Trade Show Considerations:


Consideration 1:  "Where" the event is being held



Imagine this hypethotical:


Board the airliner at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport in February.  

It's freezing in Northern Ohio.

You walk outside, where you are greeted in a place adorned with swaying  palm trees — and balmy breezes!  

Remarkable!



Consideration 2:   Determining Your Trade Show Exhibit Size


Alongside that:  How will it take to assemble the exhibit?  

We might need a week at the site?  Or not.  The week-long consideration is especially true for those who are traveling with their company's trade show exhibit. 

Typically, the exhibit needs to be assembled ahead of time, within the vendor hall of the convention center.

Typically,  the installers might be those exhibitors or conventioneers who arrive early -  and leave late.

Granted, some of the exhibits are more complex than others.  

First, let's ponder something that is very basic.

For example, one vendor might just have a single vendor table - with - or without supplied electric.

The idea could be something simple.  An exhibit that is very easy to travel with. 

 

For example,

Here's an idea for something simple.

Rent a single table. 

Have a guy at the vendor table.

On that table sits very large bowl.   Almost like a giant salad bowl in which you'd toss a Caesar salad.  You can purchase these anywhere once the plane lands.   

It's a bowl from which the guy at the table is handing-out  sealed bags of Planters—similar to what they have at some restaurants while you wait for your meal. 

Above that, post a paper sign that reads:

 "Do you work for PEANUTS?"

Then, conventioneers will stop by the vendor table,  to get some peanuts.

   

Then, your guy at the vendor table can explain that his company is hiring.  His company is willing to pay a great wage.

Then, he can ask each conventioneer who stops by the booth,

 "Why not fill out an application, right now?"


The show ends.  

The exhibitor returns to the office with stacks of completed applications.  

The company gets the best possible worker and negotiates a wage that is agreeable to both parties.

Genius idea!  And it's not my own idea, however, I always liked the simplicity of this "very simple" trade show booth concept.

Plus, this trade show idea is a simple one to travel with - from coast to coast - on board an airliner with passengers who are packed-in, like sardines in a can. 

 I think I've been on a portion of that flight, on a Sunday night,  from STL to CLE! hahaha.

   

Meanwhile, going back to the trade show venue.

I had mentioned a simple trade show exhibit, be it, that vendor who is sitting at the single table which did not require an electrical hook up.


Next to that, there could be a national vendor....

And, perhaps, this is the year that the large vendor has decided to "pull out all the stops" for the vendor hall component of the symposium.  


In many cases, the larger vendors might decide to rent tons of space in the hall.

Say, the space that would take-up the area of a half-dozen booths.

Then, in that giant space, they  install an exhibit with show-stopping features.

As exhibits grow in size, so do the trade show budgets.   


In many way, this is good.

Vendors renting more space helps to support the trade show.  

For that matter, vendors can even sponsor things like free WiFi, or a "bagel, juice and coffee break" for attendees.   All of this is all quite remarkable to see! 

Some of the vendors are able to really "make a splash"  at these trade shows, symposiums, programs, and events.  Walking the floor of each show, I have seen, firsthand, demonstrations of clinical gear that is often several stories tall.  

I love to ponder it all.  

In my mind, I often think about perhaps the budgetary requirement:  All the trade show gear must fit into one tractor trailer.   Did this exhibit require two semi trucks?

Then, I consider that when the exhibit does arrive at the loading dock, that the exhibit might require hours to assemble.   

Remarkable!