Trade Show Emporium

Every company and every trade show are different, which is why deciding what trade show event your company should attend is never an easy choice.

Planning for a show requires a great deal of time, money and mental resources. Many variables go into to the evaluation of trade shows and how your company could possibly benefit from exhibiting at the show. Many times the decision comes down to whether or not the show will net you solid leads that could potentially grow your company. Other times the decision is based on what your competition does. But in all cases, your company should avoid exhibiting just for the sake of it.

You can break down trade show exhibiting companies into three parts. The first is larger companies, who have an established track record at trade shows, small companies who exhibit at industry shows and local shows and first-time exhibitors.

The companies who have the hardest time choosing shows are the first-time exhibitors. Smaller and larger companies have established a niche or refined their trade show strategy, while the first-time exhibitors may not have the knowledge of how the show will be or the reception of its product or company.

Things to keep in mind when researching trade shows is the companies’ current marketing strategy, the potential return on investment, and the overall costs of attending trade shows and following up with potential leads

To help locate trade shows your company or for trade show displays contact Trade Show Emporium at 1-866-764-2968 or visit the Web site at www.tradeshowemporium.com.

Typically when ordering a trade show display you have the option of printing your graphics using an ink jet or dye sublimation process. Although both create a strong visual depiction of your design there are many differences that your company must consider before choosing your graphic option.

Not all, but many of the more popular trade show displays such as banner stands and Alumalite displays, have an to use ink jet or dye sublimation graphic printing.

The main difference between the two printing processes is how the images or graphics are laid out on the material that will be used for your display.

Ink jet graphics are much like that of a regular color printer you may find at home or your office. The ink is laid out through individual dots on to the material.

Dye sublimation printing involves a more detailed process where your graphics are directly printed into a fabric-like material. This method allows the dye colors to vaporize under extreme heat and permeate the material before they return to a solid form.

This techinique gives dye sublimation printing a more defined look. If you look close enough to ink jet prints you will start to recognize the individual dots. Dye sublimation printing also allows yields a more vibrant and colorful print.

The disadvantage of dye sublimation is that the price is usually higher due to the process and material it is printed on. Ink jet graphics, when used in booths similar to pop up displays, are coated with a laminate that will give them a longer life span if taken care of properly.

For more information about dye sublimation and ink jet printing processes contact Trade Show Emporium, Denver’s leading trade show display consulting and distributor for modular and hybrid trade show displays. Visit the Web site at www.tradeshowemporium.com or call 1-866-764-2968 in the United States or Canada.

As people worldwide are celebrating the Earth Day, Trade Show Emporium provides you with a brief list of how to make your existing and future trade show displays environmentally friendly.

Purchasing a green trade show display is the first and biggest step one takes to become environmentally friendly with their booth. Environmentally friendly trade show displays are made from socially responsible materials such as bamboo, recycled plastics and aluminum, water-based inks, carpet, fabrics and LED lights.

At the show there are several options to make your display greener. Reduce literature by printing less or printing on recycled paper. After your show is over you can recycle materials through a local agency, or at designated places in the convention center. When you are finished with your display unplug as many electronics items as you can. Items, such as lights, monitors, DVD players and many more still consume electricity even when turned off. Overtime all items added up will save a great deal of energy consumption.

Instead of sending back unused materials, recycle them locally. It will eliminate the need to ship, and reduce carbon eliminate waste. Also employing local talent reduces the carbon footprint created by traveling with your own sales team.

After your display is finished use a trade show display recycling service that will ensure the process of your display and supply you with a detailed report of materials processed.

For more information on how to make your environmentally friendly visit Trade Show Emporium at www.tradeshowemporium.com or call 1-866-764-2968.

The most common trade show display graphic mistakes usually involve text, color, graphics and maintenance. If your booth has any of these mistakes, it could be an instant turnoff for attendees. But if you follow these simple rules then an attendee visiting your booth can turn into a promising lead.

In January, Exhibitor Magazine released a list of the top 10 small-booth and trade show display graphics mistakes and rules to avoid such mistakes.

