Certainly, not everyone is fan of Snooki and the Jersey Shore.  True, most of us might not choose her to be the Godmother of our firstborn.  But think what you will, Snooki knows photo opps.  And boy, can she cause a buzz.

Take the product launch of her new fragrance, Snooki for Women by Nicole Polizzi. The fragrance is represented exclusively by Perfumania, a client of Skyline New York trade show exhibits. Perfumania is second to none, with over 370 retail stores that carry world class, designer perfume brands.

Here’s Snooki, pictured in front of a Mirage pop-up display.  Notice the crisp, repeating logos that will show up in any picture.  Observe the hot pink vibe.  Appreciate that this display will be used at hundreds of venues, taking just minutes to set-up and break down.

(Here’s 20 more ways to use a portable display beyond trade shows.)

Think about it — owning a custom backdrop that can be instantly whipped out for a photo opp is a brilliant idea.  With the multitude of websites that can virally display photos and videos (Facebook, You Tube, Twitter, LinkedIn, Press Release Distribution Sites), a modest investment in a custom backdrop can pay off in spades – for years and years.

So, before dismissing the messenger (Snooki), consider the message (Mirage pop-up displays make great backdrops for photo opps).

And now, back to (our) reality (show).

Snooki’s got the right idea but for even more valuable information check out the Event Marketing Idea Kit.  This 58-page book has a range of topics along with checklists and worksheets to help with the logistics of putting on an event. Click here for your free copy. 

The 10′x10′ booth space is the most common size in the United States (source: my unscientific survey of recent show floor plans).  Starting small might be a good idea because of limited marketing budgets or based on the number of attendees at a trade show.  Once you’ve gotten your feet wet and become satisfied with the lead generation and business growth potential, you’ll understand that it might be time to move up to a bigger trade show booth.  Here are a few factors to consider when choosing the ideal trade show exhibit size.

1.  Venue Considerations: Location and audience.  What is the expected total number of attendees?  Is this a trade show that highlights your particular industry or is it more generalized (vertical vs. horizontal)?  A larger trade show booth will attract more attention, but it’s a good idea to compare all costs to lead potential (ROI).  Take a critical look at the floor plan as well.  Larger booths are typically located in the center of the trade show hall and in the main walkways where most of the traffic takes place.

2.  Demonstrations and workstations.  Would attendees benefit from product demonstrations?  If so, you’ll need a booth big enough for to highlight the product, visible from all sides & comfortable for a large group of attendees.  If you expect to meet privately with individual clients, you’ll need a comfortable conference room or space.

3.  Staffers.  Once you’ve set a goal of how many leads to generate, you’ll know how many attendees booth staffers will need to speak with in order to produce those leads.  Then you can decide how many staffers it will take to speak with all of those attendees — rule of thumb average: 8-15 per hour for good qualification and depending on the time of day.  So, consider the size of space in order to hold this number of staffers & attendees. Remember, for a 10′x10′ booth, you’re typically max’ed out of space with 2 staffers and 2 attendees (25 sq. ft. each).

4.  Invest for Less.  If #1, 2 or 3 above apply to your situation or, if your current size booth is too crowded you will not be as effective in attracting attendees, conversing, presenting and generating leads. But, cost can be a barrier to increasing your size, however the payoff to your bottom line can be huge.  Make a smaller investment by designing a Custom-Modular Exhibit or consider a Custom-Rental solution.

Find out how you can help lower operating costs and provide greater flexibility by using a custom modular trade show exhibit.  Click here to request your free copy of  The Trend To Custom Modular Exhibits white paper. 

Exhibiting at trade shows takes a combination of talent, teamwork, and effort to succeed.  That goes double when you expand beyond backwall displays into island trade show booths.  The investment is bigger, the attention is larger, and the stakes are higher, in oh-so-many ways:

1. Greater height

While backwalls are usually about 8 feet tall, that’s rarely the height of an island trade show booth.  Most islands are at least 12 feet tall, and are often 16 feet and taller, and taller still when you hang a sign from the ceiling above your booth space.  That height creates a bigger impression and gets you seen from afar.  And, you can use 100% of that height, unlike backwall exhibitors (in the USA) who can only go to their full 8 foot height when it doesn’t obstruct their next-door neighbors.  However, be careful not to only put your name up in the rafters on a hanging sign 20 feet above your booth, so that people walking closer to your booth won’t know who you are unless they (very unlikely) crane their necks to look up.

