Skyline STL

19 Chuck Norris Exhibitor Jokes

noreply@blogger.com (Skyline STL) — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 18:19:00 +0000

Chuck Norris’s toughness is so legendary, there are hundreds of Chuck Norris jokes on the internet about his strength and fearsomeness. For example:

Guns are warned not to play with Chuck Norris.
Chuck Norris can slam a revolving door.
Death once had a near-Chuck Norris experience.

But what if Chuck Norris was an exhibitor? What feats of strength, endurance, and excellence could Chuck bring to trade shows? The mind boggles at the possibilities:

Chuck Norris sent a direct mail pre-show promotion to 100 pre-registered attendees – and 101 came.
Show contractors are so scared of Chuck Norris, they don’t charge him drayage.
Half of Chuck Norris’s competitors backed out of the show when they heard he was exhibiting there.
Chuck Norris is so smart, he selected a show where 100% of the entire buying market was attending.
Chuck Norris fixed a broken weld on his exhibit by squeezing it. With only two fingers. Of his left hand.
Chuck Norris installed an island trade show exhibit in just one hour. Without tools, instructions, or a ladder. On straight time. With a 15-minute break.
When Chuck Norris did a social media promotion for his trade show booth via Twitter, he caused the #failwhale to appear – and then it asked for his autograph.
Chuck Norris doesn’t need crowd gathers when he booth staffs; he needs crowd dispersers.
Chuck Norris doesn’t need to qualify leads, because all his leads are “A” leads.
Chuck Norris doesn’t need to measure his trade show results, because they all bought.
When Chuck Norris had a typo on his booth graphics, the dictionary changed its spelling of the word.
Chuck Norris worked an entire 5-day show in Germany, 10 hours a day, standing up, without a break, in cowboy boots that were 2 sizes too small. And still looked great.
Chuck Norris can eat convention center food every day of the show. Twice a day.
Chuck Norris’s exhibit was declared “Best of Show” – before it was set up.
Chuck Norris can set up a banner stand in under a second – just by looking at it.
Chuck Norris doesn’t need a stapler to attach business cards to lead cards – he just pinches them together.
None of the brochures Chuck Norris gives attendees get thrown away before the attendees return to their offices. Or after.
Chuck Norris had his island exhibit completely packed after the show — before his crates returned from drayage.
Chuck Norris took a lead from every single attendee at the show. On the first day.

If Chuck Norris were writing Chuck Norris exhibitor jokes, he would have come up with 100.

From: http://www.skylinetradeshowtips.com/19-chuck-norris-exhibitor-jokes/

Skyline, A Company That Offers Trade Show Displays In St. Louis, Hosted Food Drive For Locals

noreply@blogger.com (Skyline STL) — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 15:59:00 +0000

Skyline Exhibits & Graphics Mid America, a company that provides customers with custom modular exhibits in St. Louis, organized a food drive in cooperation with Operation Food Search.

EARTH CITY, MO -- Skyline Exhibits and Graphics Mid America, a company that provides customers with St. Louis trade show booths, recently completed a month long food drive. The drive was in cooperation with Operation Food Search and combined the efforts of Skyline Mid-America, Gateway Exhibit Services, Closed Loop Recycling and The City Museum.

Collection bins were located in the Skyline and Gateway lobbies for the entire month of May. Additional collection points were located at The City Museum the week of May 2nd-6th. The food was sent to St. Louis residents who were in need.

"It was nice that we were able to help out local people. It puts a face to the cause, especially after the tornadoes in the Bridgeton area. It was good to know that we were directly helping those who were really in need," said Kelsey Via, Marketing Coordinator of Skyline Exhibits and Graphics Mid America (http://www.skylinestl.com/).

Skyline Exhibits and Graphics Mid America is just one piece of the international Skyline network. The company has offices in major cities and can offer help with trade show displays in St. Louis areas. Skyline creates custom modular island exhibits for businesses around the country and can handle everything from creating the graphics for a ready-made trade show booth to designing a booth entirely from scratch. Skyline also has a number of trade show booths that customers can rent and offers services such as St. Louis I&D.

