Meet the newest addition to MODdisplays’ extensive line of popup displays: the Standard 10ft Popup with Kiosk. Thanks to the slim aluminum foot of the XRline displays, the kiosk is able to nest beneath our Standard line of popup displays for a clean fit. The ability to add XRline kiosks to our line of popup displays allows you to use literature shelves, monitor mounts, counters, and product shelves with your popup display (these options were previously unavailable at MODdisplays).

If you already own a popup display and need to purchase the kiosk separately, that is also an option. Purchasing our popup kiosk allows you to move your trade show exhibit into the modern age without purchasing an entirely new booth display. Our kiosks can be customized to meet the individual needs of your company, so please feel free to give us a call for more details at 877.663.3976 or email sales@moddisplays.com.

The versatility of this new system is unmatched for the price (the system pictured above retails for $3,237, which means it costs less to buy our popup system with a kiosk than to buy a full graphic popup alone from most trade show display companies). MODdisplays is able to sell high quality products for much less than the competition because we do not believe in making outrageous margins on graphic production (some companies will charge over $500 for a graphic panel that costs less than $50 to produce). Those margins are built in to cover the cost of mistakes, but we believe that we should pay for our own mistakes (not our clients).

Managing shipping and logistics for a trade show exhibit can be a complicated process, so why not let MODdisplays handle your display booth from start to finish? We offer exhibit storage and logistics services at a very competitive rate, which takes the burden off of your trade show marketing teams when it comes to managing your projects.

MODdisplays charges $25/month for exhibit storage, as well as $100 every time the exhibit enters or leaves our facility. The price includes a complete checkup on the health of your exhibit, but does not include the cost of any repairs or replacements needed to have your trade show display booth in working order. The cost also includes professional exhibit logistics from our shipping staff, which ensures that your exhibit will arrive on time and in one piece for your next event.

Although your exhibit storage plan does not include the cost of shipping, we do not mark up shipping at MODdisplays. Due to the massive volume of trade show exhibits we ship, we receive substantial discounts from UPS and FedEx, which means that allowing us to ship your booth will actually save you money on transportation. This savings often makes up for the cost of exhibit storage and logistics, which means that your company actually saves money by letting us do all the work!

There are many programs designed specifically for lead capture and customer relationship management, and using these programs could help to bolster your trade show marketing program. Instead of coming home from an event with an enormous stack of business cards, you could come home with a detailed database full of potential leads. By categorizing and organizing your leads as you get them at the trade show, you will be able to quickly relay information to your sales staff for follow up.

According to the Center for Exhibition Industry Research, less than 15% of leads generated at trade shows are ever followed up. Why waste tons of money on travel, trade show displays, and exhibiting accessories if you never plan to follow up on any of the leads you generate? Although following up with leads may seem like a simple task, it is often very difficult for sales personnel to prioritize and understand potential clients. This difficulty is caused primarily by a lack of information. Imagine the following case:

You meet two visitors at your next trade show. The first visitor you meet is interested in a few of your low-dollar items, but is looking to close a deal within a few days after the show is over. The second visitor you meet is interested in your most expensive product, but is looking to make a decision after a few months of research and deliberation. When you return to the show, you simply pass your sales staff business cards with the name of the product written on the back (believe it or not, this is the most common method of “lead capture” used at trade shows). Naturally your sales staff will push low-dollar clients toward the back of the line and attack high-dollar clients first, but this would be the exact wrong thing to do with regards to your two visitors. As a result, your company will lose both sales. If only you had the ability to capture a bit more information, you would have had a much better result.

One common method of lead capture is to bring a laptop to the trade show that is already running your customer relationship management program. This system will allow you to enter leads directly into your company database, which will allow sales staff at your home office to begin preparing follow up presentations before the show is even over. Many CRMs allow you to track statistics related to your marketing campaigns, and assigning each trade show to a different campaign will help you better understand which shows are good for your company and which shows might be a waste of your time.

Many companies use software that is specially designed for lead capture at trade shows. Sales Force is a great tool for lead capture, and it allows you to forecast future sales with relative accuracy. Many companies also choose to use software that aids in campaign tracking as it relates specifically to exhibiting. One good example is Exhibit Force, a software that will definitely help you figure out which shows have resulted in the best return on your investment.

If you have any questions about trade show software, feel free to contact us at 877.663.3976 or email sales@moddisplays.com.

Trade show magicians can be a great way to attract extra traffic to your exhibit space. Competition for the attention of visitors and attendees is ruthless, and anything you can do to hold the attention of passing visitors for more than a few seconds will give you an advantage over your competition.

Although trade show magicians can work wonders for your marketing program, you need to be careful to make sure that they don’t overwhelm your booth display and create an atmosphere that is unattractive to your potential clients. Especially if you sell products that cater to a serious audience, I would not recommend using magic to attract potential leads. If you sell children’s toys or video games, magic could be the perfect addition to your booth.

Typically an experienced and talented trade show magician will charge between $2,000 and $4,000 per day, but their services could be well worth the money if you generate a few key leads as a result of their work. If you decide that you want to use a magician at your event, don’t assume that every magician is the same. Like everything else in life, you get what you pay for.

In order to maximize your efforts and make your magician work for your company, you probably want to spend at least a few hours reviewing some basic selling points for your company. As a rule, every member of your exhibit staff should be properly trained before the show, and that includes your trade show magician. Your company will look unprofessional if you have staffers who do not know anything about the products and/or services offered by your company.

