Don’t Make These Exhibit Buying Mistakes
If you're considering purchasing a custom exhibit, beware of some common mistakes ……………..
Las Vegas Expo Complete Show Services can offer everything you need for a Conference or Exposition. Our Core business is providing just what our name says, Complete Show Services; we are experts in General Service Contracting, Exhibitor Appointed Contractor- Installation & Dismantle labor services, Custom Exhibit Environment fabrication & Custom Display Rentals, and Exhibit Storage & Transportation Logistics. Since we work within the entire arena and scope of convention and meetings, it give us unique insight into best practices for telling your company’s Brand story in an Exhibit environment.
If you're considering buying a new custom designed display but you're new to the process, beware of mistakes and educate yourself before making a deal. Do some research to find out if purchasing or renting is right for you and avoid issues that will have you paying more than you bargained for.
Following are some of the common mistakes made when sourcing a NEW Exhibit display.
Not shopping around
If you jump on the first deal you come across, chances are you're missing out on other, better designs or lower Total costs. Take some time to explore your options before jumping on board with the first prospective Exhibit Builder
Not negotiating
Even when you have a good idea of what you want to pay for your Total display environment, failing to initiate a negotiation could keep you from getting the price reduced. You might be missing out on a lower price without realizing it. If negotiations are unsuccessful, look elsewhere.
Choosing a long-term Rental
A short-term Rental means not paying for maintenance and having an almost-new display the entire time. When you sign a long-term Rental, you're essentially canceling out much of the appeal a Rental has to offer. The newness wears off in the long-term and you may be stuck with an Exhibit display you can’t wait to stop using.
Not knowing potential penalties
Here’s what to look for: Are there surcharges and additional costs for design build changes after a contract is executed? Charges for exchanging your Exhibit display before the Rental agreement is up? Additional penalties, relating to damages and normal wear & tear? Be sure you have a firm grasp on any potential penalties before signing.
Not keeping up with maintenance
Renting a display means not having to pay maintenance costs. That's part of the appeal. The reason this is offered is that you probably won't be using the booth long enough to put too much wear and tear on it. If you fail to keep a purchased exhibit properly maintained, however, you may experience trouble on the next installation of the exhibit but also risk running into some of those aforementioned penalties.
Opting for unneeded accessories
When you're ready to close the deal, you're eager to drive off with a new custom built exhibit, and unfortunately, that can cloud your judgment. When you learn about the accessories that you can get for extra money, consider how badly you really want these extras. If you don’t have striking video content, then you wouldn’t need a giant video wall; Instead opt for large format static graphics.
Renting a Custom Exhibit
The actual leasing of a Exhibit display doesn’t work for everyone yet it is surprisingly effective method under the right client requirements. As in any procurement decision, you should weigh your options before committing.
Renting or purchasing an Exhibit display should NOT be considered a luxury. Rent the Exhibit display if you simply love rolling out new experiential activations many times each year. The decision should be based on the frequency of exhibiting in relation to the life cycle of the Exhibit in relation to the cost of the Display (as a separate line item and as a percentage of the total event budget). As long as you’re aware of costs in advance, it’s fine to make a conscious decision to spend more for your Exhibit to achieve that Wow factor.
Las Vegas Expo Complete Show Services has quietly grown since its inception 25 years ago. We have done that by doing what our Founder’s mantra is; “We do what we say we are going to do and we do it better”. So if you want more display, more options, more technology, more branded large format graphics and don’t want to pay more…give us a call…we’d love to put you in a new booth that your competitors will be jealous of and your CFO will like.
Mitch Isaacs, VP Marketing, mitch@lvexpo.com, Las Vegas Expo Complete Show Services, 702-248-6200
