Attending a tradeshow can be expensive, and most companies don’t have massive travel and marketing budgets. When it comes to a show, you’ll want to spend your money on your exhibit design and on training your sales team, and not necessarily on accommodations or plane tickets.
How can you save money when attending a trade show? Take a look at our tips!
1. Lodging: this isn’t the time to splurge on the best suite in the city. Look for deals through travel sites like Expedia, or book an apartment rental on a site like AirBnB. If you have hotel point cards (and you should if you travel a lot!), use those to see what kind of corporate discount you can get.
2. Travel fees: it’s not cheap to fly either, but sometimes it’s necessary. When it comes to travel fees, make sure to do your research. Some airlines offer great last minute rates, and some offer rates that are less than stellar. If you’re heading to a major hub, rates should be cheaper, but do make sure to research and compare!
3. Use your show host: most major tradeshows have a show host, and these people exist to make your life easier during any kind of tradeshow. Check in with the show’s host to see if any hotel or other deals exist exclusively for those attending the show.
4. Remember that airlines now charge for additional baggage: you may want to consider shipping anything you need at a show, like a portable exhibit.
5. Work with a professional exhibit design team. A team that can understand and work with your budget is priceless. Otherwise, you may end up paying a lot of extra money for a mediocre booth.Don’t assume that custom booths are more expensive, either. The fact is that a custom booth designed by a professional company can cost you less than a booth that you buy from a random company online.
6. Use technology: instead of printing out books and stacks of paper, think about using an interactive display or something as simple as an iPad. Printing and binding things costs money, and using a screen is much simpler and cheaper.
7. Remember that nothing at a show is free: convention centers make money by charging show attendees for almost everything. From Wi-Fi to small things like staples, be prepared to pay for anything you didn’t bring with you. It’s probably a better idea to find a nearby office supply store to purchase those left behind items than it is to buy anything from the convention center.
8. Consider buying a used booth: if you really don’t have the budget to buy a new booth, you can always buy a used booth. At Blazer, all of our rentals can also be customized, so there’s no need to worry that you can’t get a custom look with a used booth.
9. You can rent too: it’s also possible to rent a booth for that upcoming show, so make sure to ask us about those options.
10. Let your display do the work: you don’t need to have a lot of extra things if you already have an amazing display. Make sure that your exhibit already has all of the elements you need to sell your product, and you can simply set up your booth and get ready to sell. See how simple that is?
How We Can Help
Blazer creates custom exhibit booths for companies of any shape and size. If you are about to attend a tradeshow, make sure to check in with us first. We’ve been to our fair share of shows, and we know what you need to make it all come together without spending a ton of extra money.We understand that you have a budget, and we can work within that budget to make sure that the show you attend goes great. Ask us for photos of booths that we’ve created, and we’ll be happy to show you what we can do.
Keep in mind that attending a tradeshow can be expensive, but you’ll get the hang of saving money on a show after going to a few. Make sure to take advantage of the tips above, and give us a call with any exhibit design or custom exhibit booths questions that you have.