The process of planning and preparation will undoubtedly change for events after coronavirus quarantine measures. Disease prevention measures will be implemented not only for the trade show attendees, but also for booth and facility staffs. Public health concerns will be top of mind for anyone attending large gatherings. Enacting socially responsible operations will set companies apart from each other in the minds of potential customers. While event organizers will develop actions for every exhibitor and attendee to take, exhibiting companies should take as many additional actions as possible to ease any fears. Here are five health and safety strategies your trade show marketing team can implement to prepare for conferences and trade shows in a post-COVID-19 environment.

Send Branded Face Masks to Attendees Prior to the Event

Face mask have taken on a dual purpose as both a recommended safety precaution and fashion statement. Sales of personalized masks have exploded on-line and trade show suppliers have started offering branded masks due to the high demand. While handing out masks at the event is a logical step, companies can go one step further in building relationships with current and potential customers by providing masks before a trade show.

A common tactic of trade show marketers is to perform outreach to event attendees and remain in contact with them leading up to the event. A great way to make a lasting impression is to send packages of branded face masks for use during the trade show. Attendees will make plans to get masks before the trade show; the free convenience will go a long way with potential and current clients.

Place Hand Sanitizer Dispenser Branded Stands in Booth Area

It goes without saying that we can expect hand sanitizer dispensers to be everywhere in public places and events after Covid-19 risks has lessened. Companies will be putting in place health regulations and policies that should extend to all events and activities outside office buildings and headquarters. While in-office sanitation stations can be branded or unbranded, any health safety supplies outside of the office should include some type of promotional branding.

A smart cost-saving strategy for businesses would be to buy branded hand sanitizer dispenser stands in bulk and distribute them throughout office floors and to events as needed. Trade show marketing teams would not need to worry about procuring them ahead of time, as the exhibiting company would already have plenty in stock and ready to go. Taking sanitation precautions will be an absolutely vital practice to ease public health concerns while doing business and keeping extra hand sanitizer dispenser stands on hand will make that task easier.

Practice Social Distancing Measures

Despite attending large events, people will still be practicing social distancing methods out of concern for their health. Companies should do their best to make the practice as easy as possible for their current and potential clients. Taking stock of attendee concerns prior to a trade show in terms of their schedules and health concerns will help teams plan their sales strategy. A tip is to offer an abundance of meeting opportunities outside of the official event activities This will keep the amount of people at your booth to a minimum.

This strategy is especially helpful when engaging with current customers; fostering goodwill by prioritizing their safety will help sales team maintain great business relationships. For new clients, trade show staff can work to schedule meetings with their booth attendees outside of the crowded exhibit floor. Teams could also plan to be in the trade show host city for an extended amount of time to allow for more meeting opportunities. The hotel industry is one of the most health safety cautious industries in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic and companies can express concern for the safety of their employees while traveling by recommending prevention methods and curfews.

Utilize QR Codes

Posting QR codes for scanning at trade shows is not a new method of information sharing. The small, square printed graphics are meant to be decoded by smartphones to reveal promotional codes, contact information, and websites. However, they provide a great contactless way to pass on the contact information for a sales team member instead of passing out business cards. Companies can save both printing costs and prevent the spread of germs by bypassing the provision of business cards to their employees for events after coronavirus. QR codes can be printed on any trade show display and in any location, which offer a quick and health-conscious way for attendees to gather a company information on products, services, and team members.

Clean Event Displays and Counters Regularly

Actions speak louder than words, and one of the best ways for trade show exhibitors to take actions against the spread of coronavirus or any other illness is to ensure their booth remains sanitized. Companies should provide their staff with plenty of cleaning supplies, including disinfectant sprays and wipes. Instructions should be provided to trade show staffs to regularly clean the entire display area at designated time increments, such as every 30 minutes. This will not only demonstrate social responsibility and a value for public health but will also ease the minds of exhibit attendees.

Planning events after coronavirus will require companies to look at their entire sales strategy and work to implement public health safety measures in all activities. Both employees and attendees will benefit from sanitation efforts and the peace of mind those efforts provide. Companies need to take these tactics seriously because Covid-19 prevention and public health are everyone’s business.

