During the rollercoaster year of 2008, several trade show exhibit design trends emerged - and will continue to grow in 2009.  Most of these 10 trends boil down to 4 key benefits exhibitors always want more of: speed, savings, flexibility, and impact.

1. Pop-up displays edged out by more popular banner stands. The crown prince of portable displays used to be the pop-up. No more. Lighter, faster banner stands have changed the expectations of how lightweight and easy to set up a portabledisplayshould be. Thanks to their improved graphics, exhibitors are more willing to use three banner stands to define their ten foot backwall display. Bonus: banner stands offer more flexibility; three can be used as a backwall and exhibitors can use each individual unit on its own.

2. Fabric/extrusion systems become the rage. For exhibitors who want a more impressive look than pop ups and banner stands provide, there are a growing number of extrusion and fabric systems. These systems offer eye-catching shapes and can integrate trendier materials.

3. Mural graphics replace vertical carpet walls. Exhibitors now rely almost universally on the stopping power of mural graphics. There are many fewer “rug on the wall” portable backwall displays on the trade show floor.

4. More frequent graphics updates. Graphics are updated at an ever-faster rate to match the accelerated speed of new product introductions and the shrinking of product life cycles. And with the greater use of vertical marketing, exhibitors change their graphics more often to target specific audiences with exacting messages.

5. Video monitors used more often. In the era of YouTube there is a greater use of large screen video monitors, even in ten foot displays, to get attention and tell a story.

6. Turnkey solutions no longer a luxury. As marketing staff get squeezed to do more with less, even smaller-scale exhibitors are looking for more turnkey solutions for logistics such as online asset management, exhibit storage, and at-show set up and dismantle.

7. Custom modular exhibits reduce expensive drayage costs. As drayage charges continue to increase by double digits year after year, and shipping charges become harder to justify, custom modularexhibits continue to gain ground. Custom modular exhibits have replaced traditional custom designs for virtually all inline exhibits, most small island exhibits, and an ever-growing number of large island exhibits.

8. Modular rental exhibits most popular. Driven by faster product life cycles and branding revisions, and accelerated by economic uncertainty, there is a greater use of modular rental exhibits for exhibitor’s largest booth sizes. Flexible exhibit rentals help clients better manage their ever-changing floor space and show changes.

9. Modular exhibits more environmentally sustainable. In the search for more environmentally responsible exhibits there has been a greater recognition of the value of modular exhibits as compared to traditional custom exhibits. Custom modular exhibits are, on average, approximately 60% lighter and thus require fewer materials to make, and require much fewer carbon emissions for transport. By nature of the components they are made of, custom modular exhibits are much easier to separate into recyclable components at the end of their useful life.

10. Meetings set before the show. The entire interaction at shows has evolved. Because buyers study your company on the internet before the show they are further down the sales cycle when they arrive at your booth. Much of the emphasis has shifted from looking for new contacts at trade shows to hosting meetings with known contacts. As an example one of our clients recently built a 50 x 50 booth attendees couldn’t get into unless they already had an appointment. A meeting-focused exhibit tends to be more closed off and have more spaces for private discussions.

Consider these 10 tradeshow exhibit and display design trends as you plan your next year’s show schedule.  Perhaps you’ll see things differently as you consider your next display design.  For more ideas about exhibit design, visit www.skyline.com.



Thanks to Michael Thimmesch for contributing this article to our Trade Shows blog:

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What You Should Know about Tradeshow Booth Etiquette

• Booth etiquette refers to the conduct, presentation, and performance of your booth staff

• An exhibit is a public stage and you are the host—be gracious, be knowledgeable

• Set clear expectations and measurable goals for your exhibit staff and conduct training

• Use off hours effectively to help achieve your company’s exhibit marketing objectives

• Be discrete and professional. You never know who is watching, who is listening

You have worked hard to design the perfect exhibit and the most-effective marketing materials, but your performance in the booth—how your staff greets and assists attendees—will determine whether your show is a success. Booth etiquette refers to the conduct, presentation, and performance of your booth staff. The following are commonsense booth etiquette tips.

