Comments on: When 50% “Show” and 50% “Trade” is 100% “In Doubt” https://classicexhibits.com/tradeshow-blog/2009/09/29/when-50-%e2%80%9cshow%e2%80%9d-and-50-%e2%80%9ctrade%e2%80%9d-is-100-%e2%80%9cin-doubt%e2%80%9d/ Click to browse our trade show blog, with trade show ideas, tips and inspiration from the industry pros! Wed, 30 Sep 2009 18:17:18 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.2.3 By: Jeff Baker https://classicexhibits.com/tradeshow-blog/2009/09/29/when-50-%e2%80%9cshow%e2%80%9d-and-50-%e2%80%9ctrade%e2%80%9d-is-100-%e2%80%9cin-doubt%e2%80%9d/#comment-102 Wed, 30 Sep 2009 18:17:18 +0000 http://www.classicexhibits.com/tradeshow-blog/?p=1262#comment-102 Mel, you’ve touched on something I think is really important – the “self-produced” show.

Like all display companies, Image 4’s business is off this year. We not built a lot of shiny new displays. We have done a lot of refurb to existing properties. BUT…

The growth we’ve enjoyed is in what we used to think of as the “event” industry. A number of our larger clients have abandoned their former 4-8 show schedule, and taken about half the money to develop and produce a self-controlled, self-produced “event” that looks an awful lot like a trade show!

In one case, a major national defense client rented a 60,000sf hall, asked us to provide a consistent, templated graphic package to fit onto a standardized rental display with some variable level of options.

No carpet – the carpet was in place from the venue. No pipe and drape – it’s entirely superfluous. No drayage – the invited vendor exhibitors walked in with laptops, travel bags and not much else. No hanging graphics – we produced floor-mount directional and wayfinding graphics. No rental registration area – the venue provided completely effective tables which we skirted and branded. No clean-up – the venue staff cleaned the food and waste as part of the rental fee.

What stuns me is that in this transaction, the value is aligned to the client value, rather than to the myriad vendors usually assigned to a show. Needless to say, the client was extremely satisfied with all the outcomes, and senior management has been impressed with the effectiveness and budget sensitivity of the internal team who accomplished this.

I echo your thoughts, Mel, our industry needs to rethink the value stream, or we will become superfluous just like the pipe and drape.

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