Employees at MODdisplays are part of the community within Harrisonburg, Virginia. Our employees own houses in Harrisonburg, and they trust Fine Earth for their landscaping needs. Fine Earth is a locally owned and operated landscaping business that provides great service whether you’re looking or residential landscaping or commercial landscaping. If you’ve lived in Harrisonburg for any length of time, chances are good that you’ve seen Fine Earth landscaping trucks or signs in the area, and you’ve probably heard someone talk about the great work they do.

Fine Earth is uniquely equipped to handle any needs related to landscaping in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Whether you’re looking for stone pavers, hardscaping, or any work related to landscape design and maintenance, Fine Earth is the right company for you in Harrisonburg, Virginia.

The colors you choose for your trade show display graphics send non-verbal signals to visitors and attendees at your show, so you need to be very careful that you are sending the right signals. Some basic colors are listed below along with the positive and negative effects they may have on your potential clients.

Red

• Positives – Indicates passion, energy, and excitement.
• Negatives – Indicates recklessness and emotion-based decision making.

Blue

• Positives – Creates a calm, soothing environment. Blue is associated with professionalism and strength.
• Negatives – Creates a feeling of coldness and depression.

Green

• Positives – Indicates comfort, peace, money, and nature.
• Negatives – Indicates greed.

Yellow

• Positives – Attracts attention better than any other color.
• Negatives – Can be distracting and disconcerting when overused.

Black

• Positives – Indicates power, modernity, and urbane culture.
• Negatives – Indicates arrogance, dishonesty, and evil.

Brown

• Positives – Indicates a desire to be unique and is associated with nature.
• Negatives – Indicates an air of informality and dirtiness.

Gray

• Positives – Stimulates creative thinking, works well as a backdrop to help other parts of your display stand out.
• Negatives – If not used well, gray can be boring and dull.

Most companies are very limited by the colors of their company, but if you have a choice about what color your trade show displays use, always think carefully about what effect your are giving off.

MODdisplays released a new line of panel table top displays called the “Hero” line, which is aimed at helping exhibitors on tight budgets who are attending small trade shows. We searched high and low for a quality table top display that we could stand behind, and the Hero system stood out as the best on the market, which is why we picked it for our website. We work hard to find high quality products that are well designed with a low cost of ownership, and the Hero table top display meets exactly that need.

The hinges on this system can flex in both directions, making it a far superior product to the displays that can only bend in one direction. This allows the exhibitor a great deal of flexibility with how the display is set up and used, which is a big advantage when you need a versatile solution. The Hero is also available in a number of different fabric colors (many table top panel systems only come in blue, black and gray, but the Hero has over ten colors to choose from).

If you’re interested in purchasing a Hero table top display, please give us a call at 877.663.3976 and we will be happy to talk you through the process. We even provide customized renderings so you can test your graphics on the display (for free!) before you purchase the exhibit. If you’re looking for a value table top display, look no further than the Hero.

 I&D (Installation and Dismantle) workers are the group who are responsible for installing and dismantling your trade show display. These workers have been known to make or break events for particular exhibitors. A good worker may be able to solve problems with your display, while a lazy worker may cause you more problems with your exhibit.

Although it is human nature to want to tip trade show I&D workers, doing so could actually result in the employee getting suspended or even fired. Because trade shows are tightly unionized environments, accepting tips is forbidden as a matter of policy. So what can you do to reward an employee who has worked hard to improve your trade show experience? We recommend letting their supervisor know that he or she is doing a great job.

Despite our best efforts sometimes deliveries are delayed. We could have the Exhibit ready for shipment at the correct time but because of inclement weather, miss sorting, or a host of other unforeseen problems FedEx or UPS delay the delivery. And everyone involved in exhibiting knows that a delay could be disastrous.

There are ways of minimizing these delays. First, be realistic with the person you are working with at MODdisplays. Don’t add buffer days and not tell them, if we can get the job done early we will ship it out right away. If we know all the available information we can better serve you. For example, if we are shipping it to your office and you are going to take it with you to the show and the package is delayed we can reroute it to the show. Even UPS ground packages can now be rerouted mid-transit. But the only way we can react in this situation is to have all available information.