Skyline exhibits include 10x10 foot displays, 20x20 foot displays, tabletop portable displays, banner stands, pop-up displays, permanent installations and more. They are constantly innovating and coming up with new award-winning exhibit systems. And for those companies that are not sure they want to commit, Skyline offers a complete line of rental exhibits. Skyline’s worldwide service network makes them the perfect partner for trade show displays in St. Louis

"With so many different products to choose from, customers can be sure they are receiving a one-of-a-kind display. Whether you're a restaurant looking for a tabletop display or a hospital wanting to celebrate an anniversary with a large, outdoor exhibit, we can help make your vision a reality. If you're not sure of exactly what you're looking for, we can help design something you will be proud to use for years," said Via.

STL Trade Show Schedule

noreply@blogger.com (Skyline STL) — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 15:50:00 +0000

Introducing! Mirage® Monitor Mount

noreply@blogger.com (Skyline STL) — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 20:30:00 +0000

Digital Presentations Add 'Pop' to Mirage® Pop-Up Displays
Now portable exhibitors can seamlessly incorporate digital images and video presentations into their display!

Portable Ease, Digital Impact and Flexibility

The new Mirage Monitor Mount allows exhibitors to mount up to two 15 lb. monitors or up to four 10 lb. monitors on their 10' curved Mirage frame. Digital messages are easy to change and mutiple screens allow you to target specific market segments. Two Mirage Monitor Mounts easily fit in Mirage's Transporter or Oval cases -- no extra cases needed!

Already Have a Mirage?

Add digital! Skyline Monitor Mounts work with most Mirage frames. Update your graphics and incorporate digital for a fresh, new look and brand presence.

Make an Impact in Smaller Spaces

In addition to the popular 10-foot Mirage®, Skyline Monitor Mounts work with most 8-foot frames...

...and even Skyline's convenient, single-case Mirage® 8-foot tabletop display.

Protective Audio/Visual Case

Secure A/V equipment during transport and storage! High-tech case is lockable, watertight, crushproof and dustproof. Extendable handle and wheels make for easy transport.

Durable case has a lifetime guarantee!

Check out the Mirage Monitor Mount in action!

Introducing the Large Monitor Station!

noreply@blogger.com (Skyline STL) — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 20:24:00 +0000

Multi-Media Impact Made Easy

Get the value of video and digital presentations with style, ease and flexibility! Skyline's modular Large Monitor Station is great for trade shows, retail environments, business and conference centers, and many more applications.

Durable Black or Silver Finish

Textured finish matches other Skyline structural systems.

Great Addition to Trade Show Exhibits

Skyline Large Monitor Station can be a flexible option in trade show exhibits of all sizes.

Designed for use with large size monitors. Holds flat screens up to 150 lbs. (68 kg).

Easy to Set Up and Reposition

Skyline's Large Monitor Station installs in 10 minutes or less. Optional casters allow for easy placement and repositioning in a variety of environments.

Available in 3 Heights

Standard height is 65" (165 cm) to screen center. Optional extensions allow for heights of 72" (183 cm) and 84" (213 cm). For stability, casters should not be used with extended heights.

Click here to see the Large Monitor Station in Action!

What's New and Hot at Skyline! PictureCube™ Display System

noreply@blogger.com (Skyline STL) — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 20:18:00 +0000

Take Messaging to a New Dimension

Attract attention with big graphics and backlighting! PictureCube towers and ceiling-hung units feature large fabric graphics and can be backlit for ultimate 'pop.' With 15 models in varying shapes and sizes (up to 16' tall), PictureCube carries a powerful presence on its own or as a component of a larger design solution. PictureCube has a lightweight aluminum frame, packs small, installs quickly and is easily repositioned.