The primary goal of any exhibitor should be to leave a lasting impression of your company in the minds of attendees, so branding should always be your first priority. However, once your brand has been established, you can work toward creating a unique message for the expo that embodies the ideas of your company, and your table top display and exhibit graphic systems are a great way to do that. Here are some examples of company slogans or messages that have been ingrained in the minds of business to business buyers:

• UPS – Synchronizing the world of commerce.
• AT&T – Your world. Delivered.
• FedEx – The world on time.
• Apple – Think different.
• Microsoft – Your potential. Our passion.
• Yahoo! – Do you Yahoo?
• General Electric – Imagination at work.
• 3M – Innovation.

These slogans and many others are known worldwide and are directly associated with an idea related to the company. Think of a corporate slogan as a way to say something about your company’s personality in addition to just the company name. Different types of buyers are attracted to different company personalities, so crafting your slogan carefully can help you convey a message to your clients about the type of environment you work in.

Our experienced graphic designers have worked with countless exhibitors to craft their company image for specific trade shows, and they are standing by to help you with your event. If you want to incorporate a slogan into your branding effort, we can help you create that slogan and incorporate it into your pop up display or modular exhibit. Please call 877.663.3976 (toll free) for details.

More and more attendees are relying on a detailed itinerary to navigate the trade show floor, and getting your company’s name on those itineraries could mean the difference between success and failure at your next event. In this post, I’m going to describe some unconventional ways to get your company name in the minds of exhibitors before the show begins.

1. Spend your time and money promoting the trade show where you are about to exhibit, and make sure the show organizers notice your efforts. Write articles and press releases that encourage people to visit the trade show, and be sure to mention your company’s name in a natural way that fits with the theme of the article or press release. Show organizers love to see their own expo being promoted, and will often highlight companies who do this by linking to their articles from the show website, which can be a great way to gain exposure.

2. Purchase advertising space on the show website months in advance of the show (a large banner ad with your name and company logo is preferable). This strategy will help visitors and attendees set you apart. Because you have advertised on the show website, you lift your company’s presence from “just another exhibitor” to “an important part of the trade show as a whole”.

3. One of the best things you can do to increase your booth traffic for years to come is to exhibit well. Around 61% of attendees on average have attended the exact same show the previous year, and attendees will remember your performance and use that information when deciding whether to visit your booth or kiosk this time around. No matter how much pre-show marketing you do, if your trade show booth is a let-down, attendees will remember that and won’t come back to visit you in future years.

Trade shows can be a very profitable part of your business if you take the time to plan and market your company well. If you don’t have the time to do it well, then my advice to you is to forget exhibiting and focus on some other aspect of your company’s marketing program.

A recent article in Exhibitor Magazine set out to answer the following question: Are trade shows really worth the investment? To answer this question, it’s important to find out if trade shows are still capable of attracting real buyers, and if the cost per attendee visit is remaining relatively stable.

According to Exhibitor Magazine, who quoted Exhibit Surveys, Inc,  82% of attendees “have the power to recommend or make final purchasing decisions.” This number is staggering, and clearly indicates that trade shows are still a great place for small and large business to put their money. Considering that an average of 34% of attendees are “first-timers” to a particular show, trade shows are still crawling with opportunities for business deals and purchases.

Within the same article, Exhibitor Magazine pointed out that exhibitors are paying more to attract each attendee:

…the average cost per attendee that visits an exhibitor’s booth increased 19 percent since 2006 – up 26 percent from five years ago in 2003. Those results underscore the reality that costs are increasing, thanks to everything from rising booth-space rates to fuel surcharges.

You may pay more per attendee today than ever before, but trade shows are still fertile ground for new businesses. The people who attend trade shows are looking to spend, and they have the power to spend. If you’re looking to build inroads with your target market, trade shows are still a great place to do it.

Each year, outdoor trade shows become more and more common. Why be cooped up in a crowded exhibit hall when you could be enjoying a warm, sunny day? Outdoor trade shows are usually set in beautiful locations with stable and predictable climates, which allows exhibitors to prepare for the weather in advance. More and more trade shows are moving outdoors, and these trade shows are statistically more profitable for exhibitors and attendees than indoor trade shows.

Exhibiting at outdoor trade shows can create interesting challenges. Wind, sunlight, rain, and even humidity can cause problems for traditional trade show displays, but the outdoor trade show displays we sell at MODdisplays are guaranteed to hold up in all types of inclement weather. Our outdoor banner stands are printed on durable fabric that will not fade in the harsh sunlight. Even in rainy, windy conditions, our outdoor banner stands will remain firmly planted in the ground if properly installed.

Most exhibitors at outdoor trade shows use trade show display tents. These tent displays allow you to clearly define your exhibiting space, and the fact that we offer custom printed display tents allows you to further enhance your marketing campaign by highlighting your company brand. Walls can be added on the sides of the tent, which allows your exhibiting space to be as private or as public as you need it to be.

Across the board, one of the big trends in the trade show industry is toward outdoor trade shows. Understanding how these environments work can allow your company to use them to your advantage. Outdoor trade shows are catching on because they are simply more fun than indoor trade shows. Exhibitors feel more relaxed and comfortable, which helps to create a business-friendly environment. Aside from the travel expenses that you’re likely to incur moving your booth staffers and exhibit material to a sunny, warm location, there really is no downside to outdoor trade shows.

MODdisplays launched a brand new affiliate program that allows resellers to have access to a 15% discount on all of our products. Marketing firms and advertising agencies need this discount to maintain their competitive edge, but we are one of the few trade show display companies in the industry that offers such a deep price reduction.

We will ship products blind directly to your clients, which means no one will ever know that MODdisplays is a part of the transaction unless you want them to.

We believe that affiliate marketing is a great method we can use to increase our sales. Marketing firms are usually very easy to work with because they already have a good idea of how the system works as well as what they are looking for, so they more than pay for their 15% discount.