Nimlok Articles:
Custom Modular Displays: The Answer To Cost-Effective Trade Show Exhibiting

Ten years ago, when a company wanted a superior exhibit to match its image and branding, a custom exhibit was the only option. At that time custom modular exhibits were two-dimensional and unsophisticated. Since then, their evolution makes them indistinguishable in appearance from custom displays. Any design, look or image that can be achieved with a custom exhibit is now just as obtainable with a custom modular exhibit. Regardless of industry, exhibitors that used to buy custom exhibits are now turning to custom modular to take advantage of the savings and greater versatility, while achieving a cutting-edge image that blends with their overall marketing approach.

Image Is Everything

The first step in the purchase of an exhibit is to uncover all exhibit needs rather than approaching them on a one-by-one basis – with only the immediate need in mind. Consider the full range of shows and types and sizes of exhibits needed. Meet with a consultant who can help develop an exhibit to meet all these needs. Communicate the company's vision, branding and image with continuity that sends a consistent message to customers or clients.

Two of the many companies that recently switched to custom modular are Bic and Big Dutchman. Their experiences speak for themselves. Bic used a custom modular booth at trade shows of various sizes in a variety of different markets to display promotional products, such as writing instruments, Sticky Notes, mouse pads, magnets and flashlights, as well as collateral materials.

"We were looking for a contemporary look and feel, versatility and the ability to maintain a consistent image and message," says Paul Lage, Bic Global Vice President. "Depending on the size of the show, we're able to reconfigure our custom modular booth to a full range of sizes, from 110' x 110' all the way down to a 20' x 20' booth. This makes the booth very cost-effective because we get multiple uses of it throughout the year. Yet we maintain the same look and feel. Our image at a smaller show is representative of what we have at a bigger show, only in a smaller version. Many of the other small trade show exhibits are pop-ups and small booths with an inexpensive image."

Bic uses an aisle-span booth, which provides for a smooth flow of traffic with the booth's ends angled for easy entry. "Our booth is open and inviting," says Lage. "we also had many special features built in, such as drawers, showcase displays, slot wall panels, storage areas, presentation areas and meeting areas. This allows us to merchandise our products much more effectively because it gives us more ways to showcase them, more display areas and more graphics. For any company that participates in a variety of different types and sizes of shows, a modular booth is the answer. It's more cost-effective than purchasing a different booth for each show," says Lage.

Big Dutchman, a Holland, MI-based manufacturer of poultry production, just used its new custom modular booth for the first time, having previously used a booth consisting of office panels and custom Formica bases. "We wanted something that was more cutting edge and over-the-top," says Kurt Hutt, the company's former advertising manager," something that would match our image as the Mercedes-Benz of the industry. We were looking for that rugged industrial look with steel, but warm at the same time accentuated with soft wood colors and white stretched fabric with large format graphics. Our company colors (black and orange) were emphasized by using black Formica and underneath our bar we had perforated aluminum with orange gel lighting. To support our products, we had stands built from the same Formica material and used quite a bit of truss to maintain a continuous look throughout the booth."

At first, Big Dutchman considered purchasing a custom booth, but was swayed by the lower costs, reduced weight and greater versatility of custom modular. "We used the booth in a 140' x 50' configuration," says Hutt. "At smaller shows it will be set up in 60' x 40' configurations, using the same elements. We found that installation was quicker and we used fewer people, than we were used to. Also, it disassembled into smaller crates that took up less space for shipping. We saved money because we needed fewer trucks.

"Our booth was the talk of the show," Hutt continues. "The design set us apart and expressed the innovative look of a company that is moving forward. We received many compliments from our customers who thought we had the most attractive booth in the exhibit. There were 880 exhibitors. People were definitely impressed with our company's new look. We also received the International Poultry Exposition's ‘Crystal Egg' awards for overall booth and promotional campaigns."

Is It Custom – Or Custom Modular?

In the past, companies settled on custom modular to obtain savings benefits while sacrificing design capabilities. Today, it is difficult to tell the difference between a custom exhibit and a custom modular exhibit from the booth's appearance. The difference lies in the features and benefits of custom modular.