The Best Fabric for Backlighting
Skyline's proprietary Performa® Display Fabric is great for backlighting, because it is designed for even light diffusion across the panel surface. Performa is durable and washable.

Clean, Streamlined Look! PictureCube allows your graphics and message to stand out with a frame that is nearly invisible and a graphic connection system that is hidden beneath its surface.

Intense, Low-Energy Lighting

Compact Fluorescent Lighting provides intense white light with low energy use. Bulbs are small and easily repacked.

Attract Attention From Afar

Lightweight hanging units create interest and attract attention from a distance.

Click here to watch PictureCube in action!

5 Ways to make your B2B Trade Show Social

noreply@blogger.com (Skyline STL) — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 19:22:00 +0000

Almost every B2B company invests part of its marketing budget in trade shows. It is one tried and true method of lead generation. The problem with trade shows is that they aren’t cheap, and they are a big line item on the marketing budget. So if your company is making the investment, then it should do everything it can to squeeze out every last drop of value. This need for value, combined with cut travel budgets across all industries, means that the solution to this problem is social media.

This post is meant to be a straight forward how-to. The list below is five things you can start working on today and implement at your next trade show.

1. Pongr/QR codes – Trade shows are the perfect place to bring the offline and the online world together. I have been a big fan of QR codes for a while now and Jason Falls reviews another solution called Pongr. Regardless which platform you choose to use, both allow you to connect an image in a trade show booth to an online element that gives it more depth.

Example: A new product demo station at the booth has QR codes that link directly to mobile phone formatted spec sheets with order forms.

2. Facebook SMS – Facebook is a great platform especially if you company does not have a blog of its own. A new feature to Facebook fan pages makes them a great tool for trade show engagement. Once you have established a Facebook fan page for your company or product, you can have people text a command (see image above) to become and fan and subscribe to SMS updates. The SMS is the killer feature here, because if you are organizing a party or event at a trade show you can send one brief message to alert everyone of a time change or to encourage them to attend.

Example: Display the Facebook text command and encourage people to join by offering exclusive discounts or giveaways.

3. Live Stream – For better or worse most B2B companies pick trade shows as the spot for major announcements. They are also normally one of the few times national teams are together. Leverage this opportunity as a way to connect with your customers. Use free platforms like Ustream.tv or LiveStream.com to stream live video of company announcements or to do a live Q and A with company leaders. Both streaming platforms provide chat capabilities that allow you to directly react to feedback from those watching.

Example: Stream a news conference and use the chat feature to take questions from reporters and bloggers that could not attend the trade show.

4. Customer Interviews – Trade shows are a great opportunity for listening. Purchase a small camcorder like a Flip cam or a Kodak Zi6, along with a tripod, and interview your customers or potential customers. Ask them questions about their business and their thoughts on the current state of the industry. Give people the opportunity to talk about themselves.

Example: Interview trade show attendees and upload the videos to YouTube or another video sharing service. Feature the videos on your company blog, Facebook page, etc. and follow up with the person in the video to let them know they have been featured. They will then share the video with their coworkers and peers, which will increase traffic and help to generate leads.

5. Live Tweeting – Budget cuts means less people can attend trade shows, but people still want to follow the action and know what’s happening. Live tweeting remarks from speakers and panel discussions is a great way to get the attention of potential customers that couldn’t attend the event.

Example: Using a computer or cell phone tweet the major quotes from a keynote speaker. Beforehand set up a widget on your company site to display your tweets using a service like Tweetgrid. Before the trade show promote that people wishing to follow the conference can visit your site and follow along with the Twitter widget.

Read more: http://socialmediab2b.com/2009/08/b2b-tradeshow-social-media/#ixzz1Oo7CfxaJ

St. Louis Trade Show Exhibit Company, Skyline Exhibits & Graphics Mid-America, Aids Tornado Victims

noreply@blogger.com (Skyline STL) — Thu, 19 May 2011 15:31:00 +0000

Skyline Exhibits and Graphics Mid-America, a Saint Louis trade show displays company, recently donated time to assist with tornado clean up and relief efforts.

