THE
ART OF SELECTING POP-UP EXHIBITS!
By
H. Austin Esfandiary
When
looking for a Pop-Up display too many people can be simply
bewildered and confused by endless choices: Lifetime Warranties,
Curved Frame vs. Straight Frame, Modular Frames, Accessories,
Shipping Case options, and countless manufacturers. How does one
select the best solution for their organization?”
In
this article we will consider a very essential question: How to
avoid one of the major common mistakes that so many people make
when selecting Pop-Up exhibits. The article concludes by
examining the issues of Lifetime Warranties, Straight vs. Curved
Pop-Ups, Exhibit Manufacturers, and the benefit of truly Modular
Frames.
Avoid
making one of the most important common mistakes in selecting
your next Pop-Up:
Most
Exhibitors will contact 1 (or more) Exhibit Companies and are
frequently offered a “FREE” Exhibit Design or Rendering. As
a result, many organizations select the Pop-Up that comes with
the best design.
This
is a big mistake for both practical and esoteric reasons!
SPEAKING
PRACTICALLY:
There
are 3 essential, independent parts to the purchase of your
Pop-Up exhibit:
Ø
Design
Ø
Graphics
Ø
Hardware
The
common practice in our industry is to bundle and package all of
these 3 elements, by offering “FREE” design.
It
is an error to select the hardware you will be using for many
years and countless shows based primarily on the design
received! That would be similar to choosing a car model based on
the color of the paint. Just because it looks good, doesn’t
mean that it will handle well and be dependable!
The
mark of a sophisticated, experienced Exhibit Manager is one who
selects the best overall tradeshow exhibit by selecting the best
exhibit and the best design individually.
One
of the best-kept secrets in Exhibit Industry is that Exhibit
companies will sell you the rights to use their design on
another Pop-Up system. Exhibit companies would clearly prefer to
sell you the entire package but will gladly sell their design,
when given that alternative.
The
design, the graphics, and the hardware are completely different
processes and should be evaluated individually!
SPEAKING
ESTOERICALLY:
Countless
graphic designers and articles have come out strongly denouncing
the unprofessional practice of speculative design services in
the exhibit industry.
The
“FREE DESIGN” should be more aptly titled as
“SPECULATIVE”. Whether the design work is itemized in your
estimate and final invoice, or not, you are indeed paying for
the design service that you have received! It is only “FREE”
to you should you elect not to purchase from that particular
exhibit company.
No
self-respecting Graphic Designer ever offers design work “on
spec”. By allowing or enabling Exhibit Companies to bundle
Design, and the Exhibit together, you are supporting a dynamic
that is neither ideal for clients nor vendors.
If
you should go to 3 (or more) Exhibit Companies for their
“FREE” design services, at least 66% of the work does not
get compensated. For those who have more than 3 vendors
competing, often the best firms with the best designers will
simply refuse to participate.
Exhibit
Companies specialize in creating Exhibit Designs for Tradeshows!
Next time, when you think of contracting with an AD AGENCY, or
DESIGN FIRM, to design your booth; why not consider contracting
with one (or more) Exhibit Companies to create the design
instead. You might even be surprised to discover a more
effective design at a lower cost! Once you pay for the design,
you are free to select the best Pop-Up system that meets your
requirements from anywhere that you like!
GRAPHICS
PRODUCTION:
This
is another area of the bundling process that is a little more
complicated. Particularly when using a separate firm or designer
to create the exhibit design! The question becomes should the
Designer or the Exhibit House produce the Graphics?
The
best choice is to have the Exhibit Company produce your
graphics. When in doubt, always use the Exhibit House! Should
there ever be any problems with the graphics working with the
Exhibit that you have just purchased, you will not have to be
faced with the headache of going back and forth to determine who
will accept responsibility for correcting any potential problem.
