Right now, you’re probably contemplating whether or not to invest in a custom trade show exhibit. So let’s start with the big question – is it worth your time and money? If you’re looking to make an impact, generate leads, and become a brand powerhouse, creating a custom design will do just that. At ColorCraft, we know custom trade show displays like the back of our hand. To help you get the most out of your next trade show, we’ve compiled the top six benefits of going custom into the list below.

1. You’ll give an unforgettable first impression.

Does a good first impression matter? Yes, in fact, it matters a lot. According to psychologists, it’s almost impossible to come back from a bad first impression. When your business goes to trade shows and events, the kind of impression you make should be at the forefront of your mind. When your job is to attract leads, you should never leave the first impression with attendees to chance, especially when trade show booth design is an aspect you can control. You should do everything you can to make your exhibit stand out, wow, and impress the crowd. Those good first impressions will lead to a connection or a sale, while bad ones could give you a negative connotation. At a trade show, you won’t get a second chance at an unforgettable first impression.

2. You’ll increase engagement from booth visitors.

Custom trade show displays are made to draw attendees in from all angles. Whatever your goals are, displaying products in a way that is the most visually appealing will help you pique the interest of anyone who sees your booth. The design you choose can also affect the experiences you provide. A greater experience will lead to greater engagement. How will you display your communication? What colors and graphic design will make your message pop? A visitor’s overall response to the messaging and look is all part of the experience. Creating personalized communication is also important. How you talk to visitors, gather their information, and part ways with them will all have an impact.

3. Custom trade show displays will elevate your ROI.

Calculating your ROI for any event can be tough. One thing you can be sure of is that custom trade show displays that you can use and re-use are a good investment. The rule of thumb for events, according to Hubspot, is that ROI is not only dependent on just the events happening at the trade show. It’s also dependent on events that happen afterwards. By creating something that is unique, you’ll end up offering a greater experience than a rental, and you’ll make lasting impressions that will turn into leads. Check out Hubspot’s free eBook to learn more about reinventing your marketing for higher ROI.

4. You’ll set your brand apart from competitors.

No one wants to blend into the crowd at a trade show. Especially when you consider the latest trade show industry statistics show 84% of trade show attendees have buying authority. Setting yourself apart at a trade show is the best way to connect with your target audience and, more importantly, key decision makers. How you position your brand at a trade show is key to increasing visibility. Do you want to look just like the display next to you? Of course not. A custom trade show booth will make sure visitors see and remember your brand over your competitors, and this will directly affect sales. The more control you have over your look and design, the better off your business will be at an event.

5. You’ll make your brand more personable.

Custom trade show displays will visually define your brand. A display that is branded from the inside out will make sure attendees recognize what your brand voice is and how to connect with you. This way, your brand will take on a persona that is more approachable. After all, branding is one of the most effective strategies a business can use to connect with a targeted audience and increase sales and revenue. As a consumer, you have trusted brands you love and recommend. As a business, you can create a display that helps trade show attendees feel that same trust and rapport with your brand. Your brand is everything that makes up your customer’s experience, and the credibility of your product or service is equally determined by the brand. Don’t let your brand fall short, or it could cost you more than just the trust of attendees.

6. You’ll improve your exhibit’s functionality and impact.

The booth space you have at trade shows can also make or break your success, so consider a custom exhibit that modifies your brand’s needs. You’ll want to utilize your space and make sure your exhibit design has enough storage area as well as meeting areas to talk with attendees. Having a custom design allows you to turn functionality into an eye-catching exhibit. Don’t diminish the impact you could have because of a smaller trade show footprint. Custom trade show displays can help take your business to the next level at trade shows and events.

So you’ve decided to exhibit at a trade show. That’s great, but have you thought about all of the costs you need to budget for?  There may be some expenses you may not know about, which can ruin your trade show budget if not planned for properly.

A simple way to start planning your trade show budget is to:

Define the purpose of your trade show display.

What is the size of the booth space? Do you need hanging signage to compete with your neighboring exhibitors? Are you incorporating technology such as projection mapping or augmented reality?  What type of show are you attending?  Who are the key attendees?  Defining your overall goals for the show will help you decide how to spend your trade show budget.

Define your brand personality.

What do you want your exhibit to look like? Do you want something simple? Or are you looking for a high-end booth that will WOW the show attendees? Prioritizing the features of your booth will allow you to purposefully manage the overall total trade show budget.

Knowing the maximum amount you can spend at this show will help you determine a real return on your objectives. However, there are more than booth and promotion expenses to consider when exhibiting at a trade show.

A typical trade show cost breakdown may include:

• Exhibit Space
• Travel & Entertainment
• Show Services (shipping, drayage, install/dismantle labor, electrical, rigging, etc.)
• Exhibit Design and Fabrication
• Pre-show Promotion and Giveaways
• Miscellaneous

Once you have a better understanding of the type of booth you want, you can start constructing your trade show budget. Keep in mind, your trade show costs may change depending on the city, time of year, and venue.

A simple way to calculate a ballpark budget for exhibiting is to:

Use your booth space size to calculate the approximate design and fabrication costs for your exhibit.  For example, if your booth space size is a 20’ x 20’ island, or 400 square feet, the square footage cost should be around $160.00, or $64,000.00 to purchase.  For a rental exhibit of the same size, the square footage cost can drop down to $110.00, or $44,000.00.  These are approximate costs used for illustration purposes and, as mentioned above, depend on a variety of factors including the technology used in the exhibit.

