Tips & Tricks for your Trade Show Displays

 It's gift show season again, 

and for those of you who participate as exhibitors/vendors,

here's a re-run of a post I wrote a few years ago

For Trade Show Exhibitors

In it, I offer up some tips, tricks, ideas and information

about how to maximize your presence at shows,

using some of the marketing opportunities offered by management.

And just exactly what those 'Exhibitor Display' areas are for!

Having created exhibitor/vendor displays & seminars at the 

Denver, Seattle, San Francisco, and Portland Gift Shows,

I've seen the good, the bad, and the ridiculous -

click the link above to read all about it.

On Display: Trade Show Tips

Are you going to be exhibiting jewelry at a gift or retail trade show this season? Do you plan to submit your product to a showcase display (often referred to as 'Launching Pad', 'New Product Display', etc.)? If so, here are a few tips to help you maximize the visual impact of your product, and make the most of this marketing opportunity:

1. Make sure that you choose STUNNING pieces of your work for the showcase. Think scale, color, composition, and uniqueness. You want items that will make people take notice. Don't be conservative! Go for 'WOW' factor.
2. Provide plenty of product for display designers to work with. 3 or 5 pieces are perfect for a display, so give them six items: Two large, two medium, and two small.

Here's the important thing: Your choices should coordinate, because the display designers can do MUCH more with a cohesive grouping than a slapdash bunch of leftovers. Provide six items that are all in gold metal, or turquoise stones, but each one has a different 'personality'... one is chunky and modern, another is dangly and feminine, yet another is classic and simple. You want impact here, not a hodgepodge of items. Get customers to notice your product, drive them to your booth with this display - then show them your selection firsthand.
3. Provide props or fixtures to enhance the presentation and viewing angles of your products. If you use neck forms, paint them your logo colors to tell your brand story. If you use natural materials - rough stones, metals, woods, shells - in your creations, provide rocks, sand, chunks of wood, or moss to enhance the elements of your designs. If your jewelry is modern, send glass blocks or bubble wrap rolls or tall glass vases to hang the necklaces & bracelets on. Display stylists will love you, AND your products will look better.
4. Be creative when you show off your products. If your jewelry is small, dainty, and hard to see, provide papers, cards, anything you can to help focus attention onto it. Photograph your delicate items and send large photos along with just one perfect item on a neck form. Better to show detail in large scale for impact than to have it overlooked.
5. This may seem to be a no-brainer, but when you drop off or send in items for the displays, make sure that your information is with your product! You company name, booth number, and show division should be included in the container. The name and cell phone number of a person at the show who can be contacted is very helpful - if something is broken, missing, or there are any questions about your product, you want the display stylists to be able to contact you/your employee on site for a solution. Calling the home office two states away isn't really helpful when a replacement part is needed.

6. Beat the submission deadline. If your items are supposed to be there by noon, get them there at 9 AM. If you are supposed to mail them in by the 10th, get them there by the first. Be prepared. Be early. Why? First come, first served. Your position on a list means nothing when it comes down to fitting it all into a small area. All trade show display stylists can tell you that the early birds get the best spots. (And no amount of wheelin', dealin', whining or bitching is going to make up for the fact that you brought us your product two hours after the deadline. Or on your way out of the show hall that night. Or worse, early on the morning that the show opens. You're in the back row, lower level, baby. And we don't care HOW many years you've been selling at this gift show - in which case, you really should know better.) This is your marketing.... take it seriously.

7. Check on your product. Early on the morning the show opens, go over to the display and look at your product. Make sure it is displayed properly (not upside down, etc.) and that your information is correct - your business name, booth number, and show division are all correct on the tent card provided by the show. If there is something that needs to be corrected, let the stylist know. NOW is the time to correct it, not in three hours when the stylist is done and gone.
Please do not walk into the display to do it yourself. Do not move another vendor's items to give yours more space. Do not add or swap items once the display is set. These are professional stylists who work hard to make your product and every other exhibitor's products look their very best. Respect their work, and thank them for their efforts.