While in a custom exhibit, a 3' x 8' panel is always a 3' x 8' panel; a custom modular panel is much more versatile because it is a multi-directional and can be reconfigured. For example, a corporation's two divisions share the same image and branding, but one uses black and white, the other red and yellow. They can purchase one custom modular exhibit with panels laminated black and white on one side, red and yellow on the other. Depending on which division is exhibiting, the panels are simply turned around.

One-stop shopping

On average, the front-end costs of purchasing a custom modular exhibit are less than those of a custom exhibit. One reason is that custom design houses tend to have much higher overhead. Their operations require larger buildings and labor rates are higher. Further, in an attempt to make their exhibits lighter, custom exhibit builders are being forced to purchase truss, fabric and aluminum extrusion from third party manufacturers. Consolidating components from a number of different companies slows production and raises costs. Custom modular manufacturers such as Nimlok, on the other hand, strive to provide the full range of capabilities in-house, including manufacture of panels, truss, fabric signage and extrusion, as well as dye sublimating printing. The end user gets a booth designed and built by a single company. One-stop shopping is always more convenient as well as less costly.

Drayage and freight

Drayage and freight are among the highest back-end costs associated with exhibits. While custom exhibit panels are made of heavy wood, custom modular panels have aluminum frames and lightweight interiors. They are extremely durable, but are much lighter, which reduces costs. They also pack into smaller crates, which reduces shipping costs.

Refurbishment

Since custom modular panels are double-sided, they can simply be turned around if one side is damaged. Further, if a 4' panel that is part of an 8' wall is damaged, it can be replaced at less cost than producing an 8' panel in a custom exhibit.

Storage

Storage is based on square feet of cubic feet. Because custom modular displays pack much smaller-storage costs less.

Replacement

When one piece of truss is damaged or missing at a show, replacement is quick and easy because of the onestop shopping a custom modular manufacturer provides. If the lost piece of truss came from a custom house, on the other hand, a re-order usually goes through channels to the ultimate manufacturer. At the very least, this may delay replacement and raise costs.

Ease of installation

Even a complex custom modular exhibit is easy to assemble with simple link and panel construction. In many cases, set-up of a custom modular booth requires less labor and time than custom booth installation. Also, an option for companies that do not require re-configurability includes panels that are numbered and supplied with built-in links that are color-coded for quick identification and easy set-up.

Updating the exhibit

Sometimes companies exhibit year after year, maintaining the same look even though their marketing objectives or markets may have changed. If a company is using an exhibit that was custom built, it may be cost-prohibitive to purchase a brand new exhibit or refurbish its existing exhibit. A custom modular exhibit, on the other hand, can be easily updated by purchasing a few new panels or graphics or reconfiguring the booth to achieve a whole new design and image without a major purchase.

Renting

Renting of exhibits has become a popular choice in today's economy. Companies that typically purchased or rented custom exhibits now save money by renting custom modular exhibits. In renting, exhibitors can achieve a unique look while enjoying the same design capabilities and cost-effective flexibility as in purchasing a custom modular. For companies that exhibit only every few years, renting may be more cost-effective than purchasing. Further, a company that has already purchased a custom modular exhibit can save money by renting a few additional matching panels needed temporarily for a particular show, or by renting a second matching display in the event of overlapping shows.

A Strategy For ROI

Exhibit marketing is most successful when it is seamlessly integrated into a company's overall marketing strategy. In between the pre-show marketing that drives prospects to the booth, and the post-show follow-up on leads, custom modular exhibits attractively display products, allow unlimited re-configurability and convey a consistent image. As a company's identity evolves over time, custom modular exhibits can be continually updated to reflect a new image without the need for a large capital investment. This versatility, together with lower front-end and back-end costs, makes custom modular displays more cost-effective than traditional custom displays. Exhibitors obtain a better return on investment, allowing them to invest the savings in preshow and post-show marketing efforts.

Article by Bruce Newbury