Whether you are exhibiting at a  Chicago Trade Show, Las Vegas Trade Show or are just conducting business, the key to success is constant follow up.  Staying on peoples mind’s will help in building brand awareness.  Simply in every day life, following up can lead to strong lasting relationships.

Show services always offers lead retrieval but what happens your company has opted out of that service and the business cards have accumulated in the bottom of briefcases? Putting a plan of action together for strict follow up can be a daunting task.  Finding a reliable source for Trade Show Lead Follow up can assist in bringing in new business generated from your recent trade shows.

Keeping a clean database of names and records for all your trade show practices can be accomplished with online exhibit management software and a dedicated staff that will help get all your leads in perspective.  Allowing you to figure out your trade show ROI, so that your company can best focus on the strongest leads first and foremost, while the potential client is still in trade show mode.

There are an abundance of machines that can make your life easier when it comes to managing your contacts.  Even outsourcing your trade show follow up can begin to bring in new business.

Pop up exhibits are easily transportable, easy to set up and can be customized for specific shows, adding specific messages for your targeted audience.  Being lightweight, pop up exhibits will save on shipping costs.

The Mirage pop-up has a durable, self locking frame that will not kink or bend giving your pop up a longer life span.

Banner Stands are also a great alternative for smaller shows and trade fairs, even as add on to your current exhibit.  Branding a new product or service in combination with your overall marketing message can be easily accomplished with versatile, interchangeable banner stands.  Multiple units can create an attractive and unique message within an existing display, and can become a focal point for your products.

Trade Show Tables, Workstations and Kiosk’s can add the extra storage space for literature and promotional items and can be used as stand alone solutions as well as for training sessions and presentations within your larger trade show display.

Trade Show Display Rentals are available in any combination of exhibiting components and products, for more information, contact your Chicago Trade Show Display Professionals.

The question is being asked over & over these days if it’s worth investing in trade shows?

The answer is simple – Yes.

I don’t answer yes just because I am writing for Chicago Trade Show Displays and we sell exhibits.  I have been reading and investigating the trends on trade shows for the past several years.

Trade shows are your stage for:

Building Brand Awareness
Increasing your database of leads
Producing  visibility for products and services

So, the value in trade shows lies within your planning strategies:

Define your marketing objectives and Establish a trade show budget.  Keeping track of your trade show marketing is essential in success.  Online event management software can help keep all your details in one location and will give you comprehensive reporting to track all your trade show details.

The Why’s:

I have read many articles recently on the fact that trade show attendance is down, and many companies are pulling out of trade shows that have been long time exhibitors.

That may be true, but if you look at the facts, some of the largest, well know names are the one’s that have decided to stop exhibiting.  Companies that are presently in the spotlight and have a very strong product recognition and are firmly standing within their market segments. A little more understandable that they may be readjusting their marketing dollars into something else right now.  Trust me, they will be back on the trade show floor.

Companies are also sending more key players to trade shows, what does that mean? It means your product & services will be in front of the decision makers and the people that are looking for the solutions that your products and services have to offer.   Putting your company in front of them now is crucial, they will be more focused on what they need to solve their problems.

Grabbing onto opportunities and marketing through the recession can be vital to your business plan.  Tradetec Skyline believes firmly that marketing is vital to a businesses success and has recently released their Free Trade Show Rental Program to give exhibitors the opportunity to continue their trade show marketing.

With big bold graphics on both sides, you can broadcast your message from all angles.

The Duet Banner Stand is available in 34 and 48 inch units and are easy to set up, whether your using banner stands within your trade show display or are using them in kiosks, a two sided message can be seen and viewed easily in open areas.

Perhaps you are launching two new products, what a better way to broadcast your message, a single panel graphic with dual messages.

Halogen Lighting – 50 Watt
Fixture attaches to the top of the panel and highlights your graphic.
Available in single or double lights.

Poles support graphic panel and are designed for easy installation.

Vibrant and durable Skyline graphics. Panels are printed UV process on opaque vinyl to eliminate image bleed-through.

Graphic panel retracts into the base during storage. The base also contains a Graphic Exchange System which allows you to easily change your graphics on-site.

Support feet provide stability and
simply swivel open during use,
then back again

Trade Shows can be full of unnecessary surprises, of which can have a costly effect on your bottom line and in turn can head your Trade Show ROI in the wrong direction.  Putting in place solutions for cost effective trade show planning will eliminate some of the typical surprises exhibitors face.

Prevention of trade show mishaps is by far one of the easiest solutions for cutting costs in your event planning.  Whether it’s missed deadlines, shipping errors or inspection of your exhibit properties.

The question is not if you should exhibit, it’s whether you are exhibiting smarter?  There is a familiarity with the process of trade shows, whether it’s shipping, design, I&D or storage of properties, if you are unfamiliar with the specifics, the bottom line can become over inflated and you will not be able to judge the true ROI of your trade shows.

