It Takes A Village And A Lot Of Grace

I don't know if you have purchased and new trade show items or done a large show recently. If you didn't know, you might have your head in the sand, but that is another issue, there are a LOT of supply chain and staffing issues in our world.  I am not talking about just Total Displays' world, but the larger world as a whole and specifically the trade show world. The trade show world is facing a few challenges that were unforeseen and impossible to predict and/or plan for. 

I am certain that economists will be studying this mess for decades. Hopefully they can help future generations not go through this again. The shutdowns of a national and global economy have had ripple effects that are going to last for years. 

Here is the reality of the trade show industry.

• Supply Constraints for Raw Materials
• Supply Constraints for Exhibit Hardware, Fabric etc.
• Labor Constraints
• Staffing Issues
• Shipping Issues
• Extended Production Timelines

We have been telling our clients and prospects to not wait. Of course, many don't listen. I probably wouldn't listen either, I don’t listen very well and a bit of an independent cuss.

 Days like today make me wonder why in the world I am in this crazy industry. Our production times were typically 7-10 days pre pandemic. Many items we could turn in 2-3 days if needed. Custom items were 10-15. Almost everything is double or more than double right now. 

 Why do I tell you this? 

1.    Hopefully you will plan ahead for any needs you have.

2.    You need to be sure you are working with a partner that will pull out EVERY stop to make things happen for you on time. It is not always possible, but a good partner will make every effort to get you there.

3.    Know that we are here for you and if you are in a bind, we can usually come up with an alternative or some idea to keep things moving for you.

This may sound self important, but let me tell you, with some help we have pulled off a couple miracles this week. Last minute orders, late graphics, shipping issues. With the help of great partners and our team we got them done.

 1. 10 x 20 Rental with graphics, graphic design,  furniture and counter put together and shipped in two weeks.

 2. A 20 x 20 rental had a furniture order where paperwork wasn't processed right. Show was setting up today and they were missing 3 chairs. Through the help of our furniture partner we managed to get them chairs before the show opened.

 3. Graphics that were printed for a booth didn't print one color layer of the art. Graphics were test fit yesterday and supposed to ship today. Graphics were reprinted this morning and made the shipment!

 4. A customer ordered two simple table throws. They were not going to make the show because we didn't get approval on the graphics.  We offered some alternatives to get them something for their show next week and the table throws will be used for a future show.

 This is not a pat ourselves on the back. I am mortified that daily there seem to be issues with delivery of products. 

What do great partners do? They redo graphics and/or make orders right when they have made a mistake. They work on getting you a display that is under your budget because you have been a long term client and your business has been negatively affected by Covid.  They eliminate the rush charges and get product delivered on time (1/2 hour before the show opens) even when paperwork wasn't processed right.

 We are encouraging you to say thank you to your partners that are working with you to get back to trade shows. Be patient with them, most of the time there are things 100% out of their control that are driving the delays. Trust me, they are as frustrated as you are and probably more stressed than you are about this.

A lot of grace and a simple thank you to your partners means a lot these days.

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Lori Hanken has been in sales and marketing for over 30 years. She is passionate about service and providing value to her vendors, prospects and clients. Lori is currently co-owner of Total Displays with her husband David. They help people look great at events, trade shows, in retail, museums and develop long partnerships with customers and suppliers. If you would like to learn more, email her at lori@totaldisplays.com. She is an open networker, connect with her on LinkedIn here.

Read other Total Displays Blog posts at http://totaldisplays.blogspot.com/ or check out our website at www.totaldisplays.com