Tradeshow booths

Okay, so your booth is packed and you’re ready for the next trade show.  You have an exciting new product launch and you’re psyched to show it off.

Congrats! – You’re ahead of the game.

Wait. Did you really prepare for the show?

A lot of people forget the primary objective for attending a show is to create prequalified sales leads and connect with as many customers as possible.  This group represents one of your most valuable resources for increasing the ROI of your trade show efforts.

Pre-show Marketing

When preparing for your next tradeshow, you may want to consider pre-show marketing. As part of a strategic and comprehensive plan, it can be very effective in drawing customers to your booth.

Important to note: Pre-show marketing must be a good fit with your overall marketing plan. Truly, there is no “out-of-the-box” solution I can offer you in this blog, but I can provide a list of ideas to consider:

• Web marketing
• Direct mail
• Press release
• Email campaign
• Social media marketing
• Word of mouth
• Phone calls
• Blog!!!

At-the-show Promotion

Your pre-trade show marketing will help get people to your booth. Now what? Plan to complement the effort with promotion at the show itself. Again, the “right” tactic is a unique one.  Here are a few things to consider:

• Brochures and collateral
• Product demonstrations
• Web interaction
• Video
• Giveaways or a drawing
• Ensure a qualified staff is available to answer questions
• Host a reception
• Get on the show schedule – position yourself as an expert presenter
• Social media marketing (“Tweet” from the show!)

Follow Through

It’s pretty simple … you have to follow through on the connections you’ve made or else the lead becomes cold. Sure that could be a phone call or letter, but here are some additional suggestions you might consider:

• Post-show email campaigns
• A customized company information packet
• Personalized handwritten note (some things never go out of style)
• Social media marketing (“Tweet” after the show!)
• Blog!!!!

Wrap Up

Again, the right tactics are unique to each client. I offered a few suggestions, but the real solutions are consistent with your company's marketing plan and strategic vision. Need help getting started? I hear there’s a full-service marketing agency that might be able to help … word has it they do awesome large format work. (Yes, that was a shameless plug.)

For more tips or information on Zone 5’s large format services, contact me at dan.reade@zone5.com or 242.7031.
Be sure to check my blog on the 5th of every month for more useful tips.  Subscribe here if you’d like to receive updates automatically.

Quick question – How do you determine the best booth location at your next tradeshow?

Quick answer – Pull numbers out of a hat, or try pinning the show’s floorplan on the wall and tossing darts.

Okay, okay – I might be getting carried away, but if you wait ‘til the last minute to register, both of these options may be your last.

This brings me back to my first point.  Book early – prime locations go fast.  Locking in your booth location is like obtaining a prime piece of real estate. This location will help determine your level of success.

So what's the best location for a tradeshow booth?

I’m sure you’re aware of the fact that tradeshows are all about being noticed. You can’t be noticed if you can’t be seen, so search for space with the best visibility. Dead-end aisles and spaces obstructed by columns are the first locations you’ll want to avoid.

Try picking high traffic areas such as main aisles, ends of rows, corner spaces, and well-traveled routes to seminars. Entrances or exits are other areas you’ll want to avoid. Can you say bottlenecking? These may be high traffic areas, however, they are often so crowded that visitors may fail to notice your tradeshow display. This overcrowding makes it challenging for exhibitors to see your booth and for you to initiate conversations.

Additional high traffic areas that are decent locations (but not the best) are those near food services and restrooms. Granted, these are also well-traveled areas, but attendees have their own personal agenda when visiting the concessions or restrooms, and your booth may not rank high on their priority list. Furthermore, you may find attendees loitering in front of your booth as they finish their meal and block other attendees from reaching you.

If it’s a repeat tradeshow and last year’s location was ideal, obtaining the same location will help regular attendees find you. However, don’t assume you will be graced with the same neighbors. Always find out where your competition is located, and when registering, avoid positioning your tradeshow booth too close to them.

Let me emphasize again, register early. Many shows have a pecking order, so waiting too long may make for limited choices. You may have to compromise on your booth location but you can always scope out the perfect location for next year’s show.

And remember, you can still drive traffic to your booth with effective pre-show promotions even if you do not end up with the ideal booth space.

For more tips or information on Zone 5’s large format services, contact me at dan.reade@zone5.com or 242.7031.
Be sure to check my blog on the 5th of every month for more useful tips.  Click here if you’d like to receive updates automatically.

Here is a question I get asked quite frequently that I thought would be worth sharing in this month’s blog.

 Q: “Dan, do you have a tradeshow display that is easy to ship or check on a plane, can be updated monthly and is relatively inexpensive?”

A: Yes.

Retractable Banner Stands make tradeshows as easy as 1-2-3. (How does a 30 second setup sound?)

Check out this video pulled from the Zone 5 archives. A true classic.

For more tips or information on Zone 5’s large format services, contact me at dan.reade@zone5.com or 242.7031.