The best salesperson can tell you that there is nothing that can compete with an in-person sales pitch, but the ability to make in-person sales and client service calls is now impeded. Video conferences are no longer just a convenient resource, they have now become the only option for face time. On Sunday, March 29, 2020, President Trump announced an extension of stay-at-home recommendations to slow the spread of COVID-19 from March 31, 2020 to April 30, 2020. As with the initial orders, this requires millions of workers from hundreds of industries to disrupt their usual way of business. Americans don’t have a specific date as to when they can return to their normal routines and companies are being forced to quickly adapt to working remotely.

Despite these uncertain times, profits and quotas are still the priority and cannot be put on hold. Therefore, the amount of virtual sales calls and webinars is on the rise. Employees must adjust to making these calls from home. Technology may allow face to face meetings, but without the typical corporate environment even the best pitches can fall flat and feel unprofessional.

The #1 Video Conferencing Tool

The solution? Supplying employees with branded, clean background graphics. These necessary digital interactions with prospects, customers, and co-workers need an organized and professional looking “office” setting, even when made from the home or other nontraditional business settings. With the extension of stay-at-home orders, companies cannot afford to wait out the crisis. They must adapt to holding remote meetings for the foreseeable future.

Give your team the ability to give the best possible impressions, even when they are in their own homes. Our 4ft backdrops, printed with your company logo or current marketing message, will give your employees a unique advantage. Instead of a kitchen, family photos, bookcases, or couches in the background of their video conferences, supply your team with backdrops that are easy to set up and ship quickly.

Give Employees the Resources to Succeed

Managers can’t hesitate in giving their teams the resources to succeed. The backdrops will impress new and old clients with a simple, yet impactful, solution. Not only do the backdrops lessen the stress of preparing for video conferences, they are a fantastic branding opportunity. In addition, the displays are useful resources for other marketing needs in the future.

Another feature of video conferencing is the ability to have multiple people from multiple organizations on a call simultaneously. Company collaborations and full team sales pitches are commonly done in-person. There is no doubt which organization each person is representing in physical meetings. Indy Displays’ backdrops allow employees from the same company to easily be identified in a group video call. This eliminates any possible confusion as to which organization each speaker belongs.

The lightweight displays are easy to assemble and take up little space when not in use. The fabric is high-quality and won’t cause any glare. Indy Displays is offering a discount on a purchase of five or more. The displays can ship out to employees at their respective homes.

Don’t let this unfortunate crisis slow down results! Many experts online have already indicated that what clients and prospects see behind remote workers matters and recommend not letting backgrounds appear cluttered, too busy, or distracting. This sudden change let many companies unprepared. Embrace the chaos and be the team that adapts the quickest and remains the most professional. The use of these portable, easy-to-assemble backdrop display stands ensure company personnel is maintaining a professional image during these difficult and ever-evolving times.

Here are some additional tips to for success when working from home:

Indy Displays has added COVID-19 Emergency Medical Tents to their product line in an effort to supply institutions, companies, and government agencies with necessary screening and treatment pods as this situation continues to evolve, for those affected by the COVID-19 global pandemic crisis. To assist immediate needs and resource restrictions, Indy Displays is making ourselves available after hours and weekends.

As this situation evolves, Indy Displays will be available for assistance 7-days a week. For immediate assistance, please call our main line a (317) 565-2255 or our after hours line (317) 362-4145. We will also be keeping our indydisplays.com Live Chat widget open on weekends, or feel free to submit the details of your urgent request through our Contact Us page. 

“We have been diligently searching for high-quality, temporary emergency response structures after seeing field images of tarp covered mobile hospitals in hard-hit areas. With the strain on our medical system, we hope that these state-of-the-art pop-up treatment centers can expand the bandwidth of medical institutions and help save lives.”

– Nathan Slavik, Indy Displays founder and president

The COVID-19 EM Tents are an ideal solution for rapid deployment in medical or emergency situations, like the Coronavirus pandemic. The containment cubes include air filter systems and can be temperature-controlled for patient isolation, screening, disaster relief, triage centers, first aid stations, or emergency command posts.

To ease intake overload, mobile hospitals are being deployed across the globe. Existing medical centers need higher capacity to treat COVID-19 patients, including other sick or injured patients that the current medical system cannot support. Our products meet CPAI-84, NFPA-701 and CAN/ULC-S109 Fire Resistant Requirements and offer the quality necessary for heavy usage.

