Choosing Effective Trade Show Booths and Displays Can Produce Dramatic Results

Trade show booths and displays that you choose for your company or organization can have a dramatic impact on the success you have at the trade shows. Many business owners choose to use displays that are not as effective as they could be, possibly because they don't realize the difference it can make, or perhaps because of budget issues.

When you attend these events, do you notice other vendors that have dynamic, attention-grabbing booths? Of course you do - and so do visitors. It is only natural to be drawn to a business when they have a presence that cannot help but be noticed. If you want to portray the unique brand and integrity of your company so that no one will walk on by without a glance, your trade show booths and displays make all the difference.

Whether your company is environmentally friendly, has a huge budget or barely any at all, there are trade show displays that fit your needs. In recent years, many companies and organizations have become very concerned about environmental issues, and strive to make their business "green". This is now possible with the availability of displays that are eco-friendly.

Customized trade show displays can be costly, but there are so many options available now that any corporation can afford to create an undeniable presence for their company. Panels, pop-ups, racks and flooring can all make a huge impact on the success of your company at the trade shows. Bright colors and dynamic designs can add greatly to the attraction factor, and draw huge crowds of targeted visitors.

You want an eye-catching, attention-grabbing presence that no one can ignore. But you also want to make sure that your unique brand is easily recognized and memorable. When it comes to making certain you stand out, the details and designs make a world of difference.

These events are the perfect opportunity to showcase your company's brand and what sets you apart. When you choose to utilize every opportunity you have to the utmost, your business will realize an increased clientele base and profits. Are you making the most of every opportunity? Trade show booths and displays make much more of an impact than you may think - and there are great options for any company, no matter what your needs or budget.

Trade Show Displays - Make Your Next Trade Show a Huge Hit

When you attend trade shows, do the trade show displays you use really make a difference? Absolutely. Many corporations don't get nearly the benefits from attending these events as they should, simply because of the fact that they failed to showcase their business to the best of their ability.

Put yourself in the shoes of the visitors. Are you going to pay much attention to exhibits that are blah, bland and generally boring? Probably not. You will no doubt notice the companies who make a bold statement about their brand and the services they offer. Graphics, designs, and details are crucial if you want a successful presence.

People do notice details. Your racks, details, and every aspect of your exhibit should carry through with your unique brand. You want your brand to be unmistakable and magnetic, but you also want the integrity and professionalism of your company to be very evident.

Trade show displays offer endless options, no matter what your budget. Even companies who have a very limited advertising spend can afford an exhibit or booth that demands attention and speaks to who they are and what their company represents. These days, many organizations are going "green", and displays are as well.

Corporations choose exhibits according to their needs. Whether you choose pop-up displays, elaborate custom made designs or panels, there is something that will work perfectly for your company. These days, trade show displays, exhibits and displays are designed for ease of transport and set up as well.

When you attend these events, you want to be certain that you catch the attention of potential customers immediately. Many business owners don't realize this, but you only have a very few seconds to capture the eyes and interest of the visitors. If your display does an excellent job of this, you will absolutely get all of the targeted traffic and business that you hoped for. After all, the reason you attend in the first place is to increase awareness of your company and gain new clients.

Are you doing everything in your power to insure that your corporation gets the attention and exposure you are looking for? Make sure that your brand gets represented in a way that no one will be able to ignore. The trade show displays you choose will make all the difference in whether you have an extremely successful show, or one that is lack luster.

Trade Show Displays and Projector Screens

I have been asked many times about using a projector and shining it directly onto the display and if it could be done. We have done this many times and our customers have been very happy with the results. Joey one of our more flamboyant displays builders tells that his 300 Lum projector works very well. In a well light room you may want to go to with a brighter projector. The materials used in our displays let almost no light through and is non-reflective. To set your Screen size you can simply shine it on a wall get the size you want to use and measure width and height. When designing your trade show displays graphics add about a one inch border around your screens final size. Leave the middle blank and the plain white material will make a great screen. You need to buy straight trade show displays and they can be fabric or poly laminate graphics. If you have any questions on this issue don’t hesitate to call the experts at Smash Hit Displays. 800-762-9854