1. Too Many Words
Three seconds is all you have to catch someone’s attention and having too many words may hinder that. Combine crisp, relevant text along with a strong graphic to create a cohesive message that will draw them into your booth.
Rule: Limit yourself to six or 10 words

2. The Wrong Words
Don’t waste words with needless information about your company that is not needed. Stay on point with what your company can do for the attendees and do it in as few words as possible.
Rule: Keep a direct message

3. Competing Colors
Having colors that clash can make your text hard to read. Be sure to have contrasting colors such as light on dark (white on black) or dark on light. Be careful to float text over images and graphics, especially busy areas, since it could cause readability issues.
Rule: Use light and dark text combinations

4. Artsy Fonts
Text that is hard to read will turn away attendees. Leave the art to the graphics and the images and keep text very conservative. Having fancy text makes it difficult for people to read and understand your message.
Rule: Stick with simple sans and sans serif fonts

5. Tiny Type
Attendees don’t want to worry about struggling to read your text because of its size. The general rule of thumb is for every three feet your text should be at least an inch tall. If an attendee is 12 feet away from your booth your text should be at least four inches tall.
Rule: All text should be more than four inches tall

6. Text Below Eye Level
Keep text as high as you can, and if possible within the top two feet of your booth. This keeps your text from being blocked by anyone in your booth and is more viewable from a distance. If your text doesn’t fit into this space, make sure you keep it above eye level.
Rule: Text is best placed at top of booth

7. Too Many Images
Having several images can district from what your overall message is. Creating one or a few larger images, that are clearly focused, helps keep your message on track.
Rule: Use large, cropped images

8. Poor Image Quality
Many times people think a company logo or image can be enlarged and maintain its crispness and clarity, but that is not always the case. Often, these low-res images become blurry and grainy. Use the most original file and high resolution graphics to complete your booth, and if needed consult a trade show display graphic designer.
Rule: Use high resolution graphics and work with a graphic designer

9. Bad Lighting
The choice to light your booth comes down to a very simple question of wanting people to see your booth. Having poor lighting decreases the ability for your graphics to be seen. Place lights, no less than 100-watt halogen or LED, every two to three feet for maximum coverage.
Rule: Lights placed every two to three feet<

10. Nicks And Dings
Accidents will happen, but generally wear and tear can be reduced with careful handling and cleaning. Starting with a laminate that will protect your graphics is a good first step. Also careful assemble and careful storing, using plastic or paper sheets between graphics is important. If you have to clean your graphic use light Windex, being extremely careful near the edge. Use a multipurpose cleaner for marks and sticky substances, and rubbing alcohol along any magnets.
Rule: Clean and maintain, if needed replace graphics

A fairly common question for companies exhibiting at trade shows is the number of people that is needed to staff its booth. Having too low of a number means people will visit the booth and leave, a possible lost sale or lead walking away. Too many staffers and the booth may look overcrowded making people hesitant to visit.

Using the following mathematical formula will help you figure out how many staffers you need at any given time to be stationed at your booth. You’ll need to do some research first and figure out a few key numbers before figuring out the formula. First contact the conference organizer and get an anticipated count of attendees and figure out how you what percentage will potentially visit your booth. This number can range from 12 to 20 percent, with higher figures representing more interest among attendees in your company, booth or product.

Once you have those figures you have to determine if the show is either highly targeted or a general show towards your company. The more targeted the show, the lower your percentage will be. If the show is highly targeted use numbers between 30 and 40 percent, and 50 percent if the show is broad to your industry. Finally, get the total amount of exhibiting hours.

After you figure out these important figures you can use the following formula to determine the number of staffers needed to work your booth.

Attendees x Popularity of Exhibit = Visitors to Booth
Visitors x Type of Show = People Interested In Booth
People Interested x Hours Exhibiting = People Visiting Per Hour
Per Hour Visitors x Amount One Staffer Can Handle An Hour = Total Staffers Needed

Example:
You work for a highly reputable and successful company in your business. The show is one of the larger more important trade shows in your industry and you expect 20,000 people to attend the convention. Your company recently purchased a new custom trade show display that will be located in a 40×20 booth space. Since you have a new booth and it is one of the larger industry shows you anticipate a great deal of buzz about your display and new product being launched.