The COVID-19 Emergency Medical Tent features our 10’x10’ high-grade shelter, deluxe canvas roller transport bag, weight bags, and air filters. The COVID-19 EM Tent is an ultimate solution for rapid deployment. They can provide necessary assistance in cities and towns struggling with medical capacity during the Coronavirus pandemic. The EM Tent operates as a supplemental medical care facility that offers privacy and isolation in a temperature-controlled environment, while reducing the risk of contamination to healthcare professionals and patients not yet afflicted with Coronavirus.

The mid-zip sidewall can serve as a door or two half sidewalls. Three additional sidewalls will completely enclose the tent provide privacy, security, and protection from the elements. Easily assembled, the frame structure allows for five height options. The compact canvas roller bag included allows for simple transportation in any size vehicle. To create larger wards, the shelters can be configured together.

COVID-19 Statistics

As of our publication date, there are approximately 8,700 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the U.S., with more than 130 deaths. Expert medical professionals estimate the virus could infect between 160 million and 214 million of the American population. As a result, this could cause up to 1.7 million deaths over the course of the pandemic. (NY Times)

Indy Displays encourages everyone to follow the pandemic instructions from both the CDC and WHO. Our hope is that the introduction of our Emergency Medical Tents can help alleviate the strain on our hospitals, medical centers, and disaster relief institutions during the COVID-19 pandemic. We thank our country’s dedicated and brave healthcare professionals. They work tirelessly to provide life-saving care to those that need medical assistance during this trying time.

Fraudulent chargeback claims have unfortunately become an occasional cost of doing business online in recent years. Large e-commerce corporations have started to factor these unethical claims into yearly costs similar to the way brick-and-mortar stores account for the possibility of theft (also known as “shrink”) while budget forecasting. However, business owners with smaller operations can be devastated by chargeback fraud. Dishonest customers can essentially capitalize on the support of their credit card provider in order to steal thousands.

The sheer amount of money wrongfully stolen from business entities through “friendly fraud”, is shocking. The e-commerce sector is the easiest target, and therefore hit the hardest. In 2016, $4.2 billion in revenue was lost due to unethical chargebacks. In fact, 71% of all credit card chargebacks filed in 2016 were classified as fraudulent e-commerce claims.

 

Consumer Advocacy from Credit Card Companies

A major contributing factor to this growing scam is the advocacy from credit card companies in favor of their card-carrying customers. Credit companies freeze funds associated with the disputed transactions once a claim is filed. After the funds have been frozen, the retailers are given the opportunity to plead their case online. This includes submitting invoices, shipment tracking records, product photos, email communication with the buyer, and any additional evidence. However, the credit card companies have final say. The priority is to protect their customer, the cardholder, and not the independent merchant.

Correspondingly, this has created a devastatingly large window of opportunity for consumers to take advantage of e-commerce companies with little to no consequence. In fact, after the credit card provider decides in the buyer’s favor, the funds are returned to the unethical customer without ever requiring the buyer to send back the product that’s now officially unpaid for. It seems unfathomable, but at the end of the day the merchant often loses on both ends, the funds and merchandise that’s now fallen victim to what has been coined “Friendly Fraud”.

Repetition of Fraudulent Behavior

Upon discovering this friendly fraud loophole, consumers are highly likely to continue the behavior. Half of all cardholders that successfully commit chargeback fraud will do so again within a mere 90 days. This reality is putting online business owners in a difficult position financially. This results in deterring the growth of small businesses due to the unpredictable risk.

Even outstanding customer service doesn’t provide effective protection. A dismal 14% of customers attempt to communicate with sellers prior to filing a chargeback claim. Online transactions provide a veil for criminal activity, as customers can win a fraudulent claim without ever communicating with the seller. Unsurprisingly, 58% of consumers file their chargeback claims without ever contacting the merchant in question.

Understanding Reason Codes

When filing a claim, cardholders select from a list of reason codes that describe the type of chargeback. Over half of all claims are filed with the most general reason code, “Fraud/No Authorization”. This specific code can be interpreted in a variety of ways, ambiguously placing illicit practices onto the merchant that even the most meticulous documentation submission cannot disprove. The second and third most used reason codes, “Products or Services” and “Cancel Recurring Billing” respectively, reflect more specific transaction aspects that are more easily verified by both parties.

