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Greetings and Happy New Year,
We are off to a strong start this year with the third and final installment on our series about Exhibit Design. In the first article of the series we discussed some of the Marketing Communications aspects of good design. In the last issue we examined several of the more common elements of Functional Exhibit Design for consideration as you move toward building a successful exhibit. In this final chapter, we look at getting the most design for your budget dollars.
We are also bringing you a few short tips on Booth Staffing that were submitted by fellow readers. These are some quick ideas that come from hard-won experience. We hope that you find them useful, and let us know if you have any ideas of your own that you don’t mind sharing.
Thank you for letting us be part of a great year in 2005, and we look forward to serving you even better in 2006.
Sincerely,
Marc Phibbs - Vice President, Marketing
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Design For Budget
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Like it our not, your exhibiting budget is probably in a race with budgets for trade magazines, electronic media, or direct mail: the best ROI wins. Here are some ideas to consider when designing your exhibit that can squeeze more out of your exhibiting budget and ensure it’s viewed as an investment, not an expense.
Plan ahead
Don’t just buy your exhibits from one show to the next, but instead, plan for entire annual show schedule – or even better, your next three years. Plan all your potential booth sizes, and design all those configurations from the beginning, with the greatest amount of common parts. Figure out what graphic messages you will need to change according to product, division, or vertical market.
Know When To Rent
If you are exhibiting at multiple shows, it’s usually better to buy your exhibit – unless if you exhibit at one show in an exhibit much bigger than the rest. At that bigger show, it makes fiscal sense to rent the additional components to fill out your big booth. No sense buying and paying to store all that exhibit.
Measure, Calculate, Adjust
Be sure to put aside 1% to 3% of your exhibiting budget to track what is working, and what is not. Then you’ll be better able to talk your VP out of going to that unproductive show in the city he likes when you can prove it gets the worst ROI of your entire program.
Shift Unproductive Exhibit Operating Costs Into More Productive Areas
You can create attractive, and functional lightweight modular exhibits for even your island exhibits that save up to 50% or more on your non-productive shipping and drayage costs, and may also reduce your refurbishing and I&D costs, too. Keep the savings, or increase spending on graphics, pre- and at-show promotions, more booth staffers, and better ROI measurement.
Design your exhibit to compellingly communicate your marketing message, to provide a great workspace for your staffers and experience for your attendees, and to get the most out of your budget. Then you’ll be much closer to achieving your trade show success – in fact, you will have hit a homerun!
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Reader Tips:
Booth Staffing Tactics |
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Don't wait for prospects to stop at your booth. Once they look at your booth, say "Can I show you something new & unique?"
– Gary Munro, A-R Distributors
Don't stand behind the table--in fact, don't put it in the front of your booth. Stand out in the aisle and greet people with questions and eye contact.
– Ann Meier, Open Road Technologies Computer Services, Memphis, TN
Although chairs are provided at most shows, always remain standing. You appear more approachable.
– Name withheld by request
Every show I attend I try to leave the booth unattended for an hour or so each day. I've learned that some attendees will not approach a booth if it is staffed, but they'll come up and take material when there's no chance they'll be "sold to." Also, we find that when the booth is staffed, it's good to have a man and a woman on hand. Some people will only approach men; others will only approach women.
– Rob Palmer, Institute for Supply Management
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| Looking for More Booth Traffic? Try This |
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Get your copy of Creating Effective Trade Show Promotions, a 76-page guide that takes you through the entire process from setting goals to execution to measuring results. This is the one indispensable tool you need to get the crowds into your booth.
Request yours today!
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Adapt to Industry Changes:
White Papers On Exhibition Trends For
4 Key Vertical Markets
To help exhibitors better understand the market forces and significant trends affecting their trade show program, Skyline commissioned Tradeshow Week to write 4 White Papers that cover 4 key industries:
Manufacturing & Industrial
Medical & Healthcare
Information Technology
Professional & Business Services
These 16-page White Papers provide insight for each industry on the primary challenges facing these exhibitors, and the key themes for success in their changing trade show environment.
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Skyline Exhibits
3355 Discovery Rd
St. Paul, MN 55121
Phone: 800-328-2725
www.skyline.com
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