December 2003
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in this issue
-- How to Get the Most Out of Your Trade Show Experience
-- New Year's Sale - Complete 10' Pop-Up Display only $1,495
-- This Month's Featured Client - Graham Associates
-- Murphy's Law - What Can Go Wrong... Will go wrong!
-- Featured Product - TSJ-Cyclone Literature Rack
-- Member Question - Is It Okay to Sit in the Booth?

Happy Holidays from the staff at TradeShowJoe.com! And, thanks for taking the time to read our newsletter. This month's issue is full of useful trade show tips and advice, designed to help make your show experience the best it can be!

How to Get the Most Out of Your Trade Show Experience These days, everyone wants to get the most out of their marketing dollars. And, trade shows are no exception. Follow the three simple steps below to achieve maximum return on your trade show investment. STEP ONE: Research and Identify First and foremost, you should Research and Identify quality trade show venues that will include respectable amounts of traffic, especially those individuals who are the most relevant customers for your business. Consider researching up coming trade shows online at www.tsnn.com, whereby you can search shows based on industry types and geographic locations. Another good source of information regarding trade shows can be found through industry specific magazines. Identifying the right trade shows to attend will play a huge role at how successful you are in marketing in trade show environments. STEP TWO: Create a Budget for Your Trade Show Attendance / Exhibiting A good budget plays an important role in identifying your individual and/or company marketing strategies, specific advertising options, and trade show promotional goals. Working with our own clientele, we recommend approaching trade show marketing as one facet of their entire marketing/advertising budget. Furthermore, we recommend determining trade show budgets on an annual basis, including factors such as· travel cost, cost associated with labor, exhibitor fees, and trade show display equipment. STEP THREE: Make an Impact! Last but not least, never miss an opportunity to make a good first impression! As you probably know, in American society, perception often becomes a "believed" reality. What this means to you as a trade show exhibitor, is that at trade shows a perspective customer will fully evaluate your quality, creditably, and professionalism - based solely on the image you convey at your trade show booth. So, always look professional and wear your best customer service "hat" while working the booth! The value of conveying the right image, while effectively conveying the marketing message, is insurmountable. Fortune 500 Corporations spend millions of dollars each year in conveying the right image while exhibiting at trade shows around the world. It is not always how much is spend on the display, but the quality and creative process that's put into even the smallest display that can make the difference.

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New Year's Sale - Complete 10' Pop-Up Display only $1,495 OVERSTOCK SYSTEM. WHILE SUPPLIES LAST. SPECIAL PROMOTION ENDS ON JANUARY 15, 2004 From now until January 15, 2004 - we're selling complete 10 foot pop-up display systems for only $1,495. That's a $500 savings off our regular price! This Package Includes... - 8' x 10' Freestanding, Pop-Up   Trade Show Display! - Three 75 Watt Halogen Lights - Your Choice of Five Colors*:   - Blue   - Black   - Dark Gray   - Light Gray   - Hunter Green - Deluxe Carrying Case - A Complete 10' Pop-Up Display System for Less than $1,500! To make the deal even sweeter, if you purchase before December 20, 2003, we'll also give you free shipping on this item! Call us toll-free with questions, or to order... 866-821-1520 * Classiq fabric colors / panels. Classiq is very similar to our standard fabric selection - Frontrunner. Note: We acquired a huge lot of these Classiq fabric panels, which enables us to offer special savings to you.

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This Month's Featured Client - Graham Associates Graham Associates came to TradeShowJoe.com looking to purchase a 6 foot table top trade show display and a banner stand display - both with custom / matching designs. They also stated the displays should have a professional appearance and a "look" similar to their web site. With the parameters for the design outlined, we proceeded to create a high-quality trade show presence which successfully met the client's needs. Below are photos of the finished display designs... After all was said and done, Graham Associates was very pleased with their new trade show displays! Visit Graham Associates' web site...

