Crates, Shipping & Show Services

Let's face it. Getting back to live events, has not all been a walk in the park. There are still some industries that have inexperienced staff and have staff services. A lot of those shortages are on the show floor in the form of show services crews. As a result, the people that are there are either new or sometimes they are struggling to get the job done. So in many cases corners are being cut.

Crates are a necessary part of shipping rental exhibits and island exhibits or equipment. Recently a customer had a very badly damaged crate come back and they blamed us. We offered to have production repair it at cost, just parts and labor, but she didn't want to ship it to our production facility for repair. I suggested she send it directly to a local partner that we have used for crate building. 

Here is the reality. Our crate building partners have been doing this for 30+ years. No one can build a crate that can withstand the abuse that goes on now during show set up and tear down.

I have personally watched what they do on the floor. When the crate is empty, they want to get them out of the aisles as quickly as possible. That means they don't want to wait for forklifts of pallet jacks to move empty crates. Here is what they do.

The use long handled Lever dolly like below. They tip the crates up on end and then drop them onto dollies, like below.  Depending on the length of the crate that can be a long drop and can easily buckle the floor of a well-built crate.

                                         

I have written about the abuse that is happening to crates on the show floor (THIS IS NOT DURING TRANSIT - THAT IS A COMPLETE ADDITIONAL STORY).  You can read about our personal experience here:  Crate Damage by Show Services.

Today, yet another crate on a rental came back with the floor damaged. You can see the floor damage in the picture above. Now, you may be tempted to say, that it MUST be the crate builder's fault. This is a different builder than the customer crate mentioned above. This builder has been in business and building crates for 20 years.

Another recent crate return you see below. They sheared off two of the skids so it is now resting on a cart in our warehouse.

We have NO control over what happens to a crate when it gets shipped, when it is handled by show services, when it is handled by an install crew that we didn't subcontract.  We will stand behind our product as it relates to defects, but we know the quality of these crates.

I will tell you over 80% of crates coming back from shows are coming back damaged. We have trashed three crates this year that came back and were beyond repair. Luckily most of them have been used for years so it was ok.  These kinds of expenses are hard on exhibit houses, and we have NO recourse with the show management crews in filing claims.

Be kind to your exhibit house. They are likely building you great crates, but they are being abused and mishandled on the show floor. If your crate comes back damaged, I suggest taking it up with the Freeman's and the GES's of the world, don't beat up your exhibit house.

The Double Take

Graphics is one of the most important components of your display. There are many different ways to design your booth, which could include stands, table throws and counters. When figuring out design options for your booth, think about the attendees who will be stepping into your booth. What are their needs? How will you be interacting with your potential clients? What do you want them to takeaway from their experience? When you stand out you want to be memorable and make your booth engaging to those walking by. Find out how to get started and get on the level of the double take.  

The beginning process of designing starts with assessing what you currently have from creative elements and branding requirements to booth hardware. But if you’re starting from scratch, a designer can help you through the process. During the process of designing the display, there can be a lot of back and forth, so be prepared to have different visions and opinions, which is ok and can be fun. This helps the designer understand different styles and understand your vision for the display.

One of the most important things to do during this process is to communicate with your designer. Whether through emails or virtual calls, it is best to have the complete team on the same page early on in the creative process. This will ensure that the designer gains all the details. These initial brainstorming discusses should be open-minded to get everyones’ ideas. The designer needs to know the goal of your deliverable, but also can give some valuable input in what they have previously done. 

The design of the booth is a critical part of the process. It's what will help drive people into your booth and helps create an image for your company. It can also help show how invested you are into making a good first impression and the importance of quality not only in the booth, but also in the product or service you are selling.  

Progress? What Does Recovery Look Like?

 I have always used the phrase, cautiously optimistic. I have always been a glass half full kind of girl. If you look hard enough, you can find good in almost any situation. It isn't always easy, but you can. 

I have noticed the shutdowns in our industry have changed me. I promise and am committed to the fact that it will not change me forever.  But I am painfully aware that I was changed by those events. The world was changed by those events. I ran into some people I knew last night, and we talked about the effects of the shutdowns on entire generations of young people. I don't want to dwell on those things, but realizing how I have changed is the first step to moving beyond it.

I am still slightly fearful in our business. Not in what we do, or what we deliver, but in the future. It is my current reality.

Our industry has rebounded beyond belief. There is so much encouraging news and activities surrounding trade shows.  For example, Shot Show, one of the largest shows of the year boasted record numbers of exhibitors and attendees this year.  You can read some stats here:  Shot Show Stats.

