Custom Trade Show Exhibit Ideas

Posted on May 14, 2012 by applerock

Need custom trade show exhibit ideas? Apple Rock takes a unique approach to its client’s needs: Listen; Design; Plan; Produce; Coordinate & Schedule; Deliver; and Follow Through. Read on for a few case studies in custom trade show exhibits delivered by Apple Rock:

1. Highland Industries is a leading manufacturer in industrial textile product solutions, providing innovative textiles for various industries such as automotive, medical, industrial and military. Highland had not invested in a new trade show exhibit for over ten years so the Highland team presented Apple Rock with an idea: Create a custom trade show exhibit that exemplified the company’s quality using the various interactive technologies that appeal to trade show attendees. Due to the variety of industry trade shows in which Highland participates, it needed versatility in a design that would set it apart from the competition. Apple Rock developed a custom trade show exhibit that combined extrusion panels and fabric. Fabric added a unique element to the design. The large curved fabric towers gave the display height and intrigue, but from a show services stand point, it packs down easily and is lighter to ship.

Given the custom specialty fabrics that Highland creates it was difficult to show attendees all that it can do with fabric samples. With the multiple presentation areas, a corporate video at the front of the display loops to show passers by who Highland is and what it does. Once attendees are drawn in, a more specific presentation with the Apple TV and iPads at the back of the display can be customized to accommodate any presentation need, for any audience during the show. Highland’s display is classic with its clean and bright design but modern in its application and use of interactive media.

2. Collaboratively, Apple Rock fabricated a modular design which easily reconfigures into a 10×10, 10×20 and 10×30 format for Howden North America, a global leader in industrial air and gas handling products. Embracing the philosophy “less is more,” the 10×20 display packs a powerful punch with regard to space, functionality and design. Integrating multiple touch points including large reception counters, interactive touch screens and semi-private conference room provide Howden’s Sales and Engineering Team opportunities to engage, qualify and communicate with attendees. Howden’s primary request was a clean modern display that was light weight and easy to install. Apple Rock incorporated lightweight aluminum extrusion, fabric graphics and perforated metal mesh accents to lighten the load then provided hands on training for all Howden participants in setting up, tearing down and packing the display. Howden won “Best In Show” at the IEEE-IAS /PCA Cement Industry Technical Conference and was recognized as “one of the best – if not the best – exhibition stands in the large exhibition area” by Global Cement Magazine.

3. Cree, a market leader in LED lighting, was eager to unveil its new product that revolutionizes commercial lighting. It wanted to provide potential customers with a true understanding of the look and feel of their new LED Troffer lights and to showcase a wide product range using the power of touch and sight. For this show, Apple Rock created a custom trade show exhibit in the form of a true-to-life experience room. The room provided “real world” settings in the form of a classroom and an office that powerfully displayed the performance and quality of this new, affordable light. Two large fabric signs clearly identified Cree and it’s branded “It’s Payback Time” across the trade show floor, making it the ultimate destination for CREE’s target audience. Customers interacted with the products, the presentations, and the booth staff resulting in an impressionable experience for all at Lightfair 2011.

Apple Rock’s custom trade show exhibits are ultimately based around your needs, your intended audience, your budget, your overall marketing strategy, the surrounding environment, the types of events you attend, and multiple other factors. Contact Apple Rock to learn how effective a custom trade show exhibit can be in engaging your customers.

Posted in Branded Spaces, Trade Show Displays, Trade Show Events, Trade Show Follow Up | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Benefits of Trade Show Display