EARTH CITY, MO – After the devastating string of tornadoes that hit the Midwest and the Southern United States in late April, leaders at St. Louis trade show exhibit company, Skyline Exhibits and Graphics Mid-America, knew they had to help the victims. Shortly thereafter, volunteers from Skyline St. Louis teamed up with Service International, Inc. to assist in tornado relief efforts less than a week after the tornados first struck

"You just don't realize the complete and utter devastation. Television images do not capture the true scope of the destruction," noted Kelsey Via, Marketing Coordinator for Skyline St. Louis.

Volunteers from the St. Louis trade show displays company joined over 1,100 people from other organizations on Saturday, April 30 to assist in relief efforts. Volunteers were provided with water and lunch and then were driven via shuttle bus to the areas needing assistance. Skyline employees helped cut up and remove fallen trees and logs and assisted with general debris cleanup.

Skyline St. Louis is part of the global Skyline Exhibits, a company with a network of 1,500 team members and 138 design centers in 38 countries. Skyline's international makeup was well represented that day as Skyline volunteers from the U.S., Siberia, Latvia and the Ukraine all pitched in to clean up debris and fallen trees in Missouri.

The volunteers from Skyline, who usually help businesses design their trade show displays in St. Louis and other areas, were impressed with the organization that went into the relief assistance, but also dismayed at the scope of damage from the tornadoes.

"Service International, Inc. had things very well organized. Everyone met up in the parking lot of Grace Church in Maryland Heights. There, we received our work gloves and supplies, lunches and water and were sent off in the buses. You really couldn't have asked for better weather, either. It made things easier by keeping people's spirits up and energy flowing. At the end of the day, everyone was tired and sore, but it was worth it to know we'd helped a few people start to get their lives back on track after the storms," explained Ivan Lyagushov, Siberian Accounting Intern for Skyline St. Louis

City Museum Company Party!

noreply@blogger.com (Skyline STL) — Fri, 06 May 2011 16:06:00 +0000

The City Museum Company outing is today! Hopefully when we get there the Operation Food Search Bin will be full!

Still want to donate to our food drive! No problem come visit us at 13314 Lakefront Drive, Earth City, 63045 for you chance to win a free banner stand!

The May Food Drive is Here!

noreply@blogger.com (Skyline STL) — Mon, 02 May 2011 18:57:00 +0000

Help us knock out hunger and help those who were affected by the recent tornado!

Three ways to help!

(1) It's easy! The entire month of May we will have a collection bin in our lobby (13314 Lakefront Drive, Earth City, 63045) just drop in with your donations and we'll take care of the rest. Make sure you say hi to your Salesperson and Service Coordinator while you're here as well, they would love to speak with you!

(2) The City Museum has generously agreed to partner with us and place a collection bin in their lobby May 2-6th. So stop on by make your donation and then spend the day playing like a child again!

Not from the area?

(3) No problem! In conjuntion with our onsite food drive we are also hosting a virtual food drive. Simply click here to go to our store to make your donations. Quick convenient and easy!

Why Should You help?

As a member of the St. Louis community we hope to help end child hunger and we could use your help! To thank you for donating to our food drive we will be giving out raffle tickets to win a number of prizes.

There will be four weekly drawings and then a grand prize drawing at the end of the month.

Weekly winners will get gift cards for Kaldi's coffee and the grand prize winner will get the choice of a free bannerstand with graphic* or a booth staffing seminar for you and up to 15 coworkers!

What Can You Donate?

135 Children in St. Louis are at risk for hunger. That's enough to fill Busch Stadium 3 times!

HELP US KNOCK OUT HUNGER!

