Virtual trade shows are not just conversation anymore – they are even writing about them in the Wall Street Journal. Virtual shows have many positives – they can have a grand opening, virtual exhibits, and buttons to push to visit a booth and talk with someone. There could be speeches and seminars. As an attendee you would not have to fly there, walk hundreds of show floor miles, or eat and drink foregoing your diet standards.

Now the question is - do trade shows disappear in favor of virtual shows. I don't think so and in the past few months I find most people that write about our industry seem to agree. They see that there are pros and cons to virtual shows. They're cheaper and easier to plan. Speeches and seminars can be recorded and added to a library that can be accessed at any time. Speakers and moderators don't have to remain all day. But there are cons. Networking opportunities are limited. There are no face to face meetings or unexpected run-ins with customers. Participants can't touch products.

And that last thought – touching the product is the most important as to why trade shows will continue into the foreseeable future. There are some products, in most every industry that you need to experience in person. Virtual trade shows have their place, I have no doubt that they will not end regular trade shows. It may cut down the amount of shows produced and attendees will leave their office only once or twice a year. All in all this is a good thing for everyone.

Working with a first time exhibitor includes a lot of time, allot of hand-holding, and most importantly a lot of patience. What is old hand to the exhibit house is a whole new world to your newbie client. Do you realize just how intimidating it can be to begin to process of booking everything you need to book for a show as well as how much there is to learn? For instance, even though our rental proposal form states clearly that "Installation and Dismantling Services are included", I constantly receive emails asking how much it would be for "set-up and tear down", which is just another way of stating the same thing. We also mention that we do not cover rigging or drayage – and what a mess that can become when no one bothers to read what they are signing.

Do not become panic-stricken. Think about all of our clients that come from other countries, with English as their second or third language, and after the first year they do this! Just plow ahead. There are a lot of details to be worked out, even a table skirt with printed logo involves a lot of choices, but with the help of your chosen exhibit company you'll get through it.

Read your exhibitor manual, highlight it, then sit down with your account executive at your exhibit house and allow he or she to work you through it. There is allot of stuff in there that just doesn’t pertain to you. In our company we actually have a project manager assigned to each client – she will take you through the program and do all of your paperwork. Our clients find this type of help unbelievably beneficial. It is the job of the exhibit house to know the rules and regulations for every show. In many cases today – the trade show manager is also the sales manager, or the marketing manager, or even the owner. Take the time to forge a relationship that is comfortable and that will get your through the trade show process.

It's no surprise that trade show attendance has been down over the last year. The market has had a big influence upon our industry as well as upon the cities where shows are held. More surprising to me is the number of our clients who have informed us that they had a good, sometimes even a great show. All through the current slow economy, you will notice that trade show floor traffic has lessened. At many shows, attendee volume is lower that what you may have seen in recent years. Don't be concerned. The number of visitors that your exhibit tracts is less important than the type of visitors who are on the trade show floors.

Why? There are more buyers on the floor as a percentage of attendees than is normally the case. This is consistent with our experience this year. Thus, while much of the news connected to trade shows is that, for instance, hotel vacancies are up in Las Vegas, the fact of the matter appears to be that people who aren't attending shows this year are those who previously came for reasons other than to make purchases. On the exhibitor side they are bringing less booth staff and on the attendee side – less decision makers. Many people just came for the parties – and those days are over! In picking and choosing some of those people are now out and those who are there to buy have an easier time navigating the show. It's all the more reason to keep investing in your show presence.

If you are on the fence as to whether to rent, purchase or to ship out your own display, here is a condensed list of pros and cons.

Let's start with shipping your own exhibit. So much of your judgment will have do with weight and the number of cases or crates as well as the type of show you are planning to attend. For instance, say you have a beautiful yet heavy 10 x 20' booth but that the show you are attending is a smaller regional show. It probably makes sense to rent a simpler exhibit. If you ship your own booth you'll not only have the shipping expense, but also a large drayage bill along with an installation and dismantling expense.