2. More aisle frontage

A 20 x 20 foot island exhibit has 80 feet of aisle space, twice the aisle space of an equivalent-sized 10 x 40 backwall.  That gives you twice the opportunity to engage attendees as they walk by your booth.  Just be conscious that since your exhibit doesn’t back up against a pipe-and-drape backwall, it no longer has an automatic front side.  Now your exhibit can be seen from 4 sides.   It’s up to you to decide if all sides should be treated equally from a design standpoint, or if you expect one or two sides to be visible to greater traffic, and thus be designed more as the “storefront” of your exhibit.

3. Greater variety of booth sizes

When you get an island exhibit, it’s usually not one-size-fits-all.  At one show you may only be able to get a 20 x 40 foot space where you want it on the show floor – and then at your next show, have to take a 30 x 30 foot space, and still use the same exhibit components.  Just as likely is the need to peel off parts of your booth for either a smaller island or a 20 foot backwall exhibit.  Your island trade show exhibit needs the flexibility to adapt to all these spaces if you are going to avoid excess spending to fit all those booth sizes.

4. Private meeting space

Whatever you do in a backwall exhibit is there for the world to see.  But island exhibitors can free themselves from that restraint.  With opaque walls and even double decks, island exhibitors can host private meetings that allow them and their guests to converse, negotiate, and make deals with abandon.  Exhibitors can show off their latest new products (especially fashion-driven products) only to their trusted buyers, without tipping their competitors off.

5. More likely to be a rental exhibit

When you have a backwall display going to 5, 10, 15 or more shows a year, it makes perfect sense to own that display.  But when you only go to one or two shows a year where you require a larger presence with an island exhibit, you become more likely to choose exhibit rental.  Rental gives you the ability to change your look, booth size, and message more easily than an owned exhibit does – and at a lower cost if you only do one or two shows a year.

6. More complex design requirements

Not only do island exhibits have greater height, more aisle frontage, and multiple booth spaces to fit, there are other reasons that make their design process even more complex.  Island exhibits will inspire more stakeholders to want a say in the design process.  You’ll have more functionality requested (presentations, product demos, conference rooms, lead stations, storage, and more).  So island exhibits require more of another thing: time to get designed and built.

7. More booth staffers

You need more booth staffers to cover and work an island exhibit.  That can mean getting staffers from all over the country, or from more departments of your company — which puts even more emphasis on booth staff training.  When the booth staff comes from all over, you’ll either have to train them with teleconferences or video conferences, or set aside enough time at the show site before the show starts.  Staffers who don’t know the products or your clients well will need even more training to shore up their gaps.

8. Hired Installation and Dismantle

Skyline got its start in the 1980s by making it less expensive for exhibitors to install their own 10 foot exhibits with attractive displays that set up in minutes without tools.  However, for over 20 years we have also been making island trade show exhibits that do require tools, ladders, forklifts, and most of all, hired labor.  While some exhibitors are willing to set up our more modular (and less portable) inline exhibits, once you are in an island booth space, it’s all about either labor from the show contractor or from an Exhibitor Appointed Contractor (EAC) that you choose.

9. Higher profile vendor selection

It’s a lot more likely that your CFO will want to be more involved when you purchase an island exhibit than a banner stand.  As island exhibits can cost many times more than a backwall display, the purchasing process involves more people and greater scrutiny.   You will have to justify both your island exhibit’s initial buying (or renting) decision and the total operating costs, compared against the opportunities at trade shows to build your brand awareness, profitably generate sales leads, and meet your other sales, marketing, and operational objectives.

While these 9 things make island exhibits different from backwall displays, no matter what size they are, your exhibits must still get attention and support your booth staff.  That’s something that never changes!

Find out how island exhibitors are shifting towards custom modular exhibits for their expanded design capability, greater flexibility, and lower operating costs, in the free 20-page white paper, The Trend To Custom Modular Exhibits, by clicking here.

The busy season is over and you’ve just exhibited at the same trade shows that you always exhibit at, year after year.  Which can make you too easily fall into the “same old, same-old” mindset: Same competitors, same booth staff, same exhibit, same promotions, same city, same products, same, same, same.

Be careful. That complacency can dangerously slip into irrelevancy.

To keep your edge, try to see trade shows with fresh eyes.  Give yourself some time at your next few shows to get re-inspired.  All you need is your eyes, your feet, and an open mind.

