A few weeks ago, someone was putting together an article for an industry publication and they asked my opinion on how exhibitors can spruce up an older display system or how they can figure out when it is time to trash it. Here were my thoughs....
A few weeks ago, someone was putting together an article for an industry publication and they asked my opinion on how exhibitors can spruce up an older display system or how they can figure out when it is time to trash it. Here were my thoughts....
- The first thing you have to determine is what are the costs associated with managing your display hardware. You need to determine what it is costing you to store, ship, set up and maintain your current modular system. There have been a number of innovative hybrid modular systems that have drastically reduced those types of expenses. You may find that your display hardware is in great shape, but the costs of using it are much higher than they should be.
- It is also critical to determine whether the style of the system provides the image your company is looking to project. It doesn't matter how well maintained your display is or how nice the new graphics are, because if your display system is dated, your prospects will be able to tell.
- It is important to determine the condition of your hardware. It goes without saying that it is important to make sure that there is no wear and tear visible to your prospects. This really distracts from the message you are trying to deliver at your events. Once you've determined the condition of your hardware you need to make a list of repairs you think are needed. Before you decide whether you want to make repairs, have your exhibit house provide a detailed estimate of what would be involved in making the needed repairs. It is pretty easy to replace individual parts and pieces, but if you want to do things like repair or replace laminated pieces, your costs will be very large and a new booth will probably make more sense. Make sure that your exhibit house provides estimates for all fees associated with the repairs such as inspections, setup time and shipping charges.
- Updating and replacing graphics is the best way to add new life to your trade show display. When you look at your current display system, determine how much of the it is visible. If the actual graphic panels make up the majority of your exhibit, then it makes a lot of sense to keep your system and put money into well-designed graphics. You also want to make sure that your current display system is affordable to ship. Today's modular systems that feature fabric graphics are lighter and pack more efficiently than systems from even just a few years ago.
- If you determine you are ready to get rid of your current modular system, you can look at a number of options. It is a long shot, but you might contact your exhibit house to see if they would offer you anything for a trade-in or even offer to sell it on consignment for you. If this isn't an option, I would recommend seeing if you can find an exhibit company that would be willing to recycle the various elements of your system. www.ecosystemsdisplays.com is helping a number of exhibit companies around the country to do this with their Reincarnation Exhibit Recycling Program. http://www.ecosystemsdisplays.com/Reincarnation.aspx
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