Making Good Choices with Trade Show Displays

When it comes time to make a pivotal decision regarding the purchase of future trade show displays, far too many business owners and managers begin making them based on all the wrong reasons, and in effect, actually hamper their companies efforts when planning how to market their brand in future events. Far too often, we hear managers asking questions searching for answers on how to make their participation in that event the quickest and easiest commitment possible. In the end, they achieved their goals which in part looked a little like this:

Wanting a display whereby they could keep the shipping case in the booth and not have to wait after the show for the drayage crew to return the empty containers that were collected after set up. The trade show displays that they purchased had to be simple enough that one person on their all women staff could set the booth up all by herself if need be. The trade show booth that they would finally choose had to be set up with no tools so they wouldn’t have to utilize union labor; also in less than 30 minutes. The booth needed to be compact enough so they could take it with them as checked airline luggage to simplify the process of getting the shipping case into the show and try to avoid paying for drayage.

Now, it’s certainly not a sin to try and conserve the company resources and act in a financially prudent manner, but that’s not what we’re seeing here. What we’re seeing are decisions being made that are not in the best interest of the company and the growing of the brand into the marketplace, but quite simply put, decisions based by the person who is in charge, who is just being lazy! Yes I really said that; far too often the person that makes the decisions is more concerned with getting the event over and done so they can get back home and see a football game or get in a round of golf before the weekend is over. Their passion is in getting the job done; not getting it done right. They’re into selling something, not marketing, because marketing just takes too much thought time and energy.

So what should that person be concerned with if what we listed above isn’t important? Here are a few items that should be given some consideration:

• How can I present our products so that our company will stand out when compared to our competitors?
• Is the “most expedient” booth that I just purchased the best vehicle on which to showcase our products and brand?
• Are the people that will be working the trade show booth, passionate about what they are doing and the products that they are representing?
• Do you have goals to measure your success each time you exhibit so that you’re continually improving your product and presentation?

Great achievements in the trade show world don’t just happen because you purchased a trade show display. You have to be committed not just to the job of exhibiting, but to the effort it takes to succeed in exhibiting your products. 

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by Lowell Nickens, ShopForExhibits.com, LinkedIn Profile