Preventing Chargeback Fraud

Friendly fraud can happen to any merchant, but there are steps to take to protect profits against this corrupt activity. First, sellers should develop an understanding of all possible reason codes. Then, accordingly, design business processes that avoid practices susceptible to chargeback fraud. Obtaining clear, official authorizations when finalizing orders and handling payment defends against any miscommunications on customer expectations.

In addition, merchants must focus on providing high quality customer service to address and remedy any issues swiftly and fairly. This includes ensuring consumers are aware of return and refund policies. Many times, consumers will call their bank or card company when they see an unfamiliar charge on their statement. Therefore, retailers are responsible for ensuring their company’s charge is accurately depicted on transaction statements to avoid any confusion. Lastly, e-commerce companies must be diligent in keeping detailed records to provide in the event of a fraudulent claim.

In the case of many credit card chargeback claims, the customer is not always right. When businesses are unprepared to dispute dishonest claims, they are often blindsided by “friendly fraud”. This unawareness can possibly result in the loss of hundreds or thousands of dollars in revenue. As more consumers become aware of the opportunity to scam businesses through friendly fraud it is essential for e-commerce business owners to remain diligent on protecting themselves on every transaction. We hope this IndyDisplays.com article and infographic will help spread the word about Friendly Fraud and helps educate e-commerce retailers so they are more equipped to prevent credit card chargebacks before they happen!

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In 2014, around 25 billion dollars was spent on trade shows and corporate conferences. In the U.S., the industry is growing almost 4% each year, proving trade shows are still a vital part of marketing strategies. However, the expo industry norms give way to a great deal of waste every year, as well. Indianapolis trade show company, Indy Displays, is taking steps towards creating the standard of environmentally-conscious events, with a mission for a cleaner Earth. Now offering a variety of new sustainable eco-friendly display booth solutions, ranging from custom modular displays, built from recycled aluminum, fabric and wood, to wide selection of reusable trade show rental hardware. There are even eco-friendly trade show accessories, such as trade show counters and bamboo banner stands. The Indy Displays team hopes to make an impact on the future of trade shows and the habits of exhibitors.

 

During his years of experience in the trade show industry, Indy Displays founder, Nathan Slavik, has developed a keen awareness of the unnecessary waste created at events. “Sustainable materials are an important component for my ecologically-conscious clients. As we offer more “green” products, we have more interest from marketing teams that want to lower their carbon footprint,” he says. “But, it’s also important that we spark awareness in customers that are not initially looking for Eco-Friendly Display Booth Solutions. If we inspire a company to simply print their brochures on recycled materials, it’s a step in the right direction.”

Many exhibition displays are large, made from non-recyclable materials, and discarded inappropriately after just one use. This creates a huge amount of waste that can build up collectively over the years. Adding eco-friendliness to the list of features for trade show displays seems be a hurdle for such an established industry. However, suppliers and exhibitors alike are focusing on offering options for their green-centric clients.

Indy Displays is striving to play an active role in lowering Indiana’s waste footprints by providing high-end trade display products that are made from sustainable materials and significantly less harmful than other options. A majority of their clientele includes companies from the business district of Indianapolis. However, the efforts are not only affecting Indiana businesses, but also our nationwide client base!

Although modern display booth set-ups are built to last for frequent, long-term use, a shortcoming in the trade show world is the temporary nature of the events. The quest for novelty and differentiation often leads to a short life for exhibit booth designs and many businesses – especially large Fortune 500 companies – seek custom exhibits that are made-to-order and are not applicable for more than one event. The unfortunate reality is that these practices have led to a significant amount of waste.

However, the marketing team at Indy Displays has a clear goal to counter that excess by encouraging clients to choose displays that offer green value. Printing trade show graphics on recycled lightweight SEG fabric is the latest innovation within the industry, and the practice has many benefits over paper prints. HD dye sublimation stretch fabric prints made of recyclable, synthetic material, are easier to transport from location to location, and provide a more consistent modern display booth design. These benefits have eliminated the need for paper or heavy laminate printed trade show booth panels that had to be replaced much more often. Fabric printing has effectively lowered the amount of material used and the advance has helped make huge strides in the reduction of waste in the exhibition industry.

