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If you are a typical exhibitor, you’re probably interested in getting more bang for your exhibiting buck. Here are 40 cost-cutting tips that are practical, easy and creative ways to stretch your shoestring budget and help you be more "exhibit smart". Pre-show Logistics Set a budget, and more importantly, stick to it. It’s all too easy to spend more on unplanned products/services, especially at the last minute. Push due dates back a month, so that you always meet your deadlines. Have a contingency plan to account for emergencies. Order and pre-pay early to take advantage of the discounts offered, especially on show services. Remember to plan ahead on anything that’s necessary for the show; don’t wait until the last minute. Pre-assemble as much as possible on equipment and displays---for example, pre-plumb and pre-wire machines with quick disconnects. To save on freight charges and material costs, use lightweight materials wherever possible---aluminum versus wood or laminate. Find equipment vendors to share costs by donating equipment. For example, a computer vendor may donate a computer for your use in the booth, in exchange for promotional opportunities at the show. Seek out "going out of business" sales, Goodwill Industries shops, or other thrift stores for items to use in the booth---furnishings, storage units, décor, etc. Consider using out of state suppliers to save on tax, or investigate using smaller suppliers with low overhead who is willing to pass the savings on to the client. Share the shipping costs with another exhibitor by splitting space on the carrier’s truck. Or, consider renting a U-Haul to transport equipment yourself to the show. Try and negotiate special rates with any service, e.g., courier service, etc. Promotion Use remnant stock for printing giveaway material. Prepare simple inexpensive fact sheets on your products/services that you keep readily available at the booth. Alternatively, (although it will cost more initially) put your literature on CD or floppy disc---it’s more likely to be kept and looked at. Use college students, or in-house staff with a cr4eative bent to design new promotional material. Do as much as you can with your own personnel instead of using outside contractors or services. Purchase pro-printed post cards for pre-show mailings---a number of colorful designs are available inexpensively. Handicapped workers are often available to stuff and label envelopes for pre- and post-show mailings---and this valuable community service can often be cost-effective. Source a printer directly rather than having your ad agency do so. The agency will often add 10-40% to the bill. Take advantage of the promotional materials that show management provides. Negotiate with a photograph for negatives to save on production charges. At the Show Ship your exhibit early to get the best rate. In fact, doing everything early can give you significant savings on necessities. Ship machines without skids to avoid double handling of your equipment by teamsters and carpenters in union cities. Instruct the carrier to load the machine first so that it’s the last item off the truck. Have your carpet laid so the machinery can be taken directly from the truck to the booth. You want to avoid having to cut a work order on the show floor. If the setup labor does a good job, request the same workers to do the breakdown. Having the same crew can reduce the time necessary and avoid potential damage since they’re already familiar with the booth. Strive to develop a good relationship with the carpenters and other labor---a familiar association can expedite set up, which in turn saves money. Take photos of the exact set-up of your equipment at one show, and use them at future shows for reference of how the riggers should handle the equipment. Provide your workers with snacks to accommodate breaks so that they don’t disappear for extended periods. Also provide for your own personnel---generally, food is either not available in the show hall during set-up, or is priced exorbitantly. Wherever the show schedule permits, install your booth a straight time labor costs. Overtime and weekends are often time-and-a-half or double rates. Have your freight crates double as furniture. Cover them with a drape and laminated folding top. The crates are then onsite, ready for tear-down---saves on in and out drayage costs. Create a show box that will contain the types of items that always come in handy, and are often not readily available at the show site---or if they are, cost much more than normal. Include items such as a stapler, tape, hook & loop fastening tape, ratchet, wrench, screwdriver, pens, paper, scissors, aspirin, and throat lozenges. Always include extra light bulbs and heavy-duty extension cords. Restock after each show. Label crates with two labels---a "Ship To" label on top of the "Return" label, so <
You can just peel the "To" label off, and leave "Return" on for outbound. Or, preprint the return labels before going to the show---use brightly colored paper so they’ll stand out. Centralize your power needs to one location, instead of having several outlets installed in the booth. Hide or remove the telephone from your booth after show hours to prevent others making calls at your expense. Also, consider having a cell phone available for emergencies. Bring your own computer equipment so you don’t have to pay excessive charges in equipment rental. Use a modem line rather than a phone line---it’s cheaper. Rent a security cage for your equipment to avoid damage after show hours. Clearly label all materials. Make certain your company name is on everything---unfortunately, items may still "walk", but at least then identification will be easy if the thief is caught. Create show city files that include maps marked with the locations of the local vendors you used to purchase or rent items. Next time you’re in a particular city, you’ll know where to go. Save money on cleaning/laundry. On multiple-week travel schedules, have the necessary amount of clothing delivered and held at the second hotel, and send the first week’s dirty clothing home. Doing so also cuts down on the weight of your luggage. Travel Book airline reservations early to take advantage of special fares. When a large number of your coworkers are attending the same show, investigate reduced rates/special deals with the airlines for 10 or more people traveling to and from the same city. For travel to and from the East Coast, consider using trains. Investigate "hidden" cities for airline travel. For instance, when traveling to Denver, it’s usually far cheaper to fly to Colorado springs and then hire a car for the 60 mile trip into town. Head for Dayton instead of Cincinnati. Use Midway airport in Chicago, instead of O’Hara. Use the airport shuttles instead of taxis. You can save substantially, and the shuttles are usually located in the same area as the cabs, so it’s just a convenient. You pay a big premium for airport food, so buy your snacks in town before you head for the terminal. Find lodgings in nearby suburbs and then take the train into town. Utilize two room corporate suite housing to cut hotel expenses. Use credit cards or travelers checks instead of caring large amounts of cash---it can cut down on "impulse" purchases. (Of course, keep a record of your card numbers in case of theft or loss.) Review your staff’s expense report so that only licit, reimbursable charges are included. |
