Spend less on Drayage - But don't compromise Marketing Impact

One of our lovely colleagues brought in a delightful treat today – Paczki’s. Paczki’s, a doughnut/pastry of polish/french origin, are sold only one or two days each year. Apparently, doughnut restaurateurs do have a conscience when it comes to your waistline.

Why is it, then, that some exhibit houses have fewer scruples when it comes to the weight of your exhibit, or the SIZE of your material handling bill? Why is one of the most consistent features of a custom exhibit- heavy, bulky materials – a surefire way to clobber your drayage budget?

A modern exhibit design should be designed around some basic constraints – weight being a significant driver in that equation. When you look at a design, pay attention to materials. You may have to ask some pointed questions to get down to brass tacks on this aspect of a company’s design (sorry for the heavy-handed reference to fabric, one of our favorite weight-loss measures).

While aiming to reduce weight is among the chief goals of an exhibit house’s construction methods, this can become a double edged sword: How does a company reduce the mass of a structure without reducing it’s strength and stability? If I could properly answer that question, I’d be writing articles for these guys. The reality is, our design and engineering teams spend long hours figuring out just that. Some classic names in the exhibit business are long on weight-saving ideas, but short on the ingenuity it takes to make an exhibit feel like a permanent structure worthy of your brand.

While you need to be asking questions about materials, realize that it’s a goal that should not sacrifice the overall exhibit’s integrity.

If you haven't tried one, you might have to wait 'til next year...

Think of it in terms of the Paczki’s again – the anorexic stays away from this Fat Tuesday delight. While “wafer-thin” may appeal to some folks, anorexia does not epitomize health or aesthetic perfection. An exhibit that can still afford to eat a Paczki on a special occasion each year, but does so with a conscience to save you the hefty drayage bill: now that’s perfection. Smart exhibits weigh less, but still look the best.

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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.

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Are you planning to utilize Pipe & Drape for your 2010 Exhibit?

Many trade show coordinators are finding the belt tightening in 2010 is getting a little rediculous. So…

At the risk of breaking corporate confidentiality agreements, I’ve inserted a rendering that many exhibitors plan to emulate at IMTS 2010.

No, your eyes do not deceive you. It features a sleak pipe frame, curtains provided by show management, and objects TBD situated in the foreground (manufacturing equipment, a podium, the possibilities are finite!). It SCREAMS “we’re at IMTS, and we’re not going anywhere!”

Really, these exhibitors aren’t going anywhere. Not dressed like that, at least.

What will other exhibitors be doing?

Some companies will skip the trade show entirely, licking their wounds and figuring out whether they will survive to see 2011. Yikes.

An exclusive few will roll out new products, hammer at the competition, and establish themselves as leaders within the marketplace. They’ve planned 2010 with an exhibit budget that may actually be less than their 2009 tradeshow budget, while still large enough to make a positive statement at the biennial manufacturer’s show. They know this is their opportunity, and they’re not taking Pipe & Drape for an answer!

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Siemens Medical's Tradeshow Exhibit @ RSNA '09, in Chicago

A recent conversation I had with a prospective client reminded me of one of those bizarre practices within the trade show exhibiting industry. My prospect is in design for a 20×20 rental exhibit – custom designed, but with 100% rental components. After going through most of the details of what we include within our contract price, he asked a very pointed question:

Tim: Ok, I know from experience that sometimes I’ll see a rendering, and it looks really bold and slick, and then the thing gets to the show, and the booth is just – the beams looked like 6×6’s on the render, and you get to the expo and they’re 1 1/2 x 1 1/2 – and it looks and IS flimsy and… …it’s just been awful. What are THESE made out of? How big are they?

Me: Hmm. Great question. I’m glad you asked it, because they happen to be 6×6 extruded aluminum. It’s light, but it’s also sturdy. And we won’t design it if we aren’t going to build it.

What baffles me, with this exhibitor’s very astute query, is how exhibitors can ever put up with anything less than what a design implies? If a company promises one thing and then delivers something wholly different – why wouldn’t you throw them out with the trash and find a new exhibitor? Does this sort of thing happen in other industries without consequence?

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