How To Save Money And Still Have Great Exhibition Displays
In a perfect world, we’d all have enough money to put together the sort of exhibition displays that companies like Apple and John Deere can afford. Unfortunately, that’s not the case, and even as the economy is rebounding, you’re probably looking to save money where ever you can on your exhibition displays and roll up banners.
Since keeping costs down is a crucial factor in ensuring your display stands show a real return on the investment, it’s good to look to cut costs when possible, especially if you can do so without cutting corners!
Here are a few tips to keep costs down on your trade show supplies, without sacrificing quality.
How To Save Money And Still Have Great Exhibition Displays
1) Book well in advance.
When it comes to trade shows, especially larger ones, the earlier you can book your floor space, hotel rooms, warehouses, and all your other necessities, the better. Plan ahead and, if possible, have these arranged months in advance so you know they’re ready. Some people try to wait until the last minute, hoping for good deals from sites like Expedia or Travelocity, but that is a real gamble. If it doesn’t pay off, you’ll end up spending far more than if you just booked ahead.
2 Ask the show organizers about package deals.
Trade show promoters often have partnerships in place with warehouses, electronics suppliers, cleaning crews, and more. If you ask, you may be able to get a better deal on these sorts of auxiliary services than if you were hiring them yourself.
3) Use coupons rather than free-for-all giveaways.
If you’re worried about your swag only being nabbed by “show rats” who only want to visit your exhibition displays for the goodies, restrict access to them. Send coupons to your major clients and contacts, or utilize social media services like FourSquare Check-Ins or Facebook Likes to reward people who do something for you in return.
4) Use fewer staff.
This is a tricky balance, since you don’t want to overwork your staff. However, when I’m at a trade show, I generally feel like half the exhibition displays fundamentally have too many people. They end up standing around, taking up space, and adding to costs. Consider forming a core “team” of trade show specialists, rather than just taking whoever happens to be available, to increase their cost-effectiveness. Also, consider whether staff will give you the best bang for your buck.
5) Better focus can mean a smaller space.
When you’re planning out what you need in your roll up banners and exhibition displays, think hard about the message you’re trying to convey. Then cut out anything that doesn’t directly contribute to it. You’ll have a leaner, meaner trade show booth that more clearly communicates your message, and be able to put it in a more affordable space.
6) Budget everything.
Yes, if you’re not a bean-counter, this can be a drag, but there’s no better way to control expenses than to know beforehand exactly what the expenses for your trade show displays will be. Once you have a plan in place for your exhibition displays, sit down and work out everything that will be needed to put it together. Then you can look for places to economize.
7) Use reusable booth materials.
Many pull up banner stands, pop-up displays, and trade show kiosks can be purchased in forms which are easily “reskinned,” allowing you to use them at multiple shows without repeating yourself. This is a great way to amortizatize the cost of your trade show supplies over several appearances. The key to this is carefully storing them between shows. A little extra in storage costs today can ultimately save a lot six months or a year down the line.
For more tips, check out our article on save money on your trade show booth.