How to Use Fabric Trade Show Graphics

Posted on May 24, 2013 by Ted Ridgway

There’s been a revolution going on in trade show graphics for the last five years. No, not the revolution with guns – this is a technology revolution. Simply put, there are more options than ever for trade show graphics. You have standard inkjet, which is now less expensive. You have direct print graphics – un-laminated (UV or inkjet). But the graphics that are really shaking things up are fabric graphics.

If you haven’t seen them or used them, this idea takes some getting used to: tightly woven poly knit material that has a “dye sublimation” process to color the fabric. With very few exceptions, you can print anything on fabric that you can print on hard media – works, images, photos, etc. They look a little softer and they give much more depth – so if you had in mind just words, they may not be your best choice. But for rich colors, images, graphics and photos, they are awesome.

How do you use them? Pretty much just like your inkjet or direct print graphics. You may need accessories on your trade show display or you may need a different display solution, but may trade show displays can be retrofitted to work with fabric graphics.

Take a truss display – these are great to use fabric graphics on. You simply buy clips instead of using the magnetic strips or grommets you use for inkjet mural panels or vinyl graphics. The clips hold the fabric graphics tight – the set up is slick and sophisticated.

Or take a modular aluminum display. You would have to use velco or magnetic tape if you used inkjet mural panels. With a few accessories (a frame of channels to accept Silicon Edge Graphics), you can use fabric graphics on your modular system.

If you’re using a traditional pop up display, you will find that you can’t use fabric graphics with the pop up frame. But you can find several alternatives for using fabric graphics on a lightweight, portable frame. One is a fabric pop up, which works just like your current pop up display, but uses fabric graphics. It folds down easily and many companies leave the graphic on the frame for easy set up. You can also get a tension fabric display – similar to a fabric pop up but requires more assembly and dis-assembly. Both are good options if you want a fabric graphic but have a trade show portable budget.

A fabric graphic can be a real head turner – think about it if you’re looking for a new graphics idea. It’s one of the many new products in the graphics revolution.

Impact Displays has trade show displays, graphics, accessories for companies in all price ranges. Contact through our web page or give us a call at 877-217-2681 and let’s get started on your trade show display.

Counters, Kiosks and Podiums for Small Trade Show Booths

Posted on May 22, 2013 by Ted Ridgway

One of the tricky aspects of smaller trade show booths – 10×10 or even 10×20 – is having enough space to make the booth space “open” but also useful enough to present or discuss with prospects. It’s tricky because if you leave the space empty, you don’t have a place to have a more detailed discussion. But if you put a table and chairs in a small booth, it can look and feel crowded, and turn prospects away. If you are planning to go to a trade show and need some space to demonstrate products, show presentations or just convene with customers, think about a portable counter or portable podium. These are easy, cost effective solutions that won’t crowd your trade show booth.

In a small booth, you have to plan carefully. If all of your customer interactions are casual, you may not need a place to meet. But if you do product demos, show slides, review data sheets, etc – in other words, if your company is like most – you need a convenient place to meet. A trade show counter or a portable podium offer a good option. Depending on the style, these trade show accessories cost a few hundred dollars, can support graphics and are small – usually 2-4 square feet. You can often put graphics graphics on the sides, or get a counter that has a fabric wrap as the exterior.

You have a couple of options. Lightweight counters and kiosks offer a temporary space to meet – they are good for holding lightweight materials, a laptop or tablet computer. In fact there are a few counters that have built in docks for tablet computers from Google, Samsung and Apple. These counters typically cost less than $500, they fold and pack in easy travel cases and can weigh as little as 25 pounds. And many of them have a graphic wrap – so you’re really getting a double benefit. What won’t they do well? They can’t hold a lot of weight – maybe 30 pounds. So you can’t lean on them heavily or use them to support a lot of weight. They have not secure storage, so you can’t lock up a computer bag or other material. They rarely have shelves, so storage is often in short supply. But as a cost effective meeting space, they’re great.

A second option is a portable podium. This trade show accessory will look and function much more like a stable piece of furniture. A podium will usually have solid sides that become the structure when assembled. They often have locked storage and shelving, and they can hold a fair amount of weight – 75-100 pounds, typically. They are more expensive than a basic portable counter, and will usually cost $600-$1,250. Because they’re more expensive and sturdier, you can often find a rental solution if you don’t want to buy one. You can guess their disadvantages – they’re heavier, more expensive and more cumbersome ship. They’re also more difficult to move around. Having said that, they are great if you need a stable, sturdy meeting and storage area in a small trade show display.