St. Louis Trade Show Displays Expert, Skyline St. Louis, Hosts Personal Protection Class

noreply@blogger.com (Skyline STL) — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 20:12:00 +0000

Skyline St. Louis hosted special guest, Ray Amanat, founder of Amanat’s Heroes in Action, who led participants in a private personal protection class.

EARTH CITY, MO – In an effort to further their core values of continual personal growth and their focus on healthy living, experts of St. Louis trade show displays, Skyline St. Louis, held a class in personal protection methods. The class was led by Ray Amanat, founder and leader of Amanat’s Heroes in Action, and advocate for victims of bullying, abuse, and violence. Employees from four companies attended the class, which centered on empowering participants to feel safe, as well as encouraging a lifestyle centered on respect and non-violence towards others.

Hosted at the Skyline Facility – which is normally focused on helping businesses arrange for trade show exhibits in St. Louis - the participants learned how to mentally, physically, and emotionally prepare themselves when faced with virtually any type of situation. Amanat encouraged the participants to practice these techniques so they became routine and comfortable because overcoming fear, panic, hesitation and thinking “like a victim” is key in an assault situation.

“It was a wonderful opportunity to be able to extend this class to our employees and partners, and empower them with Ray Amanat’s knowledge. His focus on respect and self-empowerment fits right in with Skyline’s core values, and we felt it was important to help our employees feel confident, no matter what they may face,” said Stephanie Miller, Special Projects Manager at Skyline Exhibits and Graphics (http://www.skylinestl.com).

The class was well received by those who attended. It allowed Skyline to take a short break from designing trade show displays in St. Louis to learn life saving techniques as well as have a good time with coworkers and colleagues.

Amanat’s Heroes in Action (http://www.amanatsheroesinaction.org/) has taught classes in all levels of education, individuals, corporations, and even to children with special needs.

“Every human being has the right to be respected and the right to feel safe. This program helps develop the confidence and empowerment necessary to calmly handle any situation. We’re very thankful that Ray took the time to pass on his knowledge,” concluded Miller.

noreply@blogger.com (Skyline STL) — Sat, 16 Apr 2011 16:07:00 +0000

Contractor Lingo

Whether you're new to trade shows or a seasoned pro, it can be difficult to remember which contractor does what. Here's a quick glossary of what service each contractor performs.

Exclusive Contractor - Contractor appointed by show or building management as the sole provider of specified services. Services can include facility telecommunications, plumbing and electrical services, compressed air, catering, and in some facilities even audio-visual and cleaning.
Exhibitor-Appointed Contractor (EAC) - Any company (other than the official or general services contractor) providing a service and needing access to an exhibit during installation, show dates and dismantling. Often used to refer to a subcontractor who is appointed by an exhibitor to install and dismantle their exhibit. Also referred to as an independent contractor. Known at medical shows as an Exhibitor-Designated Contractor (EDC).
Exhibitor-Appointed Contractor Form (EAC Form) - A form completed by an exhibitor 30 to 60 days prior to the show to name EAC's the exhibitor will use. This form notifies the show manager and general services contractor of your intent to have an exhibitor-appointed contractor perform services at the show. The EAC then must provide proof of insurance and possibly a filing fee.
General Contractor (GC) or General Services Contractor (GSC) - The contractor hired by show management to set up the show. Responsibilities can include material handling (drayage), laying hall carpet, rental furniture and displays, decoration, rigging, installation and dismantle labor and clean-up. This contractor is also known as the official contractor or official general contractor.
Official Contractor - A group of individually contracted companies appointed by show management or the general services contractor that are responsible for providing services to exhibitors such as exhibit ground and air transportation, floral rental, custom furniture rental, audio-visual or computer rentals and cleaning.

Cristina Rockett-Wilson| Client Services Manager, Gateway Exhibit Services

10 Ways to Use Social Media to Get Attention at Trade Shows!

noreply@blogger.com (Skyline STL) — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 19:52:00 +0000

1. Pick The Right Team – Make sure to select people from your company that enjoy using social media tools. You will need to choose people as booth staff who are comfortable using real-time tools (like Twitter) to follow show hashtags and connect with other attendees. Also remember that you will want someone as a remote admin to help you pull everything together and stay engaged with social networks and pages while you are busy on the floor.

