6 Big Trade Show Don’ts

Exhibiting at a trade show can bring in loads of interest for your product or service—provided you make the most of your opportunity and don’t drive away potential customers. After all, paying for a booth doesn’t come cheap and can cost a business, especially a small one a hefty chunk of change. Check out these tips to help increase your chances of having a profitable show and help you have more success.

1. Talking on your cell phone. People aren’t exactly going to come up and want to talk to you about what you’re presenting if you’re on the phone all the time. It’s pretty much an invisible barrier between you and potential clients and may cause you to lose dozens of sales. So, while it’s important to keep in touch, put down the phone while you’re at the show and return calls and messages at set intervals.
2. Having an inaccessible booth. If it’s hard to get into your booth, approach information, or find someone willing to talk to about the product coming to the trade show at all might have been pointless. Create a space where people can come into a private space away from the main flow. It will limit their field of vision, focus them on the product and engage them with your sales space.
3. Creating an unprofessional space. Does your trade show display booth look like something a high school student cooked up for a science fair? It shouldn’t. A trade show is a chance for you to show off your business in the best possible light so make sure your booth does just that. If you simply hang op a bunch of reprints and photos you’re not doing your business justice. Spend some time building something that people will want to stop and look at—not just something that will confuse them about what you really do.
4. Not knowing what you’re talking about. It’s essential to have people working at your exhibit booth that actually know what they’re talking about. If you don’t, it’ll make your business look unprofessional and leave potential customers walking away shaking their heads. Make sure all employees working your booth have at least a basic understanding of your products before sending them out.
5. Neglecting to see what others are exhibiting. Whether you want to get some pointers on improving your booth, keep up-to-date on the industry standard or see what kind of competition you have out there, a trade show is a great place to do a little sightseeing and see what’s going on.
6. Forget to stop talking. While you want to get out information about your products and share your enthusiasm, don’t overwhelm people with information and go out on a lengthy spiel. This might actually turn potential clients off. Provide information when they need it and leave space for them to ask questions and inquire about aspects of your products they are particularly interested in.

This post was contributed by Amber Hensley, who writes about the online college courses. She welcomes your feedback at AmberHensley1980@ yahoo.com

Banner Stand Information Online

Articles & Information on Banner Stands
These are some helpful articles on banner stands and ways to use the different models.

A Variety Of Banner Stands: An explanation about the various styles of banner stands and what they offer with a good description of each type.

Banner Stands as Advertising Tools: Advice for placement & design of advertising banner stands.

30 Ways to use banner stands: An assortment of ways businesses and organizations can use banner stands, showing specific ways to place and utilize them.

Have a Sales Presentation? Using retractable banner stands effectively for sales presentations.

Banner stands offer high impact at a low price
The benefits of using this terrific marketing tool.

Green Banner Stands: An offering of green banner stands.

Outdoor Flying Banners: A great way to attract customers for a location.

Retractable Banner Stands are Quick!

Retractable Banner Stands: Information & history on this unique advertising tool.

Avoid Ho Hum Pipe & Drape Exhibits

You Are Not What Your Pipe & Drape Says You Are!
Well...obviously not, but if you are stuck with just using pipe and drape at your next trade show, you had better do something to make it look good.

Ideally, you need a trade show display to fit inside your booth, but if it is not in the budget and you need to exhibit, here is what you can do.

1. Make a large ink jet vinyl banner to hang on the existing pipe & drape. It can be produced in a day in very large sizes. You can easily hang them over the booth drapery using ties, hooks or wire. Just make sure the printer adds grommet holes in the banner for hanging.

2. At the minimum print your logo on a set of drapes and use matching fabric table covers with your logo added. This along with a banner stand will make a nice, clean presentation. In this case, your logo is silk screened onto the drapes and onto the table covers singly or multiple times.


3. Use the same idea as idea #2 above but print the table covers and draperies in full color. This way, you can add logos, tag lines, images and text to your presentation as needed. Now it is getting closer to looking like a display.



4. Forget printing on drapes and order a printed pop-up display (mural kit) with a podium. In recent years, the prices for these displays has dropped so much that they are now affordable. You can bite the bullet and order one, even on a small budget and you wont break your teeth.