8. Look at your competitor's products in this display. What did they send? How is it displayed? Does it express their image well? Does it catch the eye and stand out? Learn from what you see others doing.

Many of these tips apply to other kinds of products as well, helping to elevate your merchandise above the ordinary. With a little preparation and planning, you can take advantage of many free and low-cost marketing opportunities like display showcases at trade shows. It's a great way to add to your presence and square footage at a show.

Photo Credits: all taken by DWK at SGS & SFIGF 2007-8, of product displays created by DWK.

Gone Country

Let's shift our attention to the left side stage setup...This is the 'Old West' side of the biz.
Shops with country flavor, primitives, antiques, rustic mountain wares, and prairie-style decor can relate to this style. In an interesting twist, if you changed out the cowhide chair to a wicker one, and used soft green or blue instead of reds on the other large pieces, this would be very Shabby Chic. Or Beach Chic. The concepts are the same, just change the materials & colors.

The large panel of embossed red metal is sitting up on a table (skirted in black so you can't see it!). This could be a wall painted red, or a large old door or fence section. Something old and big and rustic to add weight and a shot of color to the display. Then the large cabinet/hutch/bench is in a deeper shade of red, and the red wooden trough pulls your eye through the display. This is called 'color spotting' or 'color mapping' - using a vibrant color to lead the viewer's eye through the display.

The white cabinet and white cowhide on the chair & stool add a bright contrast to all the red. The rough bark of the chair frame leaves no doubt that this is rustic style, and the square shapes (metal panel, cabinets, chair panels) reflect simplicity. There is a rusty metal gate (not too viewable in the photo, sorry)that is a match to the rusty metal candlesticks. Again, as in the other display, we are repeating elements and shapes for balance. Bambi? He's there just 'cause he's cute! I talked about how adding a touch of whimsy is important in display. Bambi could have an Easter basket hung around his neck, or wear a Rockies jersey, or have a red ball over his nose at Christmas...a useful prop all year. Get a 'mascot' like this and see how many fun ways you can use him in displays - your customers will keep coming back just to see what he's up to!

Adding plants brings in nature and softens all those square hard edges, and they could be bundles of wheat or big moss balls or grasses and still accomplish that. I used bright green because A) it was right outside the room in the planters and B) red and green are complimentary colors, and they make each other look good. Ahhhhh, Art 101!!!!

Below, you'll see the first version of this setup - which, after my previously-mentioned review through photos, I restaged. When you look at both shots together, you see the improvements immediately.

The chair in this^ position leads your eye out to the left and off the stage. Not so great when you want to keep attention ON the stage, instead of wondering who may walk in that door in the corner at any moment. In a store, you want the viewers' attention riveted to the display and the products in it, not somewhere else. By moving the chair to the other side of the display, a sightline is created that begins at the red cabinet on the left and ends on the chair on the right. Bringing attention right smack into center stage.

On that red cabinet/hutch thing, you'll see a few accessories. Of course a piece like this is great for hats and scarves, so I used some, and I also showed that it could be used to display jewelry or dishes. Coffee cups hang from the pegs. I know this isn't the way this furniture would be used in a home. But in retail display, you don't have to think literally. You have to think creatively so you can come up with unusual and interesting ideas that catch your customers' eye.

Like putting saucers and cups on tops of candlesticks. Or maybe hats on candlesticks.
These are the kind that don't have the sharp point sticking up to hold the candle in place, and they are much more versatile. They act like pedestals to raise items up in a grand 'tah-DAH' kind of way. Again, this is an example of how you show your customer that the item is not just pretty, it is functional - and useable in more than one way. Ask anyone what that item is and they'll say a candlestick. (Or, if they are wacky, maybe they'll say 'A murder weapon from Clue'...) But how many would say 'A hatstand'? Show 'em what to do with it!