All over my LinkedIn Feed I see reports like this one showing a 69% increase from 2022 (which by the way was a great year for trade shows) to 2023.  Read more here:  69% Increase

Also, all over LinkedIn are trade show exhibit companies like Total Displays, all over the country that are looking for new staff in absolutely every type of position.  

Today, what got me, as I was sitting at my desk, is watching 4 cars drive into our parking lot to park out front and come into our office. We have an interview this morning for another position.  I so clearly remember the days where it was just David and me in the office, wondering, honestly, if we were going to make it. Watching those cars pull in, I teared up a little. There is always hope. 

I am thankful for the partners that stood by us, the customers and prospects that trust us with their business. We are very blessed.

The Importance of Trade Shows

After the pandemic, there has been an excitement to get back on the trade show floor. People are eager to interact with each other and want to continue to grow their business through networking and connecting face-to-face. Trade shows are a good place to find new clients and enrich existing client relationships. 

Event locations are not only selected based on meeting space, but also the group activities and experiences attendees can enjoy outside of the show floor. Some of the largest trade shows are held in top entertainment cities in the United States, for example Las Vegas, Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, and Orlando. These locations have unique offerings for attendees , which helps drive attendance to shows and provides a great way to create memorable experiences and foster business relationships. 

Booth design is very important to help draw people into your booth to learn more about your product or service. And once you’ve drawn them in, it’s even more important that you’ve designed a booth that is engaging and noteworthy. You want attendees not only to learn more about your offerings, but also walk away feeling confident about your business and wanting to work with you in the future. 

Total Displays can help bring your vision to life. We’ll work with you to understand your needs and goals for your trade show. We’ll then create a professional and engaging design and booth setup that will maximize your efforts.  

Trade shows remain the best way to build your client list and nurture your partnerships with current clients. They can also be a great resource for you and your team to enhance your knowledge of your industry. Everyone is eager to connect with each other and in-person events and trade shows are a great place to make that happen! 

 

Why Work With a Small Business?

My experience working for multiple small businesses has provided me with the opportunity to not only gain knowledge of every part of the creation, production, and installation process, but it also showed me the value of working with small businesses. The focus that small businesses put into developing and maintaining genuine and trustworthy relationships is key to their success. 

 

At a small business, we understand that communication and flexibility are key to providing exceptional service. It’s important to us to provide customers with clear explanations of what they are purchasing, how to use it, and visualizations of what the finished product will look like in-person. We’ll work with clients one-on-one to gather their ideas and needs and will adapt as needed for the desired outcome. Working together is essential for building a long-term partnership. 

 

You will also be working with people who want to grow their own business and will work hard to deliver. When working with large corporations, it can be challenging to find the loyalty and flexibility that a small business can provide.  

 

Drive and work ethic are the cornerstone of every small business. Here at Total Displays, we are grateful for the trust you put into working with our company and as such our employees are focused on delivering for our clients. 

Suitcasing at Trade Shows

Normally the image of suitcases brings up fond memories or dreams of travel to exotic places. Especially for those of us in the Midwest this winter, it has been brutal. But the term "suitcasing" has other meanings in our industry. This subject hit very close to home for us in the last couple of weeks. I'll touch briefly on that at the end.

I spend a fair amount of time talking with clients and prospects about trade shows. They are EXPENSIVE, but for many, they are worth every dime that they pay. It is the only "tool" in sales & marketing that gets your business and your sales reps in front of hundreds or even thousands of potential and current customers under one roof. Trade shows, if executed well (that is another story) can provide you ROI and help grow your business.

Occasionally, too often if you ask me, I talk with a prospect that tells me that they don't exhibit at trade shows anymore. When I ask them why? They tell me they have found it less expensive and better if they just walk the show and hand out cards/flyers.  Or, even worse, they don't even walk the show, they stand in the lobby to meet customers and prospects and engage in conversations with them.

So, imagine this example. You plan an open house at your facility. You spend a lot of money on marketing, cater in food, promote your event and much more.  A local competitor gets wind of it and sends a new sales rep to your event. that sales rep mingles with people, meets them and gathers their business cards. They proceed to call on every one of your clients to try to capture their business. Is it illegal? No. Is it unethical? ABSOLUTELY. 

In the trade show world it is called suitcasing or outboarding. It is actually against show regulations at most shows.  These are people that want your leads and your customers without spending the money to participate at a trade show.  They hang out on the show floor looking for prospects, they set up meetings with people outside the show without attending the show.  Even worse, they linger outside the show altogether to connect with your customers and prospects.  Does that make you angry? It should.

