Choosing the Right
Trade Show Exhibit Company

The trade show exhibit company that supplies your displays and works with you on your booth design is an important factor in your marketing success. Here are tips for choosing the best supplier for your business and the booth you envision:

Your display supplier should understand your needs and goals, and be proactive about making recommendations for your physical booth as well as your marketing program. Not every exhibit company is right for every business, so here are some things to consider as you shop around:

1. Interview Booth Suppliers.
   It's in your best interest to interview several booth suppliers and compare prices and services. Find potential display companies via the Internet, expo publications, and even the yellow pages of your local phone directory. Make a list of the ones that interest you.

   Interview each company on your list by phone, asking about the services they offer, their client lists, their locations, whether they make competitive bids, etc.

   After the phone interviews, you should be able to eliminate some of the suppliers on your list.

2. Check with Their Current Customers.
   Next conduct brief phone interviews with some of these exhibit firms' current trade show exhibit customers. Ask specific questions, such as whether the supplier has missed any deadlines; whether their invoices are accurate and in line with their quotes; whether the displays and service met the customer's expectations; whether their account executive is easy to reach and responsive; what they like about the supplier; what they dislike about the supplier.

3. Visit the Trade Show Exhibit Company.
   Secure a visit and tour of your top two or three suppliers. During your visit, don't concentrate on the actual booths you see there but on the concepts you see being developed and expressed. What's important to discover is whether the supplier's thinking aligns with yours.

   Also talk to different employees of the exhibit firm. Do they listen? Are they open to your ideas and needs? Does their vision resonate with you?

   Are the design and function of the company's own facilities pleasing and effective? This can speak volumes for their trade show booth designs. Are the exhibit builders detail-oriented and quality conscious?

4. Investigate Their Services.
   Establish a list of the services you need, including staff training, a display resource library, installation, marketing services, transportation, storage, etc. Which firm provides what you need, without trying to include services you don't want?

5. Prepare Your Goals and Guidelines.
   To help your top choices write up an accurate bid for you, they'll need to know what you want. Write up a brief outline, including your image and function goals for displaying in trade shows, what you need for your booth structure and components, the deadline for having your booth ready to go, and your company background.

These guidelines can be the basis for the booth suppliers to formulate some concepts and put together a quote for you.

Return to top of Choosing the Right Trade Show Exhibit Company.

Return to Custom Trade Show Exhibits.

Return to Trade Show Booth Display home.

Learn how to turn all your trade shows and exhibitions into pure profit centers - Read "Trade Show Secrets", the ultimate trainer, guide, and checklist for more trade show sales with less effort.