In the rental world of exhibits, especially outside of the United States, exhibits are quite often built as turn and burn or build and burn. An exhibit is basically built for one-time use. Booth components are built specifically for a show and then destroyed afterwards — often by burning.

When exhibiting in South America or Asia, and in some cases Europe, many companies choose to exhibit with a build and burn Booth because storage Space in these regions is limited, expensive, and rarely climate controlled. If an exhibit component is stored in a humid environment without air conditioning for a year, it will begin to break down. Humidity causes wood to warp and laminate to separate from wood backing. Since Labor is relatively inexpensive outside of the US, you can build new for the same price or less than what storage and refurbishment would cost.

Exhibitors at shows in the US either purchase or rent an exhibit property. We have discussed this many times; if you stay with the same size exhibit every year, have a place to store your exhibit that is cost free, and can make repairs at relatively inexpensive rates than purchasing may be a good idea. On the other hand if you travel to different sized shows and do not wish to repeat exhibit sizes or looks for a number of years then working with a rental company that can build and change your offering each time is probably the way to go. Here is the bottom line – the turn and burn concept just doesn’t work in the USA where it is too costly to build an exhibit and too environmentally unsound to destroy something after one use. When traveling outside the USA you will have many choices however in the USA a rental will not be a onetime use and therefore the costs are higher. Again the quality will be of a higher level as well and in the case of Absolute Exhibits you will be working with a forward thinking and environmentally responsible company.

More than 50% of our clients come to shows in the USA from foreign countries. We have sales teams in Germany, the UK, and India. In our USA offices we have natives of Brazil (Portuguese), Colombia (Spanish) and Japan (Japanese) working as sales people. Next up – France and Italy. Clients coming from out of the country are very familiar with the rental of exhibit booths, as that is the way it is done in their countries and the other countries that they visit.

Rental exhibits make more sense than you can imagine. In the USA, we may lead the world in business techniques, but in the case of exhibiting and rental exhibits we are still behind virtually every country in the multinational business world. Owning an exhibit, unless you are a company that exhibits at shows all year long; or are a company that always needs the same size exhibit Space and that Space is always available to you; or you are a company that owns a Modular Exhibit that can grow and shrink with people within your company that can do this process without union-wages being spent – well you get the picture. There are very few companies that need to own their exhibits. Consider the refurbishing costs, the storage costs, the Graphic changes – now consider getting a rental bid.

Do you travel outside the USA? Attending a show in a foreign country may be a very smart move … however, if you do not attend in a pavilion taking a separate 10’ inline Space may not give you the ROI that you expect. We act as the middleman for numerous clients traveling outside our country. We have a network of building partners, we have sales personnel that speak foreign languages, our partners can provide translators and on floor help as we do in the USA. In many cases we ourselves travel ahead of you and oversee your show build. Consider adding this aspect to your business as exporting abroad can be an enormous revenue generator.

Networking is not even a new phrase anymore, now it is called social networking. It was done by our grandparents, it was done by our parents, and it will be done by our children in twenty years. No matter how you look at it your success in business depends on your ability to successfully network. There are basically three types of networks: office politics; random groups; and friends.

Using the friend model is the most secure network, the most dependable network, but the one that takes the longest to build. However, sometimes you can wade into a networking event, that is made up of old friends and acquaintances with a commonality –may be you all went to school together. Think about this there are hundreds of people whose service you need, or even better they need yours and you know these people but you never see them. Check into the local Rotary, your neighborhood BNI (Business Networking International) group, or even stage a community event or a school reunion using Facebook.

Get out and network … it’s much quicker and warmer than the yellow pages!

When you buy from Absolute Exhibits all of our products are made in the USA – we even extrude our metal from Mero here in the USA. When you buy from our sister company, Displays & Exhibits, we feel it is very important to buy quality products manufactured in the USA as well. That is not to say that some of our offerings are from offshore. However, we aim to represent items made in the USA in every category we offer. With so many Trade Show display companies vying for your business, how do you decide which one to go with? They all seem to offer similar products, so choosing the company with the most affordable Trade Show displays seems the logical choice, right? Not necessarily.

In the world of Trade Show displays, you get what you pay for. While well-designed websites give the illusion that every company is selling quality Trade Show booths, once you look closer you'll find a wide range of quality from company-to-company. Unfortunately, the uninitiated may not to be able to assess their options without professional advice. The difference in quality is now established in the Trade Show exhibit industry by how the manufacturing and fulfillment is managed, with focus on ensuring high levels of quality and customer support after purchase.

A patriotic theme can be written into a website in Nebraska or Beijing. We all shop and whether we are shopping in Idaho, Mississippi, or New York the major percentage of what we buy is from offshore. So let’s go beyond that and talk about buying good quality, with full service support, and a satisfaction guarantee. That is buying in the USA. Buying from someone that can take your phone call, understand your needs or your problems, and work with you as your intermediary between you and the manufacturer is paramount in your decision to buy. In the end it comes down to Customer Service - and that customer service definitely must be made in the USA. Let’s review a few questions you might ask:
What does Made in the USA REALLY mean?

