The Exhibitor's Resource – Trade Show Marketing Blog

Making all of the arrangements to exhibit at a trade show can seem a daunting task. However, having the right information and resources at hand can be a tremendous help in planning.

But where does one begin? We recommend that trade show coordinators start with the Show FAQ often available on the show’s website. This is a quick overview of the who, what, when and where of the trade show.

Once the basics are reviewed, the official exhibitor service manual for the trade show is the next go-to document for exhibitors and their exhibit management firm.  The exhibitor service manual is a comprehensive guide to all of the details of the trade show. Show floor rules and hall regulations, exhibitor service forms, designated contractor contacts and forms, and shipping information are included in the Exhibitor Service Manual. Be sure to make note of all deadlines outlined in the manual, and go over corresponding timelines with your exhibit house.

Becoming familiar with the show details as outlined in the service manual will save you time and money, and help you avoid trade show logistics related headaches. Because trade show agencies like Exhibit Resources work with exhibit service manuals and the service contractors involved on a regular basis, they can help exhibitors make all arrangements quickly and accurately.

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As trade show exhibitors continue to look for cost saving opportunities, many are discovering that outsourcing Trade Show Management services is a smart choice. Exhibitors are seeing that there is significant value to having industry experts handle time-sensitive trade show logistics on their behalf. A common situation is one in which an exhibitor’s schedule is just demanding enough to be unmanageable by the marketing manager or other staff, but isn’t quite a full time job that would justify the hiring of a dedicated Trade Show Manager.

There are additional efficiencies and benefits to outsourcing Trade Show Management in addition to freeing marketing staff from the burden. In many cases, trade show design firms are more efficient in planning for shows, working with show officials, and arranging freight, travel and accommodations. The overall expense for trade show management can be reduced significantly simply because of this improved efficiency.

Another benefit to outsourcing Trade Show Management is that exhibit agencies have the knowledge and experience to leverage the best outcome for their clients. Agencies are often more familiar with the city, venue, decorator, hotels and freight options than an in-house coordinator ever could be. The experience they gain from one trade show can help inform decisions for another, whether it’s for the same client or for one in another industry.

And because it is their job to reduce the cost of exhibiting, trade show logistics coordinators can often help exhibitors avoid rush fees and other penalties frequently incurred due to overworked marketing professionals who may simply not have the time or bandwidth to meet early bird deadlines, schedule freight to arrive via the lowest cost service, or research the best travel packages.

Ready to find out if outsourcing Trade Show Management makes business sense for your trade show program? We suggest contacting your exhibit house, or us.

Popularity: 13% [?]

Plotting trade show deadlines and project milestones on a timeline is a good way for an exhibitor at a trade show or other marketing event to ensure that they stay on schedule. An exhibit agency like Exhibit Resources is a good partner in developing such a guide to keep your project on track. The experienced event marketing professionals at an exhibit house can help exhibitors manage all of the details, from submitting forms and payments to reserving services. The timeline offers a visually accessible way to quickly see those details, and know when decisions need to be made. Timelines also make it easy to see what stage the project is in at any given time. Often a timeline is the go-to document to make sure nothing falls through the cracks, and can help prevent unnecessary rush fees from suppliers, shipping companies, and the show venue. A trade show planning timeline can include due dates for approving design, submitting graphics, submitting show services forms, and shipping materials.

Consider working with an exhibit agency that includes a timeline as part of the regular communication process. But if this isn’t offered, there are some options out there for creating such documents. “Mind Mapping” software often includes a timeline view, and can help get organizations on the same page internally, as well as help coordinate with vendors. After all, when planning for a complex event such as a trade show, the more informed everyone is about how their part of the process affects the final outcome, the more successful the project will be.

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Seasoned event marketing professionals undoubtedly have developed a number of tools and processes to help them do their jobs more efficiently and more accurately. In the course of helping clients, we are always on the lookout for cool tools that make the event planning professional’s life easier.

Here are some cool little online tools we recently found that you may find helpful:

event space planning and event budgeting tools:

Event Budget Calculator
Room Size Calculator
Room Capacity Calculator

color and image resolution tools:

Color conversion (RGB / CMYK / HSV / YUV)
Megapixel Calculator – digital camera resolution

font help and typesetting tools:
What The Font?
IdentiFont
TypeSetter

Popularity: 22% [?]