Question everything

When you next walk your show, give yourself permission to question everything.  Put your curiosity on steroids and let it run off the leash.  As you walk down the aisles, ask yourself these key questions – and don’t stop walking until you’ve witnessed the answers for yourself:

• What trade show booths are getting more traffic?  And why?
• Which booths seem to not only attract visitors, but put them at ease to the point they look like they don’t want to leave?
• Look for booth staffers and visitors truly engaged in meaningful conversations — what did they do to get there?
• What at-show activities are generating a crowd, and keeping the right people in the booth?
• What new trade show exhibit designs are you seeing that are catching your eye (and getting more attendees)?  Is it their messaging, shape, color, products, or something else?
• How are booth staffers dressing, more relaxed or more formally?
• Where in the show hall are the hot spots of traffic — and did that change during the day?
• Follow some attendees (at a discreet distance!) and watch what catches their eye, and what they blow right past.

Gain crucial booth staffer insights

I walked a show last week with many of these questions in mind.  Within an hour the difference between good and bad booth staffers was visible; in two hours it was obvious; and by the end of the day it was astonishingly appalling.  Some booth staffers were great and others had me shaking my head asking, who would wreck their entire trade show program by bringing these horrible staffers?

Try it yourself: walk your trade show and see who does a good job engaging you, and who ignores you — even when you walk into their booth!  Who pays attention to all attendees as they walk by, and who is on the phone, even when you reach for a business card on their table?  Who is friendly even at the end of the show, and who looks like they need a trip to the spa?  Who offers a friendly engaging question and turns it into a meaningful conversation, and who says “Hi,” and then shuts up?  By the end of this walk you will have a burning desire to put far greater emphasis on the choosing and training of your booth staff.

You may also notice, depending on the industry your show is in, how incredibly valuable a simple, yet clear product demo is, in stopping and keeping interested booth visitors.

And what else will you find?  That’s up to you to find out; when you get re-inspired with the fresh set of eyes you’ll get after your walk around your next trade show.  You’ll come away with an overflowing list of new things you want to try next year.  And that sure beats the same old thing any day!

For more tips on what to look for and do at your next trade show, read the What’s Working In Exhibiting white paper. To receive your free copy of this 32 page book, click here.

If you are entering the trade show arena for the first time, and you have been assigned the task of purchasing a new exhibit, then I would like to offer you some helpful, yet counter-intuitive advice prior to determining your purchasing budget.

Many people often make the mistake of purchasing just one main exhibit for all their events ‘to save money,’ when actually purchasing at least two or more exhibits may be the most cost effective route to take.  I know, you’re saying to yourself, “Of course that’s what you would say! You sell trade show exhibits!” Well, I promise you this is good advice!

Take these 3 steps to see if you need more than one trade show display:

• First, rate your shows according to importance.  This may be determined by a number of factors that only you and your company can identify.  For starters, create two tiers – primary for your most important shows and secondary for your other events.
• Second, rate your shows according to the length of the show by number of days.  Maybe you have several one day events or even a couple of targeted shows that may only be a couple of hours in length and the cost of sending in the big guns just isn’t justifiable.
• Third, identify conflicting show schedules and dates.  If you have an event on the east coast that ends on a Tuesday and your next event is the following Thursday on the west coast, make a note of it.

What you learn from this exercise may surprise you.  Say you have your most important show and you obviously are planning on having your primary exhibit on display.  Well, your next event is a second tier show and it happens to be only a day or two after your main event – and it is a thousand miles away!  The operating costs associated with transporting your main exhibit from point A to point B may well exceed any perceived value you were hoping to recoup from attending this event in the first place.  Perhaps a smaller, simpler exhibit can be shipped to the lower tier event in pace of the main one – and at a less accelerated and costly rate.  You may find that the cost of a secondary exhibit alone may be far less than just the operating costs you would have incurred from rushing your large exhibit across the country.

So you get the point. This is just a helpful suggestion to conduct an exercise of this sort to help you plan your show schedule and determine a purchase budget for ALL of your exhibit needs.  You’re well on your way to successful exhibiting!

Whether you need one display or several, see many examples of both modular inline exhibits and portable displays by clicking here to request Skyline’s Inline Displays Brochure.  

Depending on the size of your trade show booth, studies repeatedly find that you have 3 to 5 seconds to do three things:

1. Catch the attention of a passing prospect, 2. Communicate an effective message, and 3. Give them enough reason to pause…just enough time to allow your highly trained and motivated booth staff to engage.  3 to 5 seconds.

