Design For Budget
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.
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!