Anyone who knows me will tell you that I am frugal (or possibly even cheap) most of the time. I hate spending money on things that aren’t necessary and I always look for the best deal. I was at a networking even last night and I asked a new acquaintance if he ever exhibited at tradeshows – his response was that he tried it one time and it was so expensive and intensive to plan that they didn’t get a good return on their investment. I suspect that he didn’t go about it in the same way I do, using the tools and tricks to get the most for your money and then maximizing the result at the show. The following are my tips and tricks for getting the most out of your tradeshow dollars:
1. All Tradeshow Displays are Not Created Equal.
I’ve tried numerous times to come up with a creative tradeshow display that draws attention, is inexpensive, and is different than the standard background graphic display. I’ve failed. With the companies I’ve worked for, I’ve been unable to come up with a concept that is unique and not image-based. Last year at Internet Retailer there was a great drop ship company that piled up a bunch of boxes with the legs of a mannequin sticking out the bottom to demonstrate people getting buried by their shipping process – it was fantastic and cost them about $50. But, for those of us who have to settle with the more traditional display, I’d recommend coming up with a unique graphic piece – one that doesn’t have any of those stock images with people at their computers or shaking hands. It’s painful to see the same images on every booth – it really takes away from the individual company. Start with an eye-catching image that means something to your organization and build a concept from there. Avoid too much text on your display, particularly anything too specific, because I guarantee you will want to change it at a later date and reprinting your graphics is NOT cheap. Give enough copy for people to get an idea of what you do, but not so much that they can stand back, read your sign, and decide they don’t want your product or service without talking to you.
We just ordered a large tradeshow display from www.PostUpStand.com and we are quite happy with the results and the price, which was under $1100… the least expensive I’ve seen by far. Comparable displays typically run $4000 or more. For a 10% discount, enter code PU150 at checkout!
2. Print Materials Can Be Professional and Inexpensive.
If you don’t have a graphic designer on staff or can’t afford to outsource one, there is still hope for you. If you search for “Free Brochure Templates” or “Free _____ (application of your choice) Template” you’ll likely be able to find a base template that is more professional-looking than you could create on your own. These can even include Word, Publisher, and Excel templates that can be made to look high quality without fancy design tools. If you want to take a stab at a Photoshop-like tool, I would suggest downloading www.GiMP.org (free open source image manipulation program) and trying your hand at it. Many PSD and EPS files can be opened and manipulated in this program – just be sure to read the instructions! You can also buy a fairly inexpensive membership to www.BoxedArt.com and download templates of all kinds from there. One subscription fee grants you access to unlimited downloads.
Make sure you create your files to the specifications of the printer you are going to use. We used to spend thousands of dollars with local printers for tradeshows. I’m all about supporting local businesses, but they just can’t compete on price with the major online printers. I really only buy from two sites: www.VistaPrint.com and www.OvernightPrints.com. For lower quantities, Vista is generally cheaper, but I would say the quality is lower. For larger runs Overnight Prints is the way to go – I’m always pleased with their results, particularly with their business cards. The best thing to do is get on both of their mailing lists and you will receive coupons regularly (even daily from Vista). Pay attention to these coupon emails – I usually click through a few of them when I’m getting ready to order and see what the price including shipping ends up to be – they will vary from email to email, even if the offers look the same. They will get you on things like glossy coating, image uploads, color back sides, and of course, shipping.
3. Avoid Massive Labor Charges at the Show
I’ve been absolutely appalled in the past at what the labor unions charge at tradeshows for things like freight, electrical setup, carpet, table and chair rentals, and internet. It’s outrageous what they can get away with… but you can avoid some of it. One big way around massive charges is not shipping to the tradeshow location. I ship some items to my hotel where they will hold it for me, I ask my team to pack some items in their suitcases, and I ship major items ground to the nearest UPS store. UPS will hold your boxes for $5 per box per day, so time it carefully. (Note that FedEx will hold your boxes as well but you cannot use their ground shipping option to do this.) Even with the hassles of shipping to another location, you will save a ton of money. I’ve been charged $50 per box at the Moscone Center in San Francisco for the labor union to receive the box and bring it to my booth. That is simply crazy and I refuse to do it.
As far as rentals go, a colleague of mine had a great idea to avoid carpet and pad rental. We purchased interlocking carpet tiles from www.MatsMatsMats.com; we ship them and set them up ourselves. The carpet tiles (which are padded and look great) cost around $350 for a 10×10 space – the same amount we would pay to rent carpet and padding per show BEFORE the added labor fees for a single show. So, the first time we use it, we are saving money. Use coupon code HLNYC for 5% off! They also sell the same tiles at www.GreatMats.com and they will send you a free sample so you can get an idea of the color first.
To avoid table rentals which can be upwards of $200 per show, we purchased a podium and banner stand from www.MyNextSign.com. They have an eBay store as well and I was very please with the price and quality of these items that are offered at double the price on other sites. I also purchased two $10 folding stools at Walmart which we will ship in the same case. We purchased a banner and attached Velcro to the back of it from Vista Print for the front of the podium which looks great.
Electronics rental companies kill me with their prices. I got a quote on renting a 20” Dell LCD for two days for $500… I can buy the exact same monitor brand new from Best Buy and have it shipped to the hotel for a total of $134! We ship our own monitor to the UPS store or check it in the airplane in its original packaging.
Unfortunately there are two things you really can’t avoid if you need them: power and internet. But what you need to think about is whether or not you really need them and if you are going to get a return on that investment. I would not suggest using your personal EDVO card if you are going to be demo-ing your product live. Within those large metal buildings they often don’t work.
Have other money saving tips on tradeshow exhibition? Please let us know!