2. Tune Into the Proper Stations – It’s important to do your homework and find the official social stations that the show will be using. Oftentimes, these stations can be found on Twitter hashtags, open Facebook Groups and Pages. Make it a point to set up and staff a listening practice for each of the different show channels.

3. Collect Your Audience – With social media as a tool base, we all have the power to be curators of humans. Find the humans that are relevant to your exhibiting strategy, and use things like Facebook Groups and Pages, and LinkedIn Groups.

4. Choose the Right Weapons - A big part of creating media is choosing the right tools. Just about everyone is familiar with the popular Flip Video cameras, but there’s a whole world of equipment beyond the Flip that can make a big difference in your content production abilities for photo and video.

5. Build Your Stage – If your trade show efforts – booth, staff and sponsorships – are part of a brand production, then your production needs an online stage. Blogs make a great stage for showing and sharing content, whereas networks like Facebook are excellent at building dialog within a community. The question is this: what does your company already have in place that you can use in your trade show efforts?

6. Tell Interesting Stories – Know what? Your product and services are just not that interesting. Sorry. Even in an environment like a trade show (that’s designed to market your stuff), simply marketing your stuff will not break through the noise on social media. When using a blog or Facebook to build an audience for your show, try introducing your people and sharing information about them. You’d be surprised what a little introduction will do in terms of building new relationships.

7. Quit Selling Stuff - Really. Please quit trying to sell your stuff on social media sites. I promise, we will tune you out completely. You know as well as I do that a trade show is not really the place to sell your stuff either. Trade shows and social media are about building relationships. Sales happen in boardrooms and on the phones. Take that to heart.

8. Buy More Face Time – The web has been inhabited by human beings, and markets are now conversations. Use social media to find interesting people who might also make good customers for your business. Then invite them to meet you IRL (in real life). You might be surprised just how easy it is to make new friends when you’ve spent some time tweeting or Facebooking with them first.

9. Always Be Mobile – Laptops are a pain in the butt in a trade show booth. Yes, there are things we need them for, but using social media at trade shows is much more friendly on a mobile device. Make sure that your team first has internet-ready smartphones or tablets that are set up with the right applications for social media use.

10. Don’t Be a Robot – While automating content distribution on social networks, so that it’s spread evenly over the day is a good practice, but be sparing with using automation at trade shows. Trade shows are live events with things happening on the floor in real time. To be the most relevant, pay attention to your surroundings and share content (both your own and that of other exhibitors) as it happens on the floor.

Original Article

Pet Expo 2011 - Design a Success!

noreply@blogger.com (Skyline STL) — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 16:29:00 +0000

The Skyline St Louis design department, got the chance to design a new booth for a leading pet food company who was attending the 2011 Pet Expo in Orlando. Check out the results and what our client had to say about it!

"Starting from our first meeting with Skyline, they stood head and shoulders above the competition. Their organization, enthusiasm and dedication to excellent service was immediately apparent. As we progressed through the design phase, Skyline really engaged in the project showed themselves to truly understand our brand as a whole and the messaging we wanted to convey with our tradeshow presence. Their design team worked seamlessly with our Creative Director to produce an exhibit that exceeded our expectations while keeping costs down and staying on budget. Once the exhibit was finished, we had given it the final stamp of approval and it was time for the first show, Skyline impressed yet again.

For our company, tradeshows are a significant expense and we are very happy to be partners with Skyline, not only because of the excellent job they did designing and building the booth, but also for the support and service they provide once we get to the show floor."