Booth Etiquette Tips

Make no mistake about it, trade show attendees and your competition are monitoring your behavior. Your exhibit is a public stage, and you are the host. As such, you and your staff must behave with the warmth and graciousness expected of a host. These include: 

• Humility

• Active Listening

• Genuineness

• Hospitality

• Graciousness and empathy

Your staff is nice but are they knowledgeable, personable, and presentable? As company representatives, your staff should also demonstrate the following professional characteristics:

• Respect for the company and its mission

• Genuine interest in the product

• Extensive product/service knowledge

• Working knowledge of the marketing campaign and message

• Professional appearance



Before and After the Show

Traveling to shows can be fun. Sure it’s work, but you’re out of the office, and the show is usually in a town with great nightlife. Everyone is planning to go out the first night and hit the town. This is a very real and unavoidable part of managing your exhibit marketing. Handled correctly, you’ll either maximize the Return on Investment of the show or minimize the show’s effectiveness.

So, don’t fight it. Make it work for your company. If you work for a small company where the executives are the booth staff, you will rarely have a problem. Senior executives know all too well the cost of exhibiting and are usually motivated to seize every business opportunity. However, if your company is larger, then consider setting measurable goals for the booth staff so they support each other and work toward a successful show. Regardless, it is important to make your expectations known and to reinforce those expectations throughout the show.

Here are Some Suggestions:

• Set guidelines and an agenda that clearly defines work hours, free time, client meetings, and alcohol consumption

• Establish clear parameters on acceptable personal and company expenses

• Consider combining a staff kickoff dinner and award recognition certificates

• Conduct a breakfast meeting before the show and daily pre-show reviews

• Provide company logo wear for your staff during the off hours

Lastly, appropriate staff behavior applies during show hours, before the show opens, before and after show hours, and after the show is over. Too often, the person sitting next to you on the plane is headed to the same show (likewise for the person in front of you in line, and/or at the next table in the restaurant). Key contacts are often made in these chance meetings (or company secrets revealed). Trade shows are an open microphone. Know when to turn it on and when to turn it off.



Thanks to Mel White for contributing this article to our Trade Shows blog:

Trade Show Promotional Giveaways

I hear it all the time: Tradeshows are a waste of time and money. We stand around, selling our hearts out, and what do we have to show at the end of the day? Nothing.

Well, that’s the result you should expect, if you’re like most exhibitors, and neglect the most crucial aspect of tradeshow participation: Follow Up.

What happens at the tradeshow is obviously import to your success, but equally important is what happens after the show ends. This is where most exhibitors drop the ball. Differentiate your company from its peers and wring the full value from your tradeshow participation. To truly benefit from all the hard work what went into exhibiting, must ensure that appropriate follow-up activities take place.

Follow Up Begins Before the Show

Research tells us that over 80% of leads gathered at tradeshows are never followed up. That’s a phenomenal number, especially when each lead has the potential to generate profit for your company.

Why do so many leads fall by the wayside?

It’s because show leads have a reputation for having no substance - they’re either just cold business cards or similar basic information imprinted on a company lead card. There’s nothing there to give already busy professionals a reason to follow up.

Even if the salespeople do follow up, there’s only so much they can learn from a business card or bare bone information. For salespeople to view leads as being worthwhile for follow-up, they need quality information.

For this reason, it is vital that before the show you spend time going over the lead collecting process. Clarify exactly what types of information should be recorded on lead cards. Explain the importance of the information you are gathering. Make sure everyone knows exactly how to operate the card readers and use the printouts and lead cards.

Everyone working the show should know exactly what results you want to achieve at the various tradeshows you attend. Each show should have its own set of specific, clear, quantifiable, realistic goals. These goals should be in line with your company’s overall marketing objectives.

These goals give staffers something to strive for, but they also serve as benchmarks to evaluate and measure team and individual performance.

