Based in Portland, Oregon, Classic Exhibits Inc. designs and manufacturers portable, modular, and custom-hybrid exhibit solutions. Classic Exhibits products are represented by an extensive distributor network in North America and in select International markets. For more information, contact us at 866-652-2100 or www.classicexhibits.com.
It’s common to express remorse after a big-ticket purchase. Typically when the purchase is infrequent, such as a home, car, or expensive equipment. We know our knowledge is incomplete, even when we’ve conducted research. So we roll the dice… and then cross our fingers.
Buying a trade show exhibit is that type of purchase, especially a corporate inline or island exhibit. It may be your first time buying a display. Heck, it may be the first time for your company. There’s a lot to learn. So, how do you avoid second guessing your decision? Honestly, a lot depends on your exhibit house. It’s important to choose one that understands your marketing goals, your budget, and your available resources. Most exhibit houses make their living by keeping customers long-term. They want to work with you on your exhibit design, your trade show strategy, and your ROI goals. It’s a cliché, but your success at a trade show is their success.
10 Questions to Ask
1. What services do you provide? This can vary from designing the ideal display to providing you with storage, I&D services, exhibit training, and graphic design. You’ll need to decide what services you need based on your budget and your trade show marketing goals.
2. How much do those services cost? Unlike auto repair, there’s no “book” which serves as a guide for time and materials. Prices vary depending on the region, the size of the exhibit house, and the services they value or don’t value.
3. Can you provide me with 3-5 references? No brainer, right? Yet, so often we are reluctant to ask for customer references. Ask for customers who have purchased a similar size/price exhibit to the one you’re considering.
4. Will the exhibit include reusable packaging? Unlike the headphones you bought last week packed in tamper-resistant plastic, an exhibit has to unpack and pack again and again. Smart packaging will save time, money, and frustration. Ask to see examples.
5. Does the exhibit include detailed setup instructions with numbered components? And, can the instructions be modified if we have suggestions after the first or second show? Detailed, logical instructions will save you thousands of dollars each year. Sometimes at a single show. Ask for examples.
6. What if my exhibit is damaged or if we need to replace lost parts? It’s going to happen no matter how careful you are. A true test of an exhibit builder is how they respond when you need a replacement part or a laminate repaired. Do they treat you the same as when you purchased your exhibit?
7. What is the warranty? This question shouldn’t be followed by a verbal dance. It’s an easy question. It should be an easy answer.
8. How much time/labor will be required to set up the exhibit the first time? The third time? This will vary particularly on a custom exhibit. Less so for a portable/modular display. You’re looking for a range. Then you need to compare the range to your experience on the show floor. Admittedly this will depend on your experience, your labor crew, and a 1000 other factors.
9. Who is my primary contact(s)? Who do I contact when I have questions about exhibit design, graphic design, shipping, I&D, storage, etc. Who is my emergency contact if there’s an issue at the show? What matters is not the person(s) but the answer. What’s the tone and do they have a plan?
10. How would you describe your best customers? What do they do right? There’s no such thing as the “self-made” successful trade show marketer. We all learn from others. Taking the long-road can be expensive and in some cases, a career killer. Look for shortcuts and the best advice comes from trade show warriors. Trade show are like landing on Neptune and encountering aliens. You don’t want to be the first one. You want to learn from those who didn’t get zapped or eaten.
What most exhibitors know about buying an exhibit could fit in a Ziploc baggie. They know just enough to get themselves in trouble. So be smart. Ask questions. Lots of questions. Pretend you are four years old again and ask the endless series of “Why’s” and “What’s” and “When’s” that drove every adult insane. You won’t regret it.
Based in Portland, Oregon, Classic Exhibits Inc. designs and manufacturers portable, modular, and custom-hybrid exhibit solutions. Classic Exhibits products are represented by an extensive distributor network in North America and in select International markets. For more information, contact us at 866-652-2100 or www.classicexhibits.com.