7 Hidden Competitors At Trade Shows

noreply@blogger.com (Skyline STL) — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 17:48:00 +0000

Article by: Mike Thimmesch
When you exhibit at trade shows, you participate in a wonder of free enterprise: Competing firms agree to present themselves side-by-side, allowing potential buyers simultaneous access to a multitude of choices.
That requires a willingness to face your competition head-on in the exhibition hall. Yet you have much more competition for attendees’ attention than merely your fellow exhibitors.
Here are 7 competitors you must beat to fully engage your clients and prospects at trade shows:

1. Your Industry Competitors: Well, yes and no. While you expect to compete with other companies in your industry, your competitors can actually be helping you, too. Their marketing efforts lure more prospects into the show hall, expanding the potential universe of buyers for your product category. Some confident exhibitors even seek a booth space close to their bigger competitors to draft off their booth traffic. To win these head-to-head match ups, make sure your trade show booth graphics, promotions, experiences, and booth staffers clearly articulate what makes you better. Not sure why? Ask your newer customers and best sales people why you’re winning sales now.

2. Time: For years, industry guru Marc Goldberg has been warning exhibitors that trade show attendees suffer from “time poverty.” Time-pressed attendees are less likely to visit every aisle in the show hall. Combat this by:

Getting booth space in the highest-traffic sections of the show hall, usually in the center and to the right of the main entrance
Reaching out to attendees before the show to set appointments
Teaching booth staffers to quickly qualify and release unqualified booth visitors
Offer prizes daily in your booth that qualified prospects will want

3. The Office: Even when they’re at the show, attendees are still distracted by their urgent issues from work. To gain their full attention, bring new products and hold engaging demonstrations in your trade show exhibit that attendees can’t experience in their office. This insidious competitor can also distract your booth staff , so impress upon your staff the considerable marketing investment the show is for your company, and its potentially huge marketing value — depending on the level of their efforts.

4. The Location: It’s no coincidence that Las Vegas and Orlando are the top two U.S. trade show cities. Their year-round warm weather and fun atmosphere offer compelling reasons for attendees to visit. Other top cities such as Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego are destinations worthy of a vacation in their own right. Consider making the venue city your ally, by hosting a hospitality event for top buyers that embodies the local sights. Whether it’s deep sea fishing in Miami, a show in Las Vegas or New York, or golf in Orlando, enlist, rather than compete with the show’s host city’s allure.

5. The Conference Sessions: I can’t count how many times a trade show attendee told me they couldn’t stop, or else couldn’t stay long in our booth, because they were rushing to an educational session. And that’s even at shows where exhibit hours run unopposed to sessions, because attendees still need time to walk from the show hall to meeting rooms. It’s even harder when a show keeps the exhibit hall open during sessions. So fight fire with fire. Attendees come to the show to learn; offer them valuable new research reports, or host your own educational presentations in your trade show displays.

6. Other media: Even while attending trade shows, your prospects are enticed to consume other forms of media, be it from their smartphone, email, or laptop. So launch an integrated marketing campaign during the show, reminding them via email, social media, and show-specific advertising, why they should visit you in your booth. That way, when they peruse other media, you redirect them back to your presence at the show.

7. Their Family: Trade show attendees are people first, buyers second. While away from home they miss their families. That’s why some exhibitors provide giveaways that are specifically meant for their attendee’s kids rather than attendees themselves (Can you say Teddy Bear?). These exhibitors get valuable at-show attention that lets them start a meaningful conversation, even if after the show their logo ends up in a toy box.
Now that you know who your true trade show competitors are, you can formulate strategies that garner more attention from your clients and prospects, and triumph on the trade show floor.

It's a mistake to focus on price

noreply@blogger.com (Skyline STL) — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 15:04:00 +0000

It's best to look at the whole enchilada when shopping for an exhibit, comparing price, quality, design, functionality and so on. Why? Because over the long haul the purchase of an exhibit is a smaller percentage of the total trade show marketing cost than most realize.

Here's a simple exercise that will give price-shoppers a new perspective.
How many shows per year will you attend with your new exhibit?
How many years do you plan to use it?