The passing prospect will not spend energy on figuring out who you are and/or what you are trying to tell them.  They process what they see and only if they notice it and understand it.  The only chance you have is to make sure your exhibit is Prospect Friendly.

Five things to consider:

• Your graphics should clearly identify WHO you are and WHAT you do.

Sounds simple enough however look around at the next show and be prepared to be surprised.  Remember, your prospect is processing your message in 3 – 5 seconds.  They are not spending time to figure you out.  Your brand and message needs to be clear.

• A picture is worth a thousand words.

A great image that highlights your message and helps tell your story allows the prospect to quickly identify with your solution.  They should be applying that scene to their situation.

• Bullets vs Paragraphs

Bullets are far more “Prospect Friendly” than paragraphs or even complete sentences. Keep information to a minimum. Website Address is good.  Physical Address is bad.  Exhibit graphics should create questions. Use your collateral handouts to answer questions or give additional information. Again…3-5 seconds.

• Is the exhibit open and inviting?

The desired flow of your booth should be obvious to the prospect.  How to enter your space, engage with your staff, or where to get additional information should be very clear.  Remember, any hurdle you create will encourage the prospect to simply continue on.

• Bottom line: Keep It Simple.

Enough said.

Those 3 to 5 seconds can make or break your trade show exhibiting experience.  To make the most of that short amount of time read the What’s Working In Exhibiting white paper.  This report gives the most effective strategies and tactics to use for the 7 key areas of exhibiting.  Click here to request your free copy. 

Do you want attendees to remember your exhibit long after the event is over?  If so, key into something educators have discovered; the more senses you engage in your booth experience the more people will remember your message.  People are classified as visual, audio or kinesthetic learners and all three types will be at your trade show.  Here are some ways to turn your trade show exhibits into an experience for everyone who visits:

He sure looked like a perfectly good prospect.  He had the right color badge.  He works at a company that is in the right vertical market and the right size.  And your uncanny booth staffing sixth sense told you he even had an approved budget for your product.

Yet with barely a glance he sailed right on past your booth.  So why didn’t he drop anchor?  Perhaps for one or more of these 8 reasons:

1. Your booth looked too boring.  Like too many other exhibitors, your trade show booth has dull colors, too much text, and too many small images.
2. Your benefit was not clear.  With all that text, or else none at all, your trade show booth graphics didn’t quickly communicate what you sell — and why you are worth buying from.
3. He doesn’t know you can solve his problems.  Because he doesn’t know your company yet, and what it can do for him.
4. Your booth staffers didn’t appeal to him.  They looked unprofessional, uninterested, unmotivated, and pre-occupied — not the kind of people he wants to talk to — let alone buy from, for that matter.
5. Your booth staff didn’t attempt to engage him.  Rather than offer a greeting or ask a question, they stared into space, or talked with each other, or into the phone.
6. Your booth space lacks activity.  It looks too dull compared to other exhibitors who are having energetic conversations, presentations, demos, and more.
7. He wasn’t invited.  He has only so much time to visit booths, so those that asked him to visit before the show get first dibs.  Or perhaps…
8. He already has an appointment.  He breezed past you on the way to a meeting with another exhibitor further into the hall.  But you can still get him on his return trip — if he walks down your aisle again.

If you want to stop the parade of qualified attendees walking by, but not into, your booth, then improve your exhibit’s visual appeal, amp up your booth staff, create engaging activities, and get on attendees’ dance card before the show starts.

Then you can have many good conversations in your booth.  Which sure beats talking to yourself.

For more ways to prevent trade show attendees from passing you by, check out the What’s Working In Exhibiting white paper.  This guidebook is full of tips and ideas for successful exhibiting.  Click here to request your free copy. 

Exhibit designers make a big deal about how trade show exhibits are 3-dimensional – they have length, width, and height.  That 3D perspective creates much greater visual impact than 2D marketing mediums.

Yet exhibits are actually 4-dimensional, the 4^th dimension being time.  We exist in three spatial dimensions and in one temporal dimension, which combine to be called spacetime.

During a trade show your static 3D exhibit can be transformed into an interactive 4D exhibit attendees experience through the activities you host in your exhibit.   4D trade show exhibits create greater impact than a 3D exhibit that looks the same during the show as during non-show hours.

Here are 7 ideas to transform your exhibit into a 4-dimensional marketing time machine:

1)  Demos  According to research from CEIR, demonstrations are one of the most effective at-show activities you can do to make your exhibit memorable.  Demos create movement and get attendees involved with your products and services.  The best demos help make explicit the advantages of your products, and give attendees irrefutable visual and experiential proof of your claims.