How to Evaluate a Delta Matrix Trade Show Display

Posted on May 21, 2013 by Ted Ridgway

If you are looking to step up to a new, bigger display – your company is going to a larger trade show booth or you just need something that’s a newer, more contemporary design, you should definitely consider the Delta Matrix wall system. This is a modular display system that is structural and substantial. We’ll review the considerations involved with a Laarhoven Delta Matrix system in this post so you can evaluate its suitability for your company.

For starters, you should ideally be in a 20×20 foot or larger trade show booth to think about a Delta Matrix system. You can use this trade show display in linear configurations like a 10×20, but there are more cost effective solutions for those situations. A Delta Matrix is used in an island or a perimeter configuration, when you are building a structure – a solid or semi-solid construct is where this system excels.

There are several primary advantages to the Delta Matrix. The first is that it’s an interlocking wall, so you get about as close to “true construction” grade enclosures as you can without physically nailing or screwing wood together. This is great if you are putting up meeting rooms, creating event stages, or you need a large, enclosed or semi-enclosed presentation space. The system has a frame and an “inside” and an “outside” skin that can be printed with anything or left solid colored. These solid panels give the display a lot more structure than a display with fabric panels as walls. Appearances aside, the system is sturdy, so you can build up higher than many systems allow, unsupported.

The second advantage is that the system is modular – you can change size, configuration, shape pretty easily. Granted, this is not as easy as a truss or aluminum modular system. The components require more consideration when you are swapping out – the wall sections are standard width and curves have standard radius, and you don’t have a lot of choices.

Of course, you’re buying a much more substantial display than anything but a pure custom display. So you can expect that you’ll have a bigger physical profile when packed, it will be heavier and take longer to set up and take down. And obviously it’s a more expensive trade show display right out of the chute versus most of modular systems. But if you’re looking for a game changer – you have the budget and want to step up the profile of your company at its next trade show, a Delta Matrix system is a great way to do that.

Five Reasons to Think of Truss Displays

Posted on May 20, 2013 by Ted Ridgway

So, let’s assume you’re a growing company or a medium sized business. You’ve been to trade shows. But you don’t feel the presence you’re projecting is equal to your company’s prospects. You want an upgrade. But you need flexibility. You usually exhibit in a 10×20 foot space – but sometimes you exhibit in a 10×10 or a 20×20. You could buy three displays. Which would be crazy. Or you could skip the 10×10 shows. Which is also a bad idea – some of the smaller shows can be great returns because costs can be low. If you’re in this predicament, read on – there’s an easy answer.

Companies that need to exhibit in trade show booths of more than one size – especially of one of those sizes is 20×20 (an island), need to get a modular display or a truss. We like truss trade show displays a lot because they have unique advantages. We like aluminum modular systems like our ProSeries displays too – but a truss display is special.

For starters, nothing else looks like a truss and uniqueness has a special value at trade shows. Attendees will stop, notice something different and be drawn in. So for sheer uniqueness and the value it creates, a truss display is special.

Second, truss is a great design – it’s bold, architectural and solid looking. It will make your company and its reputation also seem sturdy, solid and durable – who doesn’t wan that.

Third, truss displays can hold a lot of weight – they’re the load bearing champs on the show floor. Don’t go crazy trying to set records – they’re not structural, and they have limits. But their performance is unequalled by anything similar in the modular display world. So they’re great if you have extensive shelving needs, multiple monitors, clothing waterfall racks, etc. Short of hardwall (semi-permanent) displays, a truss will do this work better than any other type of display.

Fourth, a truss is flexible in size and shape. You can reconfigure, add to, make smaller, create new shapes – all with standard connectors and components. This is true with many “modular” display systems, but truss displays make it easy: a tool-less set up, wing nuts and carriage bolts.

Fifth, you have innumerable graphics options with truss displays – from fabric panels, to laminated inkjet to vinyl graphics. You can mix, max, swap and alter your display’s profile – so whether your company is in a 20×20, a 10×10 or something in between, a truss display can be a great choice.

Easy Ways to Improve Your Trade Show Display

Posted on May 19, 2013 by Ted Ridgway

If you’ve been to a few trade shows recently, you’ve probably noticed a lot of cool, new trade show displays. Everything from banner stands to pop up displays to modular displays have been upgraded, enhanced and improved. It’s really amazing. And it’s cool, if you have the budget for new trade show display.