The Made in USA heading can be a major selling point for many products because of the negative stigma associated with products manufactured overseas. Made in USA demonstrates quality and engineering that most overseas manufactures do not equal. When you note that a product has the Made in USA caption, it can very well be deciding factor on choosing one product over another.

What to ask for when buying a product that is labeled as Made in the USA?

Be simple and straightforward in your questions about the product you are buying to insure you are getting the product you are expecting.

• Who is the manufacturer of the product?
• What percentage of the overall product is Made in the USA?
• Who manufactures and assembles the components of the product?
• Who engineers the product and develops the quality control assessment?
• Are replacement parts available in the USA?
• Are warranty claims handled in the US or overseas?

Does Made in USA mean a product is 100% made in the United States?

As both a vendor and a manufacturer we understand this problem. All that is required to claim a product is Made in the USA is 51% of the total engineering, raw materials, Labor, and quality control to be considered a US made product. This makes it very hard for a shopper to determine what they are getting when they purchase a Made in USA product. Are you getting a truly 100% American product or a product that is only 51% US Made. This is why we spend so much time and go to such a degree to visit manufacturer’s facilities throughout the USA.
What feature and facets of the product should be made in the USA?

It is very important that the product engineering and quality control aspect of the product is all done in the USA. It is usually beneficial for the manufacturer and the end consumer to have small components manufactured overseas. This allows for low cost components that will reduce the overall cost of a product without compromising the overall quality of the product.

When do you take the step up and move to the next size exhibit space? There are some real criteria and it does not have to be just a plunge because it feels right. Of course the show venue and show Attendees play a part but you might consider this:

1. Venue Considerations: Location and audience. What is the expected total number of attendees? Is this a Trade Show that highlights your particular industry or is it more generalized ? A larger Trade Show Booth will attract more attention, but it’s a good idea to compare all costs to lead potential (ROI). Take a critical look at the Floor Plan as well. Larger booths are typically located in the center of the Trade Show Hall and in the main walkways where most of the traffic takes place.

2. Demonstrations and workstations. Would Attendees benefit from product demonstrations? If so, you’ll need a Booth big enough to highlight the product, with visibility from three sides, two sides at the least and comfortable for a large group of attendees. If you expect to meet privately with individual clients, you’ll need a comfortable conference room or space.

3. Staffers. Once you’ve set a goal of how many leads to generate, you’ll know how many Attendees Booth staffers will need to speak with in order to produce those leads. Then you can decide how many staffers it will take to speak with all of those Attendees and how much room they all will need. Remember, for a 10′x10′ Booth, you’re typically max’ed out of Space with 2 staffers and 2 Attendees (25 sq. ft. each).

A bigger Booth Space at a great show may take precedence over attending two or three smaller shows. Consider reassessing your show attendance and losing some of the minor shows in favor of a bigger presence at a national or international show. In the long run you may be trading dollars for dollars.

A large percentage of our clientele attend one or two trade shows a year; usually just one. Therefore their businesses do not have a dedicated trade Show Manager or coordinator. The person who takes on this part time position is either the head of sales or marketing, or the company owner and they always have many other responsibilities to handle. However in order to justify Trade Show attendance you cannot just throw it together and show up so here are a few quick concepts to help you step through the Trade Show maze.

Always have a large, clear message that is easy for anyone to understand. Make your Booth graphics colorful and easy to comprehend, with a value statement that will then get your prospects into your Trade Show booth.

Exhibit staffers make or break the Attendees Booth experience. Bring staffers who want to be there and give them support and training. Count how many qualified leads each one takes in your Trade Show displays to help decide who staffs the next show. You do not only want sales personnel … you need behind the scene people that know how your company runs and how you manufacture your product.

If you have room for a demo of your product and a product you can easily demo then do it. Create a demo with motion in your Trade Show exhibit to get more of the right people engaged and interested. That will also get people to remember you. However, if you use someone for Hire that does not integrate your product or service into his speech you will not see a reward.
Pay for an electronic lead machines from the show to get their attendee data with every badge scan. Business cards in a fish bowl mean nothing three days after the show closes.

Pre-show marketing is essential. You must do everything you can before the show to Set Up appointments with qualified buyers and existing clients in your Booth at the show. Invite them stop by for a gift or open the bar in your Space for an hour after the show closes one night.
There are hundreds of ideas and tips to make your Trade Show experience memorable for your clients, show Attendees, and your company. Take your Booth staff into a room for two hours before the show, even three months ahead of time, and get creative. Assign everyone a job. Do not try to do all of this yourself as your Trade Show days can be the most important three or four days of your entire business year.