Develop a Follow Up System

To achieve and perhaps surpass your specific goals, you need a follow up system. The best time to develop your follow up system is during the planning and training stage.

Use this time prior to the show establish how the leads will be handled. For example, select a team member to take responsibility for collecting all “hot” leads at the end of each day and overnight them to the home office for immediate processing. Assign someone at the home office as a “follow-up” manager. This person takes charge of the entire follow-up process and should be someone who does not attend the show. Their job is to carry out the follow-up system that was established before the show.

Timeliness is of essence with all leads, not just the “hot” ones. Obviously you’re not going to overnight every single lead back to the home office, but there are steps you can take to ensure you stand out from the crowd of exhibitors.

It is important to send something, such as a letter, email, or broadcast fax, to everyone who came by the booth to thank them and let them know when they can expect to hear from your company again. This should be done within three to five days after the show. Remember, if you don’t follow up, your competitors will.

The Next Step: Accountability

Use contact management database programs to ensure your sales staff get leads that are as complete and useful as possible. Then, after leads are distributed, hold your account representatives responsible for the results.

There should be a written progress report from each salesperson at regular, predetermined intervals. This information can be used to track their performance, sales made, etc.

Some companies use performance in lead follow up as one factor in a salesperson’s annual performance review. Knowing that they will be held accountable for results is a powerful motivator.

Measuring results

At the end of the day, management wants to know their money was well spent. Keeping track of your leads will allow you to measure sales directly attributable to your tradeshow participation. Recording this data will allow you to provide qualitative and quantitative analysis of the show.

For example, you can calculate the return-on-investment to demonstrate to management the effect tradeshows have on the bottom line. To measure the cost per tradeshow lead, simply divide your total show expenditure by the number of leads gathered. To measure the cost per sale, divide the total show expenditure by the number of sales.

Qualitative data, such as types of prospects who visited the booth, dates and times of their visit, products/services of interest, buying intent, and results of any pre-show promotional activity often proves invaluable when planning future show participation.

The key to tradeshow success is wrapped up in the lead management process. It starts with knowing at the outset what you want to achieve, then continues through establishing a strategy that is user-friendly, and finally the actual follow-up operation leads to bottom-line profitability. With a little forethought and planning the results will speak for themselves.



Thanks to Susan Friedman for contributing this article to our Trade Shows blog:

Ideas For Trade Show Booth

With the convenience of the internet today, most entrepreneurs and businesses looking for import and bulk wholesale jewelry turn to the internet first. However, searching online for quality wholesale suppliers can be a difficult task when one considers the sheer volume of information that must be sorted through. And while purchasing products online has been proven to be both convenient and safe as shown by the countless transactions successfully completed daily, some businesses may still be wary especially when placing first time orders with businesses they don’t know. Therefore, in this article I focus on how to find import and wholesale jewelry suppliers through offline resources, such as using local sources and visiting tradeshows.

Look Locally to your Fellow Businesses for Supplier Leads

Despite the convenience of the internet, some businesses may feel more comfortable doing business with people whose hands they can shake, so looking to other businesses in your local area is a logical first step. Either using a search engine or your phone book (if you plan to stay completely offline in your hunt), look up jewelry importers and bulk wholesalers in your area. Also contact your local chamber of commerce to see if they have lists of local import and wholesale jewelry suppliers.

If you don’t plan to sell in your local area, consider contacting brick and mortar based retail locations for their suppliers or even asking sellers based at your local flea markets. This strategy may not yield great results however; as it would be dependent on whether you can convince those retailers that you will not be their competition.

If you’re just starting out or wish to purchase a few pieces at a time to see how they sell, joining a discount club, such as your local Costco or Sam’s Club, will give you access to a wide selection of affordable pieces. While their prices won’t be nearly as good as true wholesale or import prices and your profit margins will be low, you’ll gain valuable experience for when you move onto real import and wholesale suppliers.