 

In addition, it is a best practice to place an emphasis on reusability. Despite being the foundation of each exhibit, the structure of the display booth is often overlooked. A new line of Eco-Friendly LED Backlit Trade Show Display products offered by Indy Displays, utilize LED lighting technology and interchangeable SEG fabric graphic mural covers that can be used by exhibitors for years and reconfigured into a variety of exhibit stand sizes to fit the ever-changing design aspirations of expo designers.

The aluminum modular AGAM display frames made from recycled aluminum are detachable and stored in compact expo display cases, saving on both storage costs and packaging material volume. The lightweight nature of the LED Modular Lightbox Display ensures a lower carbon footprint, compared to that of heavier traditional frame models, during transportation. Despite being lightweight, the recycled aluminum frames are highly durable and long-lasting, extending the lifetime investment of the display booths. This is a very beneficial feature, as it allows exhibitors to use their trade show marketing kits in a variety of event locations.

 

 

While there are many leading factors to the incidence of waste materials after an event, promoting best practices for sustainability standards in the industry is crucial in fostering an eco-friendly model for all trade shows and conventions. Visit IndyDisplays.com for more information on Eco-Friendly LED Lightbox Display Booths. CHAT LIVE while viewing our extensive offering of eco-friendly expo products, or call 317-565-2255 to speak live with an expo industry expert!

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LED Backlit Display Design Trends

 

It’s no surprise to us that backlit displays are continuing to out sell all other portable display products. Portable and Custom LED backlit displays are a growing exhibit design trend for young marketing entrepreneurs, tech startups and companies wanting eco-friendly “green” exhibition booth solutions. For companies interested in LED trade show lighting solutions, Indy Displays continues to grow the largest online catalog of affordable backlit exhibit solutions, that includes ultra-portable SEG backlit fabric pop up light box displays to fully custom designed modern modular LED backlit display booth design solutions. Our goal is to continue adding new portable backlit booth wall exhibiting packages for both purchase and rental, plus fully customized light box exhibit structures that include the latest HD printing and LED technology. LED Backlit Displays include seamless opaque SEG fabric graphic panels, premium LED edge-lit light strips or LED ladder light curtain panels for equal bright light illumination throughout the entire graphic light box graphic wall.

 

Additional LED backlit display system features include user-friendly modular aluminum frames, floating flat screen monitor mounts, floating shelves, optional double-sided backlit SEG graphics, seamless light box graphic wall mounted sign kits and convenient wheeled hard case shipping. Additional portable backlit exhibiting stands include light box pop up displays, wireless LED illuminated graphic tower stands, custom designed LED backlit fabric hanging sign structures and much more! Here’s a quick portable backlit display product list of the 4 most popular portable LED backlit trade trade displays, as of July 1st 2016!

 

 

4. AGAM Eco-Friendly Hybrid LED Lightbox Displays. These increasingly popular green trade show displays, continue to catch our online shopper’s eyes, when browsing through our website while chatting live with our team. All eco-friendly modular backlit’s are very similar to our standard Custom Modular LED Light box Displays. We consider our “green” lightbox kits, to be Hybrid Booth Displays, with their eco-friendly components, and AGAM recyclable aluminum frames. Like our standard kits, AGAM eco-friendly display frames can reconfigure into larger backlit island exhibits or smaller version, such as a 10′ x 10′.

 

Like most of our LED trade show light systems, the Eco System lights will last for many years, and consume a fraction of the electricity that standard trade show flood lights do. Simply connect the LED light strips with magnetic strips, that already come assembled on each strip and inside each vertical extrusion column.

 

 

3. Burst Backlit Pop Up Displays. We have really enjoyed our industry partner Optima, and the quality Burst Backlit Booths they keep helping us produce at such a high level weekly. The Burst is a well known portable display brand-name, being it was one of the first tension fabric pop up displays in the industry, when it was introduced over 10 years ago.  The backlit version of the Burst, includes a large HD printed graphic on TriFab fabric (top quality fabric material used on all premium backlit trade show displays).

 

Trifab is heavier than the standard tension fabric material and more 0paque, preventing the displays’ frame hardware and light bars from being obviously visible. The pop up is finished with a seamless white back cover, that attaches securely with industrial strength hook velcro. The Backlit Burst is available as an 8′ x ’10 Flat Fabric Backlit, 8′ x 10′ Curved, 8′ x 8′ Flat or Curved as well. Indy Displays also offers a 5ft curved backlit table top version as well.

