February 13, 2019in Business advice 0 Likes

The graphic hare and the business turtle: a reverse fable of a winner deal.

We’ve all heard the story of the race between the turtle and the hare, where the turtle’s constancy defeats the hare’s speed. And it is usually true, except when it’s not. While it is obvious why exhibitors want to take booth graphic design in their own hands, we want you to consider the available options. Good trade show booth suppliers are in business to keep you in business. They help you be as fast as the hare without losing your business shell, nor the race to the trade show. Read about the main reasons to let an expert help with your booth graphics.

Impact

Graphic design effectiveness depends on the contextual application. This means creating a great brochure requires a different skill set than the one used in a trade show booth. The point here is you don’t have to be an exhibit expert, nor hire one, to get the maximum booth impact with your graphics. Good exhibit suppliers and manufacturers offer free services* that will help you achieve your goals at no extra cost, and will be as fast as you need them to be.

Proper visual branding

If you already have a brand manual, you know what a delicate task it is to create pieces that adhere to the manual’s guidelines adequately and coherently. Considering the scale factor of large format graphics, there’s a great risk that your usual graphic process doesn’t quite apply for the challenge of a trade show. Take advantage of professional services* and let them optimize your booth graphics to match the brand manual and maximize display impact. If you are still working on your brand manual, no need to panic. As long as you have a clear vision of what you want to communicate, a good graphic designer can help translate that into an attractive layout that will entice visitors to your booth.

High Definition Graphics

There’s a complex technical process involved in the printing of your graphics. Starting with the digital pre-processing, you need to ensure that colors are vibrant, that a proper resolution for the desired scale is used, and that sharpness is maintained. A good designer offers expertise to ease the process and keep costs low for your business. There are many details to consider, from proper black formulation to adequate gradations that don’t result in unsightly banding. It does pay to let an expert take proper care of these technicalities.

Lighting and accessories

The graphic printing process entails compensating for such external factors as illumination and positioning of accessories in your booth. Usually, even skilled graphic designers lack the experience to properly accomplish a 3D composition that accounts for shadows, obstacles, and variable lighting.

Standing out

Colors and sharpness, luminance, brightness, and composition are a heavyweight to balance with one hand. Graphic designers spend years learning how to combine colors and textures to achieve winning layouts. They can provide valuable input to allow your vision to communicate the message in a more clear and convincing image.

The secret to understanding the turtle’s story are the hidden costs: in the case of large-scale graphic design, learning by trial and error is an impossibly expensive process. And when you have an opportunity to let a graphic expert give you a free ride to your marketing goal, you should listen to the hare within you. Such a valuable service doesn’t have to cost you more.

*Exhibitdeal.com offers free graphic design as part of your deal. Contact our trade show experts about it. Conditions and limitations in our free graphic design services apply. Contact us at sales@exhibitdeal.com or call 866-577-DEAL right now!

January 30, 2019in Business advice 0 Likes

Why Trade Show Exhibiting Is Necessary, Despite Budget Limitations

We know it is hard for a new business to take a deep financial breath and plunge into the seemingly cold water of trade show exhibiting. Like all things business, face-to-face marketing returns are not obvious nor immediate but are worth the effort. We want to assure you that there are hidden treasures down there and that you’ll be able to catch your breath after the dive and be glad you took the risk.

To start with, there are conventions, events and trade shows for every budget. Tight budget or not, ask yourself this question: if you’re not making a resounding statement on the market about your business, and if you don’t want to announce your presence with a handshake, why are you in business?

The basics: choose wisely

So the question is not whether to attend but to strategically decide where and when to exhibit. Work with reachable goals that integrate coherently with your strategy. Your goals and achievements will expand as your business grows. You are in control, so you don’t have to worry. However, try to make a rational decision. Maybe you’re at once considering to boldly go where all the big brands go —to the more expensive trade shows—. Maybe you want to just show up at a local venue. The decision is not to be taken lightly, so use your demographics and market analyses to know precisely where and how can you maximize exhibit impact.