Secondly, plan ahead. For example, take advantage of pre-show warehouses. Make decisions regarding your display needs early and try to get the exhibit itself out of the way long before the show. This will allow you time to make deal with other last minute needs right before the show. But also, don’t be scared to call us last minute, we can usually accommodate since we offer such services as free graphic design with designers who are trained to work quickly and professionally.

This leads to the other important aspect of avoiding delays: make quick decisions. The most important thing about exhibiting is actually having a display. Don’t risk delaying your exhibit because you can’t choose between which stock photos to use in the bottom corner of your graphic. Put the whole thing in perspective and focus on making good decisions quickly.

Also don’t let paying for your display hold up delivery. In most cases we need 50% up front and 50% when it ships. We can’t start producing until we have the first payment and we can’t ship without the second. It’s obvious how this could cause a problem.

And when in doubt, give us a call. We do this day in and day out so we can help you set up a timeline and get you what you need when you need it.

Virtual trade shows are gaining popularity around the globe as a way for professionals to interact and exchange important information. Currently, virtual trade shows account for 1% of the market share in the event planning industry, but by the year 2015, industry experts expect that over 25% of trade shows will be conducted in virtual environments. The meteoric rise in demand for virtual trade shows is hindered only by reluctance in the event planning industry, but new firms are emerging that are positioned to take virtual trade shows to the next level.

Virtual trade shows have many advantages over the traditional trade show format. The most obvious advantage is that exhibitors and attendees do not have to travel (or even get up from their desk) in order to meet with their target market and exchange information. No longer do business owners need to invest in trade show displays, hotel accommodations, airfare, trade show literature, promotional items, or other expenses typically related to traditional trade shows. By keeping costs low, virtual trade shows allow many more exhibitors and attendees to participate than would typically be possible, which increases the value of the trade show as a whole.

One of the most difficult challenges faced by exhibitors at traditional trade shows is to distribute information to attendees in a manageable and useful way. Product brochures and pamphlets usually dominate traditional trade show environments, and most of the printed materials that are handed out find their way to trash bins within a few hours. Virtual trade shows allow for much quicker access to vital information, and virtual trade shows allow that information to be intuitively categorized, organized, and distributed. No longer will attendees return to the office with canvas bags stuffed full of trade show literature, instead they will just store the information they need in a folder on their computer.

At this point, you may be wondering what a virtual trade show looks like. Do exhibitors really produce visual displays, or is the environment purely text based? The answer is: It depends. Typically, you begin by visiting a server on the web that is pre-determined by the show coordinators. Upon arrival, you will be asked to give basic information about yourself and your company including your name, company name, phone number, e-mail address, physical address, and possibly some additional information about your relationship to the industry as a whole (e.g. would you consider yourself a vendor, manufacturer, wholesaler, etc.). Once this information has been collected, it will be used to create an identity within the virtual world that other users can view. Every exhibitor and attendee will be identified by his or her information, which virtually eliminates the problem of trade show espionage and allows users to connect directly to the people they are interested in speaking with. Once inside the virtual trade show, the exhibit hall could take on many different looks depending on the type of virtual trade show you have registered for. Many virtual trade shows are completely text-based and have the appearance of a chat room, while many virtual trade shows take place in three-dimensional worlds with visible representations of other people as well as their trade show exhibits (think Second Life).

Virtual trade shows usually integrate a number of different technologies including web seminars, video conferencing, IP telephony, and instant messaging. The goal of virtual trade shows is to simulate the quality of relationship marketing that can be found at traditional trade shows, but without the need for high dollar trade show booths or travel.

According to Exhibitor Magazine (which quoted a report by the Trade Show Bureau), more than 80% of leads generated at traditional trade shows are never followed up. This is largely due to the lack of available high quality lead management systems and/or software. Many virtual trade shows have lead management software built directly into the same system that allows you to attend the trade show. Many virtual trade show organizers allow you to tag individuals or companies to be remembered later, and also allow you to collect information (documents, price lists, etc) directly through the system. At the end of the trade show, you can view detailed analytics related to the activity of your exhibitors or attendees as well as reporting on new leads, which has dramatically increased the return on investment for many companies.

