Does Your Trade Show Exhibit Represent Your Brand?

Last week I had the opportunity to walk a trade show. There were a number of things I noticed, and I had the opportunity to talk with a number of clients and prospects while at the show.

It is painfully clear to me that many people do not really care what kind of image their trade show exhibit presents. In a future post, I will share the stories of two exhibitors, right across the aisle from each other and their different experiences. I hope that maybe you glean some insight into how important your actual trade show exhibit/display is at a trade show.

Details matter people. The way your exhibit/booth looks represents your company, your brand, your staff and your product. Your brand is so much more than your logo and your color palette.

Here is a random list of what we saw. 

1. A large light box set up upside down. The one side upright had a HUGE hole and the cords ran down the side of the exhibit. If it were an inline, it might not have mattered but this was an island, right on the aisle for the world to see.
2. Dinged up, dirty, bent aluminum frames.
3. Dirty graphics.
4. More wrinkled graphics and table throws than I could even count. Come on people, it matters!
5. Retractable banner stands. Yup, still a ton of them. Mismatched banner stands. 10 x 30's done with retractable banner stands. I know they are easy, I know they are convenient, but not a great look for a company that is supposed to be an innovator.
6. Tube stands with pillow case graphics. These have become the new retractable banner stand. They are inexpensive, they are easy and EVERYONE HAS THEM NOW! One of the major points of a trade show is to stand out from your competitors and neighbors. When an item becomes that popular, they become invisible unless you are very strategic in how you do them.
7.  Internally/rear lit tube stands. This is just one girl's opinion, they don't work. The shadows from the tubes really are not a good look.

8.     This was actually my favorite. A vinyl banner hanging from the pipe & drape with a pop-up frame on the aisle (they were on an endcap) that had boards put on the cross pieces and had product displayed on the boards.  

 

9. Lightboxes. Oh my, lots of light boxes.  We love light boxes and sell or rent a lot of them. We saw very few good quality light boxes. Here are some of the things we saw.

·       Hot spots - light distribution was not even and you see bright spots of lights behind the graphics

·       Shadows of lighting transformers, frames and more

·       Actually seeing the light blanket behind the graphic.  Hundreds of circles of light visible through the graphic. I didn't even see their graphics; all I saw were all the white circles

·       Graphics installed incorrectly

The other thing to notice is booth staff behavior. We have talked about this before, but so so so so many people sitting in their chairs, heads down, on their phone, not even watching the people walk right by their booth.

 When you see a well done exhibit or a stunning booth, you know it and it feels like a breath of fresh air rather than a sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach. 

 I wish I could share photos, but I just didn't feel it was right to do that for those companies' sakes.

 Watch for next weeks post about a tale of two exhibitors right across the aisle from each other.

I'll say it again, details matter people. The way your exhibit/booth looks represents your company, your brand, your staff and your product. Your brand is so much more than your logo and your color palette.

If you like what you read, please share it!

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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    

 

Oh Crap! Our First Trade Show is When?

It is August.  Marketing and event managers all over the country are saying,

"Oh crap, I have so much to do for our first show!  I am NOT  ready for our fall shows!"

Or are you different?  Do you use the summer months to prepare yourself for the busy fall show season?  Are you completely prepared?  Are your plans all done?    

It is not too late to make sure you are prepared and avoiding any last minute emergencies when it gets crazy busy.

Here are a couple of tips for you.


1.  Check your schedule.  Do you have enough booth properties for all your shows?

2.  If you are exhibiting in an island, do you have a floor plan and configuration that fits the booth materials you have?

3.  Have you checked all your graphics?  Are they in good shape, do they need cleaning, are the logos and messages current and up to date?

