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The New Landscape Where Scalability = Flexibility

A few weeks ago I jotted down some thoughts on COVID-19, itā€™s potential impact on the tradeshow floor and how we might coexist ā€“ see https://www.elitexpo.com/ts/home/blog/.

Since I shared that blog there have been other thoughts/ideas shared from my peers within the industry. For example, wider aisles on the show floor, signage directing traffic flow and/or the addition of buffer zones between exhibits to name a few.

Today, I thought I would take a moment to address the reality that as we plan for shows going forward, we will probably need to reconsider the size of the exhibit we will be taking to the event. I say this because recently there has been talk that in an effort to address social distancing requirements, we might very well see a reduction in the size of the individual booth space permitted on the show floor.

For some, this might be perceived as a problematic situation where your investment in a smaller booth has limited use with no future applications for growth. Well I am here to tell you that this is not the case. Yes, you can start small and still have the flexibility to expand to a larger footprint when restrictions are relaxed and the opportunity for large exhibits one again presents itself. Todayā€™s modular exhibits afford you scalability and flexibility. And with trade shows facing a variety of restrictions, now more than ever, exhibitors are going to need to be flexible in order to adapt.

They say a picture is worth 1000 words, so I thought I would share two examples of how a modular system can be very versatile when size options are a priority.

Flexibility from the ExpoDisplays MultiQuad System
ExpoDisplays MultiQuad System
Scalability from the Classic Exhibits MODUL System
Classic Exhibits MODUL System

As you can see in the above examples, when changing booth size, you can still have a consistent look and feel to your exhibit(s) and your overall brand presence on the show floor. In addition, in most situations you are able to re-purpose the same graphics for the different configurations. Also, it is important to note that this strategy applies to both purchase and/or rental properties.

So, as we all continue to navigate through these uncharted COVID-19 waters, keep this strategy in mind. As show organizers explore implementing a variety of social distancing practices and depending on the venue, you might find yourself having to rethink the size of your exhibit. Know that you have scalable options that will afford you the ability to adapt to different footprints and get more out of your exhibit.

Stay safe!

Chuck Michel

VP Trade Show Services
ELITeXPO
D: 847-324-3840
C: 314-667-3225
E: chuckm@elitexpo.com

COVID-19 and Face to Face Marketing. Can they coexist and are we looking at a ā€˜newā€™ normal?

As I type the above headline, I am sure many wonder about the reality of this horrific virus that is so stealthy and one that thrives on social activity, coexisting with an industry that is based totally on social interaction. Now keeping in mind that I am a firm believer that for the next 8 weeks we should indeed be diligent in our social distancing efforts, there will be a time when we need to relax the practice, albeit slowly. At that point, I feel our industry will start to come out of this forced hibernation and we can breathe life back into what I have always believed to be the paramount platform for both b2b and b2c marketing. Let me say it right nowā€¦ COVID-19 is not going to eliminate face to face marketing, be it tradeshows, be it events. While dormant now, it will be backā€¦ although with a slightly different landscape!

So, what does the future hold for us? How will both exhibitors and attendees re-acclimate to what will be the new normal for us? Here are some of my thoughts on what I feel we can expect to see, and what I think might help us get back to firing on all 8 cylinders.

1) Show Attendance – Letā€™s face it, we all want the show floor to be buzzing with traffic. Exhibitors go to meet both existing clients, new prospects and visit with industry peers. Now the reality is that beyond the designated aisles that are in place to control flow of people, it really is a free for all when it comes to traffic patterns and where people go and when they go.Ā  Which leads me to some ā€œwhat ifsā€ Ā that I think might help our cause:

  • What if we developed a registration system that determined the number of people that could attend each day? In other words, once you registered there would be a lotto system in place that designated you to one particular day that you could attend. For example; we have a four day show that runs Mon- Thurs, once you register you are allotted on specific day to attend. If that particular day does not work, you request a new day, much akin to having a timed-entry pass to get into Disney World. If needed, we can even drill down further and only allow am vs. pm attendance. This I feel will even out the days people attend, eliminate the crazy crowds on the 1st day and balance out the attendance on the last day where attendance is typically very light. Yes, this will be somewhat of an inconvenience to start, but letā€™s face it, we all need to adjust here. I personally think this could work in the short term. And if need be, we stay with this lotto system until we have a vaccine in place.
  • What if we limit the number of attendees from a particular company that can register? Just send the key buyers that are responsible for making the decision. And I would say that this applies to any size company. Again, another way to control the number of people.

2) Footprints– While many subscribe to the mantra ā€œGo Big Or Go Homeā€, this too warrants some rethinking and reconfiguring.

  • What if we consider cutting the size of the footprints down on the show floor? What if we donā€™t allow footprints larger than an inline 10ā€™ x 30ā€™. Yes, I realize for some this will be a big adjustment and honestly as a booth provider I am not excited about saying goodbye to island footprints. But again, we really need do think out of the box and consider this new floor plan as a possible option for the short term. This will also cut down on staff needed which will help the cause in an effort to control crowd size.

3) Rentals- This could be the new norm for a while and one that isnā€™t driven by the usual considerations when choosing between rental or purchase.

  • What if this now becomes the preferred option? It falls in line with my comments above regarding the need to consider scaling down our footprints. In reality, many exhibitors donā€™t have a booth that might fit this new paradigm and therefore will need to look at new inline booths. While we donā€™t have a crystal ball that can tell us how long we will be living with social distancing and related crowd control, this too could be a short-term solution as we plan for Q3 and QW4 tradeshows in 2020.

While I realize that my ā€œwhat ifsā€ are a bit out of the box, for some might seem a very far-fetched and an inconvenience, truth be told for now (and the foreseeable future) I only ask that we all need to be open minded.

Stay healthy and safe and I look forward to the day when we can once again all say ā€œHave A Good Showā€!

Cheersā€¦Chuck

Chuck Michel

VP Tradeshow Services

ELITeXPO, Inc.

chuckm@elitexpo.com

#tradeshowstrong