5. Also, you can simply order banner stands to fill up your exhibit booth. Very wide banner stands are available and still won't kill the budget. You can also gang up several banner stands together to make a larger image. This works very well. Retractable banner stands set up the easiest, but there are many types available for any budget.

Comic-Con International San Diego

Comic-Con is going on this week in the San Diego Convention Center.

For attending comic and pop culture fans this show is Nirvana! (paradise not the band)
In the past, Comic-Con was all about comics and their creators, artists and super heroes.
Now it includes all kinds of pop segments like horror, animation, video games, movies, collectibles and television. Warner Brothers will be there this year with exclusive pilot premiere screenings of shows like The Vampire Diaries. Celebrities will be on hand signing autographs and meeting fans.
There is even a seminar on how to make movies on a very small budget as well as DC talent search, a workshop to learn what DC comics looks for in an artist.

Of course, there is much more going on at this huge show with a myriad of exhibitors and over 400 presentations covering all Comic-Con categories.

Check out these super heroes on an ireport

Gaming at Comic-Con

On the floor at Comic-Con

Trade Show Flooring by Camelback

With all of the details you have to deal with for an important trade show, don't forget about making sure you have trade show flooring that can help your display stand out.



How can you use trade show flooring?
The right flooring can make a huge difference inside your trade show booth for many reasons.

Save Your Feet!
Use flooring that offers anti fatigue properties.
Let's face it, if you are miserable during your show, how can you put your best foot forward when you meet a prospect for the first time (no pun intended). Your feet, ankles, back and endurance need a good cushion to stand on for all of the hours you are inside your booth meeting and greeting trade show attendees.

Your Display Colors & Design
Use trade show flooring to tie in colors, patterns or overall design. For example, if you are exhibiting at an auto show, you may want to use our metallic diamond plate tiles. If your display colors are high key, using a lot of whites and yellows, you could add contrast by using a darker colored floor or accent using similar floor colors.


Your Message
Your tag lines, logos and other marketing messages don't have to just be presented on your display. Use them on the floor also. Grocery stores have been doing this for years. If you use interlocking flooring for example, you can easily add a waterjet logo cut directly into the floor (inlaid logo). Printed carpet can also augment the overall exhibit design by allowing you to print whatever you want in full color.

What Types of Flooring Is Available?
Popular interlocking flooring, printed carpet, diamond tiles, AstroTurf, hardwood flooring, bamboo flooring, various designs & patterns of vinyl flooring, standard trade show carpet, dance floors. Exhibitors have even used logo mats in their exhibit booth.

Online Advise For Exhibitors

ExhibitorOnline is a website that offers varied advise to exhibitors on topics ranging from attendance promotion and budgeting to green exhibiting. The site offers a lot of great tips and advice and even sponsors a certification program for exhibit professionals. ExhibitorOnline is a must see website.

A few sections of interest at Exhibitor Online:
There is an exhibitor tips section that covers topics such as staffing, demonstrations, planning, promotions and travel.

There is a career development section that covers salaries, job retention tips, trade show safety and sales presentation tips.

There is a products demonstration section that outlines case studies of companies that came up with innovative demo solutions.

There is a section that gives advise on staffing your booth.

Great Printing Methods for Table Covers

Table covers and table skirts are a terrific way to display branding for a presentation.

Whether it’s a trade show, job fair, convention or just a table in Home Depot giving info regarding air conditioners, table covers can clearly display a logo or marketing message to passers by.

But how exactly does that logo attach to the table skirt?

Silk screening is a standard method using inks to print sharp graphics onto polyester. Colors are accurately rendered, so Pantone colors can be matched very closely. As the name implies, inks are pressed through a screen that has areas blocked to create a logo.

You see the same thing on your favorite t-shirts.

Heat transfer is similar to silk screening in that a logo is applied to the surface of the fabric, but that is where the similarities stop. A vinyl cut out is made using a special type of printer that accurately cuts shapes. The cut out is then applied to the fabric using heat and pressure. It’s an easy process, but your colors are limited by the colors of the vinyl.

A new heat transfer process is available that uses a full color vinyl to print anything you need, including photographs.