Trade shows in a recession

Display systems that work in recession Talking with as many people as I do I know times are slow for some of our customers and they need to cut costs. Thankfully they still are going to shows to keep that new business coming but they are strapped for cash or are reluctant to invest in the premium trade show displays that are offered. Here is my option on what they can do and still have an amazing presence at the trade show. Pop up displays have been used for years and now people have found out that full front graphics really really stand out. For the best general pop up made the cost runs $1,700 for everything they need. Banner stand walls can be bought for under a thousand dollars for a standard 10’wall. Fabric hop up displays start around at less than a $1,000. All of these displays offer full graphics and come with life time guarantees. Now down load the free graphic template and create your graphics from there. We offer free advice and help. Keep the graphics clear and sharp and keep the design simple. The purpose of the trade show displays are to tell people who you are, what you sell and what makes you better or different. You want them to see in a slit second about you and get them to stop and ask questions. Read and learn the do’s and don’ts on what to do. You can visit our library at www.smashhitdisplays.com . This article was not meant to be the plug it is for our site but to help people in these tough times.

Trade Show Displays in Bad Times.

Trade Show Displays in Bad Times. The economy has certainly slowed down but it hasn't stopped. So at the next trade show you need to work harder and smarter. The most important thing is to make your trade show display area look as professional as you are. In slow time you definitely do not want to look like your company is suffering financially by having a poor looking display area. You're going to see overall, trade show traffic drop but understand that companies are not cutting the main buyers just tag along people. You will see more owners and decision-makers at the tradeshows in an effort to cut costs, and you'll also see less trade show participants which is a good thing. So less trade show traffic with better buyers that have more time to stop and look at your booth. I think that is a very good thing. It doesn't take a lot of money to repair your old display if it does not represent you well. Purchase a new trade show display if you need to because it is the smallest cost of the trade shows that you attend but is definitely one of the most overlooked items. I'm not telling you this just because I sell trade show displays it is because I was a manufacturer that grew from homemade displays into quality displays. I definitely saw the difference in customer traffic in the quality of buyers. Trade shows are still the most economical way to put yourself in front of a large group of people that are in the same field you are. And if you are suffering from the economic slowdown you cannot ignore tradeshows to cut a small percentage of your budget and lose all future leads. I think this is suicide by personally and putting more money in advertising than ever before to gain more of the market share. Good luck we are all in this together. For more information please visit our website http://www.smashhitdisplays.com/to see our products or feel free to browse our library or trade show blog of helpful articles and ideas.

Trade Shows In A Slow Economy

Trade Shows in a Slow Economy. As everyone knows the economy has slowed down and every business is looking for a new strategy during this slow period. For large majority of the company's they are making a mistake of cutting back staff, advertising and aggressive marketing. This slow down gives an opportunity for your business to get bold and start growing your company by getting more of the market share. With less competition at the trade shows there is a better opportunity to show your potential customers who you are, what you do and what makes you different. When the economy is growing larger companies take this opportunity to spend lots of money bringing people into their trade show display. This uses customer’s time and limits the time they are on the floor looking for your product. In this slowed economy you will see big business scale back their massive displays while other companies pull out of trade shows trying to cut costs which will create opportunities that have never been available before. As it always has the economy will turn around into a large growth period and by the time the larger companies get up and going with their new trade shows you will already have gotten willing and able customers ready to buy. Buyers will still be attending the trade shows but they will have considerably more time to look at your unique product and spend time at your booth. I didn't always sell trade show booths I used to be a manufacturer myself and did my own trade shows and was a student of the trade show culture and notice that the large buyers were able to view my product when things were slow. This is when a buyer like Coldwater Creek got further out into the trade show booths and found my product. So go out and set up your next trade show booth to truly represent who you are and what company stands for. There is a silver lining in these tough times for the people that are bold and smart.

