Trade show budgeting and planning are not something to take lightly. The process can take several months (if not longer) and requires meticulous detail in preparation. There are plenty of hidden costs associated with exhibiting that can be easily overlooked. These dos and don’ts will help you prepare for the tedious process, ensuring you stay within your budget and minimize any “surprises” along the way.
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Author Nimlok Chicago
Trade shows can be draining. From the time spent planning, to the actual cost of the booth, we often see clients become overwhelmed with it all. Is it really worth all the time, money, and effort? We think so—and here’s why.
For all companies, the success of the business depends on the communication it has with its market. Despite the obstacles and costs, trade shows serve as great opportunities for brands to openly interact with prospects, customers, and vendors.
Companies are increasingly taking more initiatives to influence social and environmental change. While sustainable practices often take a lot of effort, the long-term benefits stretch far beyond just reducing your carbon footprint. A recent study by the National Marketing Institute found that consumers are 58% more likely to purchase from a company that is mindful of its impact on the environment. Putting these practices into action at your next trade show exhibit can make a big difference for your brand’s marketability and its bottom line.
Growing up in even a normal environment can be full of challenges. But life can be even more hectic for youth that struggle to have even their basic needs met. Threatened with homelessness and hunger, they have little places to turn. Fortunately, organizations like The Harbour exist to help these struggling teens get back on their feet. Operating in the north and northwest suburbs of Chicago, the organization provides emergency housing and supportive services to homeless youth ages 12-21.
The Consumer Electronics Show is one of the biggest events when it comes to revealing cutting edge technology. We look forward to getting a sneak peek at the awe-inspiring innovations every year, and this year’s show certainly didn’t disappoint. As trade show professionals, we thought we’d recap some of the CES tech that will have the biggest influence on modern marketing and the trade show industry.
The new year has just begun and we’re already seeing an influx of fresh design trends that’ll shape the way both brands and consumers perceive and connect with one another. These top 5 trends will be central to 2016—and we’ve got ways to bring them into your brand’s space.
Our very own Joe Guerrero shares his insight on preparing for a trade show using three easy steps: budget, goals/expectations, and design.
Not sure which trade show you want to exhibit at yet? Use Nimlok’s handy trade show directory to search for a list of upcoming shows for your industry.
With over 380 million users, LinkedIn is the top social media networking tool among professionals. Furthermore, it’s a great platform for trade show exhibitors to connect with their leads, customers, and business partners. As an exhibitor, you are a representation of your business, so it’s essential that you optimize and polish your LinkedIn profile to reflect your brand. We have a few ways for you to enhance your profile in order to make a good impression on your business connections.
The corporate environment is often an overlooked detail when shaping the success of a business. However, there are many reasons why organizations should take their office interior design into consideration when planning for growth and success. Here are a few ways that your business can benefit from a thoughtful design.
Making a sale is the ultimate goal for trade show exhibitors. Although several aspects like branding, marketing, and a streamlined design all contribute to your end goal, the most important factor comes down to effective selling techniques. We’ve compiled a list of the best influential sales books to help sales professionals (of all levels) brush up on their skills.
The trade show industry relies heavily on visual perception. Booths, signs, banners, and numerous other exhibit aspects require strong visual messages, so it’s essential to always keep an eye out for sources of inspiration that you can later incorporate in a design. Pinterest is perfect for this exact purpose. We recently started our very own Pinterest to channel our creative drives and we had no trouble finding reasons for every exhibitor to have one as well.
Recently, our marketing team attended a BMA Chicago event where author Brent Adamson hosted a sales and marketing seminar promoting his new book, “The Challenger Customer” – a follow up his first book, “The Challenger Sale.” Would you be shocked to find out that personalizing your content to potential leads can actually decrease your chances of making a sale? The research behind Adamson’s work shed a new, refreshing light on purchasing behaviors that’s sure to surprise even the most seasoned sales professionals.
As babies, we’re encouraged to master one task at a time. Sitting up, crawling, and then walking. In school, we focus on one subject at a time, devoting our energy to that until it’s time for the next class.