Dye sublimation printing is another process that bonds a full color image directly onto fabric. The image is printed onto transfer paper and using high temperatures and a lot of pressure to bond it to the fibers of the table cover. You can utilize millions of colors, but the pantone color matching is not as accurate as silk screening.

Which do you use?

This depends on your budget, number of units being ordered and the accuracy of the color desired. For companies that have specific pantone colors in their logo, silk screening offers the most accurate reproduction. If you need a full color image printed, go with dye sublimation. Vinyl transfer can be less expensive for short runs.

Have a Sales Presentation?

Retractable Banner Stands Set Up Fast!

Today at 10am you have an important presentation in a conference room downtown. You have about 2 minutes to get set up, all the while you need to chat with your hosts while you organize your papers, set up your laptop and display your banner stand.

It is important to not look rushed, but you can’t take your time either. When it comes to your banner stands, you don’t want the set up to be complicated. It has to be easy!

That’s where retractable banner stands come in.

All you have to do is pull the base out of your carrying bag and pull up the banner to the top of the support pole. That’s it! 15-30 Seconds…tops!

Now that the banner stand is all set up, you have a nice supporting graphic that is big enough to make an impact while you speak. No muss, no fuss!

Remember the retractable movie screens from high school?

Retractable banner stands work by using tension to roll the banner up inside of a base. The banner retracts out of the enclosed base just like an old movie projector screen.

When you are done with the presentation, the banner is simply retracted back into the base.

Retractable banner stands can be used for sales presentations, trade shows, office lobbies, retail stores…anywhere you need a banner in a high traffic area.

Pipe & Drape: The Foundation of Trade Shows

Pipe & Drape has many uses.

Although it's primary use is to delineate trade show booths for any particular show layout, pipe and drape can be used as a room divider, a back drop for a press conference, a temporary room or wall, a stand alone display, a TV set, at fashion shows, as a banner stand, on the stage in a theater and much, much more.

Pipe and drape is made up of metal bases, uprights, drapery supports and drapes. The standard booth is a combination of of a back wall that is 10ft wide x 8ft high with 3ft high x 10ft deep side walls.


Drapery can be printed using a dye-sublimation process to attain full color or by standard silk screening. You can print a logo, message or even a full color photographic if needed.

Many different configurations are available for pipe and drape because of its ability to connect endlessly along a line or back to back. Not only that, it is a very affordable product and sometimes when an exhibitor can't afford anything else, they order pipe & drape with graphics.

The drapes come with a fire retardant certificate because a lot of trade shows require this. Several different types of fabric are available that vary in weight and weave. One affordable fabric is Banjo Cloth. Banjo is lightweight, inexpensive and naturally flame retardant polyester fabric. Another polyester fabric that can be printed on is Wyndham. It offers a twill weave with serged edges and a smooth surface that takes well to printing. It is also a heavier weave than Banjo and is considered a high quality product. We actually use it all the time outside of standard pipe and drape booths for table covers, table skirts, fabric banners and anything else that comes up.

Banner Stands Offer High Impact for a low price

You see them everywhere…stores, malls, offices, the dentist and even at the grocery store: Banner Stands!

They come in variety of shapes and sizes, depending on the needs of the marketer. Some are for a quick sales presentation so need to be set up in seconds. Others need to be placed outside temporarily and therefore need extra weight to hold them in place. Still other banner stands just need to be BIG!
And usually, the goal is to display some type of marketing message.


What is so great about banner stands?
Let’s put it this way….they are affordable and get the job done!

Have a high traffic area in a store and need to attract attention about some product or promotion? A tall free standing banner stand that is strategically placed near this traffic is the answer!

At your trade show, do you need a large graphic image displayed, but don’t have the budget for a mural display? A large 10ft wide banner stand is the answer!

Does your bank need to announce a new checking account promotion to the thousands of people standing in line for tellers each week? Use a banner stand at the entrance of the line!

Does your restaurant need more walk-ins? Place an outdoor banner stand near your entrance to pull hungry people in!

The idea is that banner stands can be used inexpensively for a high impact. Most with graphics cost a few hundred dollars and can be placed prpractically anywhere you need them. The large graphic image is an attention grabber and if designed well, can increase your sales. Not only that, graphics can easily be changed for new promotions or updates. Banner stands are extremely easy to use and require no outside assistance, which means you save money in setting up your marketing message.