There are a few negative stigmas associated with virtual trade shows. Many people who may be very competent in their industry are not computer savvy enough to keep up with their younger counterparts. This allows many unworthy marketing experts to get an advantage over seasoned industry professionals who happen to lack computer skills. Additionally, the anonymity that is provided by the show coordinators is often exploited by users with bad intentions. If your company wants to sneak a peak at a competitor’s price list without getting caught, it would be much easier to do at a virtual trade show than it would be in person (where you may be recognized or identified). This means that virtual trade shows are still susceptible to corporate espionage.

Traditional trade shows are here to stay, but virtual trade shows are consuming an ever-widening marketing share, and trade show marketing professionals would do well to take note.

If you have ever attended a trade show, you know that many companies struggle with designing graphics that represent their company well. Even large, nationally recognized corporations make glaring mistakes in their graphic design that could have easily been prevented with a better understanding of the trade show environment. By collecting information from designers experienced in working with trade show graphics, we have compiled a number of tips that we believe are crucial to a successful graphic design.

1- Less is more in the world of trade show graphics. Many designers seem to think that they are designing a museum exhibit, because the entire display is filled with small text and bullet points. You only have three seconds to grab the attention of attendees and visitors at a trade show, and a large graphic full of tiny text is the last thing you want. We have found that large, boldly colored images that relate directly to the brand identity of your company will not only increase your visibility at the trade show, but increase the return on your investment. If you are designing graphics to promote a company that sells orange juice, you would do much better by using a large image of a fresh orange than by writing bullet points about the advantages of purchasing your brand of orange juice.

2- Do not sacrifice a professional image in order to market a smaller facet of your company. At a trade show, you are marketing your brand, not your products. Unless you offer a cutting edge product, visitors to your booth will not be impressed by what you sell. If you design simple but professional trade show graphics that focus on the feel of your company, you are much more likely to leave a lasting impact on attendees by raising the profile of your company brand. The biggest motivating factor that changes potential customers into loyal clients is the perception that your company is professional and legitimate.

3- Maintain a consistent scheme with all of your marketing material. Your large format trade show graphics should be closely tied in with the literature and giveaways you are handing out, as well as any pre-show mailers you have sent. Your trade show graphics should also work with your company website, letterhead, and business cards. In other words, your trade show marketing campaign needs to be a part of a much larger approach that is well planned and consistent. This will help you to appear legitimate and professional to your potential clients, which will help to earn business for your company. If your trade show graphics are well designed and make a big impact at your show, visitors will be disappointed if they are pointed to a poorly designed, outdated website.

Many companies that sell trade show displays offer graphic design, usually at a cost of roughly $100 per hour. There are a few companies that offer free trade show graphic design with the purchase of a trade show display or banner stand, which can be a great way to save money and time. Companies that sell exhibits usually staff designers that specialize in large format graphic design and printing, which means that they know exactly what types of design works well in a trade show environment. The expertise of a professional can drastically increase the return on your investment without adding too much upfront cost.

About the Author:

Andy Keeler is the owner of MODdisplays. They specialize in trade show displays and exhibit graphics at and their trade show booths are environmentally friendly.  MODDisplays can be found online at:  http://www.moddisplays.com .

Leading trade show display company works with clients to get them the graphics they want.

Harrisonburg, VA – (PRWeb) – March 6, 2008 – MODdisplays, a leader in the portable trade show display industry, now offers free graphic design services with the purchase of any trade show display or banner stand. Designing trade show graphics can be a complex and challenging process, and usually ends up costing exhibitors more time and money than the display itself. The design professionals at MODdisplays can take the headache out of designing your own graphics and help to ensure that you look your best at the show.  MODDisplays can be found online at:  http://www.moddisplays.com .

The graphic designers at MODdisplays are experienced in the field of trade show marketing, which means they understand what works well for exhibitors. Trade shows are fast-paced environments, and experienced design professionals can help your company produce a display that is eye-catching and professional at the same time.

Most companies in the portable trade show display industry charge between $75 and $200 per hour, and an average 10 x 10 trade show booth could take as long as eight hours to design. Graphic design charges can add up very quickly, and many companies hide the total charge until after it is too late for the client to back out of the purchase. At MODdisplays, graphic designs for your trade show booth are completely free, and there are no strings attached to this offer.

