Rental Trade Show Exhibits vs Custom Trade Show Exhibits

custom exhibits will make you stand out from the crowd

Rental vs Custom Exhibits

You are a busy marketing manager with a trade show coming up. You have reserved a booth space, but that is all you have done for the show. You have no exhibit, no clear budget and absolutely no TIME to waste. But you need to make some intelligent decisions because that is who you are and how you do things. It is also how you avoid trouble, so let me give you a head start.

Just about every trade show is managed by a company that will offer you some simple exhibit solutions to rent from. Most often, these are adequate at best, when it comes to displaying your product, but not very sophisticated.

They will typically be created from an aluminum extrusion system which looks just like the one used for the publication bins and registration booths at the front of the hall. As a marketing person with a fair degree of taste, you are not impressed with anything you see. However, in your rushed situation, you should know that they are a safe choice for the following reasons:

• They are cheaper than anything you can rent from independent sources

• Your rental will most likely include drayage

• Your rental may even include installation and dismantle costs

• The amount of phone calls and preparation time on your part will be minimized.

Some good arguments to go ahead with this direction! So why call a more a custom company like Dimension Craft? Answer: If you have put your time, creativity and reputation towards developing a marketing plan for your company that has reaped a growing market share and name recognition, it means you will want to put that same face on your company at your trade shows, as well. In fact, not to do this could mean embarrassment and failure at an event which is where you meet your public and buyers face to face, in the flesh.

While you may have a hard time convincing your management to spend any more money on a booth than they have to, you cannot deny that your products and services are worth highlighting in the very best way possible. A company like Dimension Craft will put together a rental solution that is very specific to your needs, unlike the show rental which is intended to be very generic. We will:

• Customize your exhibit to highlight your product

• Dovetail with your corporate look and colors

• Provide specialized structures that fit with your needs specifically

• Help you keep consistent from show to show, even as you grow

A company like Dimension Craft can also do what I mentioned in the first bullet points: we can become your partner in trade show marketing such that you need only make a couple of phone calls to your account executive and the rest will be taken care of. Therein lies the huge benefit of the custom-rental approach to trade show marketing. Perhaps a bit more work up front to establish this relationship, but highly beneficial in the not-so-long run!

Alex Gordon

Sales Executive

Dimension Craft Inc.

National Hardware Show - Exhibit Marketing Tips

Make your National Hardware Show Exhibit Stand Out with these 5 Great Marketing Tips

1. Blog About It - Blog about what you'll be exhibiting at the Hardware show , and about special deals or contests that you'll be running at the show. This will create pre-show hype and your blog may even get indexed in a Hardware Show related search.

2.Create a Google Adwords Account -Google Adwords are the paid advertisements that appear on the top and right hand side of a Google search result. Currently there are 5,500 monthly searches made in the U.S. for the phrase "Hardware Show" with only 1 paid advertisement. This number will only increase as the show date grows closer. Since there is little adword competition, you can advertise your Hardware Exhibit in Google Adwords for a small price.

3. YouTube It: Shoot video of your Hardware Show exhibit and product demonstrations and interview customers that are excited about your product/service. Tell the YouTube world why your products/services are the best and post the videos to YouTube.

4. Tweet About It: Tweeting is the best way to reach trade show attendees. Send out Tweet updates during the show. Be sure to add #HardwareShow in your Tweets so they are found in the Twitter Hardware Show search.

5. iPad Raffle - Raffling off an iPad at the show is sure way to draw attention to your exhibit. You can announce your iPad contest on Twitter which will draw more exhibitors to your exhibit.

Since Dimension Craft Inc. is a full service trade show exhibit company, we can assist you with your trade show marketing efforts in addition to building and renting an exhibit for your next trade show. For more information, please contact us at 773-925-6500 or info@dimensioncraftinc.com

Exhibit Tips when Working with Chicago's Trade Show Unions

When exhibiting at a Chicagoland trade show venue such as McCormick Place, Navy Pier or the Donald Stephens Convention Center, you are required to use union labor or your own company personnel to set up your exhibit. Below are a list of some services you may need to use and a brief description of the services they provide. For more detailed information, please refer to your trade show exhibitor manual.

