Using Your Trade Show Displays In The Off-season

By Author: Cindy French
Total Articles: 11
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Investing in trade show displays can sometimes cause small or new business marketers to hesitate. These are companies or organizations that typically start out slow on the trade show circuit, attending shows sparsely and working hard to budget what they need. A concerning factor is not just the pricetag, but the fact that there is some uncertainty about how long or how frequently it will be used. To maximize return on investment, it's helpful to plan for a display that can be used in many settings, not just many trade shows.

The Trade Show Display: To begin with, the display should meet your requirements for the shows you attend and the information you want to convey. But a small company cannot typically afford to have "[Specific Company] is Happy to Attend the [Specific Event]" plastered across their banner stands. Focus on including content that will be relevant to your target audience wherever they may be. A pop-up display, for example, should make use of its size and emphasize a visual, graphic element to draw attention attendees ...
... or potential customers, and that can be done in a number of different ways.

Lobby Display: Make use of your captive audience. Displays can even be useful when you're not trying to sell a specific product. Setting up your pop up display in a lobby or common area can lend a bit of appeal without pushing any one point, and existing as a purely visual backdrop. Conversely, in a situation where people might be waiting, an exhibit with some sort of statistics, facts, organization-relevant trivia, or other information might be stimulating and build excitement. Even a simple panel display or an arrangement of banner displays can accomplish this goal.

Showroom Display: If you have a showroom, you know it becomes an environment very similar to that at a trade show when a customer enters. The major difference is that the entire room is your booth, and you don't have to compete for their attention. With a display that highlights past projects (jobs done at locations that can't be moved), you have a professional and relevant display at shows, and also a nice addition to physical examples of work that you can do right in your own location. And when space is at a premium, a tabletop pop-up or panel display can still make an impressive impact without taking up too much real estate.

Point of Sale Display: Trade show displays that highlight a specific product or product line are very common at expos, often when the items are launched or unveiled. Unfortunately, many of those displays then get stored away until the next show or are never used again. This type of display is well-suited for use after the show, where the selling of the product(s) is being done. In a store, showroom, or even on loan to a vendor, a static display can add a nice visual element to a situation where customers can come and pick up the product themselves. It's also a nice way to focus their attention on product features in a an attention-grabbing manner.