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MONEY-SAVING TRADE SHOW IDEAS


BY NICHOLE ONESKO


FEBRUARY 10, 2020


SHARE WITH YOUR FRIENDS!

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TRADE SHOW SETUP & DISPLAYS ON A BUDGET

Are you a small business looking for new ways to spread awareness about your
products or services? Have you thought about exhibiting at a trade show but
figured it was too expensive? Then we’ve got some inexpensive trade show ideas
for you.

Trade shows are a great way to expose your business to a wide variety of new
customers in your targeted market or industry. However, owning a small business
can be tough and every penny counts, so the costs associated with a trade show
can be overwhelming. But in this article, we’ll share with you a few simple
money-saving trade show ideas that we’ve learned along the way that can help you
save valuable time and money.

From the optimal size and location of your vendor booth to shipping, setup, and
takedown, we’ve put together some simple cost-effective tips to help you have a
successful trade show.


PLAN YOUR TRADE SHOW BUDGET

Before you do anything, plan your budget for the entire trade show. Not only do
you need to think about the cost of the trade show booth, but you also need to
track all related expenses for the show.

Make sure to include travel and meal costs for staff, the shipping cost of your
trade show exhibits, the price of promotional items and printed marketing
materials, as well as labor for setup and teardown of your booth if you don’t do
it yourself.


CHOOSING BOOTH SIZE & LOCATION

Most trade shows offer a variety of booth sizes from 10′ x 10′ to 20′ x 20′. For
a small business, you probably don’t need anything bigger than a 10′ x 10′. It’s
what our company uses and we find it works great.

Corner spots generally cost more but they’re ideal for getting trade show
traffic from multiple directions.

And don’t think that because you have a small booth your opportunities are
small. That just isn’t the case. Not only will you save money but you can also
still have an incredible event even with a 10′ x 10′ trade show booth.

It’s the location of your booth at the trade show, more than anything, that is
key.

Since human beings have a natural tendency to go to their right, choose a booth
on an aisle or corner to the right of the trade show entrance if you can. Other
good spots can be where people tend to congregate and meet, like near busy food
outlets or restrooms.

If you can afford a little extra money, a corner booth is an ideal option as
your trade show display will be seen by visitors from multiple directions. These
are usually slightly more expensive than an inline booth but we’ve found that
it’s worth the money if you can squeeze it into your budget.


SHIPPING & SET UP OF YOUR BOOTH

Shrinkwrapping your trade show exhibit yourself can save hundreds of dollars.

Another inexpensive trade show idea is DIY shipping and setup. We save a lot of
money for our company by packing, shipping, setting up, and taking down our own
trade show booths. We’ve learned some great tips along the way to make
everything more efficient and less expensive.

A real game-changer for us was discovering Trade Show & Go. The company’s
shipping pallets turn into tables when unpacked that you can use for your trade
show displays. We purchased some this past year to use for Avery trade shows and
it’s been a lifesaver.

With the right equipment, one person can pack and wrap a trade show display if
needed.

We pack and ship our pallets ourselves before and after the show so we have
everything waiting for us when we arrive at the exhibit hall. And since most
trade shows charge a fee for tables, it saves us money on rentals.

The pallet-table combos also make it easy for one person to set up and pack up a
booth if need be, meaning fewer labor costs. Plus, you don’t have to worry about
storing your pallet during the show or waiting several hours after the show to
have your pallet delivered.

Another money-saving trick is to wrap your pallet yourself. You can buy a
heavy-duty roll of shrinkwrap for as little as $14. At a trade show, it usually
costs between $60-$100 for the decorator to do it for you.


TRADE SHOW DISPLAY TIPS

You don’t need to have an over-the-top booth to get attention. Simplicity and
clean, easy-to-view displays will have a higher impact on attendees. And less is
always more, especially if you’ve got a smaller booth.

We use three pull-up banners that we can space appropriately depending on our
booth.

Trade show banners and backdrops are also important. This will be attendees’
first impression of your brand, displayed on a very large scale.

Our partners at PC Nametag offer inexpensive trade show pull-up banners that
range in price from $150 to $304 depending on the materials and features you
choose. They are quick and easy to assemble and a great alternative to hiring
someone to set up your backdrop for you.

You can use just one banner or spread your imagery out on a slightly larger
scale with two or three. Use this as your opportunity to get creative. Really
think about how you want to convey your brand to people who are walking the
show. There is nothing worse than a sloppy, wrinkled tablecloth or backdrop
that’s falling down.