Electricians will install and dismantle anything electrical. Be sure to provide an electrical layout plan when submitting your electrical request. This will speed up the electrical set up process and save you money. If  exhibiting machinery for shows like IMTS, it's a good idea to leave the machine locks in your booth (oppose to storage) so you can lock up your equipment immediately after the show ends. Pre-wiring your equipment and providing quick disconnects can also save on your electrical cost. Electrical outlets can be ordered to your booth and as an exhibitor you are now allowed to plug in standard equipment and lighting. Machinery with larger power requirements must be left to the show electricians to install.

Plumbers will provide the installation and dismantling of water, air, gas lines to your equipment. If your exhibit requires plumbing, be sure to provide a location layout, and valve fitting sizes when submitting your plan. If you bring in your own fluids (such as oils or cutting solvents), its a good idea to keep a pump /containers nearby or use the show's easy access storage. This way solvents/dielectric fluids can get pumped out as soon as the show ends. Many shows provide gasses, eliminating the need for you to purchase them ahead of time.

Riggers will uncrate/unskid, crate/skid and position your machinery. You can save on rigging cost by uncrating your equipment before the show. If exhibiting machinery, it's a good idea to mark the location of your equipment on the visqueen carpet covering before the move in. This will help the riggers spot your equipment. Having a company representative in your booth (with your truck driver's cell number) during will  help streamline the move in process and avoid re-spotting fees.

Material Handlers will bring the trade show exhibit materials (except machinery) in/out of the convention center. The charge is normally based on $/100 lb. carton weight. This amount will vary depending on the show. Exhibitors can bring in computers small crates or boxes as long as it can be carried in without a forklift. This is referred to as "material handling". Make an effort to bring in most if not all of your exhibited material during your targeted move-in date, otherwise additional charges will occur for bringing materials before or after this date.

Carpenters will install and dismantle anything related to your exhibit excluding items related to electrical and plumbing. Make sure your exhibit is properly crated in order to prevent shipping damage. You can use your own exhibit company to provide the I/D of your exhibit. In order to do this you will need to fill out an EAC form provided by the show management.With the new labor rules, as an exhibitor, you can set-up your own exhibit with your company employees.

Decorators will assemble and install (non-electrical, non-structural) overhead signs. Exhibitors can now hang their own signs. Be sure to bring in some Velcro when packing for a show if you plan on doing it yourself.

For some, filling out the required show forms can be a daunting and overwhelming task. Since Dimension Craft Inc. is a full service trade show exhibit company based in Chicago, we can assist this ordering process for you in addition to building and renting an exhibit for your next trade show. For more information, please contact us at 773-925-6500 or info@dimensioncraftinc.com

Trade Show Displays & Color

When designing your next trade show exhibit, consider a color scheme.
Colors can convey emotions from show attendees. For example, blue has a calming effect, yellow is a real attention grabber, red is loud and emotionally charged and white shows honesty and is cleanliness.

When selecting trade show carpet, remember light shades can make a booth look bigger while darker shades can hide dirt and stains. If you are exhibiting larger products like machinery, select a carpet color that will contrast your product so it stands out.

Check out our gallery of exhibits that used different color schemes.

If you are color blind or just not color coordinated, seek advice from an expert or give Dimension Craft Inc., a call 847-532-0812 or info@dimensioncraftinc.com and we'll be happy to give you expert free advice regarding your trade show color coordination.

Trade Show Banners & Displays with QR Tags

Consider using pop up banners and a pop up display at your next show or event. Both items are affordable and are easy to set up and store. Graphics can changed out when needed.

Banner stands come in single sided and double sided formats. They can also be used to explain a or illustrate a product you are exhibiting. If you really want to engage an exhibitor, add a QR tag to the pop up banner. When a QR tag is scanned by a smart phone, it will link you to a website which could further explain the product you are exhibiting.

Pop up displays can stand alone or on a table top. If you need help in selecting graphics for your display, our designers are there to assist you. Both items are great solutions for smaller shows and events.