This makes it all the more strange that multitasking has become a source of pride for many adults, who list all the tasks they’re working on at once as if each is a badge of honor. But dividing your attention is not the best way to get things done.
An eye-catching display can bring traffic to your trade show exhibit – but an engaging and knowledgeable staff can keep them there long enough to have an impact beyond the visual.
But how can you make sure the staff you select is trained adequately? Here are a few key areas you should focus on.
When you’re in town for a trade show, it can be tempting to stay close to McCormick Place. However, Chicago is so easy to get around and has so much to explore that doing so would be a waste. Here are just a few things to do in Chicago when you are in town attending or exhibiting at a show.
Chicago is known for its incredible variety of amazing restaurants and bars. Although the city is famous for its pizza, there’s so much more than that to indulge in (though you should). When you’re in town for a trade show, be sure to take a break from exhibiting to check out what the city has to offer.
The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is the show that sets the consumer trends in the technology industry. The hottest thing on the trade show floor is almost guaranteed to be the hottest thing on retail shelves.
Nimlok has designed trade show displays for over 12 exhibiting companies at the past International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS), held in September at McCormick Place in Chicago, Illinois.We have earned the experience so you don’t have to. Ready to hit the pavement with your preparation for upcoming IMTS 2016, but not sure where to start? Keep reading for more information to get you started.
LIGANOVA at Euroshop 2014 from LIGANOVA on Vimeo.
Motion attracts, motion startles, and perhaps most importantly, motion appeals. When it comes to impactful exhibit design, an element that moves in a meaningful way will attract positive attention to your booth. Here are some tips for creating appropriate and attention-grabbing custom trade show displays.
Renting vs. owning isn’t just a question for your home. This query can be posed before setting up camp in an exhibit hall too. When trade show planning, exhibit rentals can actually be an upgrade in a lot of ways. Here’s a few of the key benefits to help you decide it’s for you:
Recently we have attended a really thought-provoking webinar hosted by the Pantone Color Institute on the power of color and how it related to branding. The first part of their webinar took us through the psychology of color choice and the second part informed how to pick the right imagery for your future campaigns.
Nimlok Staff at Exhibitor Show in Las Vegas.
This topic has come about quiet organically. Recently, one of our clients came to Nimlok Chicago looking for effective exhibit design options, but walked away from that initial meeting having discovered that they had much bigger problems than design on their hand. They had sales staff that did not do the design justice.
For an international company, exhibiting for the first time in a North American trade show presents exciting opportunities — and challenges. The greatest hurdle is adapting to different rules and practices that impact exhibit design; what applies on one continent may not apply on another.
We spoke with Kevin Lucas at Summit Industries on what he thought about working with Nimlok Chicago To sum up what he said in three words: Creativity. Ease. People. We first asked how Summit narrowed down their choices and chose to work with Nimlok Chicago. We were also curious how the experience was working with us day-to-day. Lastly, we asked what else makes Nimlok Chicago so great.
Introduction video to Nimlok’s monthly newsletter covering marketing, design, architecture, technology and trends. All you have to do to become an expert exhibitor, marketer, and creative leader is read.
Design trends. Technology innovations. Engagement strategies. Put the best of them together, and you have the ingredients for making a lasting impression on your audience. Since we’ve been simplifying trade show success since 1970, we’ve found the year’s biggest trends and put them together in one little blog post. All you have to do to become an expert exhibitor, marketer, and creative leader?
As a marketer, you always need to stay on top of current going-ons and trends in marketing. One way to do this is to go to industry conferences. Ones specific conference that is small but gets you up-to-date is Brandsmart hosted by Chicago AMA. This conference offers a full-day schedule of presentations by brands of different caliber and from different industries. This year’s BrandSmart offered a fresh line-up that got me thinking about branding and more specifically about brand relevancy.
Why is having effective graphics important? We can think of a few reasons. The most obvious, if you are planning a trade show, is because your graphics attract attention and generate interest to your booth. It also reinforces your brand and provides a quick definition of who you are.
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