Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Trade Show Planning in Advance, where to start?

This is the biggest part of attending Trade Shows and possibly the most overlooked - Planning in Advance. Who isn't a procrastinater now and again but planning ahead for a trade show is what will make or break it.

Sounds simple but it can be if you do your homework. If you've never attended a show before and want to start it will make a difference if you research the shows that will be worthwhile for you to attend.

With numerous trade shows every year in the United States, there should never be a loss of places to exhibit.


Researching potential shows to find out where your company or product best fits is a must-do. This leads to alot of unanswered questions like should you go to industry specific shows or B2B shows or where can you find trade shows period?

Here are a few places to start your research:
- Ask your local and area Chamber of Commerce leaders
- Contact any Associations or Organizations you belong to
- Ask friends or collegues in the same business as you and get their advice

Here are two online resources:
- www.biztradeshows.com/usa
- http://www.conventions.net/

Good luck in your search for potential trade shows to attend!

Your trade show image made easy

Get ready to make the impact that will blow your competition out of the water! You've already researched the Trade Show Display that best suits your needs for not only today but into the future as well.

You thought that was the hard part. WRONG! That was the easy part. The hard part is your graphics. So, here are two quick pointers on what you can do to increase attention to your graphics.


According to a study by the Pennsylvania College of Optometry, there are two simple elements that can enhance graphic effectiveness.

1. Adding a border to focus attention on your sign helps the viewer read it 26% faster. That's a big advantage in a fast-paced marketplace.

2. By presenting special information in a second color, you increase the reader's retention by 78%. So whatever is most important on your sign, whether it's a phone number or a key word, try using an accent color to draw better response.


Wednesday, November 18, 2009

NEW look, NEW products, Same great service


NEW look, NEW products, Same great service
Well, it was time to revamp our Affordable Exhibit Displays, Inc. home page with a fresh new look. Take a look at it above or click here to go live: http://www.affordabledisplays.com/


But, what hasn't changed is long standing with the Better Business Bureau. And that we're a family owned and operated company since 1994. With over 10,000 customers we know the Trade Show Display industry.

Call Brie or Dena today at 800.723.2050 to speak with us today!

How to A.T.T.R.A.C.T Visitors to your Booth


IT'S ALL ABOUT ATTRACTION AT A TRADE SHOW.

It's pretty true. If your booth is not attactive and inticing in some way then there's no reason to look or listen to what you have to say. We'll give you a few pointers on what you can do to spice up your next show.

A: ATOMPSHERE - Create an open atmosphere. If you booth does not have the 'open concept' feel you may be creating an unintentional barrier between you and your visitor. Move furniture including podiums to the sides and back. This will provide an 'open door' feel to all that pass by.

T: TOUCH OF SOFT- Ever thought of adding carpet to your booth. It not only will add an extra layer to cushion for your tired feet but it will also create an inviting feeling of home. Trade show carpet is available in a variety of colors, comes in interlocking squares and can match your booth colors and not the venue.

T: TRY A DRESS CODE - Ever wonder as you walk around who's a visitor and who's a booth staffer? Wearing ordinary office wear - even if it's your best - may not be the best option. Why? The first impression is YOUR a visitor too. Blending in with everyone else will not help attact visitors to your booth. Try having your booth staffers wear the same shirt, hat, vest, tie or jacket. This will help all visitors know where and who you belong to.

R: ROPE THEM IN WITH MOTION - When an object is moving, your eyes must follow - if you want to percive it clearly that is. So move something! If you don't have a product, TV, slide show or something that moves try something as simple as moving your arms, playing with a yo-yo or handing out a small giveaway.

A: ALL THE BEST - Staff your booth with the best employees you have to offer. Ones that know your product or service the best. Your booth staffers must be willing to approach visitors with a positive, upbeat attitude and keep a smile going all day long.

C: COLOR YOUR BOOTH - Drab neutral colors just won't do at a tradeshow. Your colors must have the impact to captivate the eyes and awaken the brain. Here is what some colors are known to do: Green - nature, Red - excitment, Yellow - optimism, Black - authority, White - purity and Blue, serenity. Put your visitors in the mood you want!

T: TAKE ADVANTAGE OF TECHNOLOGY - Use all of the technological tools you can to interact with the visitors before, during and even after the show. Entice them with media options such as websites, e-mail blasts, web links, downloads, or even try multiple working presentations during the show too. These are all fairly inexpensive and easy to do. Tell them when, where and most importantly why they should see your company at the show.

Try to implement just one of these (or more) at your next show to see if you'll ATTRACT more visitors to your booth.

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Trade shows - Let's be real here

I love this little gold trumpet guy. For some reason he just makes me want to take action.

He's yelling at me, "Come on everyone, let's go!"

We should listen to him, don't you think? I mean, yeah, let's go! Let's make the end of 2009 better than it's beginning.

You know just as well as I do that the big talk of 2009 has been... "How's business?" We get asked this so many times I've lost count.