 

 

2. Custom Modular LED Lightbox Displays. These backlit displays have been widely used for 3 to 4 years, but have absolutely exploded in the past 12 months. LED edge-lit SEG displays and other modern trade show displays, have a significant edge over their counterparts. Complicated Truss Systems and environmentally wasteful completely custom wood and laminate panels exhibits, are starting to get looked down upon as a waste of marketing dollars and more importantly leave behind a large carbon footprint. Ready to order in 5 or more stock frame sizes, bring a custom stylish feel back to your booth space, without overpaying a dated and overpriced large custom house.

New this year, Indy Displays now powders coat modular aluminum frames! Show up to your next event, exhibiting with LED trade show lighting that will be illuminating your TriFab graphic murals, finished with SEG technology, and matching LED lightbox pedestal counters to complete the fully modern exhibit space.

 

 

1. Backlit Pliko Portable Light Box Display. The last two years have been record setting for the Pliko Light Box. Despite extremely poor marketing and dealer support from it’s supplier, The Pliko system stands on its own and sells its sell. Truly the only ultra-portable modular LED lightbox display, The Backlit Pliko Display offers the exhibitor both portability equal to our Burst Pop Up Display, combined with the same premium LED internal track lighting system, that always produces an even light distribution throughout the TriFab mural and preventing evening the slightest hot spotting. Pliko gives exhibitors truly the best of both worlds, and mostly likely why this LED sign wall has been flying off our shelf all your long!

 

 

The Pliko edge-lit LED lights can last for a decade or more. Backlit Pliko Portable Light Box Displays are the most affordable and lightweight modular system available on the market and can be set up by a single person in 10 minutes. The portable aluminum frame can be assembled without tools and is ideal for the lone exhibitors or 2 sales reps. The Pliko will continue to grow it’s customer base. CHAT LIVE with an exhibit consultant today for more information on the Pliko Display and the latest product additions to our online backlit trade show display catalog!

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The digital movement continues to have an enormous impact on outbound marketing strategies, including trade shows, events and conventions. Previously, expo marketing teams used to only concern themselves with strategies for face-to-face interaction. Technology has now given marketing professionals the ability to reach their target audience simultaneously, manage their sales or marketing pitch throughout the show effectively, and measure the overall effectiveness of their trade show marketing campaign more accurately. Get in sync and modernize your trade show displays with these 5 digital trends for trade shows:

Build Hype Online

Yes, the actual trade show booth design is the main draw, and there is no denying that building strong hype leading up to the event will create awareness and elevate the experience for attendees. Exhibitors never fail to inform their target audience of their own participation through personalized email marketing, appropriate website banner advertising, traditional press releases and definitely through social media outlets. For B2B social media marketing, your top performing channels will usually be Linkedin and Twitter. However, Facebook and Instagram are much more than just trends these days. Social media marketing has grown tremendously in just the past couple years, making online social marketing campaigns more often than not, very lucrative for the B2B marketing outlets with image and video marketing quickly becoming as equally important as blogging and other forms of traditional digital marketing. B2B promotional video marketing (as long as the content makes sense for your audience) has become very popular in the past 2 years. For a more extensive approach, event team managers can tap into many vendor resources who specialize in traditional (old school) face-to-face marketing. However, many event managers and expo marketers are embracing the power of collecting “Big Data” on each customer and prospect, through social media marketing campaigns that deliver tailored personalized experiences. Companies now analyze social media data in order to collect valuable user insights, allowing them to fine-tune their targeting to create engaging content that resonates deeply with their target audience, gaining the engagement and ROI boost they’re looking for.

Tech Accessories as Promotional Products

Door gifts for attendees are a staple in trade show marketing trends. The power of leaving attendees with functional mementos is widely recognised and utilised, and tech accessories seem like the perfect choice. It could be something as simple as a plastic cable winder or a power bank. The trick lies in finding the right product that fits the brand and message you want to bring across to the recipient. On the whole though, well-made modern tech products are seen as inherently valuable and useful by most, thus making them a viable choice.

Cell Phone Charging Stations/Kiosks

With cell phones come the constant need to keep them full of power at all times. Portable cell phone charging trade show kiosks have thus made a much needed emergence in the trade show repertoire. Attendees will heave a sigh of relief when a charging kiosk comes to the rescue just as their phone’s or tablet’s battery is running out. If your branding is all over the display booth kiosk, the attendee could positively associate your brand as a helpful and ever-ready one. They might even refer their friends or colleagues to your life-saving charging station, which in turn means more visitors to your exhibit. Cell phone charging stations are now available as portable kiosks, meeting tables and branded coffee tables.