If you don’t have a new display budget, don’t despair. Looking good doesn’t mean dropping a bundle or getting a new display. There are some very cost effective ways to improve your company’s look at its next trade show. If you’re in the category of “do more with less” then read on.

One of the easiest and most cost effective ways to dress up your trade show presence is with a few banner stands. Imagine you were going to re-do your pop up graphics, but budgets are too tight to justify that. For $400-$500, you can get two good quality retractable banner stands that will augment your 10×10 space. Think of them as accessories if you will – placed on the corners of your display they can doublle your messaging power.

If you want something a little different than a banner stand, consider a tower display or a podium with graphics. Each will add a touch of class and give your company more messaging and branding opportunities. Neither one of these trade show displays have a big foot print, so they won’t take up a lot of space. But they can powerfully add to your company’s presence.

If you have more budget, you can consider new trade show graphics. Let’s face it – it’s mostly about the graphics. Whether you have a tired pop up display desn’t matter if you have great pop up graphics. So save some money, and spend it on the graphics. It’s one of your best “bang for the buck” categories in trade show displays.

Lastly, if you can’t do any of these improvements, don’t worry. Just going to the show – spiffy display, grahics ot not – will dive more business. It helps to have a great presence. But what really hurts is not going at all. So make sure – no matter what condition your company’s gear is in – go to the show.

How to Use the Same Trade Show Display With Different Booth Sizes

Posted on May 17, 2013 by Ted Ridgway

If your company often exhibits in a 10×20 booth but you sometimes exhibit in a 10×10 – or the opposite, you may feel stuck. Do you get 2 trade show displays? Is there one display that can do both spaces? Luckily, you have two great alternatives – the pop up display and the modular display. We’ll review the strengths and weaknesses of each in this post.

To use one display to cover a 10×10 and 10×20 space, you need some type of modularity. You need to be able to easily make the trade show display larger or smaller. A pop up trade show display can do this. The first way to do this is to have a second pop up frame and mural panel graphics. The end-cap graphic panel joins the pop ups, making a continuous 20 foot backwall. You should make sure your pop up has this capability – many do. You will need to plan your graphics so that the pop up displays can stand alone or be used together. Many companies use a large format continuous image – a wave, the sky or a solid color to “blend the images together. If you do this effectively, you have a display that can work equally well in a 10×10 and a 10×20 space. There’s a shape option to consider – clamshell/gullwing or serpentine. The clamshell/gullwing option gives you a bit more usable booth space. You already know about pop up displays: inexpensive, solid value displays that are easy to ship and set up. You won’t get unlimited flexibility, and you need to plan the graphics, but it’s a cost effective way to go if you need a 10×10 and a 10×20.

The second alternative to this is to use a modular display or a truss system. This way, you have a set configuration for your 10×10 booth space and when you need a 10×20, you get some extra components. You may also need extra graphics, depending on the layout. But since modular systems and truss displays often don’t have continuous images, there may be less coordination and planning involved in getting the graphics looking great. One benefit of the modular or truss approach is that if you want to add a seating area, a storage area or other wall feature, you can do that pretty easily. And if you want to do a 20×20 booth in the future, you can do that. Although you can use three pop up displays to create a 20×20 island, most companies don’t. A modular or truss display system will definitely cost more, and it will be more expensive to set up and ship. But if you need a lot of flexibility, you’ll find it in a modular or truss system.

There are many options if your company needs display for a 10×10 space and a 10×20 space. Depending on the hardware you already have, you may not need to buy a lot of new gear to get to a display that is flexible.

Strategies for Trade Show Success

Posted on May 16, 2013 by Ted Ridgway

A few years ago, our “neighbor” in the office park where Impact Displays is located told me they weren’t going to trade shows anymore. They felt they knew all their customers already, and they didn’t think there was a lot of value in trade show exhibiting.

Keep in mind, they weren’t doing virtual events and this was before social marketing exploded. They just figured they had the universe covered. I couldn’t believe it, not only because they had been active at trade shows in the past year, but they were a tech company. All tech companies go to trade shows. Their industry changes about twice a year.

Surprisingly, I hear this a lot from businesses that sell to other businesses. They said “We know all the buyers. We’ve been working with them already for years.”

The thing is, they’re forgetting how many new companies (customers) are formed every year. And they’re forgetting the value of staying in front of their current customers. Don’t think your current customers will notice you skipped the major trade show? Think again. If your competitors are there and your company isn’t, they’ll remember….your competitors.