Diminishing costs over time

Getting your feet wet is the best way to feel the water, but once you’re knee-deep, you may as well swim. Once the decision is made to start exhibiting, and after you get all your trade show plans straightforwardly executed, you’ll never stop. Why? Leave aside that you’ll love it, that the returns are simply great, and that your impact will grow exponentially as you reach a larger audience in person. Doing trade shows repeatedly will have a great behind-the-scenes effect: after an initial investment in smart trade show displays, your costs don’t have to increase. Instead, as you gain experience, you’ll spend less time and less money on planning and execution. Also, with a better understanding of trade show exhibits, you’ll discover ways to cut corners and redirect resources to maximize returns.

Smart buying

Like most people, you’ve been to the ocean for fun. However, when you are going to explore a coral reef, or want to go scuba diving, you need a professional you can count on. There are risks on the high seas, and avoiding them is crucial for survival. The trade show waters are apparently calm, but you need a partner to navigate them, not only a vendor.

That’s why ExhibitDeal was created: to offer a wide selection of displays and help you buy smart. For us, smart buying means an experienced partner has selected the best quality for you at the best price. You can rely upon our offer to cut through the learning curve. Decide what your budget is, and we offer what’s best for you with that price tag. With us, no budget limit will keep you from creating a commanding presence in the trade show.

It is a simple process. You can act now!

Here at ExhibitDeal you’ll find a solution for any event you can think of. So, start with your planning, set your budget and define your goals. You know your business, so once you’ve chosen your path, you can count on us to take you there. Navigating our site should be a pleasant, no-hassle experience. You’ll find what you need. What are you waiting for?

July 6, 2007in Trade Show Budgeting 0 Likes

Reducing your trade show budget

This article written by Susan Friedmann looks at some innovative ways of reducing your trade show budget which can allow you to put more finances to your trade show display. At ExhibitDEAL we have many options from the low-cost trade show display to the high-end trade show display. Visit us when you are ready to upgrade your exhibit or buy your first booth.

Whenever a recession or volatility threatens the economy, companies immediately look at where they can cut budgets. Without much forethought, the first to hit the block is inevitably training, followed closely behind by marketing. Why? Both are viewed on the balance sheet as expenditures rather than income generators, so obviously they’re hot contenders for elimination.

This is a very myopic way of thinking, especially for companies who want to remain globally competitive. Instead, at times like these when resources are under severe scrutiny, look at this as a golden opportunity to analyze your strategies. Put your activities under a microscope and closely examine what you’re doing and why you’re doing it. Often during times of plenty, the finance reins loosen up and some highly creative juggling takes place when budgets exceed their estimations. Obviously, we enjoy the abundant mentality and wish that it could last forever. But just as with all things in the universe there has to be a balance, and shortages add stability to plenty. Whenever highs exist, lows are inevitable.

So, instead of reacting to the highs and lows of the marketplace, what can you do to maintain a steady balance? Marketing and training are definitely keys to your success, so let’s examine five benefits and how they relate to your tradeshow participation.

1. Analyze your weakest links

When you take time to look examine your operation in more detail, you often discover that many of your actions are done out of habit rather than being productive and profitable. Think about some of the shows that you attend. How do they really fit into your marketing strategy? Are you attending them just because you’ve always done so, or because your competition is there? These are often your weak links, the shows that utilize unnecessary time and energy. Think about doing away with the “nice to be at shows” and rather opt at putting all your energy into the more profitable events that attract larger quantities of your target market.

Another weak budgetary link is associated with excessive employee spending at shows, such as dining at the finest restaurants and ordering the highest priced items just because the boss is paying. Consider setting up a per diem allowance and make employees accountable for expenses. You might even reward them with the difference if they under spend their stipend.

