Solar Power International in October 09 - Rental Exhibit
Here’s a question I’ve been asking myself lately (and yes, I *do* hear voices):
“Would I prefer that exhibitors gave me a separate budget for their exhibit (show-services not-included), or one, all-inclusive budget?”
You see, the former means that I can give my designer one-price to design towards. Client says we have $20-25,000 to spend on their 20×30 ft. exhibit, and they have a separate budget for I&D, Drayage, Shipping, etc. SIMPLE.
The latter means I need to “back-out” the cost of the exhibit. My designer is building an exhibit based on a price that is in-flux: we can’t estimate services until we have a design. And as the exhibit increases in scope, so do the services!
Except that this is 2010…
Now when someone gives me a booth-only budget, I’m “testing” their services budget by getting preliminary services estimated. It’s all about demystifying the process for exhibitors. There’s no sense in presenting a design wherein the booth itself is affordable, but the services are not… It’s time to get real.
2009 was a year characterized by shifting budgets, wishy-washy objectives, and uncertainty abound – in 2010, no one can afford such gaps between expectations and reality. At least that’s what the voices keep telling me.
Tags: budget, Rental Exhibit, trade show strategy