product, find better vendors and suppliers, reach out to potential clients and find new talent to bring in to your company. But if you want to grab people’s attention at a trade show, then you will need to make and follow a plan and use some good trade show techniques. The company that is prepared to maximize the opportunities at a trade show is the company that will walk away feeling like the investment in the event was worth it.

Marketing Materials

One of the biggest mistakes companies make when they prepare for a trade show is a mediocre trade show display and deciding to use the existing marketing materials they have on hand. In order to make a big impact at a trade show, you need to give people something that will make your products stand out. You need to have new marketing materials and pop up trade show displays made up for the products and services you will be featuring at the show.

Make and Follow a Plan

Your company is investing a lot of money into being on a trade show floor. Do not go into the show without having a plan. Your trade show booth may look impressive, but if you do not have a message for attendees that they can understand, then you will not draw traffic.

If you want to release new products at this trade show, then develop your approach around those products. If you are going to use this trade show to try and attract new distributors for your products, then you will need a presentation more geared towards the benefits of doing business with your company as opposed to just product benefits.

Have the Right Team

If you are focusing on product sales at the show, then you will need sales people and you will need product engineers to answer detailed questions. If your presence at the show is designed to attract vendors or distributors, then you will want members of the logistics team, marketing department and executive team on hand to make a good impression.

The Giveaway

Too many companies underestimate the power of the free giveaway at trade shows. Giving away toys or notepads with your company logo on them is nice, but if you give people something they can use word will travel fast among the crowds.

When you have a good plan for a trade show, then you can maximize your investment in show resources. Take the time to plan your presence in advance so that you can attract more visitors and collect more useful information.

LuxeLounge

It’s time to change the conversation about trade shows. Stop thinking about monetary ROI from trade shows and move on to more urgent and practical matters.

What do you want to get from trade show spend?

There is a simple answer: Leads and sales.

Exhibit marketing isn’t like the other popular B2B marketing tactics. B2B marketing needs personal selling.

Websites, Webinars, SEO, paid search, e-mail, PR, print advertising, direct mail and social media are all one or more steps removed from personal selling.

Executives demand need evidence of ROI in the above, because they can readily suck up time and money without clearly driving sales.

But exhibit marketing is different.

It’s so closely tied to personal selling that you shouldn’t demand elaborate proof of ROI in it. You can’t demand that sales people prove their ROI with charts and graphs of phone calls, travel, hospitality and gifts.

Judge a trade show, like a salesperson is judged.

In assessing trade show performance, this is what executives want to know:

• Does the show help our company communicate effectively?
• Does it help us establish industry leadership?
• Does it let us identify promising accounts?
• Does it help us educate and develop buyers?
• Does it create valuable relationships?
• And does it, when all’s said and done, produce sales?

To accomplish the above, send the right people and have the right trade show display. For a captivating trade show exhibit, contact The Exhibit Source.
 
Business2Community

The Exhibit Source, for a limited time, is offering a Free iPad Kiosk with the purchase of an Exhibit Source trade show display, booth, or exhibit. This extraordinary offer is being met with resounding success at a wide range of Boston tradeshows and conventions.  Some conditions apply, contact us or visit our iPad Kiosk webpage for details.

While visiting our website, be sure to take a look at our portfolio page and just imagine what that type of professional presentation can do for you. Exhibitors, we provide you with a full range of services that include storage services, exhibit installation and dismantling services, shipping support and more!

There is a reason why The Exhibit Source remains a consistent award-winning exhibit booth provider.   We offer singularly the best products on the market and back them with exceptional service support both before AND after the sale.

Trade shows take a lot of hard work, logistical planning and budgeting. From securing the space, figuring out what to display and outfitting the booth, there are many details that have to be managed.

But trade shows can generously pay off in quality leads, credibility, awareness and insight if they are well planned and executed.

Make your trade show investment a wise investment. Start by setting objectives. Identify what you want to accomplish by being there. Do you want to generate sales leads, increase brand awareness, promote a new product or service?

When exhibiting at a trade show, you'll need to consider the costs of registration, travel, lodging, meals and transportation, and the cost of your booth space, which will vary by size and location. Research what booths will be around you and identify whether the site is a high-traffic or low-traffic area. The budget also will need to include booth fixtures such as signage, additional lighting, extra-thick carpeting, giveaways for booth visitors, etc.

Your trade show display should represent your company's overall image, so keep it tidy and organized, display products in a way that will draw customers into your booth, and place marketing materials in easy-to-find areas. And if your booth space allows, have seating available.

Hold a short training session for booth staffers to explain the objectives and what is expected of them at the show. Be sure supplies are on hand to conduct business: product literature, pens, paper, business cards, media kits and order forms. Check to make sure any slideshow presentation or internet connections are working properly.

Attracting attendees should be one of your key objectives. In addition to friendly customer service and an appealing trade show exhibit, branded giveaways should be something attendees can take away from the show and use.

Once you get show participants into your booth, staffers should provide friendly and timely greetings, and be prepared to answer questions, offer demonstrations, and be able to create interest in your products or services.

Post-show follow-up is crucial. Send an email, letter or make a phone call shortly after the show wraps up to thank those you met with, answer any further questions and provide additional information.

With adequate preparation, the right trade show exhibit, the right booth staff and timely follow-up, trade shows give businesses the opportunity to build strong relationships and ultimately turn those relationships into valued customers.

Original article – Post Crescent

Trade shows are designed to let businesses meet numerous potential customers face-to-face in a short period of time.

Every size business does well at trade shows. Overall, booth space is inexpensive and small companies can usually afford attractive trade show displays. With creative marketing and trade show exhibits, small businesses can appear as substantial and profitable as larger corporations.

Those who use captivating and sophisticated trade show displays do well at trade shows no matter what their size, while those who show they are small and inexperienced can waste thousands of dollars and possibly do more harm than good.
 
Trade Show Benefits
 
The Trade Show Bureau claims that the average total cost of closing a sale in the field is $1,080, while the cost of closing a sale to a qualified trade show prospect is $419.
 
Generating sales leads is the most common reason exhibitors participate in trade shows. To do this, you need an appealing and compelling trade show booth. Contact The Exhibit Source for your display needs.

Trade shows. For a small to medium sized company, preparing for them can be time consuming and overwhelming. What are some of the DO’s and DON’Ts of  trade show exhibits? Deciding what to include in your exhibit and how to set it up is one of the first decisions you’ll have to make. But even prior to that: how big is your booth and do you have electricity?

Once you have the answers to these questions, you can begin to think about the actual trade show displays, what you want and what you can do.

Don’t Jam Pack it. Often simple is better. Overcrowding a booth with products, logos, displays and information turn people away and don’t send a clear message of why attendees should stop there.

Make your message simple. What is the main objective? Is there one main product you want to push or introduce? Having fewer, but larger visual elements in your exhibit will reduce clutter and get more attention from attendee’s while creating a lasting impression.

Just a few products. Don’t bring your entire product line to the trade show. Just show the products you want to showcase or the products that make you the highest profit margin.

Moving trade show displays are better than static ones. Have something rotating or moving. At the least, have a tv showing a looping video.
 
If you have a large trade show booth, be sure to have an area set aside, with table and chairs to bring prospective customers to sit and chat.

If you have any questions or would like to discuss your trade show display, contact the Exhibit Source.