2. Exhibit a global competitiveness mindset

To be a contender in the global marketplace and establish a vanguard positioning, you have to be out there come rain or shine. And, tradeshows signify an essential marketing strategy when it comes to visibility. Exhibiting demonstrates that you’re a serious player in the industry. However tough, it’s important to keep tradeshows as one of your major promotional strategies. Rather consider reducing space than totally pulling out a show, provided of course, that it’s the right show for you. Unfortunately, if you stop exhibiting completely, the “buzz” on the show floor says publicly that you must be in financial trouble. This may be completely false, but it’s people’s perceptions that count. They’re the reality they believe. As the old adage states, “out of sight, out of mind.” And, since memorability is a key factor associated with exhibiting, if you’re not seen, how can you possibly be remembered!

3. Focus on long-term results

Investing in both marketing and training means that you’re interested and willing to focus on long-term results. Neither is designed to give a “quick fix,” rather using them continuously in an organized and planned manner, will produce results. They’re like a dripping faucet, so long as the drops constantly fall into the tub, it will fill up. However, if you maintain a “turn on, turn off” approach, that is train and market in times of plenty and discontinue when there’s a shortage, then your results are likely to mirror your actions. Look at how you can keep an operational equilibrium to avoid the highs and the lows. Develop a consistent marketing and training strategy.

4. Inspire loyal workers

Often companies are reluctant to invest too much in training staff for fear that once trained, they’ll leave for “greener pastures.” Since there are no guarantees in life, that’s always going to be a risk, but does that mean you shouldn’t develop your people to be the best they can be? Absolutely not! The reasons employees leave may be many. Employees may leave because of frustration or stress. They might feel unappreciated or undervalued. It could be that they believe your company is heading for an iceberg and want to “jump ship” before it sinks. Maybe they feel that their salaries are not in line with the jobs they are performing. Or they could feel that they don’t have enough authority, growth opportunities, or direction in their careers. Training is often the key to help inspire loyalty.

5. Improve performance

Employees are the backbone of your company. Without them, your company cannot stay afloat. The relationship between employees and employers has to be a partnership; if they feel their needs are being ignored, they will leave you. But when both sides work on the same wavelength, share the same goals and ideas, the company will be on the right track for success. What better place than the tradeshow floor to exhibit this mentality. Your exhibit staff represents your internal customer-service team and your company ambassadors. They stand for your entire organization. These people have the awesome responsibility of making or breaking future relationships with attendees, prospects and customers. Their attitude, body language, appearance, and knowledge help to create positive or negative perceptions in the minds of visitors. Make sure that they’re well trained and can do what you expect of them. Training shows that you recognize your team’s importance in the company and look to develop their skills to improve performance.

Exhibiting is a powerful extension of your company’s marketing strategy and your people are the backbone of your company. Eliminating your marketing and training budgets during times of recession is tantamount to profitability suicide. So consider looking at other places to make those cuts!

Written by Susan A. Friedmann, CSP, The Tradeshow Coach, Lake Placid, NY, author: “Meeting & Event Planning for Dummies,” working with companies to improve their meeting and event success through coaching, consulting and training.”

December 8, 2006in Trade Show Budgeting 0 Likes

Effective Marketing on a Shoestring Budget

There’s only a small percentage of businesses in the marketplace with firm brand recognition like Oprah, Microsoft, McDonald’s, Starbucks and Amazon.com. While the hefty marketing budgets of these behemoths is impressive you can promote your company and get your piece of the pie with a considerably smaller – even miniscule – budget. From advertising to how you execute your trade show display, there are low-cost and effective alternatives to traditional marketing strategies that create impact.

The first step is to focus your marketing efforts (otherwise known as target marketing). A topic that has nearly been discussed to death, target marketing is essential for just about every company, no matter how large or small. You don’t see advertisements for Oprah’s show on ESPN because that’s not her target market. And while a household name like McDonald’s appeals to almost everyone, their advertising efforts tend to be targeted toward specific marketing trends. Their latest marketing campaign is focused on the youth market that, these days, have much more of their own money to spend than the youth market of yesteryear.

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