Having the ability to produce reports that will calculate the efforts of your marketing department is key to future planning of trade shows and corporate events.  With a small amount of time invested on the front end with the importing and refining of data online trade show & exhibit management can become a streamlined tool.

As in anything whether it’s in our personal or business lives, having in place a structured routine will alleviate stress related triggers.   Getting organized for trade shows and having one location that you can touch on all the details, will allow you to shift your focus on  your companies core competencies and will allow your marketing department and event management team to become more proficient.

With the concerns of lay-off’s and cutbacks, defining your position within your marketing department needs to become a focused effort.  Aligning yourself  with an event management partner and solution provider will only strengthen your efforts.

When it comes to your upcoming 2009 & 2010 trade shows, set in motion a plan of action, a plan of organization & structure.  Decreasing the trade show mishaps with easy to use  event management software is a cost effective & reliable solution.

Exhibit halls are still packed and bring together buyers and sellers in an environment where you companies are looking for solutions.  Helping them, helps you.

Tradetec – Skyline Chicago is not only your source for Trade Show Displays & Exhibits, we are a solution provider and a partner for your trade show management success.

With the addition of Manage My Trade Shows we will help familiarize your trade show managers and coordinators with a powerful online trade show software so that they will be able to report, schedule, follow up and refine your trade show program.

Having recently read that 80% of trade show attendee’s never receive a follow up call after the trade show has ended.  The major reason for exhibiting is to reach potential buyers, where do your leads go? If those 80% are not being contacted by your competition, it’s time to put in place a lead follow up program.  With online event management software, you can easily determine your marketing ROI and cost per lead.

Having the ability to print reports and analyze your companies strongest trade show performances will give you the ability to focus on your overall marketing goals and shed light on where your company may not be as efficient or cost effective when it comes to your trade show marketing.

Harnessing the value of trade show management & marketing has become an increasingly tougher task for trade show managers and coordinators.  Their budgets have been cut; members of their marketing teams have been laid off.  Now even more they need a successful solution for their event and asset management, the program is not finished when the doors to the exhibit hall open or close.

Where will your exhibit need to be next?
Was it all intact at the end of the show?
Are your light bulbs burned out?

By teaming up with an outsource partner for trade show management, you have a virtual safety net, where all the detailed tasks are collected and can be customized to best refine your companies trade show marketing campaigns.Outsourcing trade show event management to an educated and knowledgeable firm adds extra benefit to your entire trade show program.  Managers may be reluctant to turn over this responsibility, in fear they may be replaceable, this is not the case.  Using a trade show management software and having a reliable source and partner that is familiar with the exhibiting industry, will allow you to eliminate the details and the headaches of research and information gathering and free up valuable time that can be better spent on refining your overall marketing strategies.

Putting in place a service team that will care for your properties like they were theirs, you’ll no longer have the wrong graphics, late shipments, broken components or lost schedules. Chicago is home of McCormick Place and The Donald E. Stephenson Convention Center, Manage My Trade Shows can assist with show books and trade show services, no matter where your next show is.
Trade Show Managers carry the weight of the entire event, streamlining this process and being able to report budget vs. actual and refining your strategy can be accomplished easily with the support of online event management tool.  Being able to show upper management the return on investment for their trade shows will only help in future decision making. Having access to your trade show program from any where in the world, there is no down time when it comes to scheduling, itineraries, inventory & shipping and tracking your exhibit properties.

Showing the value your marketing strategies is getting tougher with budgets being crunched, jobs being re-defined and strategies changing.

Creating a clear and precise message with individual banner stands or multiple banner stands will allow you to reach audiences throughout your industry. When you are planning your marketing message for your Trade Show Display Graphics, think “Chicago Trade Show Displays” with a graphic that stands out and becomes familiar to your audience, your Brand Awareness begins to be seeded in the minds of your prospective clients.

The main objective to a trade show display is to get your company and products noticed, keeping the solutions you have to offer in front of your audience by creating a simple message that displays your company name can help you accomplish your objectives.

With a large variety of product offerings and trade show success stories it’s never been easier to find that right Trade Show Display, right here in Chicago.

There are many challenges of exhibit design and with a qualified Skyline Chicago Trade Show Display Dealer you will be able to create your brand awareness and marketing message with a lightweight, versatile and easy to use trade show display solution.

Indoor/Outdoor UV direct vinyl trade show graphics & banners lend themselves to event marketing with single and double sided graphics.

UV direct trade show graphics on changeable vinyl will offer an option for covering 48″ x 96″ Engage laminate panels in temporary or rental trade show displays

UV direct trade show graphics on vinyl for vinyl cut letters or logos satisfies historical requests for this multi-colored product.