There are lots of articles about the benefits of renting vs. buying an exhibit, including this one on Classic’s website. But, I don’t recall ever reading an article that discussed the do’s and don’ts once a client has decided to rent. With over 20 years of experience managing rentals for clients, including the past five managing the Rental Program for Classic Exhibits, I’ve learned that decided to rent is the easy part. The hard part comes after the rental decision has been made. With all modesty, please allow me to share these tips from someone who has experienced his fair share of rental bruises over the years.
But should your trade show exhibit buying experience be?
For starters, yes I did just watch Forrest Gump. And YES, i do think life is like that. Meaning, you never know what you’re gonna get in many situations.
Sometimes Getting a Bloody Nose Can be a Good Thing
Not literally of course, but every now and then we overlook the obvious or we get too comfortable with the status quo. When it happens, it’s how a company or an individual reacts that defines who they are or where the future leads. At least you hope so.
Have you ever noticed that most companies fall into three camps when it comes to change?
* They never change.
* They make constant incremental changes (they tinker).
* They make big changes every year or two or three (the grand gesture), but generally stay pat until then.
Many of us travel a lot for our jobs. And by a lot, I mean up to half the year. My wife tells anyone who will listen that I’m on the road four months a year. I don’t know if it’s quite that bad, but I do travel frequently, whether it’s just for a night or for a week visiting distributors in the Midwest, South, or East Coast.
After 15 years in the trade show industry, I don’t consider myself an expert, but I am a pretty good judge of certain things — like pre-show marketing.
In late December and early January, I witnessed one of the very best ever. It was created and implemented by Griffin Technology, an aftermarket accessory provider for iPods, iPhones, Blackberrys, and the upcoming iPad. And it was implemented specifically to generate buzz and traffic for their booth at CES 2010.
