I was teaching a class at the Small Business Development Center today and one of my students approached me during the break to ask about trade show displays.  She exhibits as gift type fairs and wanted a display that was easy to transport and use at indoors and outdoor events.  While I would love to produce a list of a dozen different options, reality is no such display actually exists.

Building a display for both indoor and outdoor events are a liability situation.  Making something that is heavy enough to NOT blow over in the wind yet light enough to easily move creates a potential for people getting hurt.  Pop-up displays have 78 square feet of surface area and are VERY susceptible to gentle winds knocking them over.  While popups are light weight and not very likely to hurt someone, they are very likely to damage adjacent exhibits and thus become a liability.

This leaves exhibitors who also show products at their events to their own devices.  More often than not the exhibitors get a hold of grid wire panels (typically used in retail establishments).  While these are very effective for showcasing product, they are very heavy and awkward to setup.

Popup display frames can sometimes be used to hang and showcase product, but they are only good for a dozen or fewer display items.  If you have a large number of items to showcase, grid wall panels are your best option, especially since they usualy can be purchased for about $30 per grid panel (typically 24″ x 84″).

If your display products are long and bulky, you might consider PVC piping. PVC pipe can use built to act as a free standing display stand and even painted or graphically wrapped.  With slip on PVC fittings, your full height display column can be broken down to fit in to the trunk of a small car.  By drilling holes in the PVC pipe, you can use wire hangers to display your product.  You can connect a larger diameter pipe section to the base and fill with sand to help keep the display unit standing in moderate winds.  The best part is PVC piping is very inexpensive, easy to service and replacement parts are available everywhere.  No getting stranded because one part breaks!

My point is trade show displays need not cost hundreds or thousands of dollars.  By being creative and using common hardware store items, you can create an attractive trade show display that can be used in any venue.  While I would love to sell you an expensive display, in many cases the best solution is more affordable from your local hardware store.

Ed Bejarana
BusinessBlogging.net
a division of Zenith Exhibits, Inc.

Recessions are the best time to build your client base.  To build a client base, you need to get out and market your business.  Exhibiting at Chamber events, local business fairs and other regional functions is a low cost way to be seen. 

Tabletop displays and retractable banner stands are very affordable exhibiting options that you can use almost anywhere.  When exhibiting in non-standard exhibit spaces, exhibit size flexibility is critical.  For example, I am a member of the Gresham Chamber of Commerce.  Twice a year the chamber hosts a business showcase for new members.  There are usually about 40 businesses exhibiting in a small meeting hall.  The tables are only 18″ x 60″.

The challenge you face when exhibiting at smaller events is the balance between professional image and over-kill.  Attendees at small business fairs are much more likely to stop at every booth.  Your exhibit should convey the basic information about your business.  Don’t try to answer ALL of your prospects questions with your backwall.  Also, keeping your display general will allow it to be useful in many different types of venues.

Small, portable displays need not cost and arm and a leg.  If your budget is between $50 and $200.  Your best option is a cardboard tabletop display board (available from most office supply stores.)  Create your business message on your computer and have them printed on paper.  The cardboard display and paper graphics are only usable once, but you entire presentation can be produced for very little money.

Vinyl banners are a good next step.  Keep the size to no wider than 6′.  A standard 2′ x 6′ Vinyl banner with grommets can be found for as little as $120.  Hanging the banner in some venues may be a big challenge, but in a pinch, you can always hang your banner from your exhibit table.

Hosting you local Chamber of Commerce business meeting is another way to get out in the community and be seen.  For example, in the East Portland Chamber of Commerce, in addition to a ten minute presentation, the Chamber also helps you with internet marketing in advance of your meeting.  Smaller events must try harder to bring in exhibitors.  More often than not you can find excellent deals.

The most important factor for exhibiting in small venues is be creative!

Ed Bejarana
Zenith Exhibits, Inc.

For more information about trade show solutions, please call me at (503) 709-1454 or eMail me at ed@zenithexhibits.com

Click here for a two part article on dealing with recessions.

Trade shows are excellent venues for meeting new prospects.  Consumers value trust higher than price, meeting you face to face in a non-threatening trade show environment is preferred by most consumers.  Plus, show attendees paid an entrance fee to attend, so they are already qualified prospects; but how you greet them will make or break your relationship.

First some rules.

1. Do not eat in your booth
2. Always smile
3. Look professional at all times

It is sometimes difficult to avoid breaking the first rule, but even if you are working your booth alone, greeting people while chomping on a sandwich will turn people off.  Standing for hours on end is hard work.  Your feet will hurt, you back will ache, and you are going to hear a lot of rejections, but under no circumstances should you be unhappy.  Prospects don’t want your problems, they want your solutions.

What is your opening line?  “How are you doing?” is not a very good greeting.  Get to the point, “are you in the marketing for {fill in the blank} at this time or will you be considering {fill in the blank} in the near future?”  People attend trade shows to get information and find products or services, very few people walk up and down the aisles of a show just for the exercise.  Trying to trick them in to stopping and talking insults people and wastes your time.

Script your questions.  You get paid for the information you gather, not the information you give.  Don’t recite the encyclopedia, asked the prospect questions that elicit a response that either advances the sale or disqualifies the prospect.  You need to have an easy to use data capturing method.  When you ask a question, make a note.  While this might surprise the prospect at first, when it comes time to set an appointment to further the sales process the prospect will appreciate your preparedness.

Make sure everyone on your booth staff asks the same questions.  Without consistency in the questions, you will not have any basis for making improvements.

Booths don’t sell, people do.  Put another way, people don’t buy from your trade show booth, they do business with you.  Let your trade show booth answer the big questions, who are you and what do you do (in as few words as possible).  Let your questions qualify the prospect for advancement to the next step; a post show meeting.

The trade show meeting is the beginning of your relationship with the client (even if you sell something in your booth).  You can be certain the moment the prospect walks away from your booth they have forgotten you.  It is your job have memory of the meeting and it is your job to follow up with the prospect immediately after the show.

Ed Bejarana
Zenith Exhibits, Inc.

Zenith Exhibits, Inc. is a trade show display solutions provider.  For more information about our products and services, please visit our display solutions website:  www.zenithexhibits.com or our BusinessBlogging.net website.