Trade Show Blog

Meet your new trade show team! Zap Creative

Big News! Nomadic Display has teamed up with Zap Creative to bring a whole new generation of trade show exhibit solutions to Bostonland.

From strategic development through design and management, Zap Creative is an exhibit agency with a proven track record of creating attention-getting, results-driven programs. And now they offer Nomadic's full line of custom modular and portable displays. Together we blend custom impact with the savings benefits of light weight modularity to help you achieve a greater return on your display investment.

Contact Zap Creative today to learn how we can help you engage more sales opportunities while you save on transportation, drayage, storage and labor.

Looking for the flexibility to meet your trade show display needs? Our latest 20’ Inline is the answer.

While marketing budgets are improving, companies continue to seek choices for how best to invest their program funding. Nomadic offers display designs that may be purchased or, when appropriate, rented which provides you with the flexibility to determine how we can best meet your needs.  Below is an example of the same design offered for both purchase or rental.

Purchase Option: ID28439N

Design Features:

• Counter - Backlit
  
• Tension Fabric Graphics and Backlit Graphic Signage
  
• Foundation Base
  
• Semi-private Meeting Area with Top Rail
• Meeting Table
• Literature Holders - Custom Surfboard
  
• Reconfigurable into a 10' x 10' Backwall

Rental Option: 4837

Design Features:

• Counter
• Graphic Signage
• A/V Monitor
  
• Semi-private Meeting Area
• Meeting Table with Chairs
  
• Literature Holders - Acrylic
• Flooring - Carpet

Ask your local Nomadic Dealer about our latest purchase design ID28439N and interpretive rental design 4837 today.

Looking for cool new tools to engage your audience at face-to-face events?

Studies show that the most popular trade show traffic-builders are promotional products that are useful to people.  The usual suspects - apparel, pens, coffee mugs, and calendars – are useful but they lack interaction.  Trade shows and events are all about two-way communication. So consider a promotional giveaway that offers a uniquely competitive advantage, one that really stands out for being useful AND interactive….MingleSticks.

MingleSticks are great conversation starters and buzz builders on-and-off the show floor.  A MingleStick is a simple one button device akin to an electronic business card.  Exchanging information is fast and fun – just point and click MingleSticks. After the event, users upload their mingle connections from the device to their online portal.  The portal features photos to help people remember who they met.  The portal also integrates with other social media sites like LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, etc.  Watch videos to learn more about MingleSticks.

Featured Client: Álvarez Betrán 30 x 30 Island Solution

"With the Nomadic stand proposed by MSB massa Bárzano we were able to interact with customers, potential buyers and the media using spectacular demos. We achieved our dual objectives of return on investment and reuse."

-Armando Gutiérrez,
Marketing Manager, Álvarez Beltrán

Client
Alvarez Beltran SA is best known as a leading distributor of electrical equipment in Spain. Best known for security systems, Alvarez also provides lighting, HVAC, telecommunications, energy efficiency and renewable energy solutions for private and public sectors.

Requirement
Alvarez needed a platform to promote the full range of their security solutions so they selected a 100 square meter space at SICUR, a major security expo, for its first exhibition. Alvarez wanted the exhibition to help them achieve their goal of expanding beyond current perceptions among customers and prospects to establish themselves as a security specialist. Alvarez wanted to obtain industry, local and national media coverage. Plus Alvarez wanted an exhibit that could be reused in other configurations for events such as road-shows and sales presentations.

Solution
MSB massa Bárzano worked with Nomadic to develop a custom modular display solution to meet their requirements.

To illustrate their expertise and wide range of solutions, Alvarez required spaces dedicated to a variety of functional presentation needs. One viewing room was constructed of water tight transparent acrylic for demonstrations involving smoke and shattering glass. Other areas were divided by blue acrylic partitions to view video surveillance, alarm, explosion, tunnel fire and bullet-resistant glass products. In addition, Alvarez required a VIP meeting room, hospitality area, office, and storage.

Alvarez achieved their show goals of generating new business opportunities and attracting prime time news coverage. Alvarez is able to break down the display into smaller units for use in other venues o

Compare and Save

Case(s)	Qty	Dimensions	Dim Weight	Total
RollMax	1	34”w x 61”h x 56”d	600 lbs	600 lbs
FlatPack 300	4	53”w x 14”h x 28”d	100 lbs	440 lbs
				1040 lbs

What is the part of a Trade Show that pays off the most?

Exhibiting is not rocket science. I guarantee if you follow a systematic approach from start to finish you will get results. The problem is exhibitors generally don’t put as much effort into the follow-up process as they do into everything else. Following up after the show may be the most laborious part of the process, but it is the part that makes your trade show pay.