Some aluminum and laminate modular kiosks can be utilized even in small booth spaces as an accessory combination to 10′ x 10′ Displays. Smart event marketers understand the value of purchasing a portable display system that’s versatile and can seamlessly integrate into a standard display booth layout or can reconfigure or resize to create a fresh look for each exhibition. Modern versatility that modular expo hardware features, allows the guest attendee to easily setup a unique and engaging exhibit layout no matter the floor space size given to them.

Custom Mobile Apps for Attendees

Another burgeoning trend brought about by cell phones are mobile apps built specifically for trade shows, expos and conventions, such as GuideBook. This handy event management tool allows users to easily create apps for events, conferences, trade shows and meetings. Marketers like using Guidebook because of it’s user-first app building platform. Exhibitors can provide event agendas, send push messages to and even gather live feedback from attendees on the trade show event. The versatility of mobile application programming means that the app can help you achieve specific targets and obtain the right information about your exhibit attendees. Apps are stilfl considered a novelty, but can be an excellent way to engage and entertain your convention attendees.

Trade Show Management Systems

Increasingly, event planning managers have been searching for suitable I.T. systems that provide seamless exhibition management experiences. Currently, a host of event marketing, event management and lead retrieval solutions have emerged. Some notable providers of these Systems include CompuSystems, iLead and Pathable. These range from specialized one-function apps to multi-faceted systems that can raise efficiency and give helicopter views and information about the event, often in real-time.

Used the right way, these 5 tech trends can be powerful tools to interact and engage with attendees, sponsors and other stakeholders on a much deeper level. Give any one of these options a try for your next event or trade show and be prepared to see positive results!

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Learn why leasing your trade show display might be the best option in 2014

Have you ever considered leasing your trade show display?  Exhibit Financing options are available to companies and can help put you in the trade show exhibit you once thought was a little too pricy!  For example, if you currently exhibit with a 10×10 pop up display but really need an upgrade to stay ahead of the competition, now through exhibit financing options, you can upgrade to that 20×20 multi-media exhibit booth of your dreams.

 

Leasing your trade show display can be beneficial for a business in many ways.  For one, equipment leasing allows companies an effective alternative to paying cash or leveraging credit to acquire the equipment needed to grow their business.  Leasing maximizes credit lines and cash flow for companies to manage their business and for leveraging expenses such as marketing campaigns.  In addition, financing your trade show booth helps build credentials with any bank,.  Exhibit leasing also includes a tax benefit.  The equipment (trade show exhibit) is 100% tax deductible.  As a corporation, you are allowed to deduct the full purchase price for equipment purchased or financed in the current tax year.  Applying only takes a few minutes with no obligations.

Frequently Asked Questions About Leasing Your Trade Show Display

 

1. Will I own my trade show booth?
Answer – Yes, Indy Display’s leases have a purchase option built in so that you will own the equipment outright at lease end for no more than 10% of the total value of the lease.  For Example: If you purchase a $5,000 exhibit line display on a 36 month term you will pay $500 at the most at lease end to own the booth.  $500 is the most you would pay, in many cases it could be cheaper.

2. Can I pay it off early?
Answer – Yes, trade show display leases can be paid off early and unlike traditional finance there is no separation of principle and interest. Leasing offers one consistent low monthly payment that allows you to establish a predictable budget for increasing your earning and growing your company.

3. What is the process to get started?
Answer – The lease process is much simpler and faster than other forms of financing because there is no invasive requirements such as financial statements. When leasing your trade show display you can expect the following: 1. Apply online in 30 seconds 2. Get instant approval 3. Sign lease agreement 4. Verbally accept delivery of your trade show exhibit 5. Start blowing away your competition at the next trade show!

Exhibit Financing Options start at just $2,500 and terms range from 24 to 60 months.  Any of our portable display kit options starting at $2,500 or higher are available to lease.  Indy Displays products that are available to lease include Exhibit Line Displays, Xpressions Pop Up Displays, Xrline Displays, Formulate Tension Fabric Displays, Kiosks, a few Retractable Banner Backwall Kits, and all of our fully custom trade show exhibits.  Contact us for more information or visit LeaseStation.com to apply online.