My First Tadeshow

When I did my first tradeshows I had no one to help me or give me advice. The first few tradeshows that I attended were not complete disasters but definitely could have been a lot better. I taken advice from people that had never been at a trade show but know about them. They were wrong, if I only knew then what I know now I probably wouldn't be writing to you now. One of my goals that are company is to make sure we provide all the available resources so people can have a successful trade show without going through the learning curve I have. To list my mistakes were take up this whole article is ongoing to speak about what a person needs to do in general. Please note that these are only guidelines that have found to be true for most tradeshows in general terms. At Smash Hit Displays we believe that if our customers have a successful trade show than we have truly done our job. When you call we ask you a series of questions and we try to determine “what is the most cost effective way of displaying your product while still making an impact to your audience.” The first thing we need to know is who is your audience and what kind of show are you doing? Then we determine what you are selling so what makes your product unique. The next thing we want to know about is the competition and what have you seen at the previous shows. We do not want to oversell you a display and waste your resources. We will get you the edge that you need without overspending. Visual graphics are definitely the new trend or displaying your product at any trade show. As a rule of thumb you want your visual aids to tell your audience who you are, what you sell, what makes your product unique. We normally do not like to see a lot of distracting wording a major graphics look too busy, but for some trade show audiences such as doctors and lawyers the audience tends to like to read a lot and then make your decision. For this group it's a balance between now and I wording and not being able you to message out there or too much wording where they lose interest. Trust display systems are really coming to age because they have a subliminal message from the major TV networks. In the background when networks are going to commercial they show these different trust systems along with a lot of high lit visual graphics. The truss systems match this network look very well in the audience tends to notice these displays much more than any other. Whether it is a tabletop banner stand where 20 x 20 truss systems we can help you with all your needs. Don't buy more than you need but don't go to the shows without the right stuff. Please visit our site for trade show news articles and to review our four blogs. And whether you are purchasing a display product or need advice do not hesitate to call us at 800-762-9854.

A Million Dollar Trade Show Look

Want some free imaging for the major TV net works? Take a look at our trade show truss systems and you will see the same look that the networks are using in the back grounds. How does this help you and your booth? People see the truss and relate it to the shows were they see it. It is subtle but it works. Trusses represent strength and beauty with a proffessional on moderan look. We at Smash Hit Displays have all of our truss packages 5% off with free shipping for the month of September.

Fit and trim trade show booth

Why would you clog your booth with so many items you can’t let people wonder through? Displays are different for every market and product. In general your booth should be simple and still put a powerful message out on who you are, what you sell and why your product is better than everyone else. Your trade show booth should be inviting and friendly. No one likes a push sale approach and I mean nobody. I manufactured a beautiful product which was obvious to me what it was but not to my audience. Once my display told people what I was I selling business picked up. Make your trade show booth and display pop and not cluttered it will bring you more business

Import Trade Show Displays Are A Bad Investment

Use a Quality Display At Smash Hit Displays we choose not to sell direct import displays for several reasons. One of the main reasons is we have owned them in a previous business and where very disappointed at the quality. Other reasons include: 1. Lack of quality control over display. The quality is terrible if it is not made for US companies who over see the production. 2. If there is a problem, it is impossible to return, and if it is replacing you will probably get the problem sent right back to you. 3. A direct import doesn’t save you that much money 4. Very short life expectancy of the Imports. They do not have a good track record of lasting over a couple of shows before falling apart. 5. We lose money having to deal will display problems. 6. We only provide good quality displays for our customers good. Qualities displays are a good investment and will pay for themselves over and over again.

Keep Your Trade Show Simple

After years in the business and study trade show for years one think I have found to be true is the old sayings, simple is better and a picture is worth a thousand words. In a lot of trade shows such as gift shows buyers are almost running through the shows because the time allowed at the shows is becoming shorter. They are traveling down the isle just getting glimpse at each booth that is why at Smash Hit Displays designs each booth for your audience. At a medical convention we might use more text because the audience is fact driven, while in a gift show we would make it simple so at a glance the audiences know what you sell and what makes it different. There is no formula for what works at every trade show which is why we interview every customer before we start our design. We want to find out who your audience is and discuss what method would work best for your trade show audience. It is a free lesson in being successful at your trade shows which is the most important thing to our company. So please call us with any questions you might have at 1-800-762-9854

Trade Show Display Site New Look

Smash Hit Displays has a brand new look to its web site. Our old web site received a lot of comments on how easy it was to use and we kept this in mind with our new trade show look. The new web page is consistent throughout the site and once you know how to drill down with one product the rest of the products are the same are the same. Smash Hit Displays has always been about making the purchase of a trade show display. Please review our new site and let us know what you think, at info@smashhitdisplays.com. We are also adding new products all the time that are new and price competitive. We guarantee our product for any manufactured defect that might be found and all of our products come from here in the USA and can be replaced or repaired in short order. So it you ever have questions or need trade shows products remember www.smashhitdisplays.com.

