Exhibitions are never cheap, and the good ones are particularly expensive. If the company doesn’t possess the necessary amount of money and the participation is still not off the table, it is reasonable to consider some methods to reduce the exhibition stand costs. Before you are tempted to cut the costs connected with safety and materials quality, we must warn you it’s never an option, so think of the following ways.
Get rid of the unnecessary
What equipment will the exhibitors really need during the exhibition and what could be left at the office? Consider getting rid of the mini-bars, wine fridges, and coffee machines if the company needs to perform on a budget. It’s not only saving money on the rental/transportation, but it’s also helping to save on the power supply costs.
Be modest
If the plan is to exhibit on a budget it would be a good idea to avoid some outstanding design solutions. Raised floors, double deck stands, and hanging constructions not only are expensive to implement but usually also require additional paid permissions.
Re-use and re-build
If the company participates in many exhibitions every season, it may be a bit too expensive to design and build a totally new stand every time. Bringing the same equipment though is like going to the office in the same shirt for a week – remember that there are visitors who attend more than one exhibition too. If you take the same bright and memorable stand every time (and we assume the stand design should be memorable because otherwise, the company may just as well not participate in the fair at all) people will notice it very soon and it could even spoil the company reputation.
So is there a decision? Certainly, there is. An experienced design team would be able to develop a stand that is capable of looking differently every time. It’s like a capsule wardrobe – combine the elements in different combinations and get a new look every time. Keeping in mind the company branding guidelines remain the same from fair to fair, this is a viable solution.
Don’t cut the stand design costs…
The exhibition expenses are not just the stand design. The company could find multiple ways to cut costs on other items – accommodation, travel costs, participation fees (early bird’s discounts could help a lot). The stand design is what the fair participation is all about, so it’s crucial to cut the stand design costs only when there’s really nothing else to spare.