Work out your cost per lead and then multiply it by the number of leads you didn’t thoroughly follow up ($75 per lead x 20 leads = $1500). That’s how much money you have just wasted.

I am impressed by the number of exhibitors who actually follow up while they are still at the show. Recently, a photographic company emailed my photo to me on the same afternoon I visited their booth. A dedicated and persistent approach to follow up will impress buyers, giving them a positive indication of how you conduct your business.

So start at the end. Plan how you are going to follow-up before you do anything else and get everyone in your company to buy into and commit to your plan.

The key to success is long term follow-up. Research shows it takes an average of seven hits before you get the order. Mix and match the methods you use, from email to letter, fax and phone. Follow-up twice as long and you will get twice the result.

What does it take to grab an attendees attention at a Trade Show?

One, two, three. Three seconds is all the time it takes for a visitor to walk past your booth at a Trade Show, and in that time you have to show them who you are and what you do. But, more importantly, what you can do for them. So, how do you ensure you create a lasting impression, and that your display stands out from the rest of the crowd?

Before you look at any aspects of designing your display you must look at how it has to function to meet your needs, and consider the more practical aspects of building a display. Think about matching the design and architecture of the exhibit to your show objectives. For instance, if you are launching a new product or service you may need to allocate space for a demo area, or you may choose flat screens or plasmas to help deliver key messages. If your key objective is taking leads, you will need counters to work from and store the leads. If you are planning to meet and entertain key clients, then you will be looking at having a seating area, and possibly a fridge and bar.

For most companies its not just about one show, it is about how the exhibit works over a period of time. Take into account reusability, packing, storage and transport. These aspects will dictate the materials you use to build the exhibit.

An open design indicates the display is very accessible, is welcoming to potential clients and creates easy visitor flow. If this is your aim, the general rule is to ensure at least 60 percent of the booth space itself is open, and at least 60 percent of the exhibit frontage is open. A closed design indicates the intention of the display is for a more select ensemble of prospective and existing clients, and will cut down visitor flow.

One sure way to gain attention at a Trade Show is to build high, and it costs less to build high than to take extra floor space. This allows graphics to be placed at a level where they will be viewed from a greater distance, and you will be able to accommodate storage, monitors and even rotating graphics using high structures. As a general rule, build high from the center of the display. However, do remember to check height restrictions with the organizer and venue.


Essentially, it is all about branding. Even if your company doesn’t have a strong and instantly recognizable brand identity, the overall design should reflect the personality of your business. Adopt a retail-orientated approach, focusing on the more specialized and discerning visitor. Create an enticing shop window to draw visitors to your booth. After all, initially you are trying to stop visitors and spark their interest, selling comes after.

Approximately 98 percent of our senses are geared towards visual imagery. It is the most important sense we have, so you need to create eye-catching, powerful graphics, and keep the message simple. Use big bold images, and as little text as possible. Your company name and key messages should be above head height, and don’t put any text in the dead space from the foot of your stand, to the floor below 500 millimeters.

Dare to be different. Blue and white are very prominent colors on show floors because they are the most used corporate colors, so consider your color scheme carefully. Beyond this, a cleverly themed display will become the talk of the Trade Show, and stay in the mind of the visitor long after the show. The principles you use to design a booth are the same whether it’s a nine square meter shell scheme, or a 90 square meter space only exhibit. Think form, think function, think impact. Think one, two, three.

What activity delivers the opportunity to meet & qualify 200 or more prospects in a short time?

Trade Shows.

Let’s start with a simple exhibiting equation: more leads equal more business, which means the potential for business from trade shows is huge. What other marketing activity delivers the opportunity to meet and qualify 50, 100, 200 or more prospects in such a short period of time?

As a typical rule of thumb, you are likely to gain between one percent and 10 percent of the visitor audience in leads. For example, 5,000 visitors multiplied by five percent equals 250 leads. Although, for most exhibitors, lead numbers are likely to be at the lower end of the scale.

The starting point is to consider the information you wish to capture. You can use a data scanner offered by most show organizers, but don’t think simply of capturing a list of names. Use the data scanner in conjunction with a well thought through lead form. Never ask more than five key questions, so you get the information you need and the visitor doesn’t get bored.

Motivate your booth staff with targets and incentives to collect leads. Even small awards will add a competitive and fun element: ‘top person each day’, ‘top person overall’ and a team prize if you exceed your show goal. It works. I have witnessed booth staff running around at the end of a show talking to fellow exhibitors, trying to gain the last few leads to ensure they hit their targets.