Make sure your display artwork and marketing materials are aimed at your target
audience. If you can’t afford to customize your printed materials toward
specific demographics, then come up with a strong generic message that works for
all the different trade shows you attend.


PRODUCT DISPLAYS THEY’LL NOTICE

Use inexpensive boxes or crates from craft or supply stores to give your display
depth.

Showcase your products as the hero and have samples so people can feel touch and
interact with them. Make sure they’re easily accessible and that you have plenty
for easy replenishment. People love samples and freebies, especially custom
stickers.

Add depth and grab attention to your products and prototypes with different
levels for your displays.

We use standup racks to display our label and sticker samples.

Another money-saving trade show idea is using decorative crates that we bought
at Michael’s for a few dollars. They’re a great way to display products when
using tables.

Depending on the look you’re going for you can use a rustic brown crate or paint
it black, white, etc… so that it goes with the flow of your overall booth
aesthetic.

Stand-up racks work great to display marketing materials and other products and
promotional items and don’t take up much space.


GENERATING POTENTIAL LEADS

Gathering leads and following up with potential customers after the show is the
most important part of the show. Building a reputation that sticks is what
exhibiting at a trade show is all about. It’s about getting your brand out there
and making sure to leave a positive lasting impression on everyone who passes
your booth.

Staff your booth with fun, engaging people.

Having warm, friendly employees who can answer key questions, as well as build a
rapport and relationship with people is very important.

A raffle or contest is an easy, inexpensive way to generate trade show leads.

You must engage people walking by your booth. At least say hi and be friendly.
And don’t let people stop and look at your products, take a freebie, and then
walk away. Even if you’re busy, let them know you’ll be right there. If you’re
not busy, don’t just sit in a chair in the back of the booth looking bored. Walk
the show if you have co-workers with you or network with exhibitors in
neighboring booths.

Custom stickers are a simple promotional giveaway you can personalize online.

Most trade shows offer some sort of lead retrieval app that you can use to scan
the badges of people that you talk to. However, these apps can be quite
expensive. Something as a simple fishbowl for a chance to win a prize is a
money-saving trade show idea and an easy way to collect business cards or
customer emails.

We’ve found even just having cute or funny stickers on the table as giveaways
are enough to get customers talking and generate a lead.

It doesn’t have to be anything extravagant as the costs can add up. But giving
away even free products or services or a gift card can turn into future
customers.


FOLLOW UP WITH YOUR LEADS

Once the show is over and you’re back in the office, make sure and follow up
with all your leads. There is no point in exhibiting at a trade show if you
don’t connect with your potential customers.

Make sure and touch base with your leads after the trade show.

Send out emails, sample packs of your products where applicable, and personal
phone calls. Don’t contact trade show attendees immediately following the expo,
as they will likely be overwhelmed by vendor calls. We generally wait about two
weeks before making our first connection.

Still not sure you want to exhibit at a trade show? Check out other ways you can
generate sales without a storefront.

Do you have any good trade show tips that you’ve learned? Please share them with
us and our readers in the comments below. Or if you have any trade show
questions that we might be able to help you with, feel free to send Nichole an
e-mail at nionesko@avery.com.

Make sure and check back in the near future, as we will be adding more
money-saving trade show ideas and tips including booth design and layout, trade
show booth etiquette, generating traffic, and more.


AUTHOR: NICHOLE ONESKO

Nichole is the Account Relationship Developer and Trade Show Coordinator for
Avery Products WePrint division. She has been with the company for nearly six
years and knows labels like the back of her hand. Her time is focused on sharing
her knowledge of labels with customers and planning and executing Avery WePrint
Tradeshows. She handles everything from creating the booth, creating content to
share at the booth, logistics, booth experience, etc... View all posts by
Nichole Onesko


3 THOUGHTS ON “MONEY-SAVING TRADE SHOW IDEAS”

 1. Garrett says:
    03/05/2020 at 6:57 pm
    
    Love this! Thank u for the tips
    
    1. Melanie Neff says:
       03/06/2020 at 10:29 am
       
       Thanks! We have even more trade show and event article on the way coming
       over the next few months. Let us know if you have any specific questions
       you’d like answered.
    
       
    
 2. AffiliateLabz says:
    02/15/2020 at 10:53 pm
    
    Great content! Super high-quality! Keep it up! 🙂

    

Comments are closed.


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