The show is four days long with six hours each day for people to visit exhibits on the floor, giving people 24 hours to visit your booth. Typically your customers come in groups of four people and it takes approximately 30 minutes for someone on your staff to explain your company and its products to potential clients.

20,000 attendees x 20 percent = 4,000 potential clients visiting your booth
4,000 visitors x .40 (large show) = 1,600 people truly interested in your product
1,600/24 / 24 hours exhibit is open = 67 number of people per hour visiting your booth
67 / 8 each staffer can handle per hour = 8 staffers needed

Assuming these figures are fair representations for the amount of people visiting your booth and the expected buzz that your company and its booth generate, you should expect to have at least eight staffers at your booth.

If you have exhibited at any trade show, then you know the importance of obtaining reliable and steady leads. Many people stop by your booth, but what is the best way to make sure you have the ability to follow up with each person that visits your booth.

Once people visit your trade show display, the next step is making contact with them, explaining your product and finding out how it can relate to them. Make sure to use the 80-20 rule, 80 percent listening and 20 percent talking. Also let them lead the conversation and they will be more open to sharing information. But before they lead make sure to obtain their information.

In previous years the best way of maintaining a lead way exchanging business cards, but with the advancement of technology everything can now be gained by the simple swipe of your pass. These passes contain all the usual information, such as name and company, but can also contain information such as the size of your company, industry served and how many times you have visited this specific show. This information all comes from the online registrations that are mandatory for shows.

Today, the most effective way of managing this information is through a variety of computer programs that helps organize this information more thoroughly. These programs are capable of handling entire process from beginning to end. Once the information has been programmed into any of these programs it is up to a dedicated member of the sales team to be the point contact for the company.

For more information regarding trade show tips and marketing information contact Trade Show Emporium at 1-866-764-2968 or visit the Web site at www.tradeshowemporium.com.

Attending trade shows is a time honored tradition of presenting your company and products. However, attending shows take time and money, something that is becoming increasingly valuable with each passing day.

On the other hand, the benefit of exhibiting at and attending trade shows maintains its strengths of improving your company through networking, education and lead building.

In tough these economic times, people feel more comfortable dealing with reliable companies and those who offer the best customer interaction. That is why ditching trade shows can be hurtful to your business in the long run.

If attending trade shows is becoming too expensive, think of changing your approach and possibly add accessories like banner stands, literature racks, flat-screen monitors, kiosks or the new allure banner stands.

Pre-show planning is crucial to your company’s success at trade shows. To insure that you start the show on the right foot, make sure pre-show promotions are sent out in advance to prospective clients.  Double check your trade show display, try setting it up and taking it down if it has been a while since you’ve had it out.  This will insure that your display is in good condition, and ready to go.

Remember to set realistic goals on how many people you expect to talk to over the length of the trade show.  Consider both leads and “good leads”. You might get 120 leads, but usually only 12 of those leads are people that you can expect a sale from.

There is a simple formula use to estimate the number of people you will talk to per hour and how many leads you will expect to capture by the end of the show. First, find out how many attendees the convention center expects.  Next, determine the percentage of attendees you expect to fit your customer profile. Here is an example:

Number of attendees: 7,000
% of people that fit your customer profile: 10% or 700 people
The average time a person will spend talking to you: 10 minutes
Length of show 24 hours (minus downtown, set-up/teardown, and speakers): 20 hours
To find out the number of people you will talk to per hour:
20 hours x 60 minutes = 1,200 minutes 20 hours x 10 minutes = 200 minutes
1,200/200 = 6 people per hour in your booth over 20 hours
To find out how many leads you will expect to capture over 20 hours you:
1,200/10= 120 leads over a 20 hour show.

Remember that you might have 120 leads or people’s information but you probably only have about 12 good leads from people you had in-depth conversations with. The more good leads you can get will result on a better ROI on your trade show display.

Company exposure is a good thing…right?  Drawing attention to your business can be an excellent way of gaining new clients, and attending the right events is equally important.  Events are expensive to attend—they cost money, take time, and use your most valuable resources (your employees) to keep them running.  Choosing the appropriate setting is a crucial aspect of selecting events.  So how do you know which events are right for you?  Well, it all starts with knowing your audience.