Visiting Trade Shows to Find Qualified Wholesale Jewelry Suppliers

A worthwhile option would be visiting wholesale, import, and jewelry tradeshows that are held all over the country. In the U.S, numerous trade shows are held year round where you can find and compare many wholesale jewelry suppliers all at once. Before attending such trade shows, it’s advisable to get business cards printed up and ready to hand out, since exchanging contact information is critical to your business.

After compiling a list of potential wholesale jewelry suppliers, your next step would be to evaluate and narrow your sources to find which suppliers best fit your business.

Learn how to find more and evaluate your sources by visiting the import and wholesale jewelry knowledge center of Wholesale of Asia at http://wholesaleofasia.com/, where you’ll find a diverse and unique selection of Wholesale Jewelry such as Sterling Silver, Precious Stone, Pearl, Jade, and much more, all at a low cost and imported directly from manufacturers worldwide. By working with manufacturers and retailers to produce fresh and trendy new designs, Wholesale of Asia helps businesses get an edge over competition and increase their bottom lines.

Note: Article may be freely circulated if all content, author info, and links remain unchanged.



Thanks to Lee Shyu for contributing this article to our Trade Shows blog:

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If you talk to the wrong people during your visit you will not get the best results, even if the rest of your Trade Fair preparations are close to perfect.

Making First Contact

It should be a straight forward task making contact with the companies your previously contacted from your home country. You should have the name of your contact person and will know whether he or she is attending the Fair.

Unfortunately, not every person at a supplier’s booth is the person you will be communicating with in future. Just grabbing some of the business cards laid out on the tables does not help much either if you do not know who they are from.

Exchanging business cards during your visit at the supplier’s booth is essential but less formal because time is money and the next visitors are waiting to be seated. Therefore, make your visits efficient and professional. Small talk is something you probably do not have time for nor do the suppliers.

About Trading Companies

There will be a lot of trading companies at the Fair and you cannot easily distinguish trading companies from manufacturers right away. Familiarize yourself with the pros and cons of doing business with trading companies before deciding if you want to do business with them.

Both sides have their merits and you have to ask yourself what is more important to you.

Pros



Easier communication for you with a single contact for several factories

They usually have a better showroom for product selection *They are experienced in dealing with customers from different countries

They sometimes invest in their own tooling and therefore have their own products

Their staff is more proficient in English which makes discussions and negotiations easier



 

Cons



Their prices are less competitive because you have to pay for their service

They may not be able to present you with the latest products because they do not want to take the risk of being first

They will try directing you to certain factories that they have trade agreements with

Solving claims with their help may prove more difficult due to their relationship with their factories. Since they have projects for other customers, the factories may be more important to them than your business



 

Getting to the Manufacturer

In some cases, you are forced to work with an export agent simply because the factory does not have an export license or does not invest in extra marketing personnel.

It is not a surprise that you will find many suppliers offering the same products because the products are part of their general trading business. If you want to buy your products directly from the manufacturer, you will have to find him first and it could be that he does not have his own booth at the Trade Fair.

Several times, I have found the manufacturer present at the booth but shielded from contacting potential customers by a smart trading company staff member. These are usually the professional sales people, fluent in English and trying to attract your attention.

The small guy in the background that does not speak English is the real show-master, controlling the business and most importantly he has the money.

Talking to him is actually more important than listening to the “smart guys” that knows exactly what you want to hear from them. Unfortunately, you cannot talk to the business owner at this moment but you can collect his business card and can come back with one of the interpreters that are available for hire through the Trade Fair operators.

Interpreters sometimes can do wonders if something of importance has to be negotiated and the language barrier stands between you and your supplier.

Wrong Exhibitor Names

Quite often, you will find names on the exhibitors’ booths confusing. For instance, a booth showing the name “Guandong Gas & Animal Products Company” may have nothing to do with gas but will have vacuum cleaners on display instead. That happens because some companies sell their booth allocations to other companies.

As you can see now talking to the right people during your visit at the Trade Fair in China can make a big difference.



Thanks to Klaus-Dieter Hanke for contributing this article to our Trade Shows blog:

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