How to Select a Pop Up Trade Show Display
Limited budgets and BIG ambition are common for most businesses and particularly noticeable for those exhibiting at Trade Shows! Management and the "Bean Counters" don't understand the importance of having a luxurious Booth Display for representing the company at Trade Shows; lucky for you Pop Up Displays have come A LONG WAY over the years, providing you with a big bang for your buck and the ability to impact the attendees mind by projecting an impressive image.
Pop Ups are pretty light-weight and can often be packed into cases that can be checked onto airlines OR you can transport them for a small fee via standard ground shipping services if you don't feel like schlepping it to the airport with the hundred other things you need to bring to the show!
What should I be aware of?
When you begin searching for "the right" Pop Up Display for your exhibiting needs, focus on the "moving parts" and materials; the "moving parts" make up the backbone of the Pop Up Display. Unless you are only looking to use the Pop Up Display short term stay away from Pop Up Displays with plastic parts, they tend to be called "Disposable Displays" and "go kaput" MUCH QUICKER than metal!
Also take into consideration the "grade" of material used in the frame; if the Pop Up Display contains thin-walled aluminum, you will benefit from a lower priced display, but it will be less durable and is prone to a higher "kaput" rate!
You will find that the biggest difference amongst Pop-up displays is the durability of the frames; some frames are designed to be extremely sturdy and others are focused on being more economical than sturdy! These factors are the driving force for the pricing variances you will come across.
How do I find "the right" display?!
When you first begin searching for a new Pop Up Display you will need to start with the basics by determining your specific Trade Show Display needs. Are you exhibiting at 4, 10, 20, 50+ shows per year? Do you need different messaging for different shows?
As a base to get you started, here are a few questions to ask yourself before starting your Pop Up Display search:
- How many Trade Shows do we plan to exhibit at yearly?
- How many different company representatives will be utilizing the Pop Up Display?
- Do we need interchangeable graphics so we can present various different messages from show to show?
- Do we anticipate that we will be checking the Pop-Up Display on the airplane with us and will require a lightweight carrying case, or will we be shipping it and will require a hard shipping case?
Record any other requirements applicable to your Trade Show Display needs, then contact a reputable Trade Show Display company; tell them what your Pop Up (or any other Trade Show Display) needs are so they can direct you to the Trade Show Display that will best suit your Trade Show Exhibiting needs! On that note I HAVE TO stress the importance of contacting a qualified Trade Show Display company vs. finding the bargain basement cheapest price online! Remember the tried and true saying "you get what you pay for" - well, that definitely applies in this case; the last thing you want is to be in the middle of your yearly Trade Show schedule with a broken down Booth Display and have to scramble to have a new display ready for your next show, not to mention the significant costs that will be involved! Talk to the pros and buy a sturdy, reliable booth display based on YOUR specific requirements from the start.
Let's move on and take a look at the top 3 primary type of pop up displays available on the market; keep in mind that each of these examples have MANY extras that can be added and various configurations.
Panel Displays
Pros:
- Inexpensive
- Versatile; easy to set up
- "Entry level" type of display
- Many can be converted into a larger display
- Easy to change graphics
- Easily portable
- Fairly lightweight
Cons:
- My personal opinion about these type of displays are that many of the panel displays make your image look "dated" and "cheap" - I WOULD NEVER recommend these!
(Brutal, yes - but no "B.S.", remember!)
- If the frame is mishandled it can become damaged
Curve Wall and Straight Wall
This type of Pop Up Display is only a few hundred dollars more (and sometime even less) than most Panel Display systems, but as you can see, the look has more quality and appeal to it than the Panel Display systems!
Pros:
- A variety of sizes and configurations are available
- Set Up can be done by one person pretty fast
- Changing graphics is easy
- Fairly lightweight and compact
- Can be shipped by common shipping carrier, including FedEx or UPS
- The case converts into a display table to use within the booth
Cons:
- Pop Up Displays consist of many parts; which can get lost!
- If the frame is mishandled it can become damaged
- Large graphic panels can be difficult to align
written by:
Linda Musgrove
Tradeshow Teacher
www.tsteacher.com
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Contributing Author:
Linda Musgrove is President of the Miami based Trade Show Training & Consulting firm, TradeShow Teacher, catering to businesses nationwide.
She has taught many companies over the years how to improve their trade show results through educational "Trade Show Tutoring" programs for individuals, departments or entire teams; and with the Trade Show Training Manual she authored, titled: Trade Show Training, for Increased Return On Investment.
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•Competitive Intelligence 101
•Market Segmentation
•Trade Show Technology Trends
•How To Select A Pop Up Trade Show Display
•How To Select A Table Top Show Display
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•How To Select A Targeted Trade Show
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