When an individual or group of individuals embarks upon any business venture, one of the most important things they have to cultivate is name recognition. Indeed, one can make the best darned cherry apple cobbler on the market today, but if no one knows about it, this fact does the magnificent pie baker very little good.

A trade show is a great place to get your name out there and establish a foothold in your chosen industry. This is an especially beneficial marketing tool if the goods you are trying to market are unique but extremely useful to the buying public.

Thing is, trade shows can draw hundreds of entrepreneurs who are trying to do the same thing as you – obtain interest in their product.

With so much competition in this varied arena, your product can end up getting lost in a sea of business enterprises. You can avoid this however, by taking a few steps towards making your trade show display eye catching and alluring.

Below are five tips you can utilize to make that happen.

1. Giveaways – Think about it. As a consumer what interests you the most? The ability to try something for free of course. To be sure, giving away samples is a great way to bring the buying public to your booth. Prize drawings and contests are also enticing as they give the consumer a promise of something in return for giving a little of their time to your sales pitch.

2. Sweeten the pot – Another thing that people cannot resist is something tasty. With this idea in mind, candy and edibles would be a welcome treat and a reason to stop by your table. If using candy, do not fill your bowl up as consumers will most likely beeline towards your table in an effort not to miss out on your free sweets. If giving away baked goods, only display a few of your wares at a time for the same reason. Be sure to keep a ready supply of the foodstuffs nearby however, for refills when reserves get low.

3. Interact and get involved – Many trade show goers sit behind their exhibit and wait for interested parties to come to them which is a mistake. People like to engage with individuals who are outgoing and fun, which is why major companies pay millions to celebrities with charismatic personas to endorse their products. If being happy go lucky just isn’t in your nature, see if you can hire an attractive female model that has PR experience to address the crowd.

4. A dash of color – human beings are visual creatures, and we respond to colorful things far more often than not. This is why to adding dots of color throughout your display is a marvelous way to attract attention. Make sure to do so tastefully, as too much color can end up being confusing and distracting. A vibrant, easy to read banner or a nice, brightly colored tablecloth is a great way to add pop without being overbearing.

5. Presentation boards and visuals prompts — a wide screen monitor with a power point or slide presentation of a large presentation board can be one way to draw interested crowds towards your table. If at all possible, make the presentation interactive, for example, if utilizing PowerPoint, allow the public access to the mouse so they can move through the presentation at their own speed. If your presentation is stationary, the rule of color would definitely apply.

Above all have fun – people who appear relaxed and happy are most likely to bring interested consumers to their trade show display on a consistent basis. If this is kept up, the business will create the name recognition and appeal that is so essential in helping any new company thrive!

Manufacturer and provider of trade show exhibits and display stands for sale and display booth rental. Whether you are seeking a banner stand display or a custom trade show exhibit, consider Ballance Displays – with 25 years of trade show display experience.

One of the more popular exhibits for trade show displays in the trade show industry is the various styles and sizes of pop up displays. Ranging from six-foot table top displays to 20-foot modular displays, these displays are portable and serve as a functional method to market your product and company.

Just about every trade show company, distributor or manufacture has a display that is a pop up, that is why it is important to know what can distinguish a good pop up display with a bad pop up display.

Every pop up display starts with a frame and is usually the best indicator for quality of the product. Fully erect, the frame should be very sturdy with limited wobbling. The frame should also be easy to erect and should be able to pop into place on its own about when opened about halfway. There are also different metals that frames are made of. Typically aluminum frames are the best because they can hold they are the lightest and also most durable.

Next, look at the channel bars of the pop up display that will provide stability to the overall frame and allow you to place fabric or graphic panels up. Higher end pop up display will only six channel bars for a 10-foot, while lower end models with have 24 channel bars. Also, higher quality products will have channel bars that snap on to points in the back instead of slid on.

Another important note about channel bars is the quality of the peg on the top of each that allows graphic or fabric to be fastened to. You want to look for metal, instead of plastic, which is more prone to breaking or wearing down.

Graphic or fabric panels are the final step in looking for quality. Fabric should feel like a high grade twilled and should be available in many colors if it is high quality. Graphic panels that are high quality should be expensive thanks to the protective material it is printed on.

Finally, ask about the case. Some pop up displays ship in cases that are soft plastic. You are better off searching for someone who provides a hard case. The obvious difference is protecting your investment and ensuring its life.

POP displays aren’t an overhead cost — they are one of the most important elements of your sales team.

Shoppers have the choice of thousands of product labels and are often overwhelmed when making a buying decision. You know all to well — it’s a busy and competitive marketplace out there. Customer attention is a precious resource in today’s economy.

Research on consumer behavior shows that customers make 70% of their buying decisions in the retail environment. There is no question that POP display solutions are the key promotional factor to entice shoppers.

