Are you an international company headed to the United States to exhibit at a trade show? Why outsourcing trade shows is a Win-Win.

By Derrick Arteus
blue_and_white_globeYou might think that the greatest asset on your balance sheet is more money. Think again, it’s time. 24 hours in a day, with no way to increase it, and a million little ways to suck it away. Seconds turn into minutes, minutes turn into hours and days. Before you know it, you’ve spent an entire month, heck, maybe even an entire year planning an overseas trade show exhibit in the United States. But wait, where are you, halfway across the world in Europe perhaps, trying to set up your own local trade show? Something is wrong here.

If you feel like you are running a deficit on what may be the greatest resource that your company can take advantage of in this globalized economy, then it’s time to start looking for alternatives. Money comes and goes, but when time is lost, it’s gone forever, so spend it wisely. If you are a budding company looking to make a splash at another United States trade show this year, you might want to think again before deciding to manage it all yourself.

The Do It Yourself Method

You’re trying to trim costs, keep the budget in check by brainstorming, creating, designing, managing, and analyzing an entire trade show attendance. Doesn’t that already feel just a tad overwhelming? Not to factor in the costs of shipping an exhibit display halfway across the world to another country. Perhaps your reasons are logical – you know exactly what you want, you want to have full control over the process, you think your design is the best. What if you could have all of this, and have someone else do it for you?

Relax, We Got This Covered

Welcome to the world of trade show management. These companies are here for your benefit, to allow you to expose your wonderful product or service to a whole new market, while at the same time being able to focus on what you know best, your local customer base. Why spend all the resources journeying over to the United States for one event, one opportunity, when you can let someone else do it for you? Imagine running a trade show from the comfort of your office chair. Instant updates via text, images, and video on how everything is going. And where are you? Not on a plane with impending jet lag.

Trade show management companies offer some awesome benefits, including:

  • Fully managed solutions: Scheduling, shipping, set-up, planning, logistics, booths, graphics, and more. Spend more time on what matters most, producing a phenomenal product or service, and let the experts advertise it for you.
  • Displays for all sizes: Say goodbye to having to lug around a large display or booth, and spend the time having to set it up. Have you ever considered maybe just renting a display? Maybe you don’t have the space or desire to store the same booth year after year. Let someone else be your warehouse.
  • Knowing your customer base: Managed providers know and understand the customer base they are hosting for. What may have worked great for you in Europe might not be as big of a hit over here in the U.S. Grab a second opinion and extend your marketing reach beyond your borders.
  • Maximizing your return: Turn your focus to what matters most after a trade show exhibit, increasing your ROI. How much time did you spend on labor, setup, and management that you could have spent on careful analysis of your marketing message and product/service that will be on display?

Perhaps you still aren’t convinced. After all, business is a numbers game, and so far spreadsheets and numbers have not been present. If you’re wondering how this all pencils out, consider the following breakdown of an average trade show budget

• Space – 33%
• Booths & Graphics – 18%
• Travel & Expenses – 18%
• Show Services – 12%
• Shipping – 9%
• Promotion – 8%
• Miscellaenous – 2%

Imagine, all of that time for setup, travel, space, and you haven’t even gotten a return on your initial investment. Heck, even the numbers agree with us on this one. Thinking about managing your next trade show? Think again, Expo Outfitters has you covered.