Lean Exhibiting: 46 Ways to Get More Bang for Your Tradeshow Buck By Jefferson Davis, Competitive Edge When you compare the cost of putting a rep face-to-face with a customer or prospect in the field to the cost at a tradeshow, even in this economy, tradeshows are a still an extremely cost-effective channel. That being said, many exhibit managers are under pressure to do more with less. Below is a collection of 46 cost-savings practices in a checklist format. Cross out the ones you are using, put a checkmark by the ones you plan to use, and plan now to get more bang for your tradeshow buck. Memberships has its advantages: Join the association Reuse, refurbish or extend the life of your exhibit Evaluate renting versus owning your exhibit – you can save a lot here Replace your exhibit with a lighter weight, easier to set-up and tear down exhibit Get distribution channel partners to invest in the show with you Take advantage of all show vendor deadlines and discounts Negotiate everything Book travel early Use the same hotel chain as often as possible - negotiate room night rates Consolidate freight shipments Avoid rush charges by planning ahead Ship to the advance warehouse Ship small, lightweight, carry in items to the hotel Store exhibit properties in your most exhibited show city Negotiate volume shipping/freight contracts – go out to bid Buy reusable crates Have freight reweighed before return shipping Right size your exhibit - a complex topic - call me at 800-700-6174 Evaluate the viability of a virtual product presentation Send less people – only those who need to be there Bring your own cleaning supplies Bring your own trash cans and liners Bring your own cordless vacuum Bring your own surge suppressor power strips and flat extension cords Send less literature – print on demand Create a roommate lodging program Dine with pre-set meals Save money on giveaways by using them properly Evaluate owning versus renting your lead retrieval system Be sure all leads are followed up Audit your post-show bills Consider selling show leads to dealers and distributors Measure and report savings and ROI and you may not have to reduce costs after all Compare renting an exhibit versus shipping an exhibit Consider buying a used exhibit Design generic graphics or consider using stock photography Produce graphics on location Take inventory and purge Investigate transportation caravans Reuse laborers Use the maximum straight-time hours Eliminate rigged lighting Use a portable server Staff locally or outsource booth staffing Shared hotel rooms Use giveaways wisely Jefferson Davis, president of Competitive Edge is known as the "Tradeshow Turnaround Artist." Since 1991, his consulting and training services have helped clients improve their tradeshow performance and results to the tune of over $500M. Mr. Davis is creator of the NSTA Online Exhibitor Resource Center. He can be reached at 704-814-7355 or jdavis@compedgetraining.com.

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