As the New Year begins Spring Market in High Point may feel like a long way off. Or is it? Do you remember the mad rush to get your display ready last Fall, or the crushing deadline that loomed overhead as the event date approached? Still think you have plenty of time to plan your presence in April?

If you’re reaching for your blood pressure meds, or feel the beginnings of an anxiety attack coming on, take a deep breath and know that you’re probably not the only one feeling pressured. From our vantage point as a tradeshow exhibit and retail display design and manufacturing company, most manufacturers and suppliers could benefit from better managing the trade show process. Unfortunately, we also find that companies often have to learn the hard way, either by missing show dates or exceeding their show budgets because of rush fees or items not taken into account during their initial planning stage.

Building a great first impression takes a lot of hard work, planning and dedication. Obviously, a qualified exhibit company can help you plan and execute your program from the initial planning phases to final close out, but it is also quite possible to manage the process yourself. Herewith, we suggest a good primer for junior show planners and a little reinforcement for those of you who deal with senior management or clients prone to last-minute rushing.  

Let’s say you’re thinking about launching a brand new exhibit. As a rule of thumb, you should begin the planning for your tradeshow four months in advance of the show date for smaller exhibit spaces (four hundred square feet or less). If you need a larger or more design-oriented exhibit, six to twelve months is a good rule to follow for planning, production, setup, execution, tear down and return.  Oh, and don’t forget to include some time for a post-show review with your team to determine what went right, what went wrong, and establish where you want to go next.

Should your company exhibit at multiple shows, it’s a good idea to plan out six months from the first date and three to four months for each following date. A Gantt chart (a bar chart that illustrates a project schedule) will be helpful for those of you that have to manage one big project or multiple projects at the same time. That way, you can see just how fast your planning and production time is whittling away.

Regardless of your exhibit size, the following is a typical show cycle for a large industrial consumer goods manufacturing company:

Planning = 90 Hours
Vendor Selection
Background Cost Documentation
Show Dates
Booth Location
Show Services; furniture rental, electrical, internet, drayage, etc…
Management Interviews
Team Interviews
Message Development = 30 Hours
Key Message Creation
Key Message Deliverables
Visual Branding and Graphics = 80 Hours
Show Logo Creation
Branding Development
Art
Typography
Marketing Handouts/Product Fact Sheets
Promotional Items

Event Management and Production = 650 Hours
Concept Review and Concept Review Meetings
Finalize Concept and Sign Production Contracts
Production on all Agreed upon Deliverables, (change orders add cost and shorten deadlines, always does).
Event Planning and Booth/Exhibit Production
Staging for Quality Control
Staging for Client Review
Outgoing Client Inventory
Final Client Approval and Sign Off
Packaging, Shipping and Handling
Drayage
Set Up
Show
Show Management
Dismantle
Show Site Inventory
Drayage
Return Shipping
Return Inventory
Staging for Quality Control
Client Review  
Client Sign Off

Communication & Metrics Reporting Materials = 65 Hours
Event Invitations
Staff assignments
Team Training

Project Management = 120 hours
Status Reports
Account Management
Moves; Adds; Changes; Deletions (MACS)

Total Estimate Hours = 1035

Bear in mind that this estimate applies to domestic shows only. Exhibitors from foreign locations need to add an additional six to eight weeks just to clear customs.

The bottom line is that “going to a tradeshow” is a lot more complex than just “going” to a tradeshow. So the next time you are getting ready to exhibit, remember that there is more to it than meets the eye, and it’s often what you don’t see that will trip you up. Plan ahead!

About John Grigni:
John Grigni is lead designer and president of Argos Designs, a tradeshow exhibit and retail display design and manufacturing company located in Greensboro, NC. He can be reached via email at John@argosdesigns.com or by calling (336) 547-0009.