If your choice is as to purchase or rent you may be interested to know that the trend seems to be towards rentals. There seems to be a growing emphasis upon the convenience factor. The primary advantages of renting are: 1). Not having to make a purchasing decision. This can be a bit stressful in that you don't want to make the wrong decision. Choosing the right size and boxing yourself in seems to be the biggest issue. You don't need to store between shows. You don't have to arrange for shipping to and from the show. You don't have to arrange for installation and dismantling services. In other words, you can literally just show up for the show. Although we always recommendthat you try to arrange to be on the floor when your exhibit is going up so as to make sure that the positioning is correct and that graphics are placed in the right spots.

On the other hand, when you purchase a booth, you can pay attention to the little details that set your booth apart. This positive, however, is changing as custom exhibit rentals are becoming more available. Remember - if you do a lot of shows, some companies are doing shows every month, it will be more economical to own your own.

Who would have known that this simple design would still be selling after thirty + years? The reasons for this are fairly straightforward. From the beginning, pop-ups were designed for ease of set up. One person can set one up in 15-30 minutes depending upon skill level. If this were the only advantage of Pop up booths, it would be significant. However, there's more. Most exhibitors really dislike having to wait for their shipping cases to be delivered to them at the end of a show. To this day, Pop ups are still one of the only displays available that allows you to disguise the shipping case with a case-to-table conversion kit. You get to keep your case handy for an easy get-a-way at the end of the show plus you gain a reception counter.

What is the primary function of an exhibit? If done professionally, it will communicate easily to a show attendee as to what the exhibitor offers and why they would want to stop and enter the exhibit space. A pop-up with photo murals remains one of the most effective billboards on the planet. When done well, the message can be clear and compelling. The initial cost and ongoing expense of owning a pop-up display are further reasons as to why they remain so popular. While a pop-up with photo murals used to sell for $4,000+ less than ten years agoyou can now purchase one foror less than $2000.00, you can find a fully equipped pop up kit with four front mural panels. This price range has opened the market to many companies that might not have been able to afford a trade show a few years ago. It is not only start-up, though, that are still buying pop-ups. Every company needs one for a regional show, a mall show, a city or county show – and now having one in the corner is affordable.

Visit our website DisplaysandExhibits.com – you will be amazed at the choices.

Many companies are looking into ways to cut cost, as the economic recovery moves into full gear. This is happening while at the same time that these same companies are attempting to increase their customer base and profitability. Companies are asking themselves if they should invest in new trade show equipment, use the old exhibit or rent something new.

While owning your trade show displays has its benefits there are also several draw backs. One of the main issues is the added cost of shipping displays and equipment from one trade show to another, the cost of storing them when not in use and the possibility of having more than one show occurring at a time. Add to all of this restoration and re-fabrication, along with new graphics and there are many hidden costs to the purchase. Not to mention the fact that with trade show exhibit rentals you will have the ability to change your designs, exhibit booth space sizes, new graphics, re-branding for every show – and all without the added cost of doing so. Rental is the full package – or at least it should be!

When you rent your trade show displays you will have better chances of changing the designs you use and your layout, you will appear new and fresh to your customers when they see you at different trade shows and you will have a better chance of increasing your traffic. Trade shows are used for companies to maintain their customer base while adding to it, with the ability to change your displays and attend multiple shows at once many organizations will see value in exhibit rentals and will realize that renting their displays and equipment is much more economical.

I clearly understand the fear to reduce expenses in harsh economic times. However, what I am confused about is why companies slash marketing costs or toss their marketing plans all together. Isn’t the company’s objective to make money? How does that happen without a marketing plan – os is the plan to just ride these hard times through using the old customer base?

Yes, cutting back unnecessary expenses is a good thing but reducing marketing expenses can also have a negative effect. A rule of thumbs is that it takes a person seeing your company name seven to ten times before it’s stored into their long term memory. Clearly you can see the less you advertise or market the less you will be seen, in return reducing new perspective buyers.

There are ways to limit or reduce expenses without harming your marketing objectives. For instance if you plan or are attending a trade show you can look into ways to save money. Renting your booth equipment was mentioned earlier. In Absolute Exhibits case we do rentals on a daily basis – it is 85% of our business – we know the ropes, how to cut costs on the show floor for electrical, plumbing, rigging, along with shipping and drayage costs.

Writing off your marketing plan by eliminating trade shows can be disastrous. If you are not there and your competitor is – what does that imply to your client or prospective customer? Think like a minimalist – but do not be a no show!