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Murphy's Law - What Can Go Wrong... Will go wrong! Be prepared, know who to call in the event of an unpleasant situation. Each year, millions of individuals attend and/or exhibit at trade shows world-wide. Many of us never encounter a single problem. However, it is important to know that things can (and do) go wrong. Displays get lost in transit / shipment, graphics sometimes get destroyed, and so on. Preparing a simple plan before the show can save you a world of time and heartache. The TradeShowJoe.com staff suggests using either a label affixed to the inside of your trade show display case, or a 3" x 5" note card which contains all the important information you may need in the event of an disastrous situation. With this technique in mind, we recommend you include at least the following information, as well as any other "personal" information you and/or your organization may wish to add. Your shipping company's contact information (UPS, FedEx, etc.) Show management and/or promoter information (phone number, contact person, etc.) Your trade show display manufacturer's contact information (TradeShowJoe, Nimlok, Arise, Skyline, etc.) The display model number / name A brief packaging list of all display components (2 lights, 4 graphic panels, etc.) A contact name and phone number of the company that produced your trade show graphics Contact information for the company where you purchased your trade show display Plan ahead, expect the unexpected... And you'll be prepared for any situation that may arise.

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Featured Product - TSJ-Cyclone Literature Rack The TSJ-Cyclone literature rack is a super eye-catching, three shelf literature and product presenter with a built-in sign holder. The twisting, turning curves are enhanced by a high-shine silver or silk black finish. The twisting, turning curves are enhanced by a high-shine silver or silk black finish. The snap together design allows assembly in seconds, making the Cyclone a great choice for trade shows. Price: $279.00 Quantity discounts available. Call us toll-free... 866-821-1520, or email us with any questions or to order. Mention that you saw this article in our newsletter and we'll give you free shipping on this item and/or any of our other literature racks! (Free shipping offer expires Jan. 1, 2004.) Visit our Literature Racks page for additional literature rack design choices...

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Member Question - Is It Okay to Sit in the Booth? MEMBER QUESTION: How do you feel about sitting if the show runs for 3 days between 8 and 12 hours a day and you're the only one manning the booth? TRADESHOWJOE RESPONSE: The answer to this question really depends on a couple of factors - but for the most part, I would think it would be fine to sit "some" during most any show. (Especially if you're put in the awkward position of being the only person there for three long days!) The factors that I'm referring to are... FACTOR: How busy is the show? If it is a very busy show, then you probably wouldn't want to sit inside the booth at all, as you certainly wouldn't want to miss out on a potential new customer/sale/whatever your "show goals" are, now would you? Unfortunately for booth attendants, some people at trade shows are indeed "turned off" by a sitting booth attendant. If it is a busy show, schedule some time away from the booth to take quick breaks and try to rest for a few minutes at these points - if possible. (Be sure to leave plenty of information for any visitors to take - while you're gone.) Something else that will help... Be sure to wear comfortable shoes!! (You'd be surprised how many people don't do this.) And, try to not stand in one spot for too long a period of time. Another excellent idea, is to sit in a director's chair or a stool - something a little higher off the ground than a normal office type chair. These types of chairs will help you to take some pressure off your feet - while still keeping you at eye level with your visitors. Unless your booth is designed with a table, I would not recommend sitting in any sort of low-to-the-ground/traditional chair. And, if you do sit, try to do so - so that you are still easily approachable by visitors. FACTOR: What's the "set-up" of your booth? As mentioned above, if your booth is not designed with a table, don't sit in any sort of traditional office type chair. Try to find something a little higher off the ground - like a nice director's chair or a stool. (Having your company logo printed on the director's chair/stool is always a plus!) In most cases, if your booth is designed with a table/desk, it probably would not be offensive to anyone if you sat in a traditional type of office chair, etc. Just make sure you remain very approachable and don't seem totally separated from your visitors by the table. I hope this helps! Sincerely, Sherry Douglas TradeShowJoe.com ---------- Do you have a trade show question for our experts? If so, please send it to info@tradeshowjoe.com. We will respond to all questions and post one new question each month in our newsletter.