Displayit.com's Blog - Trade Show Displays, Booths, & Exhibits

Trade Show Word of the Day: Infringement

Infringement, as defined by EXHIBITOR Magazine, is "an exhibitor's unauthorized use of floor space outside the leased booth area." Basically, this means that any of your company's booth representatives, including product demonstrators, must remain within the boundaries of your company's exhibit space during the show. If any of your booth representatives block the aisles or restrict access to other exhibitors' booths, then you will be penalized by show management.

Infringement clauses are often outlined in the show's exhibitor rules and regulations (which can be found in your exhibitors' handbook), as well as in your trade show booth contract. If there's any confusion, ask questions ahead of time to avoid unnecessary fees or suspensions.

 

 

What's the EDPA, and Why is Displayit a Member?

In keeping with our mission statement, we seek to provide outstanding customer service by ensuring our team members are up-to-date on product knowledge, current industry trends, and best practices. You may have seen the "EDPA member" logo on our homepage and wondered what it stands for. EDPA is short for Exhibit Designers and Producers Association. The EDPA currently has over 400 corporate members, representing 18 countries worldwide. The EDPA's corporate members are involved in various segments of the exhibiting industry, including trade show display designers and manufacturers, systems marketers, and show contractors.

Since its founding in 1954, the EDPA has provided its members (as well as the exhibiting and event industries) with educational programs and networking opportunities. Having access to our industry's top leaders gives us the tools we need to provide you with the service you deserve. Displayit is a member of the EDPA's Southeast Chapter.

To learn more about the EDPA, visit their website at www.edpa.com. 

Trade Show Phrase of the Day: Build and Burn

 

A build and burn trade show exhibit is an exhibit that's built specifically for one-time use at a show, then destroyed afterwards (usually by burning it; hence the term "build and burn").

When exhibiting abroad, many companies opt for a build and burn booth due to the limited storage options available to them.

Although a build and burn booth is usually a more convenient choice for exhibitors, the practice of burning these exhibits can also be incredibly destructive to the environment. 

So exhibitors are faced with a choice: go for the more environmentally responsible option and purchase their display outright (and deal with the complexities of storage and maintenance), or opt for the ease of choosing a one-time use display (and possible fall-out of choosing the "non-green" option).  

There's another choice: a rental display . Rentals offer exhibitors the best of both worlds, and they're an eco-friendly alternative to a build and burn booth. There are many high-quality designs available. Exhibitors also don't have to deal with the potential pitfalls that come with owning an exhibit, and rentals are customizable and convenient. Another benefit? If you're able to find a local rental company, you'll eliminate shipping costs altogether (and shrink your carbon footprint, too)!   

If you'll be exhibiting abroad at any time in the near future, know that "build and burn" will be one of the options presented to you. Make sure you consider all of your options and make an informed choice!

Trade Show Phrase of the Day: Vertical Show

Happy New Year, everyone! Let's begin 2012 with a trade show phrase that really sums up the trade show industry: "vertical show."

The Convention Industry Council defines a vertical show as "an exhibition at which the products or services being displayed represent one element of an industry or profession."

Vendors and attendees who participate in vertical shows make up what's known as a "vertical market." "And what's that?" you ask. In layman's terms, it means that transactions are driven by consumers with very precise, specialized needs. A few general examples of vertical markets include health care, real estate, transportation, and insurance.

As you know, trade shows are usually geared towards a specific group of consumers in a specific industry. Exhibitors focus their marketing efforts on consumers with highly specialized needs. Hence, trade shows are a terrific example of vertical marketing.

Vertical markets (and, by extension, vertical shows) can be highly competitive, since multiple exhibitors will be competing for the same customers. If you're exhibiting at a vertical show, it can be tough to stand out from the rest of the crowd. In order to set yourself apart from your competition, your trade show exhibit should feature crisp, simple graphics, which tell your prospects - in 3 seconds or less -  how your company's product or service will benefit them.

One of the biggest mistakes you can make is to cover your exhibit graphics with text. This will only discourage prospects from visiting your booth; they'll become overwhelmed trying to find your message in a sea of text.

So, what should you do? Take a page from successful exhibitors' playbooks: keep it simple. Limit your design to your company logo, a strong tag line, and brand-related imagery. That's it. Save the extended sales pitches for your booth staff; they can take care of pitching your products and services after the prospect has decided to visit your booth.

If a vertical show is on your company's agenda this year, we'd love to help you with your marketing efforts. Feel free to give us a call, or schedule a consultation with one of our experienced exhibit specialists. Here's to marketing success in the new year!

Trade Show Phrase of the Day: Zero-Based Budgeting

"Zero-based budgeting" involves building an exhibiting budget from scratch, without being able to rely on figures from a previous fiscal or calendar year.

Regardless of whether you're an experienced exhibitor or an exhibiting novice, creating a budget can be a very overwhelming and time-consuming process. Sure, there are things like the cost of your trade show display to consider, but you also have to factor in other expenses, such as marketing, travel, and show-related fees.