Be sure to check my blog on the 5th of every month for more useful tips.  Click here if you’d like to receive updates automatically.

When you’re at a trade show, what attracts you to a booth? Is it the giveaways? (Admit it.) Or is it the graphics?  At Zone 5, we understand the importance of both … but we lean toward the former. Just kidding, it's the graphics. Of COURSE it's the graphics!

Designing a successful booth is the result of delivering a clear, unified message AND understanding the dynamics of booth design. As professionals working in this arena for 20 years, Zone 5 has developed some guidelines that we suggest our clients follow (whether working with us or an in-house team). Here are a few of the more important items.

  1. Image Size. If you are taking a digital picture yourself to be used in your exhibit, image size becomes very, very important. You’ve heard the term megapixels(MP), but what does it mean to your graphic?

It’s simple. The more MP, the larger the image you can output. Generally, 5 megapixel cameras (or higher), set to it highest resolution should provide you with acceptable image clarity when your photo is printed 30 inches and larger.

In other words, if you can email the image, it’s probably too small to use. (BTW, be nice when emailing. Attached images should be no larger than 1MB in size.)

2. Live Area. So, what is the magical “live area?” The live area is the area is a safe zone for important text or images.  This is an area of your printed graphics that is safe from cropping or trimming. If designing a letterhead for example the trim area would be 8.5" x 11”. If the letterhead had a bleed it would be printed on a larger sheet (say 9" 11.5") and after printed it would be cut down to 8.5" x 11".

3. KISS Method. (Keep It Simple, Silly) You want to keep your message brief.  The job of your booth is to attract the attention of the exhibitors and create a quick glimpse of what you have to offer. Your message should communicate the key features and benefits of your product or service. Trying to squeeze in every little bit of your company profile only detracts from your main message. (It’s a lot easier for a potential client to remember one key thing about your company than four or five. ) Let your salespeople and collateral fill in product details.

4. Logo Size. Big. Bold. Clear!  If a client remembers nothing else, you want them to remember your name. Goal – keep your logo visible and legible at all times. (i.e. For a 10’x10’ space booth try and keep your logo at least 20”. )

5. Text Size. Big. Bold. Clear! Just as important as logo size is text size. The only way a potential client will remember your message is if they can read it. Don’t miss the opportunity. Text should be a minimum of 72 points.

If you’re using a headline, the shorter the better. A shorter headline will allow you to make your message bolder and more visible … even from across the room. (And even on a small tabletop display.)

For more tips or information on Zone 5’s large format services, contact me at dan.reade@zone5.com or 242.7031.
Be sure to check my blog on the 5th of every month for more useful tips.  Click here if you’d like to receive updates automatically.

For many prospective clients, your tradeshow exhibit will be their first introduction to your brand. As such, it must effectively attract prospects, promote your company and service/product, control traffic and help facilitate sales … all within budget. Not always an easy task, but with proper planning it can be a very successful endeavor.

The decision to buy or rent your company’s tradeshow booth is one of the first to make. There are a number of factors to consider, but cost and usage are usually the two most important.

Typically, companies allocate about 30 percent of their overall annual marketing budget to their trade show program. This includes trade show exhibits, pop up exhibits, and banner stand displays. Since that dollar figure varies by company and budget, how best to use that amount is an important consideration.

Buy

There are many benefits to owning your own exhibit.  Flexibility, accessibility, timeliness, quality control and reusability are just a few – all providing you with more control of your tradeshow marketing. For companies with a busy show schedule, buying is the most logical and cost-effective option. Owning your own exhibit allows you to attend last minute trade shows or conferences.

On average, the cost for purchasing new booth hardware ranges from $100 to $150 per square foot. So, for example, a 10x10 booth display (100 square feet) will cost between $10,000 and $15,000, including trade show graphics and shipping cases. It is important to remember that this investment means that every detail can be customized to your specifications.  The size, weight, curvatures, and accessories.

Rent

Buying isn’t always the best decision. If you are a first time exhibitor, have less than three shows per year, or don’t have the budget to afford buying your display, renting is a good option.  It can also get you out of a bind if you have double booked your calendar with simultaneous events!

Rental exhibits have changed considerably over the years. Today, they offer the opportunity to present a branded display that is as eye-catching and effective as a purchased one. Display rental fees can average anywhere from 30 to 40 percent of the retail cost. Some exhibit houses, like Zone 5, may apply a percentage of your rental cost toward the new purchase of that item within a defined period of time.

So, what’s best for you?

As an industry expert, I’ve been asked the question of buying vs. renting numerous times … and the answer is always unique to the client. Hopefully, these hints have offered you a bit of guidance, but I invite you to drop me an email or give me a call if you have any questions.

Be sure to check my blog on the 5th of every month for more useful tips.

For more information on Zone 5’s tradeshow and exhibit services, contact me:
dan.reade@zone5.com
518.242.7031