Some trade show industry average costs to reference:

• Labor Rates: $100-150 per man hour
• Exhibit Costs: $110 -175 per square foot
• Drayage Rates (per hundred weight): $95 – $120

If you have questions on planning and managing your trade show budget, give us a call. We will be happy to assist you in having a productive show that won’t break the bank.

Once your business decides to exhibit at a trade show, the question becomes how to make the most of that investment. Having your own trade show display can provide unparalleled opportunities to boost brand awareness, build relationships and generate leads. Too often, we see businesses jump into trade show marketing without a solid plan of how to maximize their own potential. Luckily, you don’t have to be one of them. Read on for our top seven trade show tips for exhibitors:

1. Kick-start your success with major pre-show planning.

Your team should start by determining what your main goals are for exhibiting. It may be the number of leads you want to capture, the number of individual meetings you’d like your sales team to have, or an increase in your brand’s social media following. By determining that, you’ll set your business up to make informed planning decisions and have clear metrics to use when later calculating your ROI.

Once you start the planning, choosing a good booth location on the trade show floor should be top of your list. After all, you don’t want to put in all the cost and effort of attending only to be stuck in the back without much foot traffic. Consider registering early to first come, first serve shows or paying more to be in a highly visible area near the main entrance, near the food stalls, or in your own corner booth.

2. Design a striking & interactive trade show display.

The idea is simple: the more visitors you get, the more leads you can capture. But how do you attract more visitors to your trade show exhibit? You have to get creative with your design. After all, the trade show floor can be overwhelming for attendees. That means you’ll need to find a unique, branded way to stand out.

To help, we put together nine creative trade show exhibit ideas to attract visitors with photo examples. Other trade show tips to consider are:

• Try to engage all the senses. You can do more than just display graphics. Consider adding sounds, videos, textures and even scents that fit your theme.
• Integrate technology into your display, like adding a social media wall or getting really high-tech with augmented reality.
• Draw attendees in with the things they want. Incorporate perks like comfortable seating areas with phone chargers and interactive games into your design.

3. Bring your ideas to life with a full-service exhibit agency.

It’s no easy task to dream up, design and build a stand-out custom trade show exhibit on your own. When looking for an exhibit company, you’ll want to partner with an agency that’s full-service so there’s no room for headaches. A full-service exhibit agency will take care of the design, renderings, build out, regulations, safety codes and accessibility requirements. They’ll also keep up-to-date on your branding, timeline and industry trends. With our four-step design process, we take your ideas and turn them into a unique finished product that helps you exceed your trade show goals. That means your team can focus on the fun part – attending the trade show event.

4. Put the focus on your product with innovative displays.

Do you know people’s number one reason for attending trade shows? For 92% of trade show attendees, it’s to see new products like yours. Trade shows offer a great opportunity to put your product on full display to people with buying power. To do so, we suggest you:

• Bring small products into view with large graphics or hanging banners, large video screens filled with the product demo and good lighting.
• Elevate large products with hanging signs or tower displays next to them. You could flip expectations and mount them to your exhibit’s structure for a fresh perspective.
• Don’t clutter your exhibit with too many products. You want to make an impact that attendees can focus on, not leave them unsure where to look.
• Turn your exhibit into a set built around the theme of your product, whether that’s an ocean for your boat products or an infant’s nursery for baby toys.

5. Promote your trade show presence before it even starts.

To make the most of your trade show exhibit, build anticipation and brand recognition beforehand. Check with the trade show organizers about contact information for the registered attendees. Many will let you buy a list so you can start an email marketing campaign. But don’t stop there! Incorporate the event into all your digital marketing efforts by targeting trade show hashtags on social media and search engine keywords for your SEO and PPC campaigns. Consider posting about it on your website and reaching out to anyone your team knows that will be attending the event. At the start of the event, having attendees you already contacted visit your booth will be your best tactic for attracting the attention of more visitors.

6. Go beyond your booth to make the most of a trade show.

After all the excitement, planning and promoting leading up to the event, it doesn’t stop there. Successful exhibiting calls for more than showing up with your trade show display on the right day. You can take your presence to the next level by bringing your most personable sales staff. Then leave them to man the booth while you participate in some of the speaking events and other programming. Being a featured speaker or participant in a panel or roundtable discussion will make huge strides in building your brand awareness.

Your team can also increase your ROI by making a planned effort to take photos, videos and gather interviews or quotes that will be valuable post-event. That may mean incorporating video equipment into your exhibit, designating someone on your team with the task or bringing along your marketing department’s photographer/videographer. With the right planning, your trade show presence will translate into future social media posts, blog articles, website content and online gold.

7. Capture & follow up on more leads with a digital system.

This is the last step to getting truly ahead of your competition. According to EXHIBITOR magazine, less than 70% of exhibitors have any formalized plan or process in place for how to follow up on leads. What’s more, only 28% measure and report the number of leads that ultimately convert to sales. The key to really skyrocketing your trade show display’s ROI is first being able to properly track it.

First, make a plan for what to do with any business cards you get. You don’t want to end up with a huge, confusing stack. Consider having a method to mark the ones that are high-quality leads as you receive them, and an easy way to later input them into a digital system. You’ll thank yourself later for investing in the technology. With a digitalized lead capture system, you can customize the type of information you gather and require attendees to use it in order to receive your giveaway swag. Then your team can easily track and follow up with any trade show leads during or after the event.