Trade Show Displays: Why Trade Show Displays Fail (Tip: It's Not Just About Pretty Trade Show Exhibit Design)

Trade shows and exhibitions are some of the oldest form of marketing used in business. Even today, in the age of Internet and social media, exhibitions are still one of the most powerful sales and marketing tools available to small and big businesses alike. They are also one of the top business-to-business marketing medium.

Just in the U.S. alone, thousands of trade shows and consumer expos take place every year. Some are small, local events lasting for just a few hours. Some are huge, massive shows, presenting thousands of exhibitors, paying millions of dollars to interact with attendees from around the world.

No matter what size the show and what your budget is, your objective as an exhibitor should always stay the same - to measurably impact your overall sales and marketing objectives. It's not about pretty design, or cool handouts, or flashy technology. You need a solid exhibit strategy to be truly successful at that thing. Unfortunately, the great majority of businesses that participate in trade shows fail to prove any quantifiable return-on-investment (ROI) on the invested trade show dollars.

Whether you are a rookie exhibitor or a veteran of hundreds of shows, to be truly successful in this form of marketing, is to understand that a well-planned trade show is an investment in the future. And just like any other investment, in provides a return based on initial objective.

There is a lot to learn and consider when planning an exhibit. You need to learn to select the right trade shows, how to plan ahead, how to design a booth, how to promote your exhibit, how to attract prospects to the booth, how to sell on the floor, and, finally, how to follow up.

Let's just briefly look at some pitfalls that await you - and reasons why so many exhibitors fail.

• Most exhibitors never fully utilize the true potential of trade shows. Successful trade show exhibit takes an enormous amount of work and planning. A well-staged trade show encompasses almost every sales and marketing method available to create a successful mix. This mix can include: direct mail, telemarketing, trade advertising, billboards, TV, public relations, online marketing, trade publication marketing, and others.
• Even though each show is unique, most exhibitors approach every event in exactly the same way. Every show has its own unique characteristics, determined by its location, time of the year, demographics, total attendance, industry, etc.
• Most businesses exhibit for wrong and/or unrealistic reasons. Maybe they feel they "just need to be there" for their image. Maybe they base their decision on total attendance, expecting thousands of leads, without really having a plan in place to qualify and follow up. They forget that quality is usually better than quantity.
  
• Most exhibitors don't know how to measure success.
• No proper training is provided to booth staffers.
  
• Exhibitors spend most of their effort on trade show exhibit design, spending money on construction of custom trade show booths, shipping, space rental , etc, usually neglecting such crucial factors, as direct mail telemarketing, training of booth staffers, giveaways, post-show followup, etc.
  
• No proper follow up strategy is in place. The difference between the success or failure of the show usually lies in the follow-up. Because of the exhibitor's ability to show the product, offer hands-on demonstration, provide answers to any questions and objections, trade show can have an huge impact on lowering cost per sale when the contact is initiated at a trade show. But you can take advantage of it only if you follow up with your prospect - a simple fact, but often neglected by the exhibitors!
  

Finally, after all these caveats, let's talk briefly about exhibit design. Remember, your exhibit is your showcase. The firs thing people see when walking down an aisle is the exhibit. Designing an easy-to-build, easy-to-ship, and easy-to-take-down booth is no simple feat. If you are doing it in-house, just to save money, you are doing it for the wrong reason.

You also need to plan to update your graphics regularly for each show, and refurbish your exhibit annually. During setup, tear-down, and shipping, exhibits get banged around. No matter how sturdy they are, they take a beating and eventually show it.

Custom exhibit design and construction can get really expensive. You may want not to buy an exhibit, but prefer to rent a boot. The good news is renting is cheaper, plus you don't need to worry about shipping, setup, tear-down, or storage. The bad news is that rental exhibits are boring and will not stand out at a busy show.