Think of every piece of activity around the show as a way to generate leads. All the contacts you make from networking, workshops, pre-show marketing and so on, should be added to your total lead count.

Each lead represents an opportunity, but if you grade them in order of importance when you are at the show, you will be able to attack the most promising first. Even if your key objective at the show is not to collect leads, shouldn’t you have at least a modest lead target to aim for? If you create a base of measurement then you have a target to exceed every time you exhibit.

Where dollars and percentages dare not tread.

Try mentioning the subject of “subject lines” to an email marketer and you’ll find yourself listening to a litany of do’s and don'ts and an enumeration of spam-trigger words.

Let me share with you some nuggets of lessons I’ve learned in dealing with this topic.

Lesson no. 1: $ and % will land your email in Spamville
If you’re planning to send out an email about the huge discount that you’re giving away at an upcoming trade show, don’t make the mistake of putting that number in your subject line. Spam filters are extra sensitive to zeroes, dollars and percentage signs. Oh, and one more thing—stay away from exclamation marks. You don’t want to excite the spam filters.

Lesson no. 2: All CAPS will not get your message through
There’s no better way to make a point than to capitalize all letters in your text. Well, that is if you want to catch the attention of spam filters. So, avoid using an ALL CAPS approach in your subject line.

Lesson no. 3: KISS (Keep It Short and Straightforward)
Experts recommend that you limit your subject line to no more than 50 characters. Please note that spaces in between words are counted as characters.

Lesson no. 4: Dates matter
This we proved at Nomadic when we tested two subject lines for a promotion email. The one that included a promo end date generated a higher open rate. Dates create an urgency for email recipients to open your email and see what you’re offering them.

Clearly, this short and single line of text can spell a whole lot of difference in getting your message across. So, before you push the “Send” button, double-check your subject line.
 

Counting pennies - are you expected to produce more marketing results with fewer resources?

Every dollar counts. That’s true everywhere, but especially relevant in today’s competitive business environment, where success is measured by the figure on the bottom line.

Marketing managers are expected to produce more results with fewer resources, making it essential that every dollar spent is being utilized to its best advantage. To be successful, upper management evaluates trade shows and corporate events on their ability to produce a positive and measurable return.

According to the Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR), companies spend over $24 billion annually on trade shows. Trade shows have proven to be more effective in achieving sales and marketing objectives, but they also command the significant share of the average marketing budget.

The fixed expenses related to trade shows and events can be expensive. As you can see, exhibit space accounts for over 30% and show services require another 20%. So savvy managers are forced to look to the remaining variable expenses to save money: including staff travel and entertainment, promotion, and increasingly, display properties.

But how do you determine whether you should save money by renting your booth or purchasing it outright. Performing your own analysis is key to helping you clarify your exhibit acquisition decision. Below is an example based on a typical 10' x 20' display, used in Chicago and shipped from a warehouse on the East Cost.

This calculation is for an exhibit used once per year.

                          Rent          Purchase
Architecture       $4,200       $12,590
Graphics            $5,450       $5,450
Storage                 —           $4,200
Transportation*  $2,250       $2,250
Drayage             $1,750       $1,750
Labor                 $3,500       $3,500
Total                   $17,150    $29,740

This calculation is for the same exhibit rental vs. purchase for three uses in a year.

                          Rent        Purchase
Architecture       $12,600     $12,590
Graphics            $5,450       $5,450
Storage                 —           $4,200
Transportation*  $6,750       $6,750
Drayage             $5,250       $5,250
Labor                 $10,500     $10,500
Total                  $40,550     $44,740

* Unless you rent in the city in which it will be used.

If your company only attends one show per year then the economical option is to rent your trade show display. However, if your company attends more than one trade show per year your best bet is to purchase your exhibit.

Looking for a 20' Island that can be reconfigured into a 20' and 10' Inline. Check out our latest design.

Need displays for 3 different size trade show spaces. Enjoy the versatility of this 20' x 20' Island by reconfiguring it into a 10' x 20' Inline and a 10' x 10' Backwall. The Turnkey price for this attractive custom modular display is $61,000 - $67,000, that's three displays in one. Plus, you get the reliability and quality product you expect from Nomadic Display, plus the industry's best lifetime warranty.

Design Features:

• Tension Fabric Structure
• Large Format Tension Fabric Graphics
• Semi-Private Meeting Area
• Integrated A/V Workstations
• Rigid Inkjet Signs
• Locking Storage
• Reconfigurable into a 10' x 20' Inline and 10' x 10' Backwall

Ask your local Nomadic Dealer about our latest design ID28896N today.