4.  Have you checked all your hardware?  Is it in good working order, any repairs needed?


5.  Have you tested any electronics?  Computers?  Monitors?  iPads?

6.  Do you know what furniture you will need for what show?  Have you priced rental from show services vs. owning?

7.  Do you have a full logistics plan mapped out?  Do your booth materials go from one show to the next?

8.  Are your staff trained on set-up, tear-down and/or supervision of the installation of your booth?

9.  Have you trained your staff on appropriate booth etiquette and/or product knowledge?

10.  Literature, promotional items, give away items?  Are they all ordered?

11.  Have you ordered all your booth services and/or accessories?  Flooring, electrical, lead retrieval etc.?


I talk a lot about partnerships in our blog.  We value our customers and don't just provide them product.   We offer booth staff training services and much more.  Total Displays is always willing to sit down and help you plan for your upcoming show season.  Our goal is to help your exhibit schedule be as painless and stress free as possible.

If you like what you read, please share it!

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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/

Trade Show Tips & Tricks - Today's Top Ten (Inlines)

I think if you were to ask me for a top 10 trade show tips, they would vary almost every day.  Every day we see so many companies making so many mistakes.   I had someone point out to me the other day, that I don't actually write about Total Displays and our business that much.  Our posts tend to focus on excellence in business.

Of course being a trade show exhibit, accessories, training and services provider, that is what we eat, live, sleep and breathe every day.

So here are a few unsolicited tips for the day.


1.  Be Different
This is a difficult one for many.  As you walk the trade show floor and look at inlines you see so many people that just don't stand out at all.  I understand that everyone has budgets to consider.  But if you don't stand out at a trade show then you are wasting your money paying for floor space.  I see so many people putting their brand and their messaging on banner stands or traditional pop-ups.  Don't get me wrong, banner stands have a place and purpose, but creating an inline booth with banner stands does not make you stand out.   We have often seen 10 x 30's done with all banner stands.  You want something to catch your eye, make someone pause.  That is, enough of a pause for you to start a conversation with someone.

2.  Updated Graphics
Be sure your graphics and messaging are clear.  Anyone that comes by your booth should be able to identify what you do very quickly.  Make sure your brand is followed and consistent.  For example don't have different logos or tags interspersed throughout your booth.   Stay true to your brand's colors.  We have seen graphics that are dirty, ripped, not correctly installed on the frame.  This, of course, all represents your brand and your company in a negative light.

3. Display Hardware In Working Order
We watched a large company at a large grocers show working to set up their booth.  No one had checked the booth before it went out to make sure it was in working order.  We could hear them on the phone with the booth supplier asking what their options were.  Guess what the answer was, NONE.  Booths held together with duct tape, zip ties, binder clips?  We have seen it all.  The show attendees see it and notice it too.

4.  Booth Staff Training
As you know, this could be an entire blog post about behavior, clothing etc.  Here is what I will say for today.   Train your staff.  There are a lot of companies, like ours, that offer booth staff training.  You are paying a lot of money to exhibit at a trade show.  If your booth staff is not representing your company well it can be a waste of money.

5.  Booth Staff Selection
Don't overcrowd an inline booth with staff.  You want people to be able to come into your booth and engage with you.  Be sure you select the best staff for the size of the show and the products being represented.  Don't just send the new sales rep either.  First time in a booth with limited product/company knowledge can be dangerous.

6.  Booth Interaction
This could be as simple as a give away.  You want a give away that people will wear or that they will carry around.  This will generate interest and people will be looking for your booth.    Give aways that light up are big right now.  Contact your local supplier.  We do not sell give away items but if you want some advice, we are happy to help.   Other simple ideas include touch screen technology (see #7), spin to win games, contests and more.

7.  Technology
Even in an inline booth you can incorporate technology.  Touch screen technology that mirrors to a monitor on your backwall is a great draw.  We have some great technology solutions, if you would like a demonstration.  Cell phone charging stations, iPad kiosks, and electronic games are also good choices.


8.  CRM Usage
If you are not using CRM, you should be.  You should be tracking leads from each show to see how many you are getting and what are the results from those leads.   This will tie into number 9.

