When it comes to building trade show exhibits, there are literally hundreds of companies vying for your business.  Not all of these companies are created equal, though.  It can be confusing for a brand to evaluate and ultimately sign with the right exhibit design house.  How do you know you’re going to get the best value and the best trade show exhibit?  Consider the following when you evaluate an exhibit design house:

The Portfolio

An exhibit design house’s portfolio should speak volumes about their quality of work.  Consider whether they feature only renderings, or finished photography of the trade show exhibit.  Renderings don’t always translate into sales nor do they always look like the finished product.  Look for an exhibit design house that will show you real pictures of the trade show exhibits that they fabricate. Consider asking if they’ve got both renderings and real pictures of their trade show exhibits that they can show.  This can give you an idea how closely their renderings translate into the finished product.

Variety

Not every brand can afford a million dollar trade show exhibit.  And not every brand is looking for a standard system exhibit.  To evaluate whether an exhibit design house is right for you, ask about the variety of their exhibits.  Visit their website and see if they show exhibits large and small in a variety of industries.  A trade show exhibit for a food show would look completely different than one for a machine show.  A great exhibit design house should have a variety of options to show you.

The Pricing Game

 

It’s very common in the trade show industry that an exhibit design house will quote one price to the customer and then add an additional post-show bill.  This pricing game has been responsible for the loss of many good Marketing Managers and Trade Show Managers’ jobs in addition to a blown budget.  Look for an exhibit design house which offers transparent pricing.  Ask if the estimate presented is the only exhibit design house bill you’ll receive.  A good exhibit design house will be transparent in how they price things and walk you through the process.

Experience

It goes without saying that you want to work with an experienced exhibit design house.  Over the years, there are just some things you learn by doing or seeing others do wrong.  Ask your exhibit design house how many years they’ve been in business.  Learn more about whether they’ve been able to grow to service more areas.  Experience matters because experience can inform the way in which your trade show exhibit is designed, quoted and built.  This will increase the likelihood that your trade show exhibit looks just the way you want it to and doesn’t fall apart on the trade show floor.

 

When working with a new team, you want to feel comfortable.  You want to know that you’re in excellent hands.  Using these guidelines, you can be sure you’re working with the best team for your brand.  Happy exhibiting!