Graphics
production consists of:
Ø
Materials
Ø
Artistry
The
materials used will determine how well the graphics will hold up
and look over time and repeated use. De-Lamination, Bubbling,
Tunneling, and Peeling are typical problems with the quality of
materials used. If your graphics should ever have any of those
problems, and your vendor fails to replace those graphics
(irrespective of how long you have had them), you should use
another vendor for all future projects!
The
artistry and craft comes in calibrating and tweaking the output
so that the colors; the resolution; the clarity; the contrast,
the intensity; all the elements are optimized for the given
artwork provided to create a final image that is striking and
will stand out and be noticed in a positive light at tradeshows.
This requires a highly specialized skill and training that is
rare and difficult to find. Once you have located a vendor of
this caliber, you are well advised to do all in your power to
keep them happy as your vendor!
Lifetime
Warranties:
Most
exhibit companies will tell you that their Pop-Up comes with a
“Lifetime Warranty”. Here are 4 key questions to
differentiate the VALUE of the “Lifetime Warranty:
Ø
Is
it a “No Questions Asked Warranty”?
Ø
Who
is offering the Lifetime Warranty?
Ø
What
is covered?
Ø
Can
you make all repairs in the field yourself?
“No
Questions” Warranty: this is obviously the best coverage one
can have! There is never any debate of what, where, how, or who
caused the damage to your exhibit. In a “No Questions”
warranty, you are covered!
Does
your Pop-Up come with a Lifetime Warranty from the Manufacturer?
If so, how old, and well established is the Manufacturer? How
likely are they to survive the current economic climate? Do
dealers everywhere honor this warranty? You want a Lifetime
Warranty that you can count on no matter when or where you need
assistance.
What
is covered? Is it just for the Pop-Up frame or is there more
that is covered by the Warranty?
Most
importantly: If you so desire, could you make all repairs in the
field yourself? Damage to exhibits usually happens during
shipping or set-up! If you do not have the ability to make any
repairs quickly and easily in the field yourself, there is a
strong possibility that you will have either: no exhibit, a
rental, or a damaged booth at any given show. Don’t forget
Murphy’s Law!
Curved
vs. Straight Pop-Ups:
Some
of our clients have trouble with this issue. They are not sure
which would work better for their needs.
Typically
the Curved booth is great in a 10’ x 10’ space with the
focus on graphics. The 10’ Curved Pop-Up is like a Movie
Screen. It is used most effectively to focus attention on one
large image. It draws attention, and can serve like a billboard.
Research
has been done of the habits of attendees at Tradeshows. The two
most important discoveries are:
1
– The typical person looks at any given display for 3.4
seconds. Based on what they perceive in that first quick glance,
they will make the determination to interact with the exhibitor,
or move on.
2
– The typical attendee will stop and have in-depth
interactions with 5 exhibitors at a tradeshow.
The
Curved Pop-Up is a great vehicle for creating an easy to
transport “Billboard” where you can effectively create a
Larger than Life image that one can drive past on the highway at
55mph, and still get the message you need to communicate!
Straight
Pop-Ups are ideal for larger booth sizes. They make it easier to
create a variety of configurations that include graphic and
architectural design elements. Consider using curved and
straight pop-ups combined together in larger areas!
Benefit
of truly Modular Frames:
There
are 3 important benefits to Modular Pop-Ups:
Ø
Simple
& Fast Reconfigurations
Ø
Adapts
to YOUR needs
Ø
Easy
repairs
What
do you do when you find that a small regional or specialized
show has only 8’ x 8’ booth spaces available? Most are stuck
when they need something slightly smaller or larger than what
they have! With a modular booth, you can add or subtract panel
sections as needed. This gives you the greatest flexibility to
deal with all unforeseen and unplanned requirements!
Some
of your requirements may change after a few years. Your new
exhibit design may call for a new element. Perhaps your next
design might call for an inner shelf, a light box, or simply new
dimensions. With a modular booth, you can easily make
reconfigurations that save you the cost of ordering a new
Pop-Up, or re-constructing your existing one.