Green Banner Stands

Camelback Displays, Inc. announces a new line of Green Banner Stands.
Out of the many banner stands offered, these particular stands are made of bamboo; a renewable building material. The banners are printed on recyclable vinyl.

The bamboo banner stands line offers traditional, “X”, retractable and rod tension style banner stands. All are easy to set up and come with colorful banners.

Did you know that bamboo has over 500 uses and is the fastest growing plant in the world? It can grow 3-4 feet in one day!

How to use directors chairs for more traffic to your trade show display

Directors chairs are another tool for exhibitors

How to use directors chairs to attract people to your trade show booth

Attract trade show attendees with directors chairs

A different way to use furniture at your next trade show

Travel to your trade show event - set up the trade show display - meet and greet people all day, while pitching them on your product, service or idea and you hope that you are leaving a good impression.

What is one way to give a good impression?

Get out your directors chairs! Not just for movie stars, director chairs are also a great marketing and branding tool as well as something interesting for foot sore trade show attendees to sit gratefully in.

Let's face it, it can be hard to get people to visit your booth, much less keep them there long enough to reinforce your message or brand. There are numerous ways to make a connection with a potential customer, but why not offer them a place to rest while you work your magic?

Now let's talk branding.

You can print your logo, message or artwork on directors chairs, making them subtle salesmen in your exhibit booth. You can even hang a banner on them to give a bigger impression.

Just like with other marketing tools, you want to consider being concise and clear with your message. Long messages in the small area on the backs of directors chair will not get read. Also, keep designs simple. More complicated layouts tend to look like patterns rather than a noticeable marketing message. Make your point quickly. Just like with any display message at a trade show, you only have at the most, a few seconds to attract an attendee.

Color can be used to compliment your display. For example, if your exhibit is black with light colored graphics, you may want to do the same for your chairs to tie everything together for a tidy look. On the flip side of this idea, you could also use another color that completely stands out from your display as a contrast.

Directors Chairs Ideas!

Send us more ideas and we will add them!

Easy ideas to use directors chairs to attract attendees and market your brand.

1. Print a message on your chairs that reads
   "Tired? Sit Here!" Some people may take the offer, which gives them a chance to see what you have to offer.
2. If you have an island booth with enough room, set up an area in one of the corners as a break area. Usually, people walk around in groups of two at trade shows, so have three chairs. One for a sales representative and two for attendees. Serve refreshments and make sure your most important marketing message and tools are within sight.
3. Give some type of special offer that is only printed on the chair back.
   "Save 20% by sitting here!"
4. Use your directors chairs as inexpensive bill board signs by attaching small banners to the sides or backs. Great for limited display budgets.
5. Make sure your logo or message is visible from the aisle on all the chairs. This may involve reversing the chair backs so the logo is facing the right way.
6. Repaint the chair frames to give a unique look to your directors chairs. Match corporate colors or just jazz them up.
7. Give directors chairs away as a gift to your best customers or prospects. Print their logo on the back and you will have given them a gift that they can use at their show.
8. Have attendees enter to win a free chair fully printed with their corporate logo.
9. Give an offer of a free directors chair with a first purchase.
10. When no one is around, take a break...directors chairs are comfortable!

How To Choose a Great Directors Chair

You Really Do Get What You Pay For

Watch out for imports!

No offence to countries who import into the US, but when it comes to directors chairs, American Made is the best.

Imported chairs are usually made of "Rubberwood" but named "Plantation Hardwood" and do not hold up well under continued use. Sometimes the design has a lot to be desired too. The footrests sometimes have to be assembled and removed for packing. Weight load is a problem too due to second rate construction.

American made directors chairs by contrast, are made of hardwoods using steel underpinnings with extra support. The footrests actually work and support their fair share of weight as a kind of step. Hardwood chairs will last and last too, because the wood holds up better to shifting parts and metal-to-wood rubbing that takes place when you move around in a chair.

What will be the function of your director chair?
The use you have in mind can help you decide what to buy

If the chair in mind is going to be for continued use at an event like a trade show, you need a chair that will hold up to a lot of abuse, extra weight and travel.