In addition to the obvious cost benefits for clients of MODdisplays, the addition of free trade show graphic design simplifies the ordering process. “People who are in search of a trade show display really like what they see on our website, but they aren’t sure how the process of designing and producing custom graphics works. Now they can purchase our displays with confidence, and we send them their first graphic design rendition the next business day,” says MODdisplays President Andy Keeler. Combined with the custom exhibit rendering service offered by MODdisplays, the process of purchasing a trade show exhibit has become much easier.

When you purchase a trade show booth from MODdisplays, a member of the Graphics Department will immediately contact you to get a feel for what you are trying to accomplish at your trade show, as well as what types of graphic design appeal to your company’s unique style. From that conversation, a designer will take the time to produce an initial rendition. Through continued dialogue with our graphic design department, we will help you come to a graphic solution that works well for your company. Nothing will ever be printed without your signed approval, so there is no need to worry about paying for something that you are not entirely satisfied with.

In the portable trade show display industry, it is easy to get complacent and fall into routines with clients. MODdisplays is proud of the steps that have been taken to improve customer experience and continually improve the service that we provide to our clients.

Contact

Andy Keeler

http://www.moddisplays.com

sales@moddisplays.com

1.877.663.3976 (Toll Free)

I recently realized that many of the exhibitors we work with didn’t realize the impact and necessity for lighting their display well.   Lighting is an inexpensive part of your exhibit and is a great way to highlight your more essential and expensive part of your display, graphics.  Attendees are drawn to brighter booths because they are more welcoming. 

 Many of our displays come with lighting by default because it is built into the very structure.  Take the Exhibit One and XRline exhibits; both of these displays have canopies with built in recessed lighting.  Lighting in this way, not only looks high-end, it is simple to use since all you do is plug the display in after it is set up.  Your recessed lighting not only illuminates your graphic it helps create more of an environment than simply a flat graphic, in turn increasing your booth traffic. 

Banner Stand lighting is often over looked.  But with new lights like the Lumina-2, drawing attention to your banner stand graphic is not only inexpensive, it is simple to use.  Since the light clips to the pole behind the display and arcs over the top for great down-lighting, the Lumina-2 works with virtually every banner stand option on the market.  

Every display we sell offers either built-in lighting or the option to add the lighting.  For all your other lighting needs, like if you want to add lighting to a display you already own, we offer a wide range of solutions under our lighting section.  The two main groups of lighting we sell are the LightCraft lights and the Lumina lights.  The LightCraft lights have been produced in the US since the beginning of the portable display boom.  And since they are produced to spec you can customize your mounting bracket, color and even the length and shape of the arm.  The Lumina lights are a stocked category of lights which make them more affordable and ready to ship right away.  Each of the Lumina lights offers a universal clamp that works in virtually every situation.

Also, while every light we sell comes with a bulb, we do offer additional bulbs that can be purchased with your lights or at a later date when replacements are needed.  And as always, if you have any questions about your exhibit lighting needs please feel free to contact us at 877.663.3976 or info@moddisplays.com.

To have a successful trade show experience, the first thing you need to do is make sure that you’re exhibiting at the right show. Once you’ve done that, you need to decide where you want to set up camp on the show floor. If you’re registering for the show late in the game, you may not have much of a choice, but most exhibitors will have at least a few options for where they want their booth to be. It is important to pick a good location in relation to other exhibitors as well as in relation to high-traffic areas in order to maximize your experience.

Avoid choosing a location that will put your booth too close to companies that directly compete with your company. Proximity to “enemies” could result in hostility and a negative atmosphere around your space. Keep your distance from competitors at trade shows to ensure that your exhibit area is free of distractions. If you’re focused on what your competitors are doing, you will probably lose track of what you need to be doing.

Avoid choosing a booth location that puts you near exhibitors that are known to have budgets that are drastically different from yours. You don’t want to be nestled between two massive, high-end displays unless you have one too, and you don’t want to be trapped between two poorly funded exhibitors with science project style trade show displays. You want your display to look better than the displays of your neighboring exhibitors, but not drastically better.

Position yourself in high-traffic areas that are free of distractions. Being near the bar area or an entrance area may seem like a good idea because you will have visitors passing your booth at all times, but the people who are passing your booth have other things on their mind (i.e. beer, bathroom, etc.). Ideally your booth would be positioned in a high-traffic area that is far from distractions to maximize the number of interested visitors you receive.