Looking back to last year's blogs on briefing a new stand designer I thought we should look how you choose between them and pick your new partner.

Hopefully by now you’ve had in at least three different stand designs from different companies.  They all look great but how do you judge them and decide who to go with?  Here’s a few thoughts on the way I’d make a decision:

Stand / Brand Interpretation

It’s very easy to look at a stand design and rule it out because your logo has been placed in a way you don’t like.  I agree that it’d be great if any designer could view your website and any branding guidelines you have and be able to interpret them correctly.  However,  designers are designers because they’re good at extrapolating ideas and taking them further than you could.  Hence, I say don’t look at the design as fixed, look at it as a complex set of elements that can showcase what you want and be changed to fit your ideals better.  So look at the designs with an open mind.  View the overall impression, the way the tall elements bring attention to your brand from afar, the way the demonstration requirements have been designed and the way the look and feel of the quality fits your brand.

It’s easy to score points for design but make sure that you’ve given them the right information to start with.

Experience

What experience have you had whilst dealing with the designers?  Were they open to ideas?  Did you speak to the designer directly or were your briefs/opinions interpreted and past on by a sales (sorry, Business Development) Manager? Did their values sync with yours?  If you were able to visit their offices/view their website etc - how does that make you feel?  Do those feelings suit you and your brand?  ie don’t expect a basic pre-packed grated cheese if you are a cheese aficionado and hunt out specialist cheeses.

Response Time

Be honest now - are you a demanding customer?  Do you expect answers immediately and to speak to the manager whenever you want?  We all should expect that level of service so think back to how quickly and in detail you got responses to your questions?  If they can’t be bothered to respond quickly when they’re trying to win your business, how are they going to be when it’s contracted?

Price

Last but not least - price.  Do check the quote in details - what does it include and what is excluded?  How many graphics are shown?  What lighting is included?  Is it sufficient for your needs?  Be very careful here - you may change your mind and need more items afterwards and these could come in very expensive so let’s hope you know what you’re comparing.Can you re-use the stand for less cost next time?  What is the cost of storage?  How easy will it be to change for the next show?

As I scan the web and keep up to date with news and information on events and exhibition I occasionally find interesting articles that are worth forwarding.

In these days of budget control I thought this was worth a mention.

How to Reduce Your Exhibiting Costs by 30% in a Recession

For the full article click on:

www.accessdisplays.co.uk

We’ve already covered when to look at using a stand designer and how you find them but now you’ve got to sit down and write a detailed brief that covers the key facts about the client, their brand and their requirements.  This can be quite a tough job when you have all the information in your head but need to pull it together into a simple easy to understand format.  I’ve outlined below some key areas that I use - each section includes hard details but also some more personal feedback and obviously an open invitation to come back with questions.

Event Information

Facts:  When? Where? What exhibition? How much space you’ve booked? Stand number?

Hall Layout (with relevant entrances/features)

Stand Floor Layout (is there anything on there that you need to cover or make a feature ie a column)

Rules and Regulations for the hall incl. height restrictions.

Personal: Is the event up and coming with halls packed with Rolls Royces where the stand will really have to work hard to stand out?  Are there many other companies with similar products exhibiting?

Background Information

Facts: Name of client.  Why they’re attending?  Have they attended before?

Personal: Background on the event and the client presence at it.  Why is the client putting the stand design out to tender?  What do they expect out of a stand designer?

Stand Requirements

Facts:

Are you selling services or physical products? How do you sell these items? ie small demo areas for 5-10 persons or one to one briefings?

How many demo/sales areas do you need?  What product is on show?  Incl. dimensions and product literature and other relevant info ie it must be shown with a 42” Plasma fixed to the wall and a computer with at least the keyboard and mouse on a shelf.

Do you need a storage area? Do you need a meeting room? Do you require a relaxed coffee area?  If so, do you need water & waste or just an area to serve?

Do you need a raised floor to allow for extensive cabling to each area of the stand?

Personal: Do you have any past pictures of stands that can outline areas the client like or disliked?  What are the key issues that the client sees?

Branding

Facts:  Do you have branding guidelines that you can forward to the client?  I would recommend that a stand design reflects all other marketing and branding but there may be particular elements that the client wants to see.

Do send logo files and links to online marketing as well as brochures.  As much as you can to give the designer a feel for the clients brand.What colours are key?  Is the client after a black/dark design or  light, bright clean lines?

Personal:  What’s your instinct on what the client likes and dislikes?  Do they like creativity or are they more staid and formal?  How open will they be to new ideas?

Budget

Facts: How much do you have to spend?  You must give the designer a ball park figure so they know if they’re building a Jaguar or a Honda.Be clear about what this budget should include.  At this stage I wouldn’t expect a quote to include electrical installation,  AV and internet but I would expect to see a list of graphics, lighting, furniture and finishes.  Things can be fine tuned later on but you must make sure you’re comparing Apples and one quote/design includes AV hire and another doesn’t.

On the last blog we discussed why you’d want to change a stand designer when you’ve already got one.  Now we’ll expand the conversation to look at how you find someone to meet your needs.  You may want to use someone with experience of the suppliers but equally you may want to manage this yourself.  As ever with marketing, I recommend you start with some questions to make sure that you know what you want out of the designer.