Follow these six tips to help make your next trade show more worthwhile and increase the return you get out of each show.  Attending shows doesn’t have to be a mystery anymore use these points below as a roadmap to guide you through the experience.

1.   Keep track of your ROI – Make sure your leads generated (or goals) outweigh the cost of the show.  To help reach your goals, try to contact potential leads before the show and set up appointments with them to ensure you’re getting quality time with decision makers.  If nothing else, the pre-contact will direct them to your booth and make for warmer conversation.   As with any form of advertising you have to look at the ROI or ROG (return on goals).  Have the mindset that having a booth is an investment.  The more you do to help your investment, the better your return will be.  Don’t be that company that gets a booth space, puts zero thought into the display, sits back and expects business to walk right up and introduce itself.  It might happen but we wouldn’t bet on you.

2.  Become part of the show – Most trade shows or conferences have a keynote speaker and several other presenters.  If you can’t manage to get on the main stage or become a presenter, all is not lost.  Come up with some sort of event at your booth to help get word about your company out there.  This will generate more leads but will also help to incorporate your company into part of the overall event.

3.  Leads are great but appointments are better – Try to have reps get appointments instead of leads and you’ll be surprised at the results.  To further that point, aside from having goals try to work in a competition amongst your team to see who can generate the most, leads, appointments, business, whatever applies the most to your situation.  Keep your booth space fun and make winning worthwhile.

4.  Be a solution not a pest – This might seem contradictory to the point above but it makes sense if your reps are doing it right.  Try not to make people feel like they are being sold while spending time at your booth.  Always try to present your company as consultative in nature.  You want to come across as being an expert in your field but also being THE solution to a problem, not a pest.  It helps to have your best reps in your booth space.

5.  Don’t forget about your neighbors – Network with the other vendors and where applicable see if you can share leads with each other, assuming it isn’t a competitor.  If your company was able to generate 250 leads and your neighbor generated 250 leads, then together you’ve generated 500 leads, remove some of the overlap and your contacts from the show still grew by a large number.  If nothing else, a good connection may lead to referrals down the road.  After all, these events are to generate contacts, business, and traffic.

6.  Make your booth space unique – Design your booth space to separate you from the other companies exhibiting around you.  If your booth looks like the one to the left and right of it, leads are much more likely to pass by.  You want prospects taking notice of your company and being intrigued by what you have to offer.  With so many eyes upon your company, these events are not the time to second-guess your trade show display.

It’s common to hear a company say they are different and that message can get lost amongst all the claims.  With everybody claiming to be different, but essentially being the same, this phrase doesn’t mean much anymore.

We’re here to try to change that.  Indy Displays is a different company than others in the industry.  Both owners have experience working in the corporate world and that experience was the catalyst for doing business differently.  The common theme is that overhead bogs a company down and eventually pulls them away from their core and what they originally intended to do.

Indy Displays goal is to always keep overhead at a minimum to allow us to get quality trade show displays and marketing items to our customers at a fair price.  In addition to that, ownership takes a hands-on approach, so you will be working with people that are vested in your experience; you’re not just an order.

Another benefit of working on your trade show display project with Indy Displays is that you get the “Try it before you buy it” experience (locally and on select models) and we will educate you on how to unpack, set-up, and take down the display at your location.  You let us know which displays you’re considering and we will bring a demo to your location, set it up for you, and leave it with you so you can take the time to make the right decision.   This means that we do not have to charge more to cover the costs of a large expensive showroom, which means that you get a better experience and a better deal.

Indy Displays also takes some of the guesswork out of the purchasing process.  We do not sell low quality bargain displays.  We do focus on high quality displays that will set you apart and will stand up to the rigors of the trade show world.  Most products we offer have warranties that cover basic usage and some are even “no questions asked”.  That means you can feel confident when you place an order with Indy Displays.

Once you choose which trade booth display you want to order, we will come to your location again and train you on how to set up the display and how to properly repack your display into the case (again, locally).  Most the time the set up is quick and simple but customers really like the follow up meeting.

We realize that doing business with Indy Displays is a choice and we want to make the vendor you choose a no brainer through excellent customer service, fair prices, and a different approach to an industry that has a lot of competition doing the same thing.