Every exhibitor wants to maximize the return on their investment, and many exhibitors cut costs by carefully analyzing their trade show budget and removing unneeded expenses. You should never make a budget cut that will be detract from the overall quality of your marketing program, but there are many ways to reduce your expenses in ways that are largely invisible to visitors and attendees to your trade show booth. No matter how you choose to cut your budget, it’s important to keep the return on your investment in mind as the overall goal of your campaign. That being said, here are a few discrete ways you can reduce your costs:

• Take time to figure our exactly how much space you actually need before you register your space. It’s always better to exhibit in a small space that you can properly outfit and staff than to exhibit in a large space that you are unable to properly outfit and staff. Booth registration fees often represent over half of exhibiting expenses, so choosing your space wisely can save your company a lot of money.
• Keep your eyes open for discounts on show services. Electricity, water, and internet services are not free when you exhibit at a trade show, and you can often save over 50% by signing up for these services early (usually up to 30 days in advance).
• Order promotional products and trade show giveaways in bulk. Most companies use promotional items in a number of different contexts (not just trade shows), and ordering in bulk can earn deep discounts for your company.
• Avoid companies that charge rush charges for printing and exhibit services, as this can drastically cut into your trade show budget if you’re crunched for time. At MODdisplays, our model is simple: If we can possibly get it done for you, we will. We never charge rush charges no matter how tight your deadline.
• Review your invoices after the show is finished. It would not be unusual for event planners to confuse your service orders with those of a neighboring booth and charge you an exorbitant amount. By simply reviewing your invoices, you may catch a number of errors and save your company hundreds of dollars.

When you are able to keep your exhibiting expenses low, you gain an advantage over your competitors that will help you to make a bigger impact at your show. MODdisplays understands the needs of exhibitors, and we work diligently to stay within the tight budgets they have. If you have any questions, please give us a call at 877.663.3976 or email sales@moddisplays.com.

Banner stands are by far the easiest trade show graphic systems to use. They are lightweight, affordable, and have a very low cost of ownership compared with other types of trade show exhibits. Every banner stand we sell can be used independently or can be combined with other banner stands to form a large graphic wall, which allows your company a great deal of flexiblity and plenty of room for expansion.

Typical trade show banner stands come in a number of different types, but two primary types dominate the market. Retractable banner stands and tension pole banner stands each have their own unique advantages, and making a careful and informed choice can result in a much more satisfying purchase.

Retractable Banner Stands

Retractable banner stands use an aluminum base to store your graphic, and the graphic can be quickly pulled up from the base to display your graphic. These trade show banners are usually more durable than tension pole banner stands because the graphic is stored in a protective base.

The retractable banner stand that started it all is the Expand Quickscreen Banner Stand. Since this banner stand hit the market, thousands of copycats have emerged, but the Quickscreen is still a powerful marketing tool that is being puchased by companies nationwide. In general, Expand banner stands are more high-end solutions.

Tension Pole Banner Stands

Tension pole banner stands are usually less expensive than retractable banner stands, but the graphic is less protected. Usually the graphic is rolled in a cardboard tube that is surrounded by a padded canvas bag. This can result in damage in shipping and transportation if proper care is not taken.

Tension pole banner stands usually offer a larger graphic area than standard retractable banner stands. Because the graphic does not retract into a base, it can extend all the way to the floor, giving it a sleek and modern look that many exhibitors appreciate. Tension pole banner stands work especially well as graphic walls because the graphic can extend all the way to the floor. Many tension pole banner stands include magnetic pieces on the profile strips which allow you to attach your banner stands to one another.

All of our trade show banner stands come with pre-mounted graphics, so you never have to worry about mounting the graphic to your display system. In addition, we have added a padded carry bag to every banner stand order to further protect your graphic in shipping and transportation.