Ever wonder what your vendor is talking about when they use terms like dye sublimation, or Lambda Bright with regard to your trade show or event graphics?
These are a few of the more common types of graphic production methods used for trade show displays, banner stands, outdoor banners and flags, and other trade show and event products:
Trade shows can intimidate anyone new to exhibit marketing. The best course is to dive into the pool. The following tips — from the shallow end of the pool — will get you started.
10 Tips for any Trade Show Novice:
1. A trade show is neither a vacation nor a death sentence. Although it may feel like a death sentence during tear down.
Standing around your booth all day doesn't need to kill your feet or your back. Not only does proper flooring ease your pain, it makes your exhibit booth space comfortable for visitors as well as booth staff while hiding under-carpet electrical and internet cables.
The Hawthorne Effect
Cookies? Coffee? Free lunch? How to keep your booth staff in the booth and effective is an age old question.
Companies today still follow lessons learned from a study done some 80 years ago dubbed the "Hawthorne effect". The experiment found that performance improves when people perceive they are receiving special consideration.
Turn consideration of your booth staff into productivity with treats and perhaps modest but special "thank-you" awards of $10 or $20 gift cards. And be sure to let them know you recognize their toil by thanking them for their hard work and support. It works!
How much space do people need?
Most of us are uncomfortable in narrow aisles - especially when there isn't enough space to pass someone without brushing them. We don't like being squeezed tight when perusing a booth. When designing your booth, leave enough room between display elements so visitors can maneuver in your booth space untouched. And instruct your staff to avoid blocking the narrow spots.
Find more tips at www.espexhibits.com
With tight budgets in an uncertain economy, exhibit managers must find ways to minimize costs. Below are a few tips drawn from an article published in 2003 that still apply.
Bypass the salesperson and call the show manager directly. Show management would rather make less money on an occupied booth space than no money on an empty booth space.
Is your product or service something that show management or exhibitors can use during the show? Can your CEO give a speech? Trade for free booth space.
As an exhibit manager, you are expected to know everything about everything - including graphic production - when it comes to managing your trade show program. Graphics used to be my least favorite topic simply because I didn't know a PMS from a CMYK. While I still defer to experts when it gets too deep, just knowing the basics gives me comfort. Hopefully it will do the same for you.
Know Your Suppliers
Make sure your graphic designers are capable. Review samples of their work from concept to end product. Evaluate quality and compare to your need. Is the work relevant to the scope of your project in terms of graphic size, materials, and level of difficulty?
According to Exhibit Surveys, Inc., "Exhibitions and events accelerate the sales process faster than any other media or form of direct marketing." A bold claim that is measurable and provable. While costs keep rising, trade shows continue to attract qualified buyers and influence their purchasing decisions.
Approximately 81% on average of trade show attendees are in a position to recommend or make final purchasing decisions.
This statistic known as Net Buying Influence (NBI) has remained constant since 1998.
Additional results of Exhibitor Surveys' April 2009 report:
Some exhibitors have a hard time understanding that every trade show visitor is not a good lead. Recognizing the three types of prospects and treating each correctly can save you and them time.
Attract the right prospects into your booth.
Sandy Flom - sandy@espexhibits.com