If you have read this newsletter over the past eight years – you know that I have a love-hate relationship with giveaways. However, with so many companies vying for attention on the trade show floor, you need a way to grab the attention from the get-go. Contact the event coordinator and arrange to provide free logo imprinted canvas bags that attendees can use to carry the loot they collect throughout the day. Another option is to provide logo imprinted lanyards for the convention’s ID badges. If the show has 5,000 attendees – that is 5,000 billboards on the show floor with your brand. But let me tell you that bag better be great looking and that lanyard better glow! Not only will this branded item be one of the first objects that every attendee will come into contact with, it positions you as a leading company at the show.

If you are providing the bags or lanyards for the tradeshow, you have a unique opportunity to literally invite every attendee to your booth. This is your opportunity to stuff the bag or attach to the lanyard something irresistible that will drive attendees to your booth. For example, offer every visitor a scratch card or a fortune cookie that reveals a code that may unlock a prize vault at your booth or a chance to step into a Cash Cube Money Machine where they will have 30 seconds to grab at cash, funny money that can be spent on your products or services, or coupon vouchers for free offers.

This is your once a year moment to stress how important you are to your industry. Along the way a percentage of these clients will become lifers! Think this through – it is costly, but one less party or doubling up hotel rooms could pay for one of these in an instant! And this is especially good for smaller or regional shows – get your feet wet!

Over the past six months I have been asked repeatedly about the affect of webinars or virtual trade shows – and are they overtaking trade shows, I always answer the same way – it will never happen! Trade shows are so successful because they offer companies the occasion to meet their customers and potential customers face to face. If you only make available brochures, sales pitches, and branding material, you are not taking full advantage of the face to face interaction. You can send your customers brochures, sales pitches, and branding material by email, so why do that in person? The best way to take advantage of direct marketing is to put your products in the hands of your potential clients. You will be amazed with the results.

You need your potential customers to experience your product first hand. Simply describing it to them or providing information about your product will not be as effective as putting the product in their hands and under their control.

If you sell software or web-based computer applications, allow your customers to use the full version of your product at demo stations within your booth. By letting them experience the interface of your product first hand, they are much more likely to make a purchasing decision on the spot. Even the most effective brochure or sales pitch will leave the potential client with questions and doubts.

If you sell physical products (such as machines, gadgets, tools, or equipment), allow your potential customers to hold the product in their hand. If possible, allow them to use the product in an application similar to the way they would use the product in the real world. The tactile sensation of handling your product and using it in a practical application will reinforce a purchasing decision in your customer’s mind.

Unfortunately, there is no set standard for the trade show or event industry on what green is and just how green you need to be to be considered a green or eco friendly company. The good news is that the exhibit industry knows the importance of this and are making due diligence initiatives to become an eco industry. Here are some tips on how to add green into your trade show program.

1. Plan Ahead. Avoid shipping any materials or display items by air transportation. It is one of the most expensive ways to ship and creates the largest carbon footprint in our environment. Choose a shipping company that is making efforts to be eco friendly by using lighter trucks with fuel saving features.

2. Steer clear of Paper collateral and catalogues. The vast majority of all handouts end up unread and/or in the trash can on the trade show floor. Try using a flash drive with your company’s information loaded on the drive for brochures, mirrored web site pages, marketing sheets or other promotional materials, send an email or e-brochure. Make certain it is sent immediately, preferably from the show floor right after you had a face-to-face meeting with the potential customer while the information is fresh in their mind. This is both good for the environment and your budget as you will save money not only on the lack of paying for collateral hand out materials, but also on shipping.

3. Save Energy. Use LED lights and make it a habit to always turn off any electronic items overnight. Assess what is truly necessary.

4. Promotional Items. Choose items that are sensible and reusable, made from green materials, are friendly for the environment, and avoid items that require excessive or unnecessary packing.

5. Rent a Trade Show Display. In some instances it may be better for the environment to rent a custom display as there are many advantages to renting vs. purchasing a custom display. The environment is only one reason.

6. Pack Smart. Avoid one way shippers and opt for reusable shipping cases made from recycled plastic.

7. Most Important – Be Sincere. If your company chooses to “go green” be sure that you consider all the options and are truthful about whether you are greener or are a truly green company.