Trade Show Help & Advice

Keeping Your Trade Show Costs Down

Get your stand size right

Many exhibitors try to save money by minimizing the size of their stand and cutting the cost of stand design / furniture.

Conversely, some of the bigger players in any industry, will go to any lengths to make sure their stand is bigger, brighter, louder and more lavish than their competitors. Both approaches are wrong and potentially damaging to the companies involved, the show and even the industry.

As in many other things, common sense and moderation is the way to go.

Your stand should be just big enough to comfortable accommodate your display, stock, personnel and your customers.

Any bigger and you’re wasting money. Any smaller and you are overrunning the gangways  and your stand will be a cluttered mess.

The best way to determine the optimum size for your stand is to lay out a full size mock-up. Mark on the floor all of the elements you need to incorporate on the stand. This way you can really visualize how your stand will look and eliminate problems before they arise.

Of course, if you have a custom built stand you can lay the complete design out. If you are going for the more economic shell-scheme, you will have to improvise.

Even with standard shell-scheme it is possible to incorporate some off the shelf elements that will make your stand different but without the cost of a bespoke custom stand. The best approach is to speak to the shell sceme contractor to see what is possible and remember all things are negotiable.

Don’t waste your expensive brochures

Most literature given away at a show never gets read.

After any show it litters the floor and overflows the waste skips.

It’s much better, and far more economical, to prepare a detailed information sheet which can be run off on a laser printer or photocopier.

What you really need are visitors’ contact details. If someone requests information, ask for their business card and fill in an inquiry form. You can then send them a personalized letter, with a brochure, and tailor the literature to their requirements or interests.