The American Made hardwood version is definitely the pick for this use. If 50 different people pass by your trade show booth for example, you don't want anyone getting hurt because the chair failed.

If the chair is for a charity give-away-promotion, cost is a big concern and you may not want to go with a deluxe version of a directors chair. These chairs will probably be used sporadically and will not undergo brutal abuse by continued use. Go with a lower priced chair with a lower weight limit. In this case, the imported chair may serve your needs the best.

Justify the cost of your Trade Show Display

What is a good way to decide if buying a trade show exhibit is right for your company?

What is the reason for spending hard earned money on a trade show display for your next event?

Look To Your Customers...Old & New

Are they going to be there? (Maybe you should be too!)

If you have studied your customers and how valuable they are to you, you can easily determine if buying a display is right for your company. First off, let's assume that you have determined that at your next show, a large percentage of your customers (or future customers) will be attending and you have already committed to having a presence this year. Previously, you may have rented an inline booth and had OK results. You reconnected with old customers, strengthened current relationships and even added a few new customers to your list. The show paid for itself and the standard attitude everyone in your office had about it was that it was a moderate success, but not a real money maker.

What you have to ask yourself is this: With such a large potential for face-to-face contacts, why was your response at the show so ho-hum?

Brainstorm some ideas and get the money people involved

Great exhibit ideas can be dismissed if costs are not presented as a good investment.

With this in mind, what could you do differently this year? You have meetings with your marketing and sales departments and everyone comes up with great ideas. Everyone agrees that your company needs a larger space with better placement, a larger trade show display, more color, larger graphics, more giveaways, a new theme, custom flooring, brochure stands, a contest for attendees and more. All of these are great ideas worthy of the type of company you run! That is until the estimate comes in. Then the kindly CFO that attended every trade show meeting and was very supportive, uses his veto power and declines all of it.

How to justify the cost?

The same way you justify advertising costs...The cost of buying customers!

What's next? How do you overcome this obstacle? The answer lies in the way you justify any type of advertising. How much are you willing to pay for more customers and is it worth it?

By The Numbers

How much is the average customer worth to your company...now and over the years?

Start by calculating what your customers are worth to you financially. Count how many customers you sold to last year and divide that into your sales. For example, if you sold to 500 customers last year and your total sales were $5 Million, then your average customer is worth $10,000. Take the value further by finding your average customer turnover per year. Simply take your existing customers for the past several years and decide what percentage returned to you every year. If you have a high customer retention rate, the value of any new customer is spread out over the years that you keep them coming back to you. If you use this scenario, this means that attracting one new customer at your trade show could end up adding $10,000 the first year plus all the years you keep the relationship going!
Now, let's assume that your company gets 10% of customers by word of mouth. This means that if you attract ten new customers at your show, you will net one more through referrals, adding another $10,000 to your sales! You can add more to the argument for a new exhibit by increasing your odds of seeing existing & old customers by being more visible and interesting to them.

But how many potential customers can you attract at your show with your new exhibit? Most trade show producers will have market information on attendees and you can base your projections on the same information from the last show and your sales results. Let's say that last year there were only 250 attendees that looked like your type of customer and you had lured only 75 of them to your booth (your were on a back aisle), quoted projects for 20 of them and made 5 of them your customers. This means 2% of your visitors became new customers giving your company $50,000 in new sales. For this year, let's assume the same number of attendees, but you have a better placed booth, a bigger trade show display with more impact, entertainment in the form of a contest and a terrific new offer for potential customers. So you decide that because of all of this, you can increase your results by attaining at least 6%-10% or 15-25 new customers which converts to $150,000 to $250,000.

All that is left is to add up all of your trade show costs for the new exhibit. Compare them to what you spent last year to see what the net increase in spending is. If the cost versus rewards makes sense then you have justified the cost of a new trade show display.

Protect People Wherever They Go

At a recent doctor’s visit a few weeks ago I noticed a remarkable product.. a simple product really, but convenient, comforting, and necessary considering the environment. At each elevator there was a hand sanitizer dispenser. This wasn’t just the standard disposable pump you might find in a store, but a brass motion sensitive globe filled with hand sanitizer liquid; stylish AND effective. More and more people have become nervous and threatened by the ebb and flow of various influenzas and viruses and more than ever sanitation has become an issue. Public domains like airports, schools, hospitals, etc. afford high traffic with a high level of human interaction. Lots of people means lots of germs!

