I had dinner with a colleague from the industry last evening. We traded stories and leads and finally got to philosophy. After several minutes of spirited discussion, we both concluded one thing: It’s not about the booth. While this seems an overstatement of the obvious, too many exhibitors and suppliers view the trade show experience […]
It’s not about the booth Read More »
The last day of set up is always a day of punch lists and tending to do the last-minute details. Before you can leave the booth that one last time before the show opens, did you: Put out the pen holders and other office supplies? Label the last crates as “Empty”? Cut the poly off
The Finishing Touches Read More »
They look so great and graceful (well, mostly) hanging in the air over the show floor. But somebody had to get hanging signs up there. Usually, it’s up to you to get the job done. Hanging your completed sign has a few steps: Put in the order for the riggers well in advance of the
Laying carpet and pad may seem like a simple thing, but executed accurately, it can save you time and money, make your staff comfortable and improve the appearance of your booth immensely. At this show we did several things: Notched the pad for the cables so that the carpet on top laid flat Measured from
Carpet installation Read More »
If you can get to show site early, one of the best uses of your time is to work with the electricians on the installation of your power in your booth. At NACS in Chicago, I had a great experience with the electricians and telecom guys. They followed direction well, made solid suggestions and worked
Guiding electrical installation Read More »
One of the biggest time savers in terms of getting things off and running with your I&D crew is staging freight around your booth. That is, arranging the crates with your exhibit packed in them for optimum use around the empty space. I was fortunate enough at this show (the NACS show in Chicago for
A quick reminder: have copies with you or have a reference to all of the orders you have at a show. There is no substitute for the credibility a sheaf of papers that have the record of your order for electrical, material handling, rigging, rentals and whatever else you’ve ordered from the general contractor. The
Taking your orders with you Read More »
I stand corrected. My copy of Trade Show Executive arrived today and in it was their annual “Gold 100” of top trade shows. NACS is number 52. I had my stats wrong. The show typically over 380,000 square feet of exhibition space, it does move between cities (rotating through Chicago, but including Atlanta and Orlando).
I’m traveling on Wednesday to a show that is significant in American marketing and the trade show world: the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS). I’ve never been to this show, so this should be a treat and an experience. The exhibition is held in conjunction with the NACS conference and educational sessions. The conference
I made my regular visit to Mr. B, the man who shines my shoes, and came away with yet another life lesson. No, I’m not going to talk about hiring one of those shoe-shine girls for your trade show booth to build traffic. We’re going to talk about customer contact and service. Whenever I stop
Shoe shines and trade shows Read More »
