Planning

Trade show and event managers face situations people in corporate offices are not accustomed to seeing as well as solving problems on-site. Establishing your global branding in the exhibit design, showcasing new products and services may seem like the natural part of managing a corporate trade show program compared to Plan B situations. What about the unexpected? Reducing stress levels can be possible when being proactive and creating a trade show kit to be part of your exhibit.

Whether your business is large or small, trade show participation can increase your market share in the United States and abroad. Whether it is your first show or you are an experienced manager, evaluating the preparation process should be an ongoing part of planning. Booth design, deciding between an exhibit rental or purchase are only part of the equation for successful trade show programs.

Successful trade show programs and events require careful planning and attention to detail. To continue to grow and develop a program, the post-show evaluation is an integral part achieving objectives for current and future projects. In this second edition of the series, we will focus on the exhibit design in the post-show evaluation.

Is the trade show or special event over when the last box is sealed, flooring packed and the truck is heading back to the shop? As the baseball legend, Yogi Berra said, “It ain’t over till it’s over." Part of determining the return on investment (ROI) is more than tracking the leads and new contacts made at the show. When returning to the office, make time for thoughtful evaluation of all aspects of the trade show or event when it is still fresh in your mind.

Are you ready to learn more about choosing your space at the next trade show? In the second part of this series, we will discuss considerations for your location, size, and configuration. Just like buying real estate, consider the “neighborhood” when reviewing space selection choices. Look at the floorplan from previous years for a historical perspective. Is the show getting larger or smaller? Can you see any trends for what your competitors have been doing with their location and size?

In the United States, the saying “location, location, location” is commonly associated with real estate but is it equally important in buying your trade show exhibit space. In this two-part series, we will provide information that will help ease the stress of space selection by sharing information we’ve learned from our experience with global trade shows.

Executive leaders may ask or question, what is the power of trade shows in the marketing program? Exhibitions are a unique selling environment and there is no substitute for face-to-face marketing. New products, services and branding, are presented to existing and new customers that generate immediate feedback that isn’t possible with an advertisement or on the internet.

Exhibit managers make decisions daily that directly impact a corporate trade show program. Before starting on the exhibit design, be mindful of the implementation- should the booth be purchase or rental? There are several criteria to consider when deciding between renting or purchasing an exhibit (or stand*) before making a final decision.

In this four part series created specifically for those new to international exhibiting, we discussed trade show terminology, purchasing space, types of exhibits available for your international trade show and finally, shipping options and overseas tax. 

In part four of this series, an introduction to international exhibiting, you will learn more about shipping options and overseas tax. Initially, you may not think these two services have very much in common but soon you will see the correlation.