Displays & Exhibits, Displays and Exhibits is launching our new website this month! We have spent the past six months reviewing all of the other websites that sell pop-ups, Banner stands, and the like. Then we re-examined what we sell, we interviewed many of our clients and cross examined an incredible amount of suppliers. We’ve chosen the best of the best to offer to all of you. We would love feedback from you, as we want to make these purchases as effortless and painless as possible. We think you will find our depth of choices very unique. We will be printing most of your graphics in house and we have an on-staff Graphic designer available just for you. We have tried to think of everything, however we are human. So please help us to help you and take a quick look – you will be very surprised at our new content.

Your marketing department plans an awesome Trade Show experience, garners all kinds of hot leads, and then the entire experience goes down the drain in less than thirty days. How did that happen? Easily – in fact more times than we would like to count. We talk to marketing people all of the time that fulfill their company goals for attaining clean leads at a Trade Show and then their sales force disappoints them. Why? There has to be a plan. And, the plan must be driven by marketing to be certain that it happens. What can you do?

It's tempting, after the preparation to get ready for a Trade Show and the hours on the Trade Show floor, to come back to the office and just collapse. However, the real significance of being at a Trade Show —comes when your sales team follows up on the leads after the show. As many as 80% 0f Trade Show leads are not followed up after a show – and that is exactly why you need real leads, not cards in a fish bowl!

First, you must organize leads while still at the trade show. Most people return from a Trade Show with a stack of business cards. Maybe they have something written on the backside to remind them why a contact is important. Everyone must start tracking contacts and leads as you get them. In the old days you made a notebook – now you swipe that card in a card scanner, or type them into your company database at the show. Take one additional person to the show to get this done or Hire a temp and add all new leads and contacts to the company's mailing list and contact management system. The people who aren't in the market for your product or service immediately are still involved in your industry, so they're most likely to know others who may be interested in your products or services. These cards are gold and the sales people need to turn them into platinum.

Everyone is tired after the show, both the exhibitors and the Attendees however; many Attendees come back from trade shows re-energized about their own businesses, so it can be a good time to move fast. If you wait more than 48 hours to start following up on Trade Show leads, there's a good chance this will never get done. Call a follow-up meeting in your office to review leads. Bring all those who will have follow-p responsibility together to discuss the leads, make follow-up assignments and set deadlines. Turn those business cards into an action plan.

Your first follow-up is to send each lead an e-mail. Thank them for visiting your Booth, remind them who you are and what your company does, and tell them they'll be hearing from you again soon. Personalize the message and don't be too vague in the subject line, so they don't think the message is spam. As the marketing department you can take the lead on this – but have each individual sales person send out the emails to their prospective clients – start personalizing immediately.

For sales personnel that have already had good exchanges with strong leads and promised to do something for them when back in the office such as sending a catalog or sample or getting them some pricing or a proposal that must be done right away. These are very strong leads and sales people must move fast. Remember to follow up again. Many of the new contacts will also have been away from their office and will need some time to catch up, so plan a second follow up. Trade shows are one of the most effective and efficient ways for entrepreneurs to build their businesses. But they take work — before, during, and especially AFTER the show. With pre-planning and an action plan you will have no problem justifying next year’s Trade Show budget.

January brings one of the two biggest months in numbers of trade shows. The Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas with the newly named CliqWorld? onsite leads the band. Followed in Anaheim by NAMM, the North American Music Merchants, the Shot Show in La Vegas for shooting, hunting, and firearms. AHR returns to Chicago this year and is a giant industry show for air conditioning, heating and refrigeration. The Outdoor Retailer Winter Market is in Salt Lake City and the International Builders Show returns to Orlando. And what would January be without the International Poultry Show in Atlanta and Macworld in San Francisco? January shows always have a tendency to book late as the first of the year always seems so far away, until it is right upon us. If you need last minute help call us today and we will get you on the schedule!

Choosing the right color on the show floor is a great way to attract consumers to your brand. Colors can play a big role on the law of attraction. People can be turned on or off by the colors of our shirts, pants, coats, hair and so on. So in truth, colors in products, advertisements, and brand can be a big part of attraction. Finding that perfect color to attract consumers to your brand can be well worth the hassle.

The worst case scenario is to think “safe.” That is usually the exhibitor that does not want to offend anyone, does not want to look too garish, and does not want to upset the apple cart. In doing so they also do not want to grab attention and they watch attendee after attendee pass them by. Sedate and understated might be great in a sophisticated office or even retail setting but when you are looking for new clients you must have a color plan. It can be gray, white, and black – but it has to be dynamically presented with chrome accents and double padded white carpet!

The use of odd and unique colors for your brand can attract consumers. Colors itself is also a way to show off the characteristic of the brand. The use of colors in products, advertising, and brand can be a powerful statement. Colors can play a major role in your marketing effort. Picking the official colors for your brand, products, and advertising is a great way to make consumers remember you and differentiate yourself from the rest of the competition.