We recently announced the release of Alumalite Lineare, the newest portable hybrid display to hit the market. We are very excited about this new product because we believe that the sleek, modern design will complement our existing product line-up without detracting from our simple approach. But Alumalite Lineare isn’t just the next pretty face in the portable trade show display industry. This new system offers a number of previously unavailable features, one of which is the option to add a slatwall panel to the back wall of the display.

The Alumalite Lineare with Slatwall offers exhibitors a host of new opportunities for displaying products and promotional items. With slatwall in place, it’s easy to add hooks, shelving, hangrails, and much more. If you’re looking to display a number of small, packaged products, slatwall is the perfect way to create the feel of a point of purchase display with the look of a trade show booth.

If you elect to have one or both of your side panels be slatwall, you will have the choice of six laminate options, which are black, designer white, amber maple, pearwood, platinum, and brushed aluminum. These laminate options will give your slatwall a finished look that will blend in well with the color scheme of your trade show exhibit.

If you have any questions about Alumalite Lineare or any other trade show products we offer, please feel free to call 877.MOD.EXPO, or email sales@moddisplays.com.

MODdisplays is proud to announce the release of Alumalite Lineare exhibits. This unique system will compliment our already successful line of classic Alumalite displays. Every Lineare system we sell comes complete with a hinged, backlit header system and reflector panels to create a powerful graphic presence on the top of your booth. Instead of using feet (like the classic Alumalite displays), the Lineare uses returns on both ends of the exhibit for a more finished look.

In addition to traditional Alumalite accessories (such as monitor mounts, literature holders, and product shelves), there are a number of new accessories available with the Lineare system. The counter systems have been completely redesigned for a more sleek look and easier packaging, and the side panels can be customized with slatwall, which is perfect for hanging products or promotional items.

The basic structure of the Lineare exhibit system ships in two rotomolded, wheeled cases that are 51″w x 35″l x 15″h and weigh 150lbs. The entire system can be set up using only the tools provided, which means your company can save a lot of money on labor at your next event without sacrificing the look of a unique, custom trade show booth.

If you have questions about the Alumalite Lineare, please contact our helpful staff at 877.663.3976 or email sales@moddisplays.com.

At MODdisplays, we believe that we have found the ideal balance between custom exhibits and stocked exhibits. Using only stocked hardware, every trade show display we sell can be packaged and shipped in a matter of days, but our flexible modular exhibit lines allow for virtually limitless customization. With MODdisplays, you get the convenience and rapid turnaround times of a portable exhibit retailer with the flexibility and versatility of a custom exhibit house.

Because we can create custom-looking trade show displays from stocked exhibit hardware, we are able to keep our costs down and streamline the process of ordering exhibits online. Our catalog of stocked components is enormous, and it never stops growing. Whether you need literature shelves, monitor mounts, counter systems, light fixtures, or product shelves, we can meet your needs at affordable prices with lightning quick turnaround times.

You’re probably as tired as we are of the endless bickering between exhibit houses about whether custom exhibits or stocked exhibits are better, so why not experience the best of both worlds by purchasing your next trade show booth from MODdisplays? Call 877.MOD.EXPO or email sales@moddisplays.com for more details.

If your booth staffers are not driven to succeed, even the best trade show marketing strategy in the world cannot save your company from a disastrous exhibiting experience. At business to business trade shows, the people who man your booth will be the single most important factor in determining the overall success of your marketing program. Booth staffers should be outgoing, friendly, and professional, but never pushy or long-winded. They should recognize that everything about their appearance, demeanor, speech, and body language will reflect directly on your company’s image, and that creating a great image is what trade shows are all about. So what can you do to motivate your booth staffers to be top-notch exhibitors?

1-  Take care of their most basic needs. Nothing breeds frustration among employees more quickly than being undercompensated on their trip. If you put your employees in a cheap hotel room and give them a meager stipend for food, they will be less likely to perform at their highest capacity on the trade show floor.

2- Offer incentives for gathering leads and making sales on the trade show floor. It is always much easier for people to work hard for their own benefit than for the benefit of their company, so offering incentives is an easy way to improve the performance of your booth staffers.