Industry standards say a 10 x 10 exhibit can cost you anywhere from $15,000 to $50,000 depending on various factors. That includes the concrete, the exhibit & graphics, flooring, furniture, travel, shipping, and material handling at a minimum.  A suitcaser might spend $1,000 - $1,500 in travel costs, airfre, hotel, meals etc.

There are a couple of things that need to happen.

1. Show producers need to make it very clear that this practice is NOT allowed at their show. (It hurts the show producers too, they lose revenues because the people are not exhibiting.)

2. Show producers need to actually kick out the people that are participating in this practice.

3. In order for #2 to happen, people need to report it. If you experience someone trying to sell you something, or make a connection to sell you something later and they are not exhibiting?  Take their card and immediately take it to the show services desk to report it.

Is this going to end it?  Absolutely not, but as exhibitors it is important for you to protect your investment by doing what is right.

I won't get into a lot of details on this, but here is where this got very personal for us in the last couple of weeks. What is even more egregious to me, is when another exhibit house, someone in the trade show industry, tries to poach other exhibit house clients on the show floor. Yes, this happened to us recently with a large exhibit house. They approached at least one company (who knows how many they approached) on the show floor. This company happened to be our client and we have a great relationship with them, so they told us about it.  Shame on that display house. They certainly should know better. 

If you didn't know this practice isn't allowed and you have been doing it? I would encourage you to do the right thing, be respectful of those that spend the money and work hard to go to trade shows and live events. If you continue to choose to "suitcase" then I guess, we know a little more about what kind of person you are and your nature.

To spam or not to spam

On Friday night, I was at dinner with my husband and I got this email.

"Please remove me from your spam mail. I have no interest in any of your bull#$@^"

If you follow me at all, you know I get annoyed with the people that send connection requests on LinkedIn and then immediately pitch me with their services. Or the messages trying to sell me things that have nothing to do with my business which shows that they have made no effort to see if I am actually a prospect or if I have any use for their product or services. 

For these companies, it is a numbers game. They are typically bots that send automated messages on the LinkedIn account. They use some programmed algorithm that clearly doesn't work. Here is a short list of recent pitches I have received.

• You can enter the 2023 Ice Fishing once per day between Monday, January 9, 2023 at 12:00 AM and Tuesday, February 28, 2023 at 11:00 PM Central Standard Time.
• What are we waiting for? Here at blah blah blah Logistics we offer many options to ship your goods.  
• Just circling back to see if you require any customized packaging at the moment. We can produce a fully customized box in almost the same price as the generic ones.
• Got big ideas for Total Displays, but lack the staff to implement them?
• You are invited to HackerX, an invite-only recruiting event for developers
• Are you looking to rent a car in Dubai? Look no further!  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

• I’ve been offering a FREE consultation call to a select number of people but…  My schedule is filling up and I can’t offer this incredible opportunity for free all the time!

• There are many tax planning strategies that can save you money
• We help companies like Total Displays increase productivity consistently with our note-taking software. You can put an end to repeating key details from every meeting!
• Pls see attached cataloge 221218 ceramic pot We are manufacturer and exporter
• Would you be interested in acquiring high quality email list of Social Media Executives?

That is just a small sampling from the last two days. Are they annoying? Yes. Primarily because I have ZERO use for most of them. A couple, like tax planning, productivity, staffing and those sorts of offers I might have interest in them, but unless they are top of mind, I wouldn't likely respond to a blind/bulk email or message like that.  So, the chances are pretty slim that they would get a response from me. I understand it is a numbers game. The theory is if you automate this and get 1 out of however many, 10, 100, 1000 it is a good thing.

I disagree.  If I email someone, I make sure they are a company that exhibits at trade shows.  I already know that they could use my products or services. Typically, if I email them, I will call them first.  Sometimes, I email first and then follow up the next day with a phone call.

So, back to the bull poop... what would you have done?   Normally, I wouldn't engage. This time, I did. I was so taken aback at a Friday night email like that, I replied. I thanked him for his message and told him, not to worry, I would never do business with someone so rude. I told him I happily removed him from all my databases. I quickly put a HUGE note in his CRM record that said, DO NOT EVER CONTACT THIS COMPANY.

Ironically, he replied and apologized for being rude but proceeded to tell me he still wasn't interested in my products or services.  Yup, I replied, no worries, I wouldn't do business with you even if you did.

Remember that most people are just trying to do their jobs. I don't like the bot emails, but there is no point in being rude. Simply delete and or mark the email as junk and move on. Life is too short.