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What's the Expiration Date of Your Trade Show Display?

Has Your Exhibit Passed Its Freshness Date?

Trade show displays, like yogurt and milk, have expiration dates. While it may not be printed on the box, it's not hard to spot one that's starting to spoil. Here are 20 Clues it's time to buy a new exhibit.

You Know It's Starting to Smell When . . .

1. Graphics are attached with Velcro to a fabric backwall. While that may be OK for a FFA display at the county fair, it's no longer acceptable at a professional trade show.

2. I&D won't touch your property without hazardous duty pay. When show labor has to don hazmat suits before starting an install, that's not a good sign.

3. Duct tape is an important design element. And you're excited it now comes in designer colors -- Baja Blue and Desert Sunset Yellow.

4. When your booth was purchased, a quarter could transform your hotel bed into Vibrating Magic Fingers. Ahhhhhh!

5. Attendees compliment the "vintage" theme of your booth and graphics. "Very retro!"

6. You decide to re-print your graphics and hand the graphic designer a floppy disk. 

7. There are more "just in case" parts than actual display parts.

8. The shipping labels have added 50 pounds to the weight.

9. You lust over the two $99 banner stands in the adjacent booth.

10. The No Questions Asked Lifetime Warranty has expired.

11. It smells like the Pennsylvania Convention Center. Even Fabreze can't kill that odor.

12. You found your distributor by flipping through the Yellow Pages of the phone book.

13. Your storage costs have exceeded your purchase price by a factor of 10.

14. Your graphics have a "Happy Days" theme, and the Fonz is still your unofficial spokesperson. "Ayyyyyyy!"

15. Someone tagged your crate with the Rolling Stones tongue graphic (and you think that's cool).

16. It folds and weighs more than an AMC Gremlin.

17. Children flee in terror as if they've just seen a circus clown.

18. Your competitors gush over your booth . . . . "Don't Change a Thing! Seriously, Not a Single Thing!"

19. You found a "Win a Free Palm Pilot" Promotional Flyer in the case.

20. Your boss says, "By golly, it was good enough for Old Joe, bless his heart and God rest his soul."

If you answered "Yes" to any of these, put your display in the compost bin. How do you determine the expiration date of a trade show display?

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Article Author:

Mel White, CEI

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  • Dimensional Weight vs. Actual Weight: Dimensional weight is defined as crate or case size. On most air shipments, the dimensional weight exceeds the actual weight
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Electrical, Cord, and Wire Management varies depending on the display and each exhibitor's requirements. When ordering your trade show display, consider the following electrical/wire management issues and discuss your options with an exhibit professional:
  • Inline vs. Island Displays
  • Lead Retrieval Devices
  • Computer and Monitor Cables
  • Demo Equipment
  • Overhead Lighting
  • Grommets and Grommet Placement in Counters
  • Overhead vs. Floor Power Supply
  • Flooring and Electrical Wiring
  • Options for Hiding Cords and Cables
  • Flat vs. Round Electrical Cords
  • Multi-Plug Outlets and Extension Cords
By reviewing your wiring options BEFORE you order your display, you'll save TIME and MONEY and ensure your exhibit exceeds your expectations and your installation is trouble-free.