We now offer a Hand Sanitizing Station that easily attaches to Beltrac crowd control stanchions. If crowd control isn’t an issue, the hand sanitizer easily attaches to any wall. Put it in or outside of restrooms, in grocery store entrances/exits, hospitals, theaters, offices, anywhere! They also come in black, chrome, or gold. The H1N1 Swine Flu is a Type A Influenza Virus. Our Instant Hand Sanitizer kills 99.9% of Type A viruses on contact and also comes in 3 different scents. Our Hand Sanitizing Station provides the perfect solution where soap and water are not readily available.

Tradeshow Interaction
At tradeshows your initial greeting with potential clients is a key factor to your success and nothing confirms confidence and sincerity more than a firm handshake. Think about how many hands you might shake that day!
With these highly effective hand sanitizer stations located in or around your tradeshow booth, you and your attendees will feel a bit more confident interacting with a multitude of people.

The Easy, Breezy Pop-up

Why should I buy a pop-up?
Pop-up displays offer an easy, functional, affordable display solution for the avid tradeshow attendee that wants to make an impression without much mess or fuss. Pop-up display units generally come curved and function not only as an informative backwall with inkjet laminate graphics or Velcro ready fabric but also a versatile display unit with a range of accessories that include shelving, monitors, backlit headers, bubble panels, etc. With mostly ready made parts, the only downside of a pop-up is structural versatility. However, there are also many customizable pop-ups that enable you to add more dimension, light, and accessories.

How do pop-ups work?
Your standard pop-up display comes with a ready made accordion frame that essentially expands outward and locks into place with a self-locking capability. Individual channel bars, or the upgraded hinged channel bars attach to the front of the display system to facilitate the individual fabric (Prelude or Frontrunner) or inkjet laminate graphic panels. Both types of panels have magnetic backs that easily attach to the channel bars to create a flawless mural image or backwall. The number of panels is contingent upon the size of the display system. The standard 10’ curve for example, supports 4 center panels and 2 end panels that wrap around the curve on either side of the display. Lights clip on the top of the display system as well. You can go with the 75 watt “Vegas” lights or the brighter 150 watt lights for the “less hardware” look.

Another benefit of the pop-up is that it all packs and ships in one case that can be shipped with standard shipment providers like Fedex and UPS. The case can also be converted into a podium unit for your display using a black lycra (spandex-like) conversion kit or a fabric wrap that is available in over 56 velcro receptive colors. You can even punctuate your overall message with an upgrade from fabric to a graphic podium wrap that also fits inside of the case.

Versatility of Display Truss

Function and Form
I love the versatility of truss. The most common use for truss is structural. Rarely do you go to a concert or auditorium without seeing a truss arch spanning a stage overhead supporting a range of lights, monitors, signs, or projection screens. At more advanced stage performances (think huge pop star or rock star concerts) expansive truss structures with motorized elements pull apart and come together to create those over the top light and special effects shows. Depending on the size (6” to 18” in width) or style (flat, triangular, or square) truss can support hundreds of lbs! Aluminum stage truss is the alpha of the truss industry, lightweight to handle, but fully capable of a heavy load.. and it looks good..

This brings us to style. Truss looks good, period. It doesn’t just offer support, but a contemporary and professional element and a visual edge whether it be a tradeshow, auditorium, stadium, or even a cocktail lounge. Truss sections can be designed to create a table, bar stools, laptop stations, monitor stands, banner stands, kiosks, and more. A customer of ours actually used truss to design a contemporary wine rack.

Terrific design possibilities
Because of the range of truss pieces (angles, curves, straights) design possibilities are infinite. The truss look itself is not limited either. Truss can be almost any color imaginable. Not only that, different types of truss offer different looks. EZ6 and EZ12 modular truss have square tubes rather than the standard circular tubes used for hollow steel and aluminum stage truss. They also attach with brackets and break down faster for perhaps a tradeshow display on the go. Orbital truss is another modular truss with square tubing and interesting futuristic connections. All of these truss styles can add dimension and dynamics to any presentation with tremendous function and form.