Ok, so let’s assume two things drive this: budget and traffic. Budget is the harder problem to solve, but it’s not impossible. Check out a budget pop up display with full graphics. This is a very cost effective way to refresh your company’s look. If you have a tired display but not enough cash to replace it, think about refreshing the trade show graphics. A new look, maybe a new message, but new – NEW – gets attention. If you can’t go for the new graphics, how about a few retractable banner stands to spice things up. One in each corner? These are among the least expensive and highest return trade show displays.

Onto traffic. If you’re skipping the show, one reason might be that you’re not getting good traffic or good prospects – so you think you know all the customers. Think about cost-effective pre-marketing strategies. An email list of attendees is a great place to start. It’s available and inexpensive. And since you know the attendees are already coming, the pitch is easy. You can offer a giveaway, a discount, etc – anything to get them to stop by your booth. Don’t think this trick is limited to big companies and big budgets: the cost effectiveness of email marketing skews the advantages in favor of small companies. You can follow up with mailers or phone calls – all more expensive and somewhat more effective. But at the very least, do some email marketing and drive the traffic to your trade show booth.

Don’t make the bad decision to skip the trade show. With some effort, you can economize and drive traffic to your trade show booth. the result is…the future of your business!

The Keys to Trade Show Success for Begginners

Posted on May 10, 2013 by Ted Ridgway

If your company hasn’t exhibited at a trade show – and especially if you haven’t been to any trade shows – it might not be obvious that there are a few “Trade Show Do’s and Don’ts” that can make your experience much more successful. A lot of companies don’t really understand why they should go, and if they should go, why they need to spend a lot of time thinking about their trade show presence. You just go and talk to prospects, right? What’s hard about that.

Well, it’s a pretty different experience than your normal marketing and selling environment. If you’re new to it, haven’t been to a trade show in a while, or could just use some “re-education” read on.

The first thing to get straight is why your company should exhibit. It’s simple: trade shows are one of the most efficient (read lowest cost) ways to reach a large number of qualified prospects in a short time. In marketing and sales speak, they’re good at “loading the funnel” with new customers. For the rest of us, they’re good at giving our business future sales.

I know what you’re thinking. “Future sales! I need sales now!” I’ll worry about the future when it gets here – I’m worried about the present.” And I understand that. But honestly, your sales for the immediate future are already determined by the prospects you’re already talking to. You need to plan for your NEXT customers.

How do you do you trade show? Here’s what not to do:

Spend more than you can afford on a big booth space, fancy truss trade show display, expensive give-aways. This isn’t going to impress anyone. Your trade show presence should be consistent and persistent.
Use a pipe and drape set up because everyone knows your company. This is a grand “No-no” but you see it at every trade show. Companies spend a few thousand dollars to get to the trade show and rent the booth space, then make the booth look like a flea market or rummage sale. Even well known companies couldn’t pull traffic in a pipe and drape set up – why try to save an extra $2,000 skipping a pop up display and waste the rest of your trade show budget?
Expect to close sales at the show. With few exceptions, most trade shows will not yield immediate sales. If you’re thinking they will, you’ll probably use the wrong gauge of success an you won’t invest time nurturing prospects.

Ok, so what should you do? Focus on these things and you’ll have a great show:

Plan ahead. Figure what trade show or shows make sense to go to. Set a budget, stick to it and plan ahead. Get your trade show display in shape 2-3 months before the trade show – no surprises!
Create a clear, compelling messaging strategy. Product value? Great. Longest time in business? Super. Convenient locations. Wonderful. The point is to tell prospects about your company’s advantages quickly and effectively and get them into your trade show booth.
Pre-market before the show. Nothing makes shows stink like no booth traffic. It’s depressing and expensive. The much known and under-appreciated truth about traffic success is pre-marketing to prospects before the show. It’s not an option – it’s a must.
Follow up after the show. Amazingly, a lot of exhibiting companies NEVER follow up with prospects. I know this personally – if I have my badge scanned 20x at a show, I might get follow ups from 2 companies. It amazes me how many companies expect customers to CALL THEM. Don’t make this mistake – follow up.

It’s not hard to do the right things and have a successful show. It takes some planning, effort, and a great trade show display with great trade show graphics. But you can make it happen and it will make a difference to your company.

So think about a demo if you have cool products that sell well. Impact Displays has trade show displays, graphics, accessories for companies in all price ranges. Contact through our web page or give us a call at 877-217-2681 and let’s get started on your trade show display.