We love it when distributors re-purpose Classic’s marketing materials. This week, Atlantic Exhibits sent an email broadcast promoting Perfect 10 Portable Hybrid Displays. Not only is the P10 on sale thorough 11/27, but it also carries the Exclusive 100-Day Return Guarantee. It’s the PERFECT one-two promotional punch as we head into the holiday season and 2016 shows.
Let us know how we can assist your efforts and grow your sales of Classic products. Well done Atlantic! Very well done indeed.
Based in Portland, Oregon, Classic Exhibits Inc. designs and manufacturers portable, modular, and custom-hybrid exhibit solutions. Classic Exhibits products are represented by an extensive distributor network in North America and in select International markets. For more information, contact us at 866-652-2100 or www.classicexhibits.com.
Once or twice a week, we get a request for a printable handout for Sacagawea, Perfect, 10, Visionary Designs, etc. Most of the time, the distributor wants a simple one-page product summary to leave with their customer or as an email attachment. Rarely does the distributor ask for a large, multi-page brochure.
So… We’ve created 11 printable one-page product sheets. They are in the Exhibit Design Search galleries where they can be viewed or downloaded. In addition, they are available in the Distributor Section of the Classic website, along with other Classic literature. Not every gallery has a product sheet. We only created them where we thought it made sense (and where we’ve had requests). You can see and download them all by clicking on the images.
Oh yes, the 100-Day Guarantee Sheets are there too. Lots and lots of requests for these since introducing the new program.
Table Top Summary
SEGUE Hybrid Summary
Rental Solutions Summary
Euro LT Summary
iPad and Surface Stands Summary
Magellan Summary
Perfect 10/20 Summary
Quadro S Summary
Quadro FGS Summary
Sacagawea Summary
Visionary Designs Summary
Perfect 10/20 100 Day
Quadro FGS 100 Day
Quadro S 100 Day
Sacagawea 100 Day
Contact me for the username and password of the Classic Distributor Section.
Based in Portland, Oregon, Classic Exhibits Inc. designs and manufacturers portable, modular, and custom-hybrid exhibit solutions. Classic Exhibits products are represented by an extensive distributor network in North America and in select International markets. For more information, contact us at 866-652-2100 or www.classicexhibits.com.
Do you believe the expression “There’s no substitute for experience”?
Let’s say you live in Topeka, KS. You’ve tried all the pizza shops in Topeka and have concluded that Johnny’s Pizza is the best pizza — anywhere. I could be wrong, but I suspect there are a few New Yorkers, Bostonians, or Chicagoans who would disagree. But what do they know… they haven’t tried Johnny’s Pizza.
We’ll concede that you know Topeka pizzas. Now, it’s time to buy a trade show display. Unlike lawn mowers, cameras, or smartphones, there’s no Consumer Reports and your experience is limited. So, you do your research on the web, and if you are smart, you consult with a trade show exhibit professional. You ask the right questions about design, assembly, and how much it weighs. You even ask to see the warranty.
However, there are questions you won’t ask. How do I know? Because no exhibit manager has ever asked me these questions… and they should.
Q1. Will the Metal Look the Same After 10 Shows?
Have you ever bought a screwdriver at a discount store only to have the tip twist? So you throw it away and realize that a Kraftsman isn’t a Craftsman. About 60-70% of all trade show exhibits have a skeleton of aluminum extrusion. Sometimes it’s visible, sometimes not. The dirty little secret is that it’s cheaper to use low quality extrusions with thin walls and a sub-par finish. Over time, it distorts, mars, and looks tarnished. Your new booth becomes a used booth before you’ve wrapped-up your current marketing campaign.
Ask about the manufacturer of the extrusion? There are recognized names and then there are Kraftsman. You may not recognize the name but that’s the beauty of Google. If someone tells you, “an extrusion is an extrusion,” walk away.
Q2. What’s the Quality of the Fabric Graphics
The rise of Fast Fashion has revolutionized the apparel industry (think H&M and Forever 21). There’s a market for disposable fashion. It’s cheap and attractive. But no one expects it to last or have the attention to detail of high-quality apparel.