Working your trade show floor

Marilyn Simes, CEO of Digital Instincts Inc. in Tuckahoe, New York, was one of the more than 2,000 women who crowded into Navy Pier last week for the 15th annual Entrepreneurial Woman's Conference. She flew from New York to Illinois looking for prospective clients for her Internet marketing firm. No one would believe the economy was in a slump based on record attendance at the women's conference, co-sponsored by the Women's Business Development Center and the Women's Business Enterprise National Council, which certifies women-owned businesses. After the show, when we met at the airport, Simes had that drained, post-trade-show stare, but she said she was happy she made the trip. "I made a lot of new contacts and reconnected with other businesspeople I knew," she said. Her biggest accomplishment was bumping into a running shoe company executive she was dying to do business with, on the exhibit floor. The Chicago show was a hit because it afforded women from around the country a chance to meet with supplier diversity executives from scores of major companies ranging from AOL/Time Warner to Pfizer and UPS. "I can't believe they pay me to do this!" said Glen Mayer, corporate supplier diversity coordinator for UPS. Outgoing and friendly, Mayer said he attends trade shows for a living and loves every minute of it. But for most of us, attending a trade show is exhausting and frustrating. Your eyes ache from the bright lights, your feet hurt from the concrete floors, and your stomach hurts from eating all that free candy. Sometimes, it pays not to give away too much for free. Chatto Wright, who runs a salon in Chicago, charges for samples of her beauty products at shows. "People have more respect for what you are making when you charge for it," she said. "The people who walk through a show grabbing whatever they can are not good potential customers. I only give samples away if I see someone with really problem skin, then I pull them aside, talk to them about their skin and offer some products to help them." Based on my experience reporting on and keynoting scores of trade shows, I'm now producing a video called "How to Work a Trade Show" for a client. Here are some survival tips to make the trip to a trade show worthwhile. If You're Exhibiting Do your research to select the best show for business development. Talk to colleagues who have attended the same show before you make final plans. Read the promotional brochures as soon as they arrive. Take advantage of early-bird discounts on booth space, travel and hotel accommodations. Try to book a booth in a busy aisle near a big corporate booth that will attract lots of traffic. When you receive the exhibitor's kit, read it carefully. There are many confusing forms to fill out. You'll usually have to deal with two or more companies; one producing the conference and another responsible for renting equipment, phone lines and electrical power. In many cities, you will be hiring union workers to carry your displays and materials in and out of the convention center. If you can't afford to buy a custom display, be creative and make one. We create a SBTV "studio" on the expo floor by renting stools and bringing along our own backdrop, lights, cameras and glossy "Tell Your Story" posters. Most booths come with one draped table, a few chairs and a trash can. Create a realistic budget. Consider travel expenses: ground transportation, accommodations (ask employees to share rooms if possible), meals, snacks, giveaways and the cost of being out of the office for a few days. Create a press kit or a press release and make sure it gets into the press room or distributed at the press conferences. Ask the show's press reps to arrange introductions to the reporters covering the show. Try to set up interviews in advance with local radio and newspaper reporters. Set up a schedule that lets you work in the booth part of the day. You also need time to walk the floor to make contacts. Bring a clever giveaway. The hit of the Chicago show was an elegant, battery-powered pen given to guests at a cocktail party sponsored by ING Aetna Financial Services. Bring a supply of chocolate or mints to serve as magnets to passersby. Bring your friendliest employees. You want high-energy, happy people in your booth. They must be well-groomed, attentive and not chewing gum, sitting or talking to each other. If You're Attending No matter how tired you are, attend a few seminars and all the group meals. Target industry leaders and contacts you want to meet. Spend some time each day circulating and schmoozing. When you finally catch up with a person you wanted to meet, ask them to join you outside the hall where it's quieter. If it's an industry leader, you will only have a few minutes to make an impression before they are distracted or led away. Speak to as many people as you can while waiting in buffet or bathroom lines. You never know who will turn out to be a great contact. If a reporter or producer approaches you, give them a good quote for their story. Rather than carrying around heavy brochures, collect the cards of serious prospects. Say, "So many people were interested in my products, I've already given all my brochures away. But, I'd love to send you one as soon as I get back to the office." Distribute postcards. Unlike a heavy brochure, postcards are light and easy to carry. They are also very inexpensive to print. For about $500, you can get 5,000 postcards made by 1-800-POSTCARDS. Bring three times as many business cards as you think you will need. Wear comfortable clothes and a jacket with pockets. I keep my cards in one pocket to hand out. I store cards given to me in the other pocket. If you don't have a stylish, comfortable outfit to make a good impression, go shopping before the show. If money is tight, contact the organizers and volunteer to help in exchange for free admission. Gwedolyn Meeks, who owns and operates Gwen's Bread Pudding Crunch in Chicago, attended a show for free in exchange for helping out at the registration desk. As a new business owner, Meeks said she learned a lot by watching the thousands of women "working" the show. "The most important thing you can do at a trade show is to show up," she said. "Just being here is the most important thing." Jane Applegate is a syndicated columnist and the author of 201 Great Ideas for Your Small Business. For a free copy of her "Business Owner's Check Up," send your name and address to Check Up, P.O. Box 768, Pelham NY 10803 or e-mail it to info@sbtv.com. Back to Trade Show Tips

