Do you have a “Portable Mindset”?
I have this friend, and her parents refuse to fly together on trips. The logic being that if one plane goes down, then one parent survives for the children. Crazy, right? You might apply this same logic when planning trade show booth displays. If you ship your display amongst multiple cases, the odds of losing them all are slim. Maybe you even have two displays, one as a plan B, just in case? That’s not very practical, is it?
This means you have a “portable mindset”. You might believe by using portable display walls, your display will easily ship in one small case; and that it will be easy to carry, set-up, tear-down and store. However, this may not be entirely the truth. Plenty of “portable” displays are often transported in multiple cases. So, like the paranoid parents of the world, your logic is that one lost or damaged case in transport is better than all, right? Wrong. It is still missing or damaged gear, and it’s going to hurt or affect your performance at the show.
So ask yourself… why do you continue to use a portable display, even though your company may have outgrown it? Is it because you want something easy to ship, set-up and store? Consider this: you have a portable display with all kinds of bells and whistles, and it ships in three cases and has a combined weight of 250 lbs. That’s not truly portable, at least not to me. Or to most clients out there who associate portable as meaning “lightweight and convenient to move”. You’re thinking more of a traditional pop up display. And that’s the misconception whenever someone throws out the word portable… only it isn’t as easy to define as it once was.
Let’s go back to associating portable as meaning lightweight and convenient to move, and easy to ship via FedEx or UPS. Lightweight trade show displays should also be fairly easy to set-up and tear-down, even store, right? That’s been our case throughout this blog, anyway. So what happens when that definition can be applied to a different display system? Good news for you, that’s what! We’re telling you that you can combine the benefits of “portable” with a more unique and upgraded display. We’ve just described a Hybrid display system. Hybrids have gained much popularity over the past couple years. In fact, they have been GraphiColor’s #1 exhibit type requested by our clients. Hybrid displays are modular in nature, but constructed with lightweight materials, like aluminum and fabric. These types of displays can be customized for every need and by any client and they cost and weigh less than the traditional custom built display. Check out some examples here.
So move past the limitations of the “portable mindset”. Open your mind to non-portable products, like modular or hybrid displays. Leaving the portable mindset behind will open up design options you never knew existed! Your new display system will pack a punch at your next trade show, and captivate your target audience who might have overlooked your outdated portable booth in the past. Another positive point for hybrids? Your display can still be packaged into one single, simple crate or case, and guess what? It’s manageable, not so expensive, and definitely not as scary as you thought it would be. Yes, there are still many advantages to sticking with a traditional portable display wall at a trade show, but having a unique hybrid or modular trade show booth display that makes an impact will positively tilt the scales in your favor.
To Recap:
1. Parents have some strange rules in motion for protecting their kids.
2. A “portable mindset” is often a limiting misconception in thinking your trade show booth displays have to be easy to ship, carry, set-up, tear-down, and store just because they’re called “portable”… when that’s just not the case.
3. When you’re stuck in a “portable mindset” you overlook unique opportunities that really increase your trade show ROI!
4. There are a lot of creative display systems out there beyond portable ones.
5. Working with a trade show display company like GraphiColor Exhibits in Detroit will help you determine and move forward with a custom display that is best suited for your image, brand and budget.Ready to speak with a trade show expert? Schedule a showroom visit today!