marketing tips:
click on these and then hit your "back"
button.
 Brainstorming
101
Five
Steps To A Great Trade Show
Avoid
the ‘Cluttered’ Look
8
steps to avoid.
Digital
card invitations
10
tips to a powerful small booth.
A
different perspective.
buying tips:
Allow
plenty of time in making a buying decision.
Manufactures generally take
from 2 to 4 weeks to build a booth. Some will do it faster but
rush charges are incurred. You shouldn't have to pay for the designing
of the physical booth but custom graphics will cost extra. The graphics
and photos can be produced in the time it takes to build the booth. Ask
about discounts for full payment when the order is placed and quantity
discounts.
Consider renting before you buy.
Before you buy a display unit, you should consider renting one. Many
exhibitors never return to another show. Keep in mind that some dealers
will allow you to apply 50%-100% of the approximately $500 rental cost
towards a purchase. NOTE: LiteStream doesn't
handle rentals.
Refurbished displays.
Buying a refurbished or used display can be a less expensive alternative
to buying a new one. Many of LiteStreams new
displays are at the cost of used ones.
Check out the different systems.
A large trade show is the easiest way to see a great variety of display
systems and graphic ideas. Ask the exhibitors about their booths. Do
they like it? What brand is it? Make notes. Some display dealers handle
only one manufactures line. These usually have different display systems
(pop up, folding panel, modular panel). To see what the difference is in
the different manufactured systems, check out a dealer that carries the
same type of system from different manufactures. The internet is now an
easy way to do this. In looking at a system, the general rule of thumb
is; the fewer number of parts, the less that might go wrong.
Just because a system is beautifully designed,
that fanciness has more that might go wrong with it.
Design tips.
The average visitor to a trade show will spend less than three seconds
looking at your display. As a result, any design you choose must be able
to quickly grab attention. Avoid complex explanations or thorough
descriptions of the company; instead, focus on messages that will prompt
visitors to spend more time at your booth, where you can explain
everything they might need to know. Finally, begin the shopping process
about two months before the show to allow time to create the proper
artwork.
Keeping a display in good shape.
To ensure longer life for a display, make sure it can be securely
packed. Look for a display with a case that has separate space for each
display component. Avoid tucking non-display components in the case.
About 80% of the damage to a display is from packing wrong. The
vibration of components during shipping will rub holes through fabric
and photos.
Think
about shipping expenses.
Keep all your shipping options in mind when buying a display. Think
about airplane, ground shipping, and personal car requirements when
determining the overall cost of a particular system. If you have many
other items to ship along with the display, consider a large shipping
tub. Some of these have rollers and hold the contents of 6 smaller
cases. This option can also save dollars when purchasing.
Questions to ask
when buying a pop up display:
Can it be repaired at the show or in my office with a simple tool
like a screwdriver? Some say their systems can be repaired in the
field. They don't tell you you need to drill and replace the pop rivet
or some equally hard thing. Many of the new, low cost displays can't be
easily fixed and accidents happen no mater how great the frame.
Does any part of the shipping case show when the podium kit is
assembled? Many podium kits leave a part of the case showing. This
gets dirty and scratched during shipping and will soon look poor.
Questions to ask when
buying a folding panel display:
Does it have an aluminum frame under the fabric? Some panel
systems are made of 2 sheets of corrugated board glued together and
fabric added. These can be dented easily.
What is the hinge material? Companies will tell you there is a
wooden or metal dowel in the hinge. This is only a spacer. The fabric is
the hinge. We offer folding panel systems with plastic, fabric and metal
hinges. I personally don't like the fabric hinges because the fabric
stretches after a year or two. The panels then become hard to align the
pins when stacking the top section.
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