Depending on the product you want to display, your available retail space and existing store design — there are lots of POP display solutions that you can choose from. If your company is ready to get started investing in POP displays, here are some steps that can get you moving in the right direction:

Get your target audience’s attention. Make your product stand out from the mass by presenting your brand on POP stands. A great merchandising display will accentuate your product’s value and improve your margins. Integrate product information to your POP display. Create signs and graphics that both draw attention but also can inform the customer about a special benefits of your product. Often retailers use brochure holders with flyers, LCD screens, or interactive digital touch pads to deliver even more information that will help the customer understand the product’s attributes. Find creative ways to differentiate featured products. Design your retail space and find clever positioning solutions for your POP displays. This will persuade customers to purchase additional items or guide her/him to take a closer look at higher value products without consciously searching. Retail signs are a great way to do this when floorspace is limited. Keep it uniform. Plan for a simple, branded, and uniform POP display roll out. If you plan on displaying your product in a variety of different formats, ensure to keep the brand message consistent. This is best done with a well-designed family of Point of Purchase displays. Check out the competition. Look around and analyze what means your direct competitor is using to drive sales. What are they doing differently and is it smart to do similar ways or find more creative solutions? Do your homework. Although sometimes RFPs can be helpful, its worth your time to do some research about designers and manufacturers in the POP display industry. Find Point of Sale display design ideas and get some inspiration for your roll out. Test out potential partners by asking for their insights and advice. After all, POP displays aren’t just a cost center, they are an opportunity to sell more and engage new customers. Choose a partner with a track record, industry specific expertise, outstanding design talent, and proven problem solving skills. Discuss your program with the experts. Discuss with the experts your particular program and needs and find your ideal POP displays solution. Proactively discuss how the entire program will be executed, and don’t forget the costs and plans through the delivery, fulfillment, and installation of your program–  the costs don’t end until the selling starts.

Trade shows are excellent venues to launch new products, new offers, and upgrades to existing product lines. Why? Because, presuming you select the correct trade shows, your target market is there, accessible, and primed to learn.

Yet there is another challenge: differentiating your trade show displays from the rest of the pack vying for attendees’ attention. One way to set your company apart is to put as much attention into the development of your trade show display as you do the rest of your efforts on behalf of a successful product launch.

Trade show displays can make or break your success in attracting the kind of audience you want for the all-important launch. Starting from scratch to build a custom display ensures that your display will be fresh and in sync with the rest of the marketing supporting your launch.

Custom-built trade show displays allow you to be creative, dramatic, and highly relevant to support your launch in the most powerful way possible. There are virtually no limits to the design options you can use to make your statement and grab attention: graphics, materials, size, elevation, or AV components.

When you opt to build custom trade show displays, there are a couple of tips you may want to keep in mind:

Timing

Building a custom display takes more time than usual. Allow enough time to ensure that quality standards can be used throughout the process and that you are also not stressed out wondering if you will make it in time for your first round of trade shows.

Reverse engineer from the start of your trade show schedule. You will want to allow four to six weeks for large custom-built trade show displays and six to 12 weeks for a mid-size island or smaller.

Cost

One thing you will have to prepare for with the custom display is the cost. It is the most expensive to produce and has the highest operating costs due to size and number of packing crates.

Alternatives

If cost is the dominate concern, consider the following options which also can produce the attention-grabbing drama you want for your product launch:

• Custom Modular Trade Show Displays

Modular displays provide high quality exhibit imaging without the higher operating costs of custom displays.

Modular construction takes advantage of a large inventory of interchangeable pre-designed and engineered components such as back walls, counters, display pedestals and exterior panels. Lightweight structural materials such as aluminum, Plexiglas and high-grade tension fabrics provide simplified assembly, space-saving packing and often 400% lower shipment and handling costs.

The flexible design trend display components allow you to reconfigure the design or size of your trade show booths from trade show to trade show.

Custom modular trade show displays offer design and image quality with substantial savings in operating costs due to less weight and size and number of shipping containers.

• Portable Trade Show Displays

Yet another option is the portable system that offers trade show display versatility. Lightweight portable exhibits are ideal for trade show exhibitors who require ease of use and a variety of display configurations while presenting a distinctive creative image.

Easily set-up, the portable system has a skeletal frame with attachable laminate panels, which simply clip together in virtually unlimited structural styles. Accessories such as bridges, counters, alcoves and backlighting enhance versatility of the interchangeable portable systems.

The trade show portable systems can convert from tabletop to island exhibits in minutes and adapt to almost any trade show display situation with minimal effort. Usually your own booth staffers can transport and assemble the trade show displays themselves saving time and the added costs of drayage and contract workers.

Portable trade show displays are an especially suitable option for the first-time trade show exhibitor and for appearances at smaller, regional trade shows.

Your product launch is critical to your business. Give adequate consideration to the selection of the trade show displays that will support your launch in grand style – you won’t regret it.