Should
your pop-up get damaged in transit or during set-up, you can
rest assured that no matter what happens (even if a crane rolls
over the frame), you can have it repaired quickly on site, so
that you are able to use your own pop-up at every single show
you attend! Avoiding the expense of rentals.
There
are 2 fully modular Pop-Up Exhibit Systems on the market today:
ABEX 300/350 & CONVERTIBLE.
Exhibit
Manufacturers:
Having
been involved in the Tradeshow industry for 2 decades, keeping a
close eye on the pop-up systems, I personally consider these 3
Pop-Ups to be in the top tier:
ABEX
300, ABEX 350 (EXPOSURE)
NOMADIC
MIRAGE
ABEX
300, ABEX 350 (Exposure). Abex manufactures a Modular
Pop-Up. This manufacturer is well diversified and has a great
deal of experience in manufacturing a great wide range of
Exhibit Systems, making them very sophisticated and prominent in
the industry!
NOMADIC
created the concept and the very 1st Pop-Up exhibit.
They spawned an entire industry, and to their credit, although
there have been some great innovators, they are still a major
player in the world of Pop-Ups!
MIRAGE
is the industry leader in marketing, and as a result has
garnered a respectable market share of pop-up exhibit sales.
Pop-Ups
to keep an eye on: Convertible, Arise, Expand Big-Fabric.
Convertible
is the only other completely Modular Pop-Up. When looking at
Pop-Up systems, you might want to seriously consider the
benefits of getting a completely Modular Pop-Up and there are
only 2: Convertible & Abex.
Arise
is emerging, its sales volumes hold promise and is competitive
among the lower-priced ranges of Pop-Ups.
The
Expand Big-Fabric is the only Pop-Up that can set-up in less
than 60 seconds! The secret is that the graphic mural is
attached to the frame. Once the Pop-Up is opened, the entire
exhibit, including graphics, are in place!
There
are plenty more Pop-Up systems worthy of consideration to be
sure. That is why you should do your homework and take care in
selecting the right Exhibit Company to work with. (Disclaimer:
Our company, Exhibits Inc. is a distributor of all the Pop-Ups
listed here, with two exceptions: Nomadic and Skyline).
Look
at the Exhibit Companies that you are considering dealing with.
Some companies represent only two or three manufacturers. They
may offer one Pop-Up, one Folding Panel, and one Modular System.
Once you decide that you need a Pop-Up, they will sell you on
why their one product is the best for you.
The
alternate approach is to take the “Exhibit Consultant” role
to the ultimate level. These Exhibit Companies take the time to
learn about your organization and your requirements. Once they
have accomplished that, they go to the next logical step. They
will guide & assist you to look at the Pop-Up systems
comparatively, so you can select the one that is ideally suited
to your needs.
This
article is PART II of a series on the Topic of “Sorting
through the maze of Pop-Up Exhibits”. PART I Deals mostly with
the other BIG ISSUE in selecting Pop-Ups: How to evaluate the
costs.
The
earlier TSNN article “Sorting
through the maze of Pop-Up Exhibits!”,
can be found at this link: http://www.exhibitsinc.com/hot_deals.htm
©
H. Austin Esfandiary
H. Austin Esfandiary is the President of Exhibits Inc.
headquartered in Chevy Chase, Maryland. Exhibits Inc. designs
and produces Custom, Modular, Portable, Table Top Exhibits and
Graphics. Exhibits Inc. offers an extensive selection of Island,
Peninsula, and Portable Exhibit Rentals. Exhibits Inc. produces
Commercial, Industrial Videos utilizing high end Broadcast
Quality Cameras, Lighting, Sound, and Editing Systems.
Exhibits
Inc.
(301)770-7500
www.ExhibitsInc.com
email
Esfandiary@ExhibitsInc.com
EXHIBITS
INC.
On
The Cutting Edge... And A Cut Above
Jim Kimsey