Multiply the number of shows by the number of years. Now divide the purchase price of your exhibit by the total number of shows.

For example, let's say you do four shows a year and plan to use your new exhibit for five years and the total cost with accessories, graphics and design is $20,000:
4 x 5 = 20
$20,000/20 = $1,000 per show

Now compare your exhibit cost per show with your other show expenditures: Booth space, show services, travel, lodging, meals, costs of staffing, literature, premiums, and so forth.

How can you not afford to shop for quality, design and functionality?

Trade Show Booth: Internet versus Consultative Sales

noreply@blogger.com (Skyline STL) — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 19:26:00 +0000

As a small business owner specializing in trade show booths and events I have had to answer the question that has become quite common over the last few years. “Why is there significant price difference between your pop-up display and the one I just found on the Internet? The standard answer which most in this industry used was “Quality.” And it is the one of the correct answers, but does the consumer believe it?Many do, but just as many believe it’s a ploy on our end to close the sale.

Yet, there’s more than quality involved. Let’s explore what I believe to be the 4 significant differences between these types of sales, and how the Internet has benefited the consumer by us lowering our prices to compete while assuring a higher level of quality, design, and service.

1. Quality
There is no question that low-priced trade show displays pale in comparison in the quality department. Unfortunately, many exhibitors don’t find this out until after they buy. Mostly it’s the materials being used. For example most low-end pop-up displays use low-grade aluminum frames. At Skyline for example we have aluminum, composite fiberglass, and carbon fiber composite frames. This gives us the ability to sell against our own product. See this video on aluminum vs. composite frames.

Visualize it this way: bikes were once made of steel, and then they progressed to aluminum, and eventually to carbon fiber composite. Bottom line it’s a stronger, lighter material that takes the pounding of the trade show world more efficiently. So the quality of the frame itself is different. But where the consumer sees another significant difference is in the quality of graphics. Many times Internet sellers’ graphics are made for “one-time” use, so when you transport these exhibits, the graphics have a tendency to suffer.
Jeff Anderson of Christoff Mitchell Petroleum said it best: “I had already purchased a less expensive aluminum pop-up display via the Internet when I discovered Skyline’s Mirage. I wanted a high-quality pop-up display that will last for years, so I bought the Mirage as well. Not only is the frame the most durable on the market, but Skyline’s graphics are incomparable. Now someone else owns the Internet unit!”

2. Service
Basically, if you buy on the Internet you are now responsible for the design, logistics, and install and dismantle of your exhibit. You become the fulfillment house. There is no consultant on the other end of the line. They are order takers. They will quote and ship and that’s about it. In a consultant sale you get the same level of service as if you were buying a large exhibit. The representative realizes on our end that this is the entrance into a relationship with a client that they can help grow over the years. Also with our products you get lifetime guarantees. Internet offers no guarantee or very limited in their time and scope.

3. Design
Most consultant-based distributors have a full complement of designers and production artist for you use. These designers are constantly retrained on new designs and concepts that are using the best of the new products available to the exhibitor. Most importantly, they specialize in trade show exhibit design, so they know how to best attract the eye of the trade show attendee. The Internet-based sale will have you do all the lay out and the conceptual design while providing you only grids.

4. Relationship
Trade show consultants understand your industry. Current trends, new products, shipping, storage, installation and dismantle, and most importantly, we are experts in design and spatial concepts to help assure your success at the shows and events that you attend. And even if you don’t need these types of services on the lower end of the product spectrum it’s critically important to establish relationships with consultants that can help you across the wide spectrum of activities that you company attends over time. The best consultants realize that the first sale is the gateway into a long term relationship and they are the business extension of your organization. Our job is to make you look good. That includes far more than just the product.

Our shared goal: Your long term success
There is still a perception that there is a significant premium to go with a consultant product sale versus an Internet sale. As business owners, we have met your demand for a lower-priced product, while keeping a high level of service and quality. Our goal is your goal of long-term success.