Trade Show Return on Investment

Are you satisfied with the return on your trade show investment? Today's trade show climate is more challenging than ever. Considering the cost of travel and lodging and all of the required booth amentities, from your display and graphics, to the lead retrieval system and promotional give-aways, how do you maximize the return on your investment? Business Services For U, Inc., has been helping trade show exhibitors all across America for over ten years with all of the basic necessities for successful exhibiting. However, what separates us from the rest of the pack is our attitude and dedication to service. If you check out our web site, http://www.bsforu.com/index.htm, you will see that "We're bullish on good service!" What does that mean for you and your tradeshow return on investment? It means that if the people who work at your booth are not doing an adequate job, then you probably shouldn't look for any return on your investment. You would be lucky to break even. What constitutes an adequate job? Nothing complex. Your company and booth could look like the Rolls Royceâ of exhibitors at your show. There is only one key element that will separate you from the rest of the exhibitors. Attitude! How many times have you gone shopping and been turned off by the sales clerk because of their attitude? How many times have you been on the telephone with a customer service representative and not received the service and attention you deserved? Do you want attendees coming to your booth and being turned off? I don't think so. You know what they say about first impressions. At Business Services For U, Inc., attitude and first impressions is king! Why? Because any successful sales person will tell you, you are really selling yourself. I believe that is why eighty percent of the sales are made by twenty percent of the sales people. Would you spend the time and effort to go to an introductory meeting with a prospective client and not put your best foot forward? Every attendee that stops anywhere near or in front of your booth is a prospective client. Smile. Be professional and courteous. Act interested. Build that relationship from the first opportunity. Remember, they came to the show to see you. Ask the right questions, and you will easily qualify each and every prospect. And more than likely increase the return on your investment.