Where are you based?  Do you want a stand designer that you can meet regularly?  Do you want a stand designer in the country that you’re exhibiting in?

Where is the exhibition?  Check the exchange rates to see if it’s advantageous to use local or foreign designers - obviously this changes day by day but it’s worth consideration. I’ve found it can be worthwhile taking a large simple stand over to the US to install there but it’s not often cost effective to bring a US stand over to Europe.

If the exhibition is in the US don’t forget that you need to use local labour and pay drayage (movement of the goods from your vehicle to the stand) both of these can add considerably to your costs.

How much are you willing to pay?  Think about your brand and the quality level you want.  As with any supplier you can pay a lot for a highly spec’d, top quality build but are you just paying for the stand designer’s brand and reputation?  You can also pay the bare minimum but end up with rough painted wood which doesn’t reflect the clean lines and profile of your brand.

Who do you know?  Can any of your partners or suppliers recommend any stand designers? Are you still in contact with old colleagues or companies within your industry - ask them who they use.  I do find that it’s good to use designers who have experience of the industry I’m working in.  It’s much more challenging to use a designer who builds fantastically creative backdrops when you need a high tech ergonomic design.

Are you connected on LinkedIn?  Join some exhibition based groups and ask them for recommendations. 

Even with all my contacts and industry knowledge I’m always interested in meeting new suppliers and building relationships.  As such I did all of this recently and found some new suppliers in the US and across Europe, all of whom came recommended and were worth starting a conversation with. 

I’ve recently been exploring options for a client who wanted to put his stand design to tender.  This is always a fascinating experience as I usually start from scratch.  I may know a great bunch of stand designers who can quote but are they the right people for this job.  Are they going to provide the right level of service at the right price?  Do I need to look further afield and bring in a fresh pool of talent?

This blog series is going to explain the processes to go through and outline some thoughts on how best to brief the stand designer to get the quote and stand you want.

In my role as freelance event manager I sit in an interesting position.  My priority is the clients needs, but I also maintain relationships with the suppliers so they feel motivated and part of the team.  I manage politics and different cultures - would a European stand builder understand the constraints and issues of an America corporate? Would an American corporate appreciate the creativity of a European stand builder?

My preference is always to pay for quality - of products and of service.   Some clients don’t want this and cost is the number one priority.  I’ve let clients skimp on costs previously and it never works out well in the end.  The direct contact may feel good that they’ve got their budget down but then their bosses come along and are not happy about the way the brand is displayed.  Even in these times where everyone is fighting for new business, you have to pay for quality.

So why would you change designers if you’ve been working with someone for a couple of years?  After all you’ve built up a good relationship with them, you know how to get the best out of the staff on site, they know what the client needs and how they react to new ideas.  Change isn’t always easy but it is usually refreshing and opens up new avenues.

For most clients we put the design out to tender every couple of years, not to annoy the stand designers but to make sure that we’re getting value for money and that we’re not in a design rut. I’m always open and honest with the companies making them aware of the situation so that they know that  it’s not quite an even playing field but that there is still a fair chance that the business can be won.  I then leave it up to the designer to opt into the process. Once they opt in, they’re briefed and their every move is mentally noted to make sure that we’re getting the right level of service from the beginning.

You’ve probably been organising events for years and can do it standing on your head but has that led to you becoming complacent about the manuals and forms?  I know they’re often boring and hard to navigate.  The online versions can be much better but they can also mean that you head straight to the form you require and ignore all the blurb.  I urge you to read the blurb and just check the regulations.  After all, if something has changed year on year, you don’t want to turn up on site and into a battlefield, just because you hadn’t seen the clause on flame retardant materials in Bulgaria (a made up example!).

It is becoming more and more important to read the exhibition manual as legalities change, year on year and country to country.  For example, in the UK a recent change in legislation caused my bill for electrics to increase by over 50%.  I’m sure that the safety aspects of this change are very sound but the affect on budgets is ridiculous with the electrics being 1/5th of the cost of the stand design and so a major consideration.

Unfortunately it seems that there is nothing that you can do about it but if you don’t read the manual and accommodate this early on you could find your budgets being blown.From my understanding you can now no longer install 4-way distribution blocks of anything but a 1kw connection.  So if you require lots of low energy items you have to increase the number of connections you order.  If you order a larger supply, say 2kw you can only connect one item from it.  Hence fitting down-lights above countertops or individual items becomes a major budget consideration.

Personally, I’m looking for alternatives to lighting now.  I hate being held to financial ransom by any legislation, however well-intended its creation.  Suddenly a long string of LED lights seems like a great idea but I’d love to hear of ways that other stand designers get around this issue.

So a word of a advice from a seasoned exhibitionist - do read the manual for every event you attend and make sure you don’t have any nasty surprises.

Have you experienced the magic of good lighting?  Working on various product launches and exhibitions I’ve been amazed by the skill and creativity of lighting designers.  A simple additional light can transform your event from a run of the mill seminar to a stunning visual experience that leaves a lasting impression.