A note about the candles in that shot (Sorry it's fuzzy): They are 'intelligent candles' from Doug Thorson in the Denvermart. They come four to a box or one in a blisterpack, and in a small gold plastic candleholder - but can be lifted out of that and placed into your own candelabra & chandeliers! They have LED bulbs, and a switch on the bottom to turn them on - ONCE. Yes, you read that right. Once. Turn the candle on at 9 AM on Monday. Eight hours later, it shuts itself off. And then eighteen hours later, it comes back on at 9 AM again. Every day. All by itself. When the batteries run out (several months), you just reset by turning it on again. Once. To call this brilliant is an understatement...you know and I know how many hours this saves a retailer!

And time saved is time you can spend creating more fabulous displays!

Resources for Products used in this display:
(#0000 denotes permanent showroom in Denver Merchandise Mart, http://www.denvermart.com/ )

Painted red hutch/bench - Far West Furniture http://www.farwestfurniture.com/
Painted white cabinet- Far West Furniture http://www.farwestfurniture.com/
Metal panel, Iron Gate - Olde Good Things mail@oldegoodthings.com
Bark & leather chair/stool - America West *
Set of 3 candelabra - VIP Imports #2181
Bambi & LED candles - Doug Thorson Sales #1229
Rustic wood trough - My Amigos Imports myamigosimports@sbcglobal.net

*the contact info I had for them is incorrect, and since they were a temporary booth, I can't locate them. But I'm working on it....Please know that I did have their booth number on my handouts, so that at the show, my seminar attendees could easily find them. And that is really what it was all about. I'm sharing this info here as a bonus.

A Closer Look...

Let's take a closer look into that stage setup, shall we?
Today, I'm focusing on the right side - the Contemporary 'New West' look.

As you can see from the shot above, the style here is masculine, streamlined, and solid.
Wood & metal provide the structure - the chair, black wood cabinets, and coatrack are the fixtures. The screen and metal cactus provide depth, with that round wood tabletop in the back bringing enough light to contrast with the black fixtures - and its wood tones coordinate with the table in front. I could have used fabric, sure, but the effect would not have been as crisp and appropriate.

Another benefit of addding that tabletop is that it introduces a large circular form - and that ties together the other circular forms in the display. The screen has rounded shapes on it, the Buffalo Bill Cody bowl in front is round, as are the metal serving bowl & platter. Repeating shapes is as important as repeating colors. In this display, the square shapes and the round shapes accomplish the goals of looking contemporary, and of keeping things simple & solid. (Masculinity just seems to go hand in hand with 'simple' and 'solid', does it not? Sorry, guys!)

You'll notice that beneath the metal bowl, there are some stacked books. Actually, these are boxes that look like books, and they provide an excellent way to use the concept of 'lifts, levels and elevations' thankyouverymuch Christopher Lowell. (BTW, What ever happened to Christopher Lowell? He was a riot!) By using items like this (books, bricks, wood planks, flowerpots, etc.) to raise some of the products up above the main surface, we create interest. That bowl sitting on the table wouldn't be nearly as interesting.

This is the simple idea that apparently started the 'firestorm' at EaglesNest!
Crosses are a hot item in decor right now, as the whole Southwestern/Western look seems to be everywhere. (Thank Mary Emmerling for introducing this design aesthetic to the masses). You'll see them in accessories, fabrics, art and jewelry. I am always asked how to display jewelry, and ideas like this are easy for everyone. This cross could be an urn, a statue, a hunk of wood or a large rock. Using home decor accessories to display jewelry adds interest to both pieces - plus it helps shoppers see that the item is more than just a pretty thing, it's functional! Notice that the necklace I displayed in this setup is simple, contemporary, and coordinates with the metal bowls. (It's mine, but there were many similar - LARGER - ones at the show).

