Planning for a potential event is nowhere near as motivating as one that is definitely going ahead. The secret to staying sane while the world is a tad unpredictable is to act as if the show is going ahead. To do this you will have to fight the temptation to “wait and see”. It’s easy to feel like you can’t plan when you’re unsure if your show is going to go ahead or not.
The gigantic problem that comes with delaying your planning at a time like this (a post Covid world) is that it isn’t just the usual dramas that accompany procrastination, but also the added complexity of industry chaos that is currently unfolding.
Here’s what you need to know about the exhibit industry
Everyone is dying to get back to normal trade show life but as the shows get postponed, they are all trying to squeeze into what is left of the year’s show calendar. The result is a jam-packed calendar with more events fighting to squeeze themselves in and people fighting for resources. Production timelines are being pushed, everyone wants designs rendered and costings completed, everyone is limited by the number of hours in a day. To top it off many are operating with less staff, limited labour for installs and hire stock already accounted for. Everyone is feeling the SQUEEZE. (Yet, we couldn’t be happier to be busy!)
… Before you stress out and throw the towel in before you even start!
There is a bright side to this daunting picture that I have just painted for you… People are chomping at the bit to get back to it! Demand is there and quality people are just waiting for these in-person events to come back. Numbers at events this year have been down. No thanks to boarder closures but the quality of the visitor has been high. Clients of ours have enjoyed more targeted conversations and great conversions.
To make your exhibit planning a breeze and get the most out of your attendance don’t delay. Start now. Get ahead of the curve by speaking to your builder earlier than you normally would for a regular (pre-Covid) year. Don’t start 2-3months out. Start as early as you can. Time is your friend! 6 months+ isn’t a bad target.
In order for us builders to do any work, we need to get the ball rolling with a design so we can estimate costs, assess contractor availability and guarantee all the services needed to pull off your job can actually pull through with the goods.
At The Exhibit Company we are results focused, which means we don’t just smash out designs with your brand colours on them. They are carefully brought to life with your goals in mind. Get that initial discovery session done and dusted so you can shift the work off your desk and put it on ours – We will write a reverse brief and get initial design ideas on paper so we all have something to work from.
Getting ready for the event early in the piece will drastically reduce the stress levels of all involved. In the event your event does get postponed, you will only have minor re-shuffling to do. This old post is a great place to get ideas pumping if you’re looking for more guidance around turbo charging your expo brief.
To protect yourself from any real misery we recommend getting the “guts” of your design sorted straight away. You might not yet know the details of the products you are going to display. You can leave the artwork and any finessing of the design until later, but you want to lock in the basics. Leave the final artwork, travel bookings and coordinating with the team. As a priority focus on initial design, costs and sign off so you can secure your bookings and have something to travel to!
If you delay in getting organised in this climate
You have to prepare yourself to potentially having a bare space come show day. Or settling for a hire booth. This post isn’t to scare you, but to highlight the very real possibility that the timelines you are used to won’t work for you right now. Turnaround times are longer, it’s just the way it is right now. We don’t recommend the taking the gamble.
If you have a show pencilled in and would like help locking in some ideas, get in touch for a quick call.
