Objectives

Understanding how you want to present your business is one of the first steps a company takes before entering a trade show. According to Garry Duncan at the Denver Business Journal, “Knowing what you want to accomplish will determine what you do before, during and after the show.” Knowing your objective before the show is an important step. It can determine how successful you present your company and will make you stand out to attendees.

Involve the Visitors

When walking around the show floor, some people will pick up brochures or other materials that a company places on their table and walk away. They may be interested in the company, but not the people at the stand. Involving the visitors that approach your booth may increase their level of interest for your company. Duncan suggests that “Gimmicks and brochures are great, but only put a few out at a time so visitors will feel more obligated to ask if they can have one, which gives you a chance to ask a qualifying or engaging question.”

After the Show

An important time for any company is after the displays have been taken down and they can assess the quality of their work at the trade show. In order to target the visitors that have offered information to you, Duncan suggests following up with them. Doing so quickly is imperative since “Time kills interest and dulls memories.”

The post How Trade Shows Affect Sales appeared first on CDS Trade Show NEWS.

Photo credit SignatureBoston.com

Shipping your display properties and equipment to a trade show is a costly expense. There are many variables that will not only help you maximize your budget, but can also save you from frustration at the show.

There are usually 2 options when shipping to a trade show. The first option is shipping to an advance warehouse and the second is to ship direct to the venue.

Shipping to Advance Warehouse

Some shows will encourage you to ship to their advanced warehouse and others penalize you. This really depends on the event management company and venue. Other factors may include schedule conflicts and timing related to the show that is using the venue prior to your event. Exhibitors should look closely at their material handling order forms prior to choosing an option. Some shows will charge a premium to ship to advance warehouse and others will provide a financial incentive. It really depends on the show. Knowing the difference can save you money.

Unless there is a significant cost savings or if your freight just is not available in time, shipping to the advance warehouse is advised. The actual shipping costs are usually less to an advanced warehouse due to little to no chance for waiting time. Also, advanced freight is the first be delivered to the show floor. This eliminates the possibility of being on site with labor scheduled, but not having the freight to start working with.

Shipping Direct to Show Site

Once again there may be cost incentives or penalties for choosing this option. Each show will vary so check your service manual. In addition to potential cost savings for material handling rates, the main advantage to shipping direct to a show site is simply more time. If your freight is not ready for any reason to make the warehouse deadline then shipping direct to show site may be necessary even if there is not a cost incentive.

Depending on the size of the trade show you are participating in there may be “targeted” delivery days and times for shipments arriving direct to the show site. This is most often represented by a color-coded version of the floor plan that lists booths by number. You will need to find your booth number on this map (floor plan) to see what color section you are located within. The larger the show, the more colors. Having a targeted move-in date on a weekend, or outside of normal business hours will increase the freight cost from your shipping company. Another factor that will add to the shipping cost is a “small window” for the delivery. Shipping costs will rise significantly if the shipping company can only deliver between 3 PM – 7 PM for example.

Choosing a Shipper

Almost every show management contractor will try to sell you shipping. It is a good idea to allow them to provide you a quote, but highly advised to get other quotes as well.  Occasionally we see the best shipping price coming from show management, but it is not very often. When shopping for shipping or freight services to a trade show you should consider getting quotes from show management, from your exhibit provider and direct from a freight company. Exhibit producers receive the best wholesale rates in available and usually work on a very small commission or markup. In addition, your exhibit producer will probably have a longstanding relationship with the shipping company and receive priority service and 24 hour access to them.

Levels of Shipping Service

Not all shipping quotes will be based on the same type of service. Unless you have a full trailer load most shipments of trade show freight are not shipped direct. Therefore your freight can be loaded and unloaded from truck-to-truck several times before it arrives on site or final destination. Of course each time your freight is handled there is a risk for damage to the crates and contents. The term for this type of shipping is “LTL” which literally means “less than [truck]load.” For LTL shipments the freight will be handled and moved at least 4 times. First at the pick up location, next at the local “hub” in the state where the fright was picked up, a third time at the “hub” in the city you are shipping to, and finally at the advance warehouse or convention center for your show.

So now you know why your exhibit crates get damaged so often. Unfortunately, it is common and possible for the shipments to be shuffled even more. We have heard stories of two trucks meeting in the middle of nowhere trying to move crates from truck-to-truck without the proper material handling equipment. This is the number one factor in damaged crates. Happy Shipping!

The post Inside Trade Show Shipping appeared first on CDS Trade Show NEWS.

Booth selection is the first step when you decide to participate in a trade show. How early you reserve your space will determine the available selections. The best booth locations go first and most annual shows have their “regulars” who renew the prime locations each year. Previous exhibitors receive the first right of refusal for their previous location in a similar manner to season tickets at a sports arena.

 As with season tickets, the most premium locations will only become available when a company does not renew the space prior to a certain deadline. For many shows this deadline takes place at the previous year’s event. This process is referred to in the industry as “space draw.” Space draw usually takes place in one of the large conference rooms at the trade show venue or even at a booth space within the show floor. It’s here that the show’s sales team books the majority of the floor space for the following year’s event.

Top things to look for in a booth space!

1. 1 – Facing the entrance
2. 2 – Being situated in a main traffic aisle
3. 3 – A location near an “anchor” exhibitor
4. 4 – Corner booths (intersect 2 traffic aisles)
5. 5 – Free of pillars or obstructions
6. 6 – Good ceiling height
7. 7 – Proximity to food or restrooms

The post Choosing a Prime Booth Space appeared first on CDS Trade Show NEWS.

Rental Exhibit Example

There are pros and cons to both renting or buying a display or exhibit for trade shows. Many companies choose to rent a display over and over again even though they could have saved a lot of money if they purchased their display. Conversely, some companies make significant investments in buying a new display and could have saved a lot of money by simply renting. Here are some tips to help you decide which option is best for your company.

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Top 5 Benefits of Renting an Exhibit
1 – No large upfront investment required
2 – You do not have to add the exhibit to your balance sheet as an asset
3 – You can deduct the cost of rentals, compared to having to amortize the cost of purchases over multiple years
4 – Change your display style or design as often as you wish without incurring additional expense
5 – No storage fees

Top 5 Benefits of Buying an Exhibit
1 – Save money over time by eliminating a recurring rental expense
2 – You can store your exhibit at your own facility to save on storage fees
3 – Exhibit purchases can be leased or financed to spread the expense out over time
4 – Additional customization options are available
5 – You can make last minute decisions on event participation and know the display is available.

Nowadays almost every exhibit design is available to rent and competition in the rental business has driven pricing down slightly. A good way to decide weather to rent or purchase a new exhibit is to honestly access your needs. If you plan to participate in at least 4 trade shows with the same exact display you should start to consider purchasing your exhibit. If you plan to exhibit in at least 3 events a year, for 2 or more years, using the same exhibit you should definitely purchase.

If you are unsure ask your exhibit company if they would allow you to apply a portion of your first rental price toward the purchase of an exhibit after you had a chance to see how the design works out for you at an actual trade show. If it worked out well and you plan to use it again, you may want to own it. If it does not suite your needs you can try a brand new design for your next event.

For more information on renting versus purchasing an exhibit visit CDSdisplays.com to compare models and options.

The post The Pros and Cons of Renting Versus Buying a Trade Show Exhibit appeared first on CDS Trade Show NEWS.