3- Take care to pick the right booth staffers in the first place. Although senior members of your sales staff may love to travel and exhibit at trade shows, they may be less motivated to do well than a young, ambitious sales person who works hard to impress. In addition to the fact that younger, more ambitious sales staff usually do better at trade shows, it will cost your company less money to send employees who earn less per hour.

4- Allow your booth staffers to be a part of the exhibiting process from the beginning. They will be much more comfortable working within the confines of your trade show exhibit if they played a role in the planning and development process. Who would want to be a part of a marketing campaign that they don’t believe in?

Shopping for trade show displays and exhibit graphics has never been more affordable than it is right now. In addition to drastically reduced prices for 2009, MODdisplays is offering additional savings in the form of promotions that are valid through March 31, 2009. Taking advantage of these coupon codes and special savings can help you make the most of your exhibiting budget.

• Free shipping on hanging signs. When you purchase a hanging sign through our online store, use the coupon code “HS-SHIP” to receive ground shipping on your hanging sign at no cost to you.
• Free carry bag with any Xpressions tabletop display. When you purchase an Xpressions tabletop display, receive a free padded carrying bag for a limited time. Call 877.663.3976 to redeem this limited time offer.
• Free shipping on Entasi displays. Receive free shipping on any Entasi display by using the coupon code “ENTSHIP” at checkout.
• Free banner stand light with the purchase of any Expand banner stand. For a limited time only, receive a free banner stand light with the purchase of any Expand banner stand. Please call 877.663.3976 to take advantage of this special offer.

If you have questions about any of our promotional offers, feel free to call 877.663.3976 or email sales@moddisplays.com.

For a limited time only, you can pick between 26 canopy colors to further customize your Alumalite display. Despite the wide variety of color choices, there is no additional charge, and MODdisplays will still ship your exhibit in only five business days. This special limited time offer applies to our Alumalite Wave displays, Arch displays, and Straight displays, which allows our clients to have the widest selection available.

Supported by durable aluminum extrusions, the Alumalite canopy is constructed from aluminum tubing covered in a flexible, stretchy fabric.  This fabric can be one of 26 colors at no additional charge to you, and we guarantee that you’ll find a color that matches your branding package.

Alumalite trade show exhibits are making a big splash in the portable trade show display industry because of their unique design and easy setup, and the addition of free colored canopies will only serve to help these systems stand out from the crowd. Unlike standard popup displays, these systems can hold a number of accessories including monitor mounts, literature shelves, product shelves, counters, and customizable exhibit lighting.

Barack Obama was sworn in yesterday as the 44th President of the United States, and his economic stimulus plan is structured to give green initiatives a major boost. In an effort to create jobs and clean up the environment, Obama will route a large portion of his proposed $800 billion stimulus plan toward green energy initiatives. Whether you agree or disagree with President Obama’s strategies, there is no doubt that green initiatives will get a boost thanks to his economic stimulus package.

Environmentally friendly trade show exhibits have become increasingly popular with exhibitors over the past five years, and industry experts predict that green trade show displays are here to stay. Under the Obama administration, companies that use environmentally responsible practices may receive tax breaks that will allow them to further reduce the retail price of their products. This trend could drop the price of eco-friendly booths drastically, which would allow retailers to sell these systems at prices that were once impossible.

The Business of Green Media Conference, which takes place on January 22, 2009 at Cal Poly State University, will highlight eco-friendly practices in the printing industry. Through the use of sustainable, recyclable materials, printers and graphic houses have pioneered green displays, and we at MODdisplays are proud to share their innovations with our clients.

In light of the current economic crisis, companies are using cost-saving trade show marketing strategies to reduce their expenses. When marketing departments have less money to work with, creativity soars. Exhibitors are constantly looking for new and exciting ways to make the most of their shrinking budgets, which has led to a number of innovative marketing trends.