9.  Follow Up
Don't wait for months to follow up.  If you give your leads out to distributors make sure they are distributed quickly.  Remember these leads may have seen other companies with similar products.  With technology solutions like our lead retrieval/touch screen/content management solution you can follow up with people during the show.  You can deliver the content they are interested in, just as they leave your booth.  Talk about immediate gratification.  I have seen too many companies take forever to distribute their leads to their reps.

10.   Track ROI
I see people exhibiting at shows with no return on investment.  I see people not exhibiting at shows that should be.  Research shows.  Talk to other exhibitors.  Track the number of attendees.  Be sure to accumulate all your costs to see what a show is really costing you.   There are a number of ROI calculators out there.  The key is how detailed do you really want to be.  There are also a number of subjective things that should be considered/measured.  We can help you get started on this if you have no idea where to start!

A good trade show exhibit company will partner with you and help you in more than just booth design/selection.  Choose a partner that is strategic in nature and help you with your entire trade show exhibit and marketing program!  Choose a partner with multiple product lines, training workshops and more.  They are a partner not just a vendor.


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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/

Structure Design Doesn't Matter

The most important thing when purchasing or looking to purchase a trade show exhibit to consider is the partnership you will create with the company you select to provide your booth or exhibit. There are many reasons I say this. Many of our customers have been with us for over 25 years. They trust us. We are honest with them. We provide them with phenomenal service. They like us. They could get a booth from MANY other companies, many of them even local.

But they stay with us. They know we will provide them with great product and a partnership that will last for years.

1. How long have they been in business?

1. Are you working strictly with a salesperson that is compensated based on how much you spend?

1. Are the owners of the company engaged in the business and active on a day to day basis?

1. Does the company offer multiple lines of products so that you have a great selection or are they limited to only what they manufacture?

1. Is the graphic printing technology the most current and up to date getting you the best products?

1. Are the products well made, do the break easily, stand the test of time?

1. Is the company listening to your needs?  Weight, function, set up time?

1. Ask for references on the company, the products, their service.

We had a prospect visit our showroom last week.  They had been renting and 10 x 10 booth for 8 years from a local supplier.  I was shocked to say the least!  That company spent boatloads of money over the 8 years to rent that booth.  They could have bought 4 nice 10 x 10's for the money that had spent.

Everyone gets hung up on structure design.  Here is the reality.  Most of the decent trade show houses out there can build a nice booth.  If you have seen something you like, they can most likely build it.  Don't get me wrong, I am not encouraging taking another companies design and building it.  That is unethical.  Also don't misunderstand the difference between quality builds and cheap builds.  That is a whole different issue to be addressed later.  Cheap imported structure with fabric or vinyl graphics printed on printers that are 3 or 4 generations old are not a good investment.  But I digress.

Design is very subjective.  Think about clothing.  You can stand someone in front of 6 different people and ask them if they like the outfit you are wearing.  If they are honest you will most likely get 6 different answers.  Designers try to take thoughts, words and sometimes scrawling from a cocktail napkin and translate it into just exactly what the prospect wants.  Do they "nail it" every time?  Probably not.  But don't make your decision just on the concept alone!

If the prospect that had come into our showroom was our client, I would have chatted with them after the 2nd rental about potential purchase.  I never want to see a client throw away money.  It is a complete disservice to them!

Customer service and the partnership are ultimately more important than the booth design itself.  Guess what?  If you don't like the preliminary concept you can make changes.  Sometimes we have completely scrapped the first design and started over.  Did we miss the mark?  Not necessarily.  Sometimes the prospect is learning through this process more about what they want and can articulate it better as the process goes on.

Do you know what is ironic to me?  New companies buy from us all the time.  Often our best prospects are referrals.  But you know what?  I almost NEVER have anyone ask me for references.  I almost always offer.  I find that honestly a little strange.  That tells me people are focused more on the product than the service they will receive and I believe that to be a mistake.


Here are some questions to consider when selecting a partner.

Check out this great article from one of our manufacturing partners here for more insight in selecting an exhibit partner.

Happy Hunting
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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.  Connect with her on LinkedIn here.

Read other Total Displays Blog posts at http://totaldisplays.blogspot.com/