2)  Presentations  When you host a presentation in your trade show booth, it signifies to attendees that there’s something special about to happen.  It’s a bit of the “show” aspect of trade shows, with a professional presenter, backdrop, and amplified sound.  Attendees know they’ll get a concise, informative, and maybe even entertaining few minutes that will allow them to get valuable info, without having to commit to declaring themselves a prospect.  You can schedule presentations as often as every 10 minutes, and pull in crowds to hear what you’ve got to say.

3)  Meetings  This is the pinnacle of planned activities you can do in your booth – previously scheduled meetings with clients and key prospects.  It guarantees you activity throughout the show, and creates visual interest, as nothing attracts a crowd like a crowd.  Have a person on-site who is the master of the schedule, and keep track of attendees who don’t show up on time, so you can call them and try to re-schedule.

4)  Entertainers  You can hire entertainers, such as magicians, dancers, celebrities, and more to get attendees to stop – and stay – in your booth.  Entertainers create motion and intrigue to lure in attendees.  The better ones know how to weave your marketing messages into their entertainment, to help convert attention into action.

5)  Contests and games immerse attendees in a fun activity.  Go beyond a generic putting green and make it an interactive game that reinforces your marketing message and creates an emotional connection with your brand.  At one show we gave attendees the chance to win 2-foot long remote control semi-trucks, emblazoned with our marketing messages (such as lower shipping costs), by competing in time trials.  We had a line all show long, and staffers were able to qualify attendees while they waited for their turn.

6)  Audio/Visual Technology  The use of AV has increased as the price of flat screens and high-powered projectors has decreased.  Short, energetic videos help you compete for attendee’s attention.  They can quickly state your competitive advantage, or help prove your claims.  But don’t ask video to do too much – you still need to rely on your booth staffers to have real conversations!

7)  Moving exhibit  Your actual trade show exhibit can be the 4D element in your booth, when the exhibit itself moves!  Larger island exhibits will sometimes have a rotating hanging sign above it to signal your company’s location from a far.  Movement catches the eye, so a rotating sign gets attention long before attendees get to your booth location.

You don’t need to be a physics major to see the benefits of 4D thinking.  If your exhibit looks the same during show hours as it does outside show hours, then you’re not taking full advantage of the 4-dimensional nature of reality … and trade shows!

Another great use of your time is reading all the best exhibiting practices in the What’s Working In Exhibiting White Paper.  Click here to get your free copy.

Everyone loves to get their money’s worth, including tradeshow exhibitors.  After helping many clients successfully improve their display’s effectiveness over the past several years, I have put together a few basic guidelines which you can experiment with. Whether you are retrofitting your pop-up, reconfiguring modular hardware, or starting from scratch, just a little creativity can go a long way.

1.  Utilize your entire  floor space… both side to side as well as front to back.  While I do not encourage overcrowding, I like to see the use of more  than one table  in a 10 x 10 space.  Look how well West Liberty Foods utilizes both aisles not only to greet attendees, but also to showcase a special product with impact and visual appeal.  And phin nicely positions two tables to give themselves extra workspace and bold branding.  Don’t overlook the use of smaller and very affordable hardware items such as banner stands or  information placards for complementing your backwall marketing message.  With their multi-function capabilities of video, product and literature display, these are great ways to bring your message closer to the aisle.

West Liberty Foods 10′ x 10′ trade show booth 

phin  10 foot trade show display 

2.  There’s an extra 6” of space above the top of your exhibit hardware! Most standard 10 x 10 units are manufactured at 7.5’ height which gives you the opportunity for some “out the box” thinking.  Try something bold with a profiled headers like Baden’s or phin’s.  Or more simply, a velcro detachable marketing message  in a brightly colored circle or starburst shape will even get some extra attention.

Baden 10′ x 10′ trade show exhibit 

3.  Creative flooring is probably the most overlooked tip of all.  Any booth will change appearance sitting on a different color flooring.  So, if red or black carpeting might be a bit bold for your next show, with the range  of color options now available, you can so easily go beyond beige or gray to look different as well as terrific!

B. Telzer Gear 10 x 10 trade show display 

PS…this is the perfect place to add a company logo if the budget allows.

I think B. Telzer Gear did it just right!

For more ways to make the most of your trade show real estate, get the What’s Working In Exhibiting white paper. Click here to request your free copy.