7 Event and Exhibit House Tips to Boost Customer Value

Here are 7 event and exhibit house tips for 2020 from the team at beMatrix — with insights from TST!

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What do meeting planners, exhibit houses, and event agencies need to deliver to their clients? Topping the list are innovative design, competitive pricing, great service, and cutting-edge technology. However, more than anything else, they want value. So how can planners, trade show exhibitors, and event agencies create compelling attendee experiences and still remain profitable? Here are seven exhibit house tips from the team at beMatrix.

1. Identify Your “Wow”

Your team’s time is limited, so focus on the thing that will capture attention or make a connection with event attendees. For most exhibit and event agencies, that means creating a “wow,” such as an architectural focal point, a technology integration, or a LED display.

Total Show Technology (TST) recently shared some exhibit house tips with beMatrix. Some WOWs TST has created include:

• Interactive fish tank where attendees shook a container labeled “fish food,” then watched the “food” appear on a LEDskin® wall and attract virtual fish.
• Demonstration of a mobile game shared with a large audience by plugging a phone in and displaying the screen on a large LEDskin® wall.
• Interactive LEDskin® display where attendees scrolled to select a company sales rep, activating a life-sized video of that rep explaining the company’s value proposition.

The number one way for a planner, exhibitor, or event agency to provide value to customers is to create WOWs that boost brand loyalty and move attendees through the sales funnel.

2. Look for Cost Efficiencies

The most unique component of your project – the one that will stop attendees in their tracks – will likely cost more than you’d like. To complete your project in the most cost-effective way possible, consider working with specialist partners. For such elements as walls, floors, and ceilings, exhibitors and event agencies can save money by using modular aluminum frames as the base structure and then creating the finish panels themselves.

Bonus event and exhibit house tips: Clients want you to manage everything for them – and get it done right. So long as you deliver, they often don’t care what’s done inhouse vs. outsourced.

3. Integrate Flexibility

If your structure is a trade show exhibit, a corporate event, or a pop-up shop, chances are it will be used more than once (and possibly in more than one configuration). Planning for those configurations up front puts you ahead of the game.

Consider likely alternative venues, venue types and footprint sizes, then plan your properties to accommodate these scenarios. Having a modular, flexible portable, system like beMatrix helps.

4. Let Cost of Ownership Drive

It’s important to make decisions about exhibits and technology based, not on the cheapest upfront cost, but on what will provide the lowest cost (including maintenance and operations) over the entire life of your properties or campaigns.

Aluminum frames are lighter weight than wooden panels, which means lower shipping and drayage costs. Pre-assembled aluminum frames are faster and easier to set up than extrusion frames, which reduces labor costs. Bonus: a system that does not require tools further expedites and simplifies setup.

5. Consider Rental Options

Of all of our event and exhibit house tips, this one’s critical to know: Renting equipment is often more cost effective than purchasing it. If you opt for a frame or panel system that’s available nationwide, you can rent your structure locally and greatly reduce shipping costs.

Rentals are also a great option when you need to duplicate the environment in two different places at one time or when you need to fill a larger footprint than usual. This way, your client doesn’t need to purchase or pay to store properties they will only use once or twice.

6. Expect Ridiculously Short Turnaround Times

Project timelines are getting more and more compressed. Sometimes the only way to finish on time is with the help of partner suppliers. Look for companies like Total Show Technology who keep inventory and can get you want you need – all while supporting your needs onsite.

7. Plan for the Unplanned (the Most Important of the 7 Exhibit House Tips)

When it comes to events, there are almost always last-minute changes or additions. Be ready by keeping a list of local partners who can come to your aid.

Follow these seven exhibit house tips, and you’ll find yourself well on your way to providing value to your clients! (You can read the original article here.)

About beMatrix

beMatrix® b62® is a Tooless™, continuously reusable frame system for exhibit and event builders, general contractors, event producers, and trade show exhibitors. The system is completely modular, fabricated, and fast and easy to construct. Components include straight and curved frames, floors, walls, ceilings, doors, counters, lighting, and wall mounting accessories. beMatrix® frames accept hard panel infills, fabric infills (SEG graphics), and LEDskin® integrated seamless video screens – and it can be finished to your specifications.

Best of all, TST has it available for your next conference or trade show! Reach out to learn more!

About Total Show Technology

TST is the total show production solution for anyone who hosts, plans, manages, or produces events, meetings, and trade shows. We own the Pacific Southwest market and travel with our clients all across the country. Our clients have relied on us to deliver audio, video, lighting, equipment rental, and show production for conventions, corporate meetings and events, and trade shows since 1996.

Whether you’re looking for audio visual support or advanced AV trends and event technologies (including beMatrix LEDskin) that enable you to deliver your message effectively, we help your shows go off without a hitch and always make you look good. In an industry where almost anything can go wrong, we make sure everything goes right.

Let’s have a conversation! Call us at 702-897-8508, email us at [email protected], or visit www.totalshowtech.com/contact.