Getting Help At Your Trade Show

Setting up a trade show display can be as simple as following the directions that come with your pop-up or hybrid display. But sometimes, no matter how many times you read the instructions, it just doesn't click and you are left with a partially set up exhibit. It may not even be you, the instructions could be followed to the letter, but some crucial piece of the puzzle didn't arrive and you have no idea what the problem is.

Who do you ask for help?
You could spend your time trying to painstakingly figure out why this damn thing isn't going together like your supplier promised, you could curse at it with your extensive collection of four-letter words you can't utter in front your Mother...or... you can get some help. It may look like you are all alone in trying to solve the problem, but you actually have quite a few resources at your disposal.

Try your supplier first
Usually with a quick phone call the problem can be diagnosed on the phone. It could be simple fix and you are finally finished with set up a few minutes later and on your way to TV in your hotel room. If not, be prepared to take a picture with your phone or digital camera to send to your supplier via text messaging or email. This way they can sometimes easily spot the trouble area and get you on your way. However, sometimes your supplier is no help because the problem could be harder than a sales reps limited product experience.

Talk the the manufacturer
If your supplier can't figure out what the solution is, ask to speak with the manufacturer. You will find that most people who sell exhibits have a clear understanding of how a product works, goes together with all of the features, benefits and what options will work best for your needs. But the people who actually built your product will have a deeper understanding and be able to solve core issues quickly. They also can overnight replacement parts if needed or come up with other solutions the sales rep didn't think of.

Of course, there is always show services
Always bring your show information with you and earmark important areas where you could potentially need help. Most of the time if you need to hire labor for set up, it is union labor, which is expensive and full of rules and regulations. However, if you need the help and your trade show experience needs to be successful, it may be worth the cost to get the job done.
Usually if it is one of the standard venues in New York, Chicago, Las Vegas, etc...the union labor has set up hundreds, if not thousands of exhibits like yours. They also have the required tools to fix things or to make modifications.

I&D Services (Installation & Dismantlement)
I&D companies specialize in setting up large and small trade show exhibits. They can come to your show and get you set up easily and quickly. When the show is over, they can come back and pack everything up and ship it to your office or storage facility. All of the big cities will have I&D companies or you can fly someone in if it is in the budget. They can hire your union labor if needed for large projects or do the work themselves if the job is small.

Pick up the phone book and call a local exhibit company
If none of the above works for you, there are usually local exhibit companies willing to help who are also a phone call away. They may even sell the product your are setting up or at least have experience with it. A local exhibit company may also be able to loan you something to get by in case your display is not functioning and even print up emergency graphics.

Ask a fellow exhibitor
We are all in this together! If it is something simple and you are just not getting what the instructions are telling you, then ask someone at the show with a similar display for their advise. This could be the quickest way to solve your problem. Don't be too proud to seek assistance and be willing if someone needs your help.

Have a back up plan
If you just purchased a new trade show display and you have never set it up in a trial run, bring phone numbers! Do a little research and find out where help is if you need it and compile a list of emergency contacts to assist you if needed.
For example, why not have the name of a sign shop that can print banners the same day. If your display gets lost in transit and misses the show, at least you would have something to display.

Recession Notes For Exhibitors

Apparently, we have been in a recession since December, 2007.

Rest assured however, that companies still need to market their products and services. Trade shows remain a proven method to increase business, reconnect with current & old customers and launch new products.

The economy is definitely in a decline, but economists are saying that it is possible that we are actually out of the recession and into the recovery but we just don't know it yet! (I'm glad that we can be unequivocal about this) The Tradeshow Week Quartely Report of Tradeshow Statistics shows several indicators for our industry ticking downwards, but the changes over last year are, in my opinion, rather small. For example the number of companies exhibiting overall are down 6.5%., but this means that 93.5% are still exhibiting!

I read another marketing article recently that pointed out that companies who did not cut their marketing budgets during a recession actually maintained sales and won more market share during a recovery. This makes sense because weaker companies will fall out of the market and stronger (or more determined) companies will be in a position to help new customers.

Rather than cutting a marketing budget, check ways to make what you are doing more effective.
Maybe now is the time to make some changes to an exhibit, launch a direct mail campaign or put something on sale.