Social media marketing for trade shows has skyrocketed in 2008, and the future looks more promising than the past. Websites like Facebook and Twitter allow exhibitors to quickly and easily communicate with thousands of attendees in a matter of seconds, which means the flow of information at conferences is faster now than ever before. Social media will continue to flourish in the trade show landscape in 2009. Learning to use these valuable tools can drastically improve the return on your investment at your next event.

The sale of modular exhibits is on the rise. Companies are finding that they can save a lot of money by purchasing a single trade show booth that can work in a 10′ x 10′, 10′ x 20′, and 20′ x 20′ space. Although these exhibits limit your company’s ability to exhibit at multiple shows on the same day, it drastically reduces cost for exhibitors who register for fewer than 10 shows per year. Small businesses love modular display systems, because with these systems they have the flexibility to add components to their display system as needed.

Multimedia exhibiting is becoming increasingly popular at trade shows. A trade show booth without a monitor or some audio-visual components is an anomoly in today’s trade show climate. Even in 10′ x 10′ spaces, exhibitors are looking to support large monitors on the back wall of their trade show display booths. Supporting large monitors requires a durable, well-engineered structure. There are many display systems that meet this criteria, but not many can be shipped in a single shipping case that can be transported by UPS or FedEx.

Stay on top of current trade show marketing trends by reading our trade show blog daily. We regularly update our content, so stop by often.

Exhibitors and attendees both noticed that CES had a much smaller and more relaxed feeling this year compared to 2008, but many show-stopping products were unveiled this year. According to Engadget’s CES Article, Palm stole the show, but HDTV-related gadgets were also a big draw at CES 2009.

One of the most interesting products I saw was the 50-inch multitouch TV from Samsung. Although I couldn’t think of any practical uses for this device, it was definitely a lot of fun watching people play with images and use the built in chalkboard. Like almost every product at the Consumer Electronics Show, the TV was outlandish and impractical, but isn’t that what defines CES after all?

Although CES was smaller than usual this year, it wasn’t near as small or under-attended as many experts predicted. The trade show industry still appears to be going strong despite the downturn in the American economy. With the prospect of Apple exhibiting at CES in 2010, the biggest of all trade shows should get even bigger next year.

An industry is a group of companies that operate with the same end-users in mind. For example, the trade show materials industry is comprised of all the companies that are working to sell trade show displays and exhibiting accessories to a group of people who can be collectively referred to as exhibitors. The strongest companies always find themselves in a leadership role within their industry, while weaker companies spend most of their energies imitating the strategies of the stronger companies in an attempt to catch up.

Trade show marketing is no different. If you find yourself planning your trade show exhibit by trying to model your booth after one of your best competitors, you will probably find that your industry-leading competitor will have further distanced itself by the time you’ve adequately mimicked their exhibiting system. In order to take a leadership role in your industry, you need to step away from industry standards and norms and take a long, hard look at what end-users are looking for. Once you understand your client’s profile, you’ll have a clear picture of what marketing steps to take. Instead of merely copying your competitors marketing efforts, you will be able to define your own presence and set the tone for your industry. Your display may take an entirely different shape and style than any of your competitors, but that won’t matter if your look is exactly what clients have been searching for.

One way to spot a dying company is to look for responsive marketing practices. Do you ever wonder why Microsoft doesn’t respond to Apple’s constant jabs about the inferiority of Windows PCs? The reason is simple: Microsoft holds over 80% of the market share, and responding to Apple’s marketing efforts would legitimize them. While marketing campaigns should be flexible enough to respond to changing competitive environments, they shouldn’t be focused entirely on tearing down competitors. A marketing strategy that directly attacks competitors in an unskilled or tactless way only serves to legitimize your competition, and may actually drive customers away who want to find out what it is about your competitor’s business model that has you in such a tiff.

When planning your next event, think carefully about what will interest your potential clients. If possible, try to take your thinking outside of the context of what other players in your industry are doing. If everyone else in your industry is making unnecessarily large profit margins, your company will have a lot of success by offering lower prices. If your industry lacks a recognizable brand name, improve your packaging and placement to put your logo in the minds of your potential clients. If your industry is like most, there is plenty of room for improvement. Can you ever improve as a company if you’re constantly copying ideas and responding to the work of your competitors?