Category: Blog

CES is one of the largest shows in the world. Hosted by the Consumer Electronics Association in Las Vegas, the gambling mecca of the world, it’s no surprise that CES showcases all latest gadgets!

Have you heard of the phablet, the phonelet, the tweener or the super smartphone?  Neither had I… but they’ll all be household concepts before too long!

Forget HD TVs… this year’s CES is all about Ultra HD TVs.  Imagine a television with four times the resolution of regular HD!  But, don’t get too exited.  These TVs have to be at least 60 inches wide to notice the difference.  Technology is advancing faster than the human eye can keep up!

All very fascinating, but I’m far more interested in the trends which are emerging in exhibition stand design.  Exhibitors spend a lot of money to attend CES.  Consequently, it’s important to stand out from the crowd.  Many of the exhibitors are opting for a modular approach.  Modular exhibition stands are easy to assemble, open plan and very eye catching.

Our own modular exhibition stands have been designed with such flexibility in mind.  From small panel displays to large 200m2 conference platforms, our modular stands allow organisation to scale their exhibition presence as required.  Our own CROSSwire and TRUSSwire platforms have won international awards for their strength, durability and flexibility.

200m2 Exhibition Stands is a leading UK provider of exhibition services.  By helping our clients to develop the right exhibition strategy, 200m2 helps organisations to maximise return on investment. Get in touch to find out more.

There is one very important question that I always ask my customers and it is a very simple one.

“Why are you attending this exhibition or trade fair?”

Here are some of the wrong reasons to attend:

• Our competitors will be exhibiting (this is also sometimes offered as a reason for not going!)
• We want the exposure
• We’re running one of the seminar sessions
• We always go to that exhibition or trade fair
• People will notice if we don’t have a stand
• We’re going in order to show support for our trade organisation
• We’ll meet all our colleagues from around the country / world
• Because the show is in Honolulu!
• It helps maintain our image
• It offers an opportunity to train new sales staff

So, here is my exhibition tip of the day!  There are only three PRIMARY reasons to attend an exhibition or trade fair:

1. To make new sales
2. To make appointments
3. To make new contacts

There are also a number of SECONDARY reasons:

1. To raise awareness of your product service
2. To do some market research
3. To do some industry research
4. To introduce new products/services to the market
5. To recruit staff/agents/distributors

Importantly, these ‘secondary’ reasons never justify the cost of attending an exhibition in isolation.  But it’s surprising how many companies base their decisions on whether or not to attend an exhibition on the wrong factors.

As one of the UK’s leading exhibition services providers, we add value by helping our clients to target the right exhibitions and for the right reasons.  Get in touch to find out how 200m2 can help your business.

Every week clients are asking us at 200m2 Exhibition Stands for ideas on how to make their exhibition stands more appealing.  Experiential marketing is the new buzz phrase in exhibition services – how can you use your exhibition stand to provide an experience which attracts a greater number of visitors?  By allowing the visitor to interact with your services and products, you are providing a solid and longer lasting connection with the brand.

We received one of the best requests last week!  During a family viewing of the latest Bond film “SKYFALL” my client was hit with one of those “Eureka” moments, resulting in a potential theme for his next exhibition….. BOND….. James Bond!

At 200m2 Exhibition Stands we have the reputation for offering a particularly high standard of exhibition services.  But this time our research guys got stuck into this project with a little more enthusiasm than normal.  They started digging through the archives for some interesting BOND memorabilia and exhibition props that have been used in the past 23 Bond movies.  Here are a few examples…

• Bond’s Aston Martin DB5 from the movies Goldfinger and Thunderball sold for a huge £2,800,000 in 2010 (at the time that was the most expensive piece of film memorabilia ever sold at auction).  Ok so we can strike this one off the list!
• How about having a exhibition prop such as a replica gun from a Bond film? This might scare the customers on the stand to start buying… and quick!  One of Sean Connery’s Walther PPKs recently sold for £277,250 at auction. And guess what?  The auction item didn’t even make it into the film – it was just used for a promotional poster!
• At a Bond exhibition, it would be easy to let time slip away. Bond’s watch from the film Skyfall sold for £157,250 at a recent Christie’s auction.  I wonder if they included all the accessories in the price!
• Sometimes exhibition props can be a gamble… the poker table from ‘Casino Royale’, for example, sold for £85,250!

Given these prices, hiring such items for a week could be expensive… and then there’s the exhibition insurance to think about!

Embracing the concept of ‘experiential marketing’ is important, but we need to keep our eye on the purse strings. Have a theme by all means, but don’t loose focus on your products. If you are using one of our high quality modular exhibition stands,  such as TRUSSwire and CROSSwire this will remain the most cost effective way to attract the crowds.

If you would like to find out more about these two award winning modular solutions, please get in touch!  They are far more affordable than you might think…

 

 

ScaleBREAKER, a leading manufacturer of compact water conditioner units for reducing limescale problems, was one of the first companies to make use of 200m2’s free five day exhibition stand hire promotion.

The ‘Exhibition Stand Hire London’ promotion which was launched on the 1^st of November 2012was based on 200m2 Exhibition Stands’ introductory 4m x 4m modular exhibition stand concept.

Commenting on the promotion, the Managing Director of ScaleBREAKER, Ian Gray said “Like all small businesses, I need to keep an eye on costs, especially when attending exhibitions.  When I read about 200m2’s promotion in my local paper, I was very skeptical but called anyway.  I was amazed to find out that I was entitled to this offer, with no hidden costs or tricks.  I just had to pay for the floor space at the show and the graphic panels which simply clipped into place between the stand trussing. 200m2 exhibitions even assisted me with the stand design and layout.”

“I had the best show ever.  All the other stands were boring shell schemes with random pop ups dotted around. I had something very different with lots of height, colour and flare.  Set up and tear down was all done within 20 minutes and I didn’t even need any tools.  The modular stand concept is very clever.  You can start with a small stand and just add to it as and when required.  I will definitely be looking to purchase my own kit in the near future.”

Tim Cronin, Managing Director of 200m2 added “Our modular stand system is based on two award winning modular stand solutions called TRUSSwire and CROSSwire.  TRUSSwire and CROSSwire are the most portable exhibition system in the world and they can be reused time and time again in different configurations.”

“Modular stands are becoming increasingly popular because they provide total flexibility.  Exhibition stand rental further extends the flexibility of the modular stand concept – it gives organisations complete financial freedom.  Consequently, more and more companies are buying a core exhibition stand which they can add to by leasing in additional modules when required.”

“The rationale behind this promotion was very simple.  I was convinced people would invest TRUSSwire and CROSSwire if they had a chance to test it in a live setting.  I am talking to Ian about two more exhibition stand rentals later this year.  As Ian says, our exhibition stand hire service hire will allow him to scale his stand infrastructure without a long-term investment.”

For more information on 200m2 Exhibition Stand’s range of exhibition stands and exhibition services, contact us today!