Fabric for graphics, like clothing, is not all the same. Most inexpensive displays are shrouded with thin, stretchy fabric made with low quality zippers or cheap velcro. And yes, there’s a pecking order to hook and loop as well. The fabric graphic is meant to be disposable… even if it’s not sold that way. You can feel the difference. Trust your hand.
Q3. What’s the Quality of the Fabric Printing
One ever thinks about this but they should. Dye-sublimated printing, the predominant type of printing for fabric graphics, is a high-tech process. And with any technology, the latest and greatest is old news in about 12-18 months. The previous generation of dye-sub printers get sold to second or third-tier printers. If you’ve ever seen the difference between an HD dye-sub graphic and a 4-color one, you know what I mean. Skin tones are more realistic. Black is black not dark grey. There’s no color banding . You get the picture.
Ask when was the printer was manufactured (not re-manufactured or purchased). And even if it’s only been owned by a little old lady in Pasadena and stored in a garage, it’s still an AMC Hornet.
Q4. Is the Packaging Material Reusable?
You just bought a new pair of Beats by Dre headphones. They sound great, but you’ve decide you want them in black and not fushia. Good luck getting it back in the packaging. It was meant for marketing, not for re-marketing. Far too many trade show displays are packed to prevent damage before the first show. But what about damage after the second, third, or thirty-third show?
High-quality reusable packaging costs more than bubble wrap and thin foam. Smart, well-engineered packaging is like finding $20 in your wedding, funeral, and holiday party pants. It’s an unexpected miracle that keeps on giving.
Q5. Are Replacement Parts Available?
Folks send me photos asking me to identify a part. That’s rarely an issue if it’s from a major display manufacturer. However, it’s usually from a $699 pop-up or tube structure. Let’s be honest. There are no parts. There never were any parts. It wasn’t sold to have replacement parts any more than a $17 toaster. It’s meant to go into the landfill after a half-a-dozen uses.
Now if that idea appalls you, then ask your supplier if quality replacement parts are available, what is the cost, and how quickly can you get them? Oh… and if they are only available through Smiling Sammy’s Display Store, then that’s a really, really bad omen. He’s gotta a guy who knows a guy. Good luck with that.
Q6. How Do You Handle Wire Management?
There’s no middle ground on this. It looks good or it looks really, really bad. Those electrical and A/V cords have to go somewhere. More often than not, the cord management for most exhibits resembles a hairball. But it doesn’t have to be that way.
You have to share what electrical devices will be in the booth and where they’ll be located with your supplier, and that includes anything you maybe renting. Ask your supplier about their solution for lights, monitor cords, etc. If they stumble — run. It means the solution is likely to resemble white twist ties from plastic garbage bags.
Q7. What are the Designer’s (Exhibit and Graphic) Qualification?
Everyone is creative. To a point — chainsaw sculpture, toilet roll cozies, saw blade paintings. I’m not here to judge. Well, maybe a little. Most of us are out of our element when it comes to exhibit and graphic design. And like wire management, there’s no middle ground. Great exhibit designers have years and years of experience working on a variety of projects (custom, portable, modular) with collaborative input from other exhibit designers. That’s how they get experience, perspective, and context.
The same is true with graphic designers but with a twist. They must have experience designing graphics for trade show displays. That’s the key. It doesn’t matter if they are Rock Stars with web design or print advertisements. You don’t want an occasional trade show designer to be the lead designer. If you have an in-house designer familiar with your brand, then make the design process collaborative. Graphic design for trade show displays is a craft. Trade show designers have learned what works and what doesn’t to attract attendees on the show floor.
These questions may make your trade show exhibit supplier uncomfortable. Good. That’s how you’ll know if you chose the right one.
Based in Portland, Oregon, Classic Exhibits Inc. designs and manufacturers portable, modular, and custom-hybrid exhibit solutions. Classic Exhibits products are represented by an extensive distributor network in North America and in select International markets. For more information, contact us at 866-652-2100 or www.classicexhibits.com.