First, figure out who your target market is.  Be realistic.  Not everyone on Earth is a suitable customer for you.  So who is?  You can determine this by creating a “customer profile.”  This profile identifies your customer by demographic (such as age, zip code or income).  Ask yourself, “Who is my customer?” Psychographics (such as traits, attitudes, interests, or lifestyles) are another important piece of the puzzle.  To determine your customer’s psychographic, ask yourself, “What does my customer do?”  The best way to determine the demographic and psychographic of potential clients is to look at the ones you already have.  What patterns do you see?  Why do they buy your product or service?  How do they benefit from it?  Once you created a customer profile you are well on your way to determining what events are right for you.

Event marketing is no longer limited just to trade shows.  Today there are tours, road shows, conventions, seminars, conferences, hospitality events…and much more.  So which ones are right for your business?  Let’s take a look at some of the most common events:

Trade Show
Audience:  Typically one particular industry
Pros:  Atendees are interested in the industry you represent.
A wide range of exhibitors and activities under one roof.
Cons: Competitors can take away your potential leads.  Requires intensive staffing.

Road show
Audience: Reaches regional audiences
Pros: Appointments are set up prior to the event—this allows your message to be customized for each potential customer.
Cons:  Your most well-versed personnel are on the road.

Seminar
Audience:  Prospects who are interested learning about your company’s areas of expertise.
Pros: Educating customers while networking.
Cons: Run the risk of your ideas being replicated.

Hospitality Event
Audience:  Can be tailored to suit a particular audience
Pros:  Great for networking with other industry colleagues.  A positive PR tool.
Cons:  It can be difficult to sell in a social situation.  The services of an event planner are needed.

Conferences
Audience: Targeted representatives who are part of a professional group.
Pros:  Great for networking, learning, and meeting customers, with tight control over attendees.
Cons:  Exhibit traffic can be irregular.

Finally, to choose the right event for your company you should consider four important points:
1. Logistics—Can you reasonably plan for your attendance at the event?
2. Budget—Can you adequately fund your attendance at the event?
3. Ability—Does your company have the knowledge, skills, and services to stand out at the event?
4. Geography—Is the your company or services relevant to customers in the area?  Can you reasonably attend the event?
If you can answer “yes” to all of the above questions, you have found the perfect event for your company!

Trade show displays and exhibits have many other applications then just for trade shows. A pop-up trade show display is perfect to display in the reception area of your business or in the lobby or conference room to “brand” your company. The best part about a pop-up display is that you can interchange multiple sets of graphics, rotating your message to boost and maintain interest.

Banner stands are so portable and easy to put up/take down that they can be used almost anywhere. Banner stands can showcase your latest product or service to clients coming in your office. You can have a banner stand in the break room displaying a motivational message to your employees. Banner stands can also be used for your sales team to use out in the field. The banner stand makes a great background for any presentation.

If your company needs an interactive display for your waiting room then the Alumalite display is perfect. The Alumalite trade show display exhibit line has the latest in hybrid display technology. Incorporating Octanorm aluminum hardware, trapeze canopy cover (wave, arch, or straight), Inkjet graphics, and frosted plex header/wings gives you a display that is both innovative and eye catching. The Alumalite trade show display has the ability to attach LCD screens directly to the trade show display hardware. This gives you the ability to have both graphics and an LCD feed in your display. Your clients can interact with the Alumalite display while they are waiting. You can have your product on shelves for people to touch, have your latest product or service be displayed as a video on one or two LCD screens on the Alumalite. You can even have a computer on one of the Alumalite counters that your clients can use and search your product line. The Alumalite is a great addition to any office.

If your company is “greening up” and deploying increased environmentally friendly business practices, how about a green display to reinforce your eco friendly practices. Green display products are developed with environmentally and socially responsible materials benchmarked to the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System of the U.S. Green Building Council. Exhibit options including eco-friendly banner stands, pop-ups, 10×10’s, 10×20’s, 20×20’s, as well as unique customizing capabilities. We incorporate the use of materials such as bamboo, recycled plastics, and even graphics made from recycled soda bottles.

Keep your message on the forefront of your customers’ minds and on the top of your employee’s thinking too!