Q. Why should our company consider exhibiting at trade shows?

A. Trade shows offer exhibitors a unique opportunity to meet with and present your products and services to qualified buyers you may otherwise not meet. According to the Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR) :

  • 88% of attendees have not been seen by a member of your company’s sales staff in the preceding 12 months.
  • Seven out of ten attendees plan to buy one or more products.
  • 76% asked for quotes and 26% signed purchase orders (average all shows).
  • 72% of show visitors say the show influenced their buying decision.
  • 87% of attendees will share some of the information obtained at an exhibition.
  • 64% of attendees tell at least 6 other people about the event.
  • 58% attend only the show in which you are exhibiting.
  • 40% are first-time attendees.
  • It costs 22% less to contact a potential buyer at a show than it does through traditional field sales calls.
  • 54% of exhibitors do not set objectives, and a much larger percentage have no formal process to either measure objectives or report about what happened at their events.

Q. Considering the economy, is now a good time to invest in a trade show exhibit?

A. Yes. There is no bad time to invest in an exhibit. Trade shows are one of the most cost effective means of reaching customers and prospects any time. The Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR) shows that the average cost to close a sale beginning with a trade show lead is $705, significantly less than the $1,140 it costs to close leads from other sources. Trade shows are also less expensive than traditional field sales calls for reaching potential buyers. The national average cost of reaching a visitor at a trade show is $212 compared with $308 to visit a prospect in the field. An average of 1.6 personal follow-up sales visits is needed to close a sale originating from a trade show lead compared to the 3.7 visits required to close a non-show lead. Over 71 percent of trade show attendees can authorize or approve the purchase of products or services and out of those over 70 percent are managers or professionals.

Q. When should I consider renting an exhibit?

A. Renting is a cost-effective solution for many exhibitors' needs including the following from Exhibitor Magazine, September 2001:

  • Rentals allow exhibitors to change their look from show to show or to reinvest their brands as their product focus shifts.
  • Good rentals help maintain a cutting-edge appearance in the short term without making huge capital investments that could haunt a company down the road.
  • A rental costs 25-35 percent of a similar built-to-own booth. Graphics cost about 20 to 40 percent of a typical rental price. Since clients usually buy and reuse graphics, those renting for multiple shows can often cut those costs considerably. Given those figures, three or four rental exhibits cost roughly the same as buying a comparable exhibit.
  • Rentals allow exhibitors to be a little braver. You can take a risk and do something different.
  • Combination rental and custom options provide flexibility. More and more people are seeing rental as a cost-effective way to enhance a booth property they already have.
  • As companies attend more shows, it’s almost inevitable that two shows will run back-to-back or at the same time. It doesn’t make sense to buy a new exhibit.
  • A company may attend numerous shows with its own booth but once a year wants to do something dramatic at the industry’s premier event.
  • Rentals can open the door to new exhibitors. The prospect of buying a booth can discourage first time exhibitors. A rental can help make their first outing both affordable and productive.

Q. What can we as exhibitors do to make our trade shows more successful?

A. Plan for your success. Begin by setting objectives, training booth staff and setting individual and team goals, develop and implement a pre-show marketing strategy, tap into the knowledge of your sales staff and learn all you can about your customers and what they are looking for at shows, hire an exhibit house to help you with creating the most dynamic environment possible, pay close attention to your message, follow up on all leads as soon as possible.

Q. How can our company save more money on trade shows?

A. You can save a great deal of money by cutting back on labor, drayage and freight costs by using lighter weight portable modular and custom modular exhibit structures. These types of exhibits are more cost-effective to ship and store and easier to install and dismantle. You can also save money by renting instead of purchasing which also allows you to make more of an investment in your graphics and messaging. And avoid late charges by getting your show services orders in early to take advantage of discounts.

Q. How can I save on transportation costs?

A. Here are a few ways to save:

  • Choose your carrier for outbound shipments from the exhibit hall. Otherwise the contractor can send your shipment to another carrier resulting in extremely high transportation costs.
  • Consolidate your shipment as much as possible to avoid being assessed additional charges for each small box.
  • Use portable modular or custom modular exhibits because they are lightweight and easy to assemble.

Q. What should we know about creating effective booth graphics?

A. Effective messaging and branding is paramount to exhibit success. Here are a few tips:

  • Keep it consistent. Your exhibit graphics should reflect your corporate image. Always use the same logos you would use on collaterals.
  • Make it visable - prospects should recognize you from 20 feet away and be able to understand who you are and what you offer.

Q. How do you select the right shows?

A. Begin by setting your trade show objectives. Take a look at all of the shows in your industry and research them carefully. Talk to your best customers and prospects and ask them which shows they attend. Then choose the shows that best suit your objectives.

Q. How do you select the right space?

A. Space selection is based on a number of factors, including return on objective, proximity of competition, how close you want to be to the entrance or to meeting areas which may help attract visitors, and the average time a visitor spends on the show floor. First, be sure your space selection is based on your objectives. Base the size of your space on how many prospects you anticipate and how much staff you have. The rule of thumb for staffing a booth is 2 staffers per 10 x 10 foot space.