So, how do you begin? The best way to begin is to think about your objectives for a particular show. Are you trying to capture new sales leads? Increase awareness of your brand? Gather feedback from your customers? 

Once you've determined your goals for a show, then you'll need to assign values to those goals. To value a goal, you'll want to determine how often a prospect becomes your customer once they reach that goal. Are you confused yet?

Okay, here's an example. Let's say your goal is to capture new sales leads. Your sales team closes 15% of the new sales leads generated from trade shows. If the average profit from each of your customers' transactions is $200, then the value of that goal would be $30 (i.e. 15% of $200).

Now that you've assigned a value to your goal, how do you figure out your budget for that goal? Let's say you're aiming for 300 new sales leads. Take the number of targets (300) and multiply it by the value you've assigned to your goal ($30). This will give you your budget for that goal ($9,000). 

Then, to determine the overall budget for your event, take the budgets you've set for each of your goals, your travel expenses, marketing costs, etc., and add them all up. There you have it!

EXHIBITOR Magazine recently published a great budgeting article, called "How to Calculate Your Costs." This article is a great resource for any exhibitor, loaded with all kinds of budgeting strategies, tips, and cost formulas. Click on the link to view the article. 

Displayit's team of experienced exhibit consultants is also ready to help you be successful at your next event. We'll work with you to find the perfect display that's suited for YOUR budget. Contact us to get started.

Trade Show Phrase of the Day: Light Box

A light box is a kiosk-style device, featuring a translucent piece of acrylic, glass, or fabric that's lit from behind by enclosed lighting. Light boxes can function as stand-alone displays, or they can be an eye-catching way to complement an existing exhibit.

Displayit currently offers several light box packages, including Exhibitline single-sided light boxes and AURA double-sided light boxes.

The Exhibitline light boxes feature backlit graphics that are printed on Duratrans acrylic, whereas the AURA's graphics are printed on dye-sublimated fabric. The Exhibitline light boxes can be further customized, from the base color (five color choices available) to the infill panels.

Visit displayit.com to view our full selection.

Trade Show Word of the Day: Jigging

Today's term of the day is jigging. In the trade show industry, the term "jigging" refers to protection located inside of exhibit shipping crates; specifically, the padding and sectional dividers that protect your trade show display from damage during transit.

So, the next time you're at an event and you hear someone mention jigging, you'll know that they're talking about their exhibit crate, rather than something that has to do with fishing or dancing. Well, most likely, anyway...

Trade Show Phrase of the Day: Budget Philosophy

Your trade show's budget philosophy is your company's financial goal (making a profit, breaking even, or losing money) for a particular event.

In order for your next event to be as profitable as possible, you must take advantage of advanced trade show planning. 

Benjamin Franklin once said, "By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail." When you're disorganized and lack any kind of game plan, then your show will be a worthless waste of your money and your time. If you're well-prepared for your trade show, then you should be on track to make a profit (or, at the very least, break even).  

Here are a few ways that you can reduce your trade show expenses and make your show more profitable:

1) Know your dates. We recommend that you begin planning for your show at least four months in advance. (If your show is next March or April, now is the time to get on the ball!) By knowing your dates, you can reduce show-related expenses by taking advantage of things like show-specific "early bird deals," reduced shipping costs, and cheaper airfare/accommodations.

2) Shop for your trade show display as early as possible. You'll get the right exhibit for your show without the added expenses of rush charges and expedited shipping costs.

3) Know your target audience members and how to market to them. A marketing plan (or lack of one) plays a huge role in the success or failure of an event. Think about the market you serve and how to connect with those prospects. Then focus your energy on creating a highly-targeted, well-executed promotional campaign that will ensure you capture those prospects.  

If you're not sure where to begin, talk to a trade show concierge at Displayit. One of our fantastic team members is ready to help make your next event a huge success.

Trade Show Phrase of the Day: Marshalling Yard

Today's term of the day is marshalling yard. It may sound chaotic, but it's actually the exact opposite: it's a holding area where trucks and/or buses gather for organized dispatch to a loading dock or show site.

Many large venues have marshalling yards and require carriers and drivers of private vehicles (such as buses) to check in before they can gain access to the show site or loading docks. Once the drivers receive proper instructions, they are then able to deliver or pick up passengers or cargo. 

Trade Show Phrase of the Day: Minimum Call

Today's trade show phrase, minimum call, pertains to labor. Basically, your company creates an agreement with a worker, in which the worker will complete one or more tasks for your company, such as setting up your trade show booth. Both parties agree upon a minimum number of hours that the worker will work.

Even if the worker doesn't work the full amount of hours outlined in the original agreement, he is guaranteed payment for the full minimum. When budgeting for show-related expenses, make sure that your estimates for labor hours are as accurate as possible.