Outdoor signage feeling the strain in the bad weather

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There is no hiding from it, after an unseasonably warm March, April has turned on us all and throughout the UK was are already starting the experience one of the wettest May’s on record.

Many businesses look at updating their outdoor marketing materials at this time of year, whether you are on the high street, in a business park or taking part in an exhibition, it is likely you are looking to have some form of outdoor signage.

Outdoor Banner Frame

Outdoor Banner Frame

Sadly, the bad weather has made it difficult for some businesses to effectively utilise their posters and banners and those that have been brave enough to do so have sometimes found the equipment is unable to survive this inclement weather well.

But all is not lost! Some marketing products and equipment are available specifically for use outdoors, making them more durable in the wetter weather.

Outdoor banner stands are one such example. Similar to standard banner stands they are built to be heavier (to help with wind resistance) as well as using materials that are more durable, whilst still offering the flexibility and ease of installation of a standard banner stand.

If you are just looking for a standard banner or poster for use outdoors then speak to your printer about suitable finishes that will help with durability. Coating the materials with specialist water repellent inks can assist with this as well as using thinker fabrics and sheltered locations.

On a final note, once you have the right promotional banner / poster in place, you might want to think about safe placement in the bad weather. Rain is not the only consideration – wind might make the item unsecure, so ensuring it is safely installed it a must!

Is a celebrity endorsement a surefire way to exhibition success?

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On an organiser level it would seem this is the way to go, especially when working on a consumer event.

I have noticed that as a previous visitor to the event, recent advertising and social media activity as well as direct marketing for the Ideal Home event has been heavily focussed on the well known personalities that are involved in the show. This includes celebrity chefs, interior designers and even gadget experts, all of whom have become household names for many of us over the years.

Looking on Twitter recently I noticed that a well followed celebrity was talking about visiting his friend who had a stand at the same event. Naturally this caused many responses and I would assume (at least from the organisers perspective) caused an increase in the number of visits to their website and possibly to the show itself, something which is becoming difficult to achieve through more traditional marketing methods.

And its not just this show. I have been to other consumer events where promotional brochures, letters and emails have all featured celebrities heavily as part of the campaign, enticing people to visit by showing a possibility they might meet someone famous. Some event organisers even play on this by asking celebrities to hold workshops or theatre groups demonstrating their skill, whether it be cooking, design tips or something else.

In fairness though, the amount of publicity a celebrity can provide to a show or a specific stand can be invaluable and celebrity endorsements of websites have seen traffic increase dramatically after a mention through social networking or other sites.

Despite all this, I am not convinced it is a surefire way to the success of the event, but I do believe it is a great way to increase awareness and create a buzz, whether you are an organiser or exhibitor.

Smartphone Apps to create new exhibitor marketing opportunities

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Gadgets such as iPhones, Tablets, Android Phones and other new technologies seem to be everywhere these days and within the business world app developers are constantly looking for new ways to assist workers.

The ‘Follow Me’ app is one such example – this app is specifically for use by exhibition attendees and provides them with useful information about an event. The product description says it provides:

  • Realtime show alerts
  • Floorplans and maps for the event
  • Downloadable show information
  • Downloadable exhibitor information

Some of the large trade exhibitions are contracting these app’s for use at their event in order to assist visitors with research, day planning and visitor information.

In my opinion, one of the most important aspects of this app for visitors is the “Downloadable exhibitor information”. Visitors to your stand will be able to obtain your details without having to take away brochures and leaflets and potentially saving on the cost of your printing. At present the application is available on both Apple apps and Android, meaning most visitors will have access to it. Having read press releases recently from organisers confirming its integration with their event, i’m sure it will become popular with visitors too.

Never before has it been more important for businesses taking part in an exhibition like this to ensure they have a mobile friendly website. Making sure your visitors will be able to read and navigate your website easily whilst on the road and using a tablet, laptop or even mobile phone is becoming more important for every event participant.

Prepare for exhibitions now to save time and money

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Booked your exhibition spaces for 2012 already? Leaving the planning and organisation until the last minute (like many others)?

Many businesses leave the organisation of marketing and promotional events until the last minute and often this is a result of other seemingly more important issues arising on regular basis. However, having experienced the amount of time, money and effort that is required in order to set up an event like this it has always been clear to me that some of this could be saved with proper advance planning.

Although I have given a few posts about event ideas I thought some tips on planning the event would also be helpful.

Exhibition Stand Floorplan

One of the first things to think about after you have booked your place is what size is the stand and what do you need to put on it?

Drawing a scale plan of the stand on some A3 paper is a helpful way to keep an eye on what is going where both before and during the event.

Exhibition Stand Decoration

Whether you are purchasing a shell scheme or paying for just the floor space, it is likely you will want decorations to make the space feel your own. Items commonly considered for the stand include roller banners, posters, brochure holders, seats and tables, backdrops and pop up banners. Avoiding express delivery charges for some of these items can be achieved by planning their design and ordering the print well in advance of the event.

Visitor Encouragement

Think about how you will get people to visit your stand. Long before you confirm your place you should be thinking about whether or not the stand is in the right section of the show.

Are you near any competitors?

If there is a brochure for the event then why not look at advertising space in there. If your stand will be selling products on the day then why not offer an event exclusive discount?

Remember, if you are taking part in more than one event then you might benefit from keeping a record of what you did, what you used, where it is stored etc for future events.

Good Food Show confirms exhibition visitors increasing!

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It has been a difficult year for anyone involved in Exhibitions, Conferences and Marketing in general and I (like many others) have had to make difficult decisions as to where costings can be cut in order to meet budgetary requirements.

Many people in the industry seem to be considering re-cycling of products from previous years (promotional items such as banner stands work well at this if their design is not time critical). Some are considering how to reduce the cost of stand design and I have even heard of regulars that will no longer be attending certain shows.

Despite these changes, it is still encouraging to read that some exhibitions are experiencing an increase in both exhibitors and visitors. The BBC Good Food Show held from 23rd – 27th November has recently reported an increase, with 80,000 attendees and over 400 exhibitors at the Birmingham NEC Show.

Bearing this in mind, I can understand why many businesses are keen to keep their presence at shows and also why taking part seems an appealing concept to some first timers.

Keeping exhibition costs to a minimum

There are many things you can do to try and keep your exhibition costs to a minimum, some of which I have already mentioned in previous posts.

When it comes to Exhibition Stands, there are cost effective choices available from a wide range of products and depending on how much space you have to fill at a show, there are various designs available.

Budget Banner Stand

Starting at around £45.00, budget banner stands are one of the most popular items available with full colour printing and a massive 2m high of space to print on, they are sure to help get your message across. Multibuy options are often also available and if careful consideration is given to both the design and message you are likely to be able to use the product at other events as well!

Pop Up Exhibition Stand Pack

Pop Up Display Stand

Pop Up Display Stand

Exhibition costs can start to soar when you add on a shell scheme and the optional extras you are likely to need to set it up. A “Pop Up Exhibition pack” means you won’t need walls or furniture as the banner (that neatly folds into and out of a portable carrier) acts as a backdrop to your space. The carrier itself is sometimes also a lecturn and optional extras such as lighting can be included to increase focus.

In both cases the products are highly transportable, making them easy to erect and dismantle and reducing the staff cost at set-up and pack down as well as being highly re-usable for other purposes such as meetings, conferences or even customer reception areas.

New Exhibition Stand ideas for 2012

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Well as it is October I have started getting ready for the 2012 exhibition season. As always this will mean purchasing an array of marketing materials and promotional products as well as banner stands and brochure holders ready for next years shows.

Standard Banner Stands

Standard Banner Stands

In recent years I have often kept to the same or a slightly different product as normal in order to keep within budget constraints, but as a result of a new product launch one of my friends is looking to purchase some exhibition stand equipment for the first time and asked for my assistance.

I was able to give her an email with information on the types of stands available today and their pros and cons and it seemed like a useful post for this blog too, so here is some of the more useful information passed on:

Standard Banner Stands
Probably the most cost effective stand, these are printed on one side and normally around 6ft – 8ft tall. Be definition, banner stands will roll out and are freestanding so these are easy to move around and quite cheap to have printed.

Double sided banner stands
These are basically the same as the standard banner stand but have printing on each side, making your products potentially visible to more people who may pass.

Cassette Banner Stands
These are useful if you are going to need to have more than one banner but they won’t be used at the same time. Basically the skeleton that keeps the stand upright stays the same and the banner itself can be removed and replaced. This also saves money if a product has been changed or updated.

Exhibition Stands
These products are more like a false wall that can be erected on an exhibition stand, although they are very cost-effective some of the biggest companies in the UK use them at exhibitions and events and like the traditional banner stand you can have single and double-sided versions as well as curved and straight structures.

On another note, be sure to get good quality materials for the printing as they will last longer so you can use the banners for other events or meetings besides just exhibitions.

New stands popping up all over the place

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My journey to work has been taking more time since the children returned to school and I often use the opportunity to look at the new trends and designs that are being adopted by shop windows at the moment.

I counted 6 (that’s right, 6) shop windows with new pop up stands installed into them this morning alone and unsurprisingly they were all businesses that are effected by seasonal changes. These are just a few of the new banner stands I have seen:

  • Fashion Stores with details of the winter fashion collections
  • Betting shops with details of current odds on races and football
  • Travel agents advertising the latest deals for holidays and cruises
  • A sandwich shop offering new fillings
  • A large department store with an end of season sale on electrical goods
  • A local coffee shop entrance with details of todays “coffee of the day”

As I mentioned, I saw all of this in one morning and as I have always maintained, it is really good to see a cost effective product such as a Banner Stand being used by small and large business owners alike along on high street.

Roller Banner Stand

Roller Banner Stand

The most popular banner on the high street seems to be the roller banner, which allows the user to unravel their advert or message and hang it either to the back of the window display or using another pre installed fixing. Free standing banners are also used similar to the one pictured right.

I think the real beauty of this product is its versatility and ease of installation, especially for businesses that work in markets constantly changing.