Plan a Trade Show Meeting

Whoever said that being a meeting planner was easy, lied! Rather, it should be classified under the tough and demanding job category. But, along with being tough, it's also fun, exciting, exhilarating, stimulating, and never, never boring. You have the opportunity to go to exotic places, stay in luxurious hotels, and experience life from a totally different angle. Who could ask for anything more? For those of you ready to shoot me at this point, know that I fully understand your pain! The purpose of this article is to look at ten skills that help make a super successful meeting planner, and how you can take this expertise and use it to enhance the great job you're already doing. 1. Planning and organizingThe most common reason shows go wrong lies in the simple fact that not enough time is devoted to adequate planning and preparation. And, many of those shows that are believed to have been successful, are often more by chance than through actual organization. Super successful meeting planners have both a strategic exhibit marketing and tactical plan of action. They then use the following five basic questions as their foundation before making any arrangements: Where does this meeting fit into our corporate marketing strategy? Why are we meeting? What is the purpose of the meeting? Who should attend the meeting? What is our budget? 2. Taking care of detailsSo much of putting a meeting together means taking care of the details, and there are usually more of these than you care to think about. Being detail-oriented is a definite plus. The key to so much of an meeting planner's success is having a system that works. Creating checklists is one of the best I know. With the hundreds of pieces that make up the meeting puzzle, the only way to put them together and keep tabs on all the details, is with a checklist. Become a checklist fanatic and consider having a checklist for each checklist. I'm getting dizzy just thinking about it. 3. Practicing savvy marketingA significant part of a successful meeting planner's role involves developing a pre-, at- and post-event plan. Most meeting planners fail to have a plan that encompasses all three areas. Budget is naturally going to play a major role in deciding what and how much promotional activity is possible. Super successful meeting planners know the importance of developing a meaningful theme or message that ties into their strategic marketing plan, and that will guide their promotional decisions. They know and understand their target audience and plan different promotional programs aimed at the different groups they are interested in attracting. 4. Being a team playerSuper successful meeting planners know exactly how to work together as a team, helping each other out whenever and wherever necessary. They help everyone get acquainted, develop a level of trust, and familiarize and understand each other's strengths. They know what it takes to create an environment of camaraderie where the staff, as a whole pulls out all the stops to succeed and set themselves apart from the competition. 5. Knowing how to manage timeSuper successful meeting planners have mastered the art of managing their time. They are well organized and have essential information at their fingertips, which means that their work environment is orderly and efficient. They know their priorities, don't over commit themselves, and can differentiate between important and urgent tasks. They are superb delegators and are not afraid to ask for help whenever they need it. And, finally, they don't procrastinate; on the contrary, they practice the "do it now" habit.6. Negotiating skillfullySkillful and savvy negotiators know exactly what they want. They spend time doing their research so that they know as much as possible about their opponent. They are prepared with strategies and tactics, questions and possible concessions. They are masters at finding alternative ways of talking about, reacting to and solving problems. They use their talents of intuition, flexibility and concern for others to reach an agreement where both sides win. They look to create a feeling of cooperation to build a mutually beneficial working environment. 7. Applying a positive attitudeResearch successful people and you'll find that having a positive, "can do" attitude ranks high on their list of characteristics. Not only are they positive and upbeat, they surround themselves with naturally positive and successful people. Give it a try and see it their attitude rubs off on you. When you focus on what you can do versus what you can't do, expect to find solutions to your various challenges. Try changing your vocabulary to reflect your optimistic thoughts and feelings, and see what happens. People find you more attractive and want to be around you, especially when you focus and direct your conversation onto the outcomes they want. 8. Evaluating resultsAny master continuously looks to improve on their performance, and a super successful meeting planner is no different. Create a system to evaluate your results. Ask booth visitors and your for their feedback. Find out what they liked about your booth and general show participation, and what would they like to see improved. In addition, ask yourself what you thought went well and what you would do differently if you had to organize this show again. Chronicle all your data and keep accurate records so that you can refer to them the next time around. 9. Being a perpetual learnerWe live in an information age and are surrounded by more stuff than we can possibly cope with. However, successful people love it, as they are perpetual learners. They know the pitfalls of relying on what worked in the past as a guide to what will work in the future. That's why they constantly look for new and improved ways of doing things, learning from the masters and staying open and willing to try different approaches. 10. Keeping a sense of humorIf you don't laugh you cry and in the exhibit industry there's no lack of situations where it's easy to shed a tear. Keeping a sense of humor will definitely help prevent you getting mad, angry and frustrated with those incompetent and disorganized suppliers. Learn to laugh at their mistakes as well as your own to keep a saner perspective on life. If nothing else, remember that laughing is good for your health and will help reduce your stress and blood pressure levels.