Three Ways to Do Great Trade Show Demos

Posted on May 9, 2013 by Ted Ridgway

If your company has cool products, there’s no better way to promote it than to do a demonstration. And trade shows are one of the best environments (short of getting customers in your store) to host a demo. In fact, one of the main advantages of trade shows for companies with cool products IS the demo. Really, where else do you get to do “3-D” selling and go head to head with competitors for the hearts, minds and wallets of your customers. If this sounds like an opportunity for your company, read on.

There are basically three ways to do a demo: self-demo, ad hoc demo and scheduled demo. Before we go into that, here’s a few ideas on where to do a demo.

If you only need a small space to do a product demo – particularly if your demo uses a computer or tablet computer, consider a portable podium. They’re slick, don’t take up a lot of space and are really “purpose-built” for the small footprint demo. Some of the new kiosks have built-in iPad docks and can host other tablets.

The next step is a basic trade show counter – usually a bit more substantial than the portable podium. These are great if you need more space, need to hold more weight and need locking storage. These are usually “bar height” and you can get stools so you’re not on your feet all day. These weigh more and are more expensive than a portable podium, but they have the space and strength you need.

Your third option is a folding table with a branded table cover. Admittedly, these don’t look quite as cool and are lower. So you may want chairs if your product isn’t a few feet tall. But they are a good solution if you have a lot of products to demo.

So, back to the demo – you can have a “self-directed” demo where you basically let prospects evaluate the product – a tangible or digital good. This is fine if the features and attributes are obvious and the discovery is straight-forward.It gives the booth staff the ability to intercede – or not – depending on their best use of time.

The next step is the ad-hoc demo, where a prospect walks up, you ask “would you like to see a demo?” and away you go. This is good if you want more control of the entire demo experience. Maybe the demo isn’t easy, or the walk-through allows you to evaluate the prospect. The disadvantage is that this ties up your booth staff every time someone wants a demo, leaving them unable to work with other prospects.

The last option is the scheduled demo. This seems artificial to some companies, but studies have shown that just the act of setting a schedule increases attendance. Prospects feel committed, psychologically.

How to Increase Your Trade Show Traffic

Posted on May 8, 2013 by Ted Ridgway

If you’re planning for your trade show, you are probably getting the main things in order – staff planning, plane tickets, lodging, trade show display, etc.

Great. But it won’t matter very much if you’re plan for attendees visiting your trade show booth is “If we build it, they will come.” They may. And they may not. Don’t like those odds – especially when you’re spending a few thousand dollars just to show up?! There are ways to improve on that. If your trade show performance can use a boost, read on.

The funny thing about trade shows is that once you’re there, you can’t do too much about the level of activity you get. That’s because most of what you want to happen – visits by qualified attendees interested in products or services you sell – are all planned BEFORE the trade show even starts.

Think about it this way: if you’re planning a major (or minor) purchase, you wouldn’t just “show up” at a trade show and figure out who was selling what you needed. No – you’d do some homework, figure out who has the best site, and plan to meet with them.

Want to get an unfair advantage? Tell the customers you have what they need before they start planning their show agendas. You”ll get “mind-share” and (more importantly), you’ll get on their calendars. You’ll get a meeting. You’ll get a prospect. Without all the waiting.

How? Four steps. First, create a list of prospects. These are from your inbound inquiry files, sales rep contact sheets, etc. Also get lists of attendees from last year’s show (or similar shows) if the trade show is well targeted. Second, using the list as a starting point, contact them. Email is probably the best, as a start. Or a phone call. Third, confirm they will attend this year’s show, mention your new products and ask for a meeting. Fourth, follow up before the show.

Sounds hard? Not as hard as waiting for them to find you. If you spend 5 minutes each on 300 names, that’s a few days banging it out. You’ll probably connect with 100 and get meetings with 30-60.

Now you have a great, stable booth traffic and steady stream of prospects. Guess what happens when people see a crowd. They stop to see what all the action is. So you’ll probably get another attendee randomly for each one that you confirm a meeting with. These won’t be as well qualified – maybe only half as well. But you’re still talking about 45-90 qualified prospects. Pretty good return for a few days of prep an a few days on the trade show floor.

Of course, all the stuff you’re doing now – the pop up display and trade show graphics, planning, logistics, etc – that’s all necessary stuff. But to really make all that count, you need to pre-market to your audience. That’s what makes the biggest difference.

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