The trade show industry is slow and that's a fact - I found stats anywhere from 8%-22% down. Trade shows cost money - alot of money. And right now, everyone is watching their money and how it's spent.

That's not a bad thing. It's a good thing. We all should tighten our buckle once and awhile.

While others are holding back, we find this a great time to re-invent things. We're a trade show company! We can invent and take on any new product we want to. And that's what we've decided to do.

So, we're changing gears from status quo to full speed ahead.

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

AIRLINE TRAVEL with carry on, what to take... what NOT to take

TRAVELING TO YOUR NEXT SHOW BY PLANE...
If so do you know what you can carry on with you?
If not, get educated with the below chart provided by the TSA.




Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Tips on Trade Show Speaking

With public speaking, it doesn’t matter who your audience is. What matters is how you properly present yourself. The same goes for being at a trade show. Being at a trade show and representing your company is a form of public speaking - the attendees are your audience.

Whomever you approach or approaches you will know right away how prepared you actually are. You must be ready at all time by knowing your product or service inside and out, by being upbeat, by focusing on the audience whether it’s one person or a group and practicing before show time.

So, here are FOUR tips to help prepare you before the next big show.

Tip 1: Knowing your product or service. Obviously, knowledge is a winner in sales. And as a consumer, nothing is worse than ending up with a salesperson that knows nothing about what they’re selling – no matter what it is. So, if you don’t feel confident you’d better start learning all there is to know now.

Tip 2: Arrive upbeat and stay that way. If your morning began on a bad note, leave it at the door. You owe each and every person at the trade show the same enthusiastic presentation from the first to the last.

Tip 3: Focus on the audience whether it’s one person or a group. Keep your eyes planted where they should. No looking over their shoulder or at your feet. It’s important to keep the attention on them and make them important.

Tip 4: Practice. From an early age we are taught that practice makes perfect. And as an adult nothing has changed. Practice even the simple things like saying who you are and what your company does. Practice until it sounds effortless. Also, practice keeping the pace of your words moderate, try not to rush through.


Attitude and confidence are also key factors in confident trade show speaking.

Tip 1: Try this the night before, positive visualization. Whether you believe this works or not, try it. Imagine yourself on the show floor being confronted by a new prospect. Imagine how you want to handle yourself.

Tip 2: Be in control. Act confident, be ready, hold your head up high, stand up straight and lastly but most important… smile. Avoid keeping your hands in your pockets, rocking side to side, twirling your hair or touching your face. These are all signs of self doubt.

Tip 3: Accept nervousness, we’re all human. Everyone gets nervous but the difference is all in how you handle it. Turn your jitters into positive energy that radiates off of you.

Tip 4: Lastly, it’s not the end of the world if you have a bad day. There’s always the next show to make up for where you lacked today. It’s called learning - embrace it.

Monday, April 13, 2009

Maine Today Article


FEATURED ARTICLE

Affordable Exhibit Displays, Inc. -- Sustainable Maine
Check it out more on recycled fabric and how you can save a landfill from your old display!

4 Tips to help you find new trade show success in 2009


Spring is one of those transitional times of year. Here, in New England, we are all ready to welcome the warm summer breeze, but it's still a bit too soon for that.

Spring is also the time of year that trade show goers are gearing up for the 2009 trade show season – that’s if it hasn’t started for you already.

Attending a trade show is a commitment from beginning to end. And preparing ahead saves time and money when it counts the most.

Here are some 4 TIPS to help get you on the right track.

TIP #1
For a small show start planning 3 months in advance, at the minimum. For the moderate size show start planning 6-8 months in advance and for the large national shows a year is preferred. With the smaller size shows but for the national shows, so much more money is spent just to be there. So planning ahead will make your show successful.

TIP #2
Most important, can't say it enough, if you don't get this right than just forget the whole thing. Number ONE most important piece to know and build your whole show presence on is... drum roll please... your TARGET AUDIENCE.

Who is at this show anyway? It's not about what you think of the service/product, it's what they think. Who is going to benefit from your services or product? The audience. What are their needs, what are their wants, what will they get out of your service/product?

Those are the questions you need to ask and figure out. Not just surface answers either, these answers must strike a cord with them and really hit home. It must be a deep benefit to them that makes you stand above your competitors. I must use that, oh, that service will make my life so much easier. What did I do without it?

TIP#3
Okay, so now you have the best advertising you could have come up with. How are you going to attract your target audience to your booth? What is going to invite them and engage them? Your GRAPHICS! Let’s face it, not all of us have been hit with the creative stick.

So that's when you hire, if you must, a professional. A trade show graphics professional. Someone with the experience in building the visual that gets those people to say, hey, who's that. If your graphics don’t speak to the target audience than you may as well go home. This visual must always be a positive one.

TIP #4
Set your GOALS high. Set them too low and fail at this challenge. It's like playing a championship game of football, being the quarterback and holding the ball in your hand while walking on the field and knowing... you're going to lose. Well, then the Law of Attraction says - lose you will. And who wants to do that! So, set those goals high. It's just like anything else, talk is cheap but effort makes you the MVP of your team. And that's where you need to be right now. You’re the teams Most Valuable Player!

This March, while the birds start flying home, the days get longer, and the smell of the air starts to change take the time to sit back and reevaluate why you want to go to trade shows and what extra business can come out of it.

10 TIPS TO TRADE SHOW BETTER

Do … plan ahead properly including the amenities like lighting, internet access or carpeting
Do … insure your booth space is tidy and neat even right down to the smell
Do … always look ready - focus your attention on your customers or prospects during show time
Do … show your best self – wear your best suit and comfortable shoes, you’ll thank yourself later
Do … bring more than enough hand outs including business cards

Don’t … procrastinate or get caught off guard with un-anticipated issues such as no throw provided
Don’t … fuss with your booth during the show, save that for before the show starts
Don’t … eat or drink inside your booth space, it is unappealing and no one wants a spill
Don’t … talk excessively to other booth staffers, pay attention to why you are there
Don’t … talk on your cell phone, text or scroll through your Blackberry

Thursday, January 15, 2009

Unlock your trade show displays recycling potential – How it may surprise you

So, it’s 2009 and the hype still remains… recycling. Everywhere you go, every corner of every industry is now on board with some type of product that is “environmentally friendly”.

Even, down to the 2008 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade. For the second year helium used in some of the over-sized balloons was recovered and recycled.

Why’s that a big deal you say? Well, helium is limited and becoming a scarce resource. It is produced slowly through the process of decaying uranium and thorium. Currently, only about 5% of the world’s helium is being recycled.

What an interesting fact most people don’t know about or have even thought about - bet you won’t look at the 2009 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade the same.

With all this recycling talk, we took a long look at our products. And even surprised ourselves! 90% of our products are made with recyclable items such as aluminum, polycarbonate, polyethylene, cardboard materials such as fiberboard, and, of course our recycled fabric brand – Premier.

Here’s some of our products in a little more depth... our branded 1UP Pop up display line has aluminum bars and polycarbonate backed panels with cases that are roto-molded are made from polyethylene. All of these components may be recycled.

Our Promoter panel displays series has an interior core of fiberboard – which is a corrugated cardboard material. Our Add-A-Panel display and tower series has an interior core of corrugated plastic mounted to an aluminum framing. Again, all of these components may be recycled.

Our Premier brand fabric is used on all of our 14 branded display models and is made from recycled PET bottles and can further be recycled.

These are just to name some of our top lines.

Well, it’s time to take a look at your efforts and jump on board with sustainability. Just like us, you may surprise yourself with what you might already be doing and don’t even know it.

Our 7 Positive Ways To Help You Welcome 2009 Change

1. Fact: change is unknown. Fact: change is uncontrollable. It can not be predetermined but it can be dealt with a willing heart. Embrace the unknown change that may lie ahead.

2. Join forces with your world – past, present and future. Hand-in-hand you are your world are one. Embrace your whole world. It is not flawless but it is yours – you own it.

3. Expect all change, the good the bad and the ugly. Change is your friend in whatever form it arrives in. It’s inevitable that change is going to happen but it’s how you react to it that depicts the outcome.

4. Receive change openly, try not to fight change. Be still, be quiet, concentrate that is when peace and truth finds you. Listen to your inner voice. Stop to listen and hear.

5. Present positive change. What makes you joyous, what makes you jump with unending joy? Go to it, seek it out and go with it.

6. Create a realistic plan for you and your goals. Organize, communicate, work, focus and embrace the plan.

7. Commit and commit hard.

Trade Show New Year

January 2009 will be our 1 year anniversary participating in the newsletter craze. We're pretty proud of that! We strive to provide useful information giving you the knowledge to outperform your competitors. Every month it’s about what information can we offer you that is beneficial. Well, this month will be just about change – upcoming change.

Year 2008 has had its share of ups and downs just like any past year but yet somehow feels different – for us anyway.

It was a year that started off just the same as before then turned into a year to reflect upon past business practices. We have come out of this year stronger than ever before by opening our wings to fly into new territory. Brave – we think - but absolutely necessary. The focus now is on providing our customers, new and old, with our same great service and product line.

Now, in 2009, we specialize in interior signs such as posters, ceiling signs, directional signs, floor decals and wall coverings that install like wallpaper.

On top of that backlit signs with printed posters for interior or exterior uses and self-adhesive products like view-thru window decals.

Plus, fine art printing and mounting with Archival – “Giclee” museum 8 color inks mounted onto or into a frame.

And we can’t forget about Life Size Cut Outs from your photos that are self-standing and make your trade show come to life. Also, Big Checks for those fundraising, donation or just about any use you can think of. All of this is done right here in-house.

Call, e-mail or fax any requests. You may be surprised what we can do!

"The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing." -- Walt Disney