Trade shows offer a great opportunity for companies to leave a lasting impression, but designing a successful custom display presents its own set of challenges, ranging from poor design and logistical issues to low engagement and budget overruns. Strike comes into play here. Strike has years of experience and a solid track record in the trade show sector. They specialize in offering comprehensive solutions that tackle these typical problems head-on.
Strike helps companies avoid the common issues in custom trade show displays by integrating creative technology, effective logistics, and skilled design.
Common Issues In Custom Trade Show Displays
Although they are effective marketing tools, custom trade show displays can have several common problems that compromise their functionality, efficacy, and return on investment. Here’s a breakdown of the most common issues in custom trade show displays:
Bad Branding And Design
Inconsistent branding on a display can mislead guests and not effectively communicate your company’s identity. Overly busy layouts can overwhelm customers and make it hard to concentrate on important messages.
Low Foot Traffic Or Engagement
In a crowded show setting, displays with no interactive elements or interesting content frequently fall flat. Booth employees may lose out on chances to interact with potential clients if they lack motivation or training.
Not Being Noticed
A generic or uninspired booth is easy to miss in a sea of exhibitors. Your display might not draw in and hold visitors if it lacks distinctive visual elements, eye-catching signage, or unforgettable experiences.
Overspending On The Budget
Businesses often underestimate the entire cost of a trade show display. Unforeseen costs, such as extra materials, last-minute graphic adjustments, or audiovisual rentals, can quickly blow the budget. Furthermore, initial planning often overlooks expenses such as drayage, storage, and union labor fees at the venue.
Poor AV And Lighting
Even a well-designed booth can look boring and unwelcoming with poor lighting. Presentations or product demos may be interrupted if audiovisual equipment malfunctions or is incompatible with the venue’s system.
Problems With Logistics And Setup
Stress and delays during setup can result from custom displays that are challenging or time-consuming to assemble. In addition to making transportation more difficult, large or heavy parts also raise labor and shipping expenses.
How Strike Can Solve Common Issues In Custom Trade Shows Displays: A Guide
Branding Consistency
Strike Visuals Solution:
Professional Design Team: Precise layouts and brand alignment are guaranteed by in-house graphic designers. To ensure that everything is printed accurately and that our quality is consistent for all our clients and products, we have company-specific templates that are standardized throughout.
Brand Asset Storage: To maintain uniformity, we save logo files and color codes for upcoming orders. We store all our customers’ past orders in our Dropbox artwork folder to aid in the creation of future artwork and mockups.
Free 3D Mockups: To avoid surprises, realistic images are sent prior to production commencement. To inform our customers about what we will be producing and what they have approved, we send them artwork mockups and request their approval before sending it to production.
Communication & Dependability Of Vendors
Strike Visuals Solution:
Dedicated Account Managers: Each client has a single point of contact for prompt and reliable communication. This is accomplished by assigning Matt, Kyle, Jordan, and Coleman to be dedicated sales representatives for various industries.
Live Chat & Quick Response: Customer service is given priority and is available 24 hours or less. Potentially configuring chatbots on our website or automated messages via our online submission forms.
Proactive Updates: Automated milestone notifications, such as “Out for Delivery,” “Shipped,” and “Design Approved.” We can update our clients on the status of their orders using our NetSuite systems, tests, and email notifications.
Competitive Pricing
Strike Visuals Solution:
Clear, Upfront Pricing: Design, shipping, and setup hardware are all included in the price, with no additional costs. We provide our prices via email correspondence, price lists, and on our website. Providing a clearer image and making sure that all prices are displayed on our website with upfront, transparent pricing.
Bundle Discounts: Bulk discounts are available on packaged kits (tent, table cover, flag, etc.). Depending on whether the customer is placing an order now or in the future, our sales representatives can offer bulk order discounts of up to 15%.
Flexible Financing: Financing options include event-based payment structures or installment plans. To prevent partial payment and production for items that will never be fully paid for, we only offer terms and net payment options to our larger and more promising accounts. If the customs are promising enough, we will help them place an order, regardless of the payment options upfront.
Logistics & Fulfillment
Strike Visuals Solution:
On-Time Delivery Guarantee: We offer a service that prioritizes deadlines and offers shipping insurance. We utilize the in-hand date fields in NetSuite, which have caused some issues in the past, such as inaccurate timelines when orders are placed or irrational timelines with selected shipping options. This can be resolved if all information is filled out accurately and correctly, and if our customers are informed beforehand.
Warehouse Storage & Reuse Program: Capacity to keep and reuse branded materials for various occasions. We’ve done this before, but shipping and damage from shipping make things difficult.
White Glove Fulfillment: In select areas, we offer optional setup and breakdown services. While we don’t personally set up our customers’ products, we are working to update all of our product setup videos to make them consistent and useful. We can also create PDF files for all of our product setup tutorials and send them to our customers, so they always have access to them in their email.
Quality Control Issues
Strike Visuals Solution:
Color Calibration Technology: Pantone-matched colors that are consistent to preserve brand integrity. This is the primary reason we ask for Pantone colors and obtain our clients’ consent before placing orders into production.
Proven Durability: Tents, flags, and displays that have been weather-tested and designed for actual event conditions. We test our hardware for our tents, and we demonstrate this durability through the various products we provide, giving all our customers peace of mind, regardless of the products they order.
Stringent Inspection: Before being shipped, every item must pass strict inspections as part of the in-house quality assurance process. Our procurement team currently handles this, along with procedures established with our vendors and Strike team members.
Quick Turnaround Times
Strike Visuals Solution:
Rush Order Options: Accelerated manufacturing and delivery with clear schedules. In addition to our standard shipping options, which typically take 11 to 14 days, we also offer expedited shipping options through rush and super rush, each with an additional cost for orders.
Stock on Hand: For quick turnaround, common parts and tent frames are always kept on hand. To reduce out-of-stock items and prevent ordering from other vendors for products we consistently offer to our customers, we track and monitor our inventory.
U.S.-Based Production: Local fulfillment centers allow for faster delivery. Expansion through Imagine This will enable us to fulfill orders anywhere in the United States in as little as three days while also reducing our shipping costs.
Strategic Planning Support
Strike Visuals Solution:
Event Planning Guides: Free checklists and resources that can be downloaded. Creating helpful PDFs for event setups, offering advice, and providing product options tailored to customers and specific industry events could be leveraged.
Activation Strategy Support: Guidance on audience flow, booth design, and aesthetic impact. Our sales representatives interact with our clients to fully comprehend their objectives and provide the appropriate merchandise for the events they will be attending, as well as the overall objective they hope to achieve for their event.
Sustainable Options: Recyclable structures and environmentally friendly print materials availability. We provide recyclable tent roofs, flags, and table covers—niche items for ecologically conscious businesses—but figuring out how to effectively market these products will help us stand out in markets that would benefit from such offerings. For instance, promoting our products on social media, via email, and through videos on “Earth Day” is a lost opportunity, but we can be conscious of it.
Vendor Flexibility
Strike Visuals Solution:
Custom Configurations: Any product, any layout can be made to order. To properly understand which products will work under various layouts and floor plans, we have worked with multiple industries and offer a range of packages.
Low Minimum Orders: Perfect for pilot activations or new campaigns, these orders don’t require bulk purchases. We sell all our products individually and don’t have a minimum order quantity. Purchasing more than one item may result in a possible discount.
Online Design Portal: A user-friendly site with instantaneous approvals and previews. We currently offer free artwork services with our in-house designers, which can be further developed for our website build.
Conclusion
More than just a strong design is needed to create a successful trade show display; strategic planning, faultless execution, and flexibility in the face of on-site obstacles are also necessary. Strike is aware of the intricacies involved and provides all-inclusive solutions that eliminate common issues in custom trade show displays, such as poor branding, delayed logistics, and low attendee engagement.
Businesses that work with Strike gain a trustworthy collaborator that provides powerful, on-brand displays that are simple to maintain and designed to work. Your trade show presence with Strike is not only remarkable but also simple, efficient, and results-oriented.