There are two events that I’ve managed in the past few years where we really got the lighting right.  One was an international product launch where we had the budget to bring in a dedicated lighting designer.  From start to finish I was amazed at how they viewed the event and how they could walk into the venue and see elements that could be lit, focussed and used to benefit the event.  I’m not talking about the stage - stage lighting can be slightly dull, partly because the events I organise need to focus on the product and service and not have the message confused by complex lighting.  The areas that were fantastic were those that led the guests into the event. From the entrance doors, guests were guided gently along the corridors and then welcomed to an ambient reception/cocktail area all with the effective use of lighting.  Once the product presentation had finished our guests came back into the cocktail area - a few changes of lamps and colours made the area a much more funky area complete with music and canapés.  It truly was spectacular, transforming plain white drapes into something really impressive.

The second moment which made me appreciate lighting came at a tradeshow.  We had been developing the exhibition stand over a few years, gradually adding different elements to make it create more of an impact.  However, last year we added a simple extra tube light underneath the counter top on the reception desk.  Suddenly a rather dull desk was transformed with the clients logo standing out and beckoning the visitors to the stand.

So whether you have  big budget or a small one, do look at the lighting at your event and see if just by adding one more item you can lift a dull room into something truly impressive.

I like to think that I’m fairly environmentally friendly both in business and in my personal life. It’s a tricky goal as you constantly have to weigh up the options and make decisions on what is important to you and what you can live without.  What frustrates me immensely is when environmentally friendly options cause more stress and more cost but with a practical open approach I’m sure you can save money, help the planet and still make the most of your events.

Events and exhibitions are wasteful - there is no getting around that fact.  However, in today’s society I think that they’re still a useful part of the marketing mix - when done properly and with sensible ideals.  I’ve looked into the virtual exhibition spaces and these just don’t resonate with me.  Events and exhibitions are about using all your senses and a virtual space relegates you to one or two senses again.  There is no camaraderie, no real face time, and I believe no personality.  

So if you accept that events can be wasteful you then need to outline your objectives clearly and make sure that you minimise your footprint.  Take time to evaluate what you can do to make sure that you don’t waste time, money and resources. You could bring in a ‘green’ consultant but that’s more money on your budget and possibly some hard truths that will just make you realise how difficult your task is.  Alternatively, how about taking an hour to be objective, think around the issues and talk to your suppliers about what they can do to support your environmental credentials. How about bringing your events and marketing team together to brainstorm what you can do to reduce your impact on the environment.  In this way you are looking inside and out to find good solutions.

Meanwhile here’s a few thoughts:
- Do you really need to print heavy expensive brochures?  People love to collect information at events but how much of it is stored or even read and how much is thrown away as soon as they leave the event?  Think very seriously about this and if you have to print something make sure it’s using  recycled paper and used effectively rather than with a scattergun approach.  Why not put your press pack or company brochures on a CD or a branded USB key?
- Plan your event schedule at least year in advance and work with your suppliers to find modular materials that can be re-configured for each event with minimal wastage.  This is true for exhibition stand walling and flooring as well as for branding materials.
- How are you getting your staff to the event?  This isn’t only about environmental impact but also your own budget.  Do you really need flexible tickets?  Can your staff share cars/take trains or other public transport to get to the event? Can you put a no taxi rule onto exhibitions? Particularly in a city like Amsterdam the public transport is excellent and a much better solution to sitting in a traffic jam.
- Remember every little action, multiplied by the number of people doing it makes a huge impact.  Take small steps and aim for big leaps.

I recently worked at ISE 2011 in Amsterdam - how fantastic to be involved in a thriving show.  The official figures quote an increase in traffic of 22% which really is quite amazing and so refreshing.  It was great to see some bright innovative stands as well - this blog is my take on the stand designs around the show.

There is still a lot of white, angular walling but white as shown on it’s extensive use in websites is still one of the most versatile colours to go with.  Most brands work well against white and indeed brand guidelines always cover that combination.  However I do feel it is a bit of a safe colour, one that is not going to offend the board and split the red haters from the red lovers.

Most stands seemed to be relatively simple with little excessive catering - no bad thing, given the cost and mess that result!

Carpets seems to have given way to harder flooring.  I’m not sure if this is due to the outrageous wastage that comes from using carpet for 3 days and then throwing it out or if it’s just a fashion thing.  Hard flooring may be easier to re-install at another show but it ultimately depends on planning a series of exhibitions so you get the most use out of your stand components.

Our stand had considerable under-floor padding to make it easier on the feet and legs.  This is an American led item where most stands over there will not build a platform as they’re allowed to run flat power cables underneath a thick pad. Personally I’m not sure if it helped my feet but I know most people who walked on the stand cooed with pleasure at the soft flooring.

Lighting rigs are being used more and more to give a much more gentle light wash to a stand.  They’ve always worked really well to accent particular signs and products but maybe now the price is coming down so the smaller stands can consider using it.

The last thing I noticed was the large number of angles - this is a much more cost effective solution, enabling a stand to be used in different configurations at a variety of tradeshows. However, it did seem quite harsh so maybe a few strategic rounded elements or non 90º corners would help make you stand out.