OT - creating a trade show booth

williamconifer wrote on 1/7/2004, 8:54 AM
Greets folks,

Well I am going to rent a booth at a "trade show" for the first time. It's a bridal fair. I will be pushing the wedding toast videos I create for the wedding reception and a DVD Wedding Photo Album. The cost of the fair and running an ad in the program is freaking me out a bit but I realize I got to get off my butt and market.

I need advice and/or links to resources on how to create great looking trade show booths from a DIY perspective. I'm a sweat equity kinda guy mostly because I don't have the cash to pay someone to do it for me. Looking for ideas on table top displays, booth back drops, digital projection of video, *and* affordable ways to get banners printed. Obviously my Epson 1280 only gets me so far. hehe.

thanks again
jack

Comments

Chienworks wrote on 1/7/2004, 9:08 AM
There is a printshop nearby that i use often that can print any digital image up to 32x48" and laminate it with a very thick glossy plastic. I had them print some digital photos at 28x34" for my boss' trade show and it only cost about $30 each. Their printer resolution was limited to something like 180dpi, but since the photos were only 3 megapixel to begin with that wasn't really an issue. Since the visitors were seeing them from about 6 to 8 feet away anyway they looked very sharp and spiffy. The best part was that they were eye catching from all the way across the arena. Lots of folks wandered over to the booth just to get a closer look.

Check your yellow pages for smaller mom & pop print shops. They're usually hungry for low volume business and will often give you good prices to earn your repeat business.
JackW wrote on 1/7/2004, 10:41 AM
In my experience, the secret to a successful trade show booth is having an activity that people will stop and watch, one they can ask questions about, one that sets you apart from everyone else.

Go to a sports show and you'll see that the booths that have the largest crowds around them are booths in which someone is tying flies, or putting feathers on arrows, or working dogs, etc.

If I were going to have a booth at a wedding show, I'd bring in a computer and large monitor and edit a wedding right there in the booth. All your competitors will be showing their finished products, standing around in fancy dress, hoping someone stops to talk. It won't hurt to have a DVD showing one of your finished weddings on a second monitor, but what will set you apart from everyone else there is that people can stop and see how it's done, and you can chat them up while showing them how you work to create a wedding video. The brides will be fascinated by how you can combine cover shots and closeups, the grooms will be fascinated by the technology you're using. Both will remember you after the show because of your uniqueness.

As one of the fly tiers at the sports show who drew a crowd all day long, believe me: you'll draw a crowd at the wedding show because of the interesting and unusual activity at your booth -- editing -- and your lovely assistant can pass out business cards and brochures (the latter showing you at work editing, perhaps) and book weddings while you shmooze the crowd.
vitalforces wrote on 1/7/2004, 10:47 AM
You might also get some useful practical advice from a trade show participant. There must be a National Trade Show Association or organization of similar name, where you can ask to be referred to either clients or heck, competitiors. They don't know you're competition unless you tell them....