Budgeting For Trade Show Displays: Forgotten Costs Can Add Up

A company's budget for taking trade show displays to an event can quickly add up. There's the trade show stand itself, as well as an entry fee for the event. If the event is out of town, you'll need to plan for the costs associated with travel, including gas or airfare, lodging and meals. Then there are also the costs of printing extra promotional materials such as brochures, business cards or giveaways. However, this is never enough. When you're considering your marketing budget and determining which events you can take your exhibit to, don't forget to include these extra costs.

Unionized Trade Show Exhibit Employees

It's not uncommon for some venues to hire unionized employees to do everything from vacuuming to installing your trade show displays. Even though you may know exactly how to put up your display and attach the graphics, the event may require local workers to do this for you. Although you may be tempted to do this yourself, it's a bad idea. The venue has an agreement with the local union and if your company violates it, it could cause serious problems with future events. Union members can sometimes receive negative reactions from attendees so it's important to remember that these employees are simply doing their jobs and earning a living just like the exhibitors.

Transportation

Transportation is another big cost. Shipping costs have risen across the board, no matter which shipping carrier you use. Whether you're driving or flying to the event, it's best to ship your trade show stand. Another thing to consider is the cost of having your exhibit moved from the loading dock to your display space. This is called 'drayage' and includes moving your trade show stand, removing and storing packing crates during the event, returning them at the end and loading them to be shipped.

Updating Graphics For Trade Show Displays

Exhibits are designed to last for years, but that doesn't mean the graphics won't need a little refresher from time to time. If you've recently updated your company's logo, changed the colors associated with your company or made any other changes, it's a must to change out the graphics. Even if you haven't gone through any major changes, it's still important to notice if your graphics are looking faded, worn out or if they're torn. It's a smart idea to go back to the same company that created your exhibit in the first place, but if you can't do that, any company that creates displays should be able to help you. You may be tempted to have these graphics created in house and while this is an option for some large companies with extensive art departments, it can be intimidating for smaller companies. Consider leaving this job to the professionals and you'll be happy with the results.

With a little proper planning, you can avoid surprise costs that come up. Expensive, unexpected costs can be a disaster for some companies, so make sure to anticipate them and leave a little extra room in your budget.

Chris Harmen is a writer for Skyline Miami, a company that helps customers with a Puerto Rico trade show exhibit. The company can design a custom Puerto Rico trade show stand for customers.