Now, I purposefully designed this display setup to reflect a 'New West' aesthetic style. I was speaking to an audience of buyers & shop owners in the Rocky Mountain region, and they could relate to this. If I had been speaking in San Francisco or Seattle, I could have built a very similar display - and just by leaving out the rusty metal cactus, the Buffalo Bill bowl, and the crosses, I would have a very contemporary art moderne style display. It would work in Bacchus' museum gallery store or in the Columbia Winery retail shop. Lesson: A few large props and/or products can add a 'theme' to a display just as a dash of cayenne adds spice to food: It only takes a little bit!

If I were to put this display on a retail sales floor, I'd add more glassware (a few large wine decanters, maybe), a stack of those metal chargers beneath the one standing up, and a stack of books on the chair. Then, right next to this whole setup, maybe on the left side where the coatrack is, I'd place a black metal shelf unit to hold more product. I'd fill it to the brim with crisp clean rows of glass, metal bowls & chargers, some of those crosses and boxes that look like books, some real books on wine or Western Art, a big glass bowl full of battery-op tealights, and perhaps a few nice black leather pillows. This enables customers to shop the shelf unit instead of tearing into the display itself.

Thank you, again, to all of the wonderful exhibitors who allowed me to use their products in my seminars. Especially Far West Furniture, who provided double the amount when another vendor backed out. Love you guys!!!!

Resources for products used in this display:
(#0000 denotes permanent showroom in the Denver Merchandise Mart; http://www.denvermart.com/ )

Black Wood Cabinets - Far West Furniture http://www.farwestfurniture.com/
Wood Table w/ Turquoise Inlay - Desert Diggs #1560
Black Metal Screen - VIP Imports #2181
Black Metal Coatrack - EaglesNest #1239
Set of 3 'Book' boxes - EaglesNest #1239
Battery Op 'Smart' Tealight Candles (programmable) - Doug Thorson Sales #1229
Rusty Metal Cactus - LoneStar Group #1568
Buffalo Bill Cody mache' Bowl - Kellogg #1367
Metal Bowl & Charger - Universal Ironworks / Necessities #2416

Display Evolution

When I am presenting a seminar, I build some pretty huge displays onstage.

No PowerPoint slide presentations for this girl – nope, I prefer to create real-life displays that can be studied and touched by attendees. (I am also terrified that my computer will go kaput mid-presentation....)Sometimes, I structure my seminars so that I can actually be building the displays 'live' during my presentation – but I tend to get out of breath when I do that! Besides, it requires me to do the unthinkable and actually turn my back on a crowd. Not liking that so much! As I did in Denver, often I'll build displays ahead of time and refer to them as I speak.

However, lest anyone get the idea that designing & creating displays is a completely foolproof, flawless process for me (or anyone else, for that matter), let me show you the design evolution of what I created onstage in Denver.

First, I had to form a concept in my mind. This is the Rocky Mountain region, and this was a gift & resort show. Lots of souvenir & resort products, and Western-style clothing, jewelry, accessories, & décor. So obviously the buyers who would be in my seminar didn't need to see a display that was Shabby Chic style. Make sense? So, I decided to create one display that was a bit more 'primitive country' in style, and one that was 'contemporary' in style. Sort of an 'Old West' meets 'New West' thing. Hopefully, these two styles would resonate with the majority of the buyers in my seminars. I made all of these decisions before I even left Seattle.

Next, I had to think about what kind of merchandise I was going to borrow from exhibitors to build these displays. Along the lines of the styles above, I decided to put colored painted furniture and possibly something from bark or barnwood in the rustic display, and black & polished wood furniture in the contemporary one. I never know what I'll be using until I walk the floor, shop the booths & showrooms, and start visually linking things together. But having a guideline helps me save time while I run breathlessly through a show!

On Friday night, we arrived in Denver, checked into the hotel, and headed straight to the DenverMart. Within one hour of walking two floors of showrooms, I had over a dozen of them agreeing to lend me something for my seminar. The next morning, the most excellent Mr. Deb (my hubby) helped me to gather up those products. Then we hit the temporary booths in two halls, and gathered another dozen products. Once we had them all, and the seminar room was available, we loaded everything inside. Then, I started arranging it onstage. Here is a shot of the first way I set it up:

Here's a great tip for displays: set it up, then photograph it. Look at the photo, instead of at the display itself. Somehow, you see it differently. Kind of like looking in a mirror, it changes your perception. You can critique your work and make adjustments.

Once I saw it through the camera's lens, I decided it was out of balance. It isn't always right the first time out, and that's okay. I asked Mr. Deb what he thought, he made a suggestion, and I moved some things. Yup, much better! Take a look:

Simply by rearranging a few pieces, shifting a bit, balance was restored. The eye goes right where I want it to – right smack into the center of each setup - not wandering off to the sides.

One problem with the 'before' was that the black furniture, the black screen and black coat rack in the right side setup were disappearing into the black background. In order to correct this, I needed something light to add contrast. Well, behind the black curtains, we discovered some round tables with wood tops. We set one up on its side so the wood was visible. By placing this behind the black screen, it makes the outline of the screen pop. It also coordinated with the wood table and brown tones in the display.

You'll notice that the displays angle inward. They lead the eye from high to low, and either left-to-right or right-to-left, depending on which one you are looking at. I built them so that they focused attention to center stage - where I was standing. This is a great way to build two window displays on either side of your store door - make the viewer's eye travel through the display, and land right smack on your entrance door.

Another adjustment was to add a bit of nature to the displays. I 'borrowed' silk greenery from the hallway planters (YES, I put it back!), but it could have easily been bare branches or wheat stalks or a tumbleweed.

Every product in those displays was available for purchase at the show.

(Ok, well, I lie. Obviously not the round table. And not the scarf, hat, jewelry, and gloves, which were mine. And the wine glasses and white china were - ahem – borrowed from catering. I think they kept wondering where all the coffee cups were disappearing to...) Using products from exhibitors gave me the opportunity to not only share great ideas, information, & inspiration about display, but to show these buyers some great products and send their business to the exhibitors. A win-win-win for everyone.

And after the seminars, when Mr. Deb and I returned all of the products to exhibitors, we heard rave reviews from everyone – how many people had rushed to their booths & showrooms, saying 'I saw this thing in a seminar and I want to order five of them!' (That stone cross from EagleNest was apparently 'the' hot item. The showroom owner said I created a firestorm!)

Like I always say, show 'em how to make it look stellar, and they'll beat a path to your door!

Next post, I'll focus on one side of the display and point out a few more things….

Traveling the Silk Road...

Is this not a gorgeous logo??? And if you think that's fab, you need to visit their store!

Silk Road Home Decor & Gifts is located in the Old South Gaylord Street Historical District of Denver, Colorado. The owners of this beautiful shop attended my seminar at the Denver Gift Show on Sunday. After I spoke, they came up and introduced themselves, then invited Mr. Deb and I to their store and to lunch. Well, how can you refuse a heartfelt and generous invitation from such charming people?! We couldn't, and so on Monday, we visited their store.

Silk Road is a colorful, rich bounty of inspiration. They have been recognized as a 'culture-spanning store' by Sunset magazine, which is right on the money! Focusing on International Style, which is all the rage in home decor right now (only this is SOOOOO much more elegant than Target's World Bazaar concept), owners Karla and Baki Akpinar search out local artists, foreign artisans, and unique products to bring global design to their store and your homes. Karla is also a seamstress, providing her detailled services to interior designers in the Denver area. And she's also a mom...which means this is one very busy woman!

Karla and Baki asked me to consult with them on some ideas for their store. I let them know just how much they are doing right - and really, they are. I suggested a few changes, ways of merchandising their glorious products differently, and some layout ideas. They had a few specific problem areas, and just needed to see them from a different perspective. Their responses were immediately 'OH WOW why didn't WE think of that?!' (which I am used to hearing!) and very enthusiastic about making changes. They treated us to a delish lunch at a nearby pub, and even chauffeured us to the airport. Talk about royal treatment! The thing is, this is just them...they treat everyone with generosity and kindness, helpfulness and gratitude. Such kind hearts, charming personalities, and smiling faces... truly, their personalities are as spicy and warm as the colors on the walls!

This store will be wildly successful, I know it - because these owners are dedicated to creating an inspiring decorating resource for their community, unlike any other. When you are in the Denver metro area, scoot over to the South Gaylord Historical District, and visit Karla & Baki at Silk Road. It's like taking a trip around the world and bringing home beautiful treaures from the four corners of the Earth...all in one afternoon!

Karla & Baki Akpinar, proprietors

Silk Road Home Decor & Gifts
1065 S. Gaylord Street
Denver, Colorado 80209
303.734.9582

http://www.silkroadhomedecor.com/

Edited to add:
Yesterday, this lovely package came in the mail...

When I opened it, I found a lovely card and a stunning brass & copper purse, sent to me from Karla as a thank you. WOW!

I saw these items in the store and wondered about their 'story'. Now I really I need to email Karla to ask her about it - I am certain these are handmade by artisans in a small village somewhere. What a generous gift! Karla, thank you so much! Honestly, I think I am going to hang this on the wall as an art piece....

The Whirlwind Winds Down...

Three days of constant talking, running, hauling, thinking of on-the-spot answers to questions, and drinking considerably less caffeine than I am used to, has worn this Diva out!!! (Note to someone, anyone: Build a Starbucks on the corner by the Comfort Inn & DenverMart, PLEASE!) My voice is pretty much gone at this point...I think I may have said no more than three words to my dear husband on the whole flight home. I gave every last bit of myself in my seminars and consultations, and that's all she wrote, honey!

The Denver Gift Show was a blast, let me tell you....
Many thanks to Evonne Eiseman and Carol Hash of the market staff, who took excellent care of me and Mr. Deb. They are such fun... Evonne is a brunette double for actress Diane Keaton - only not neurotic, just bubbly! Saucy Carol has some really cute clothes that I covet! These ladies both work tirelessly to make sure the shows are a big success, and they pull it off every time. I know he won't read this, but thank you, Wizard of Oz Craig for making sure the sound system was on its game. Except for one little ear-piercing snafu, which I think was entirely MY fault, 'the man behind the curtain' rocked!

I did get to meet Ray Gaulke of the Gift & Home Channel, and we had a great discussion about networking online and how it is changing business. Ray has asked me to participate in providing content for GHC, and I am excited about what we are going to do. Stay tuned...

I met so many wonderful people in Denver...attendees at my presentations, exhibitors who provided awesome products for my stage setup, show & market staff, and a few assorted characters (ahem...Woody, the jokester). I'll have several posts in the coming days to recap that and the content of my seminars. Which is hard, because I always include so much information in my presentations & handouts that it's quite a chore to condense them. But I'll try!

A shot of the stage setup and yours truly, yappin' away. (Thanks Mr. Deb, for the photos & video!) Take a gander at those yummy golden yellow walls...they painted the forum rooms and wow did it make a difference! Have you ever watched the Oprah show, and thought that the whole audience looks like makeup artists have gone out there and spiffed 'em all up? There, it's pink lighting. Here, it's golden yellow walls. Everyone in the room looked MAHvelous, dahlink! And there were LOTS of people in the room...

According to Evonne, I totally shattered the market record for attendance at a seminar. Twice. 147 people in the first seminar on Display (and it was at 8:30 AM, too!) and 89 in the afternoon session on Store Design. Evonne had to run out and make more copies of my handout while I was speaking, so that everyone could get one! I am always thrilled when I am interacting with a crowd of people who really are interested in these subjects. I mean, obviously they are MY passion, but to see retailers who realize the value of visual presentation in their stores makes my heart skip a beat. Thank you to every single person who attended my seminars in Denver - you made MY day!

PS: I just received an email from the Gift & Home Channel...we are on our way!
And I learned that I've already been mentioned in one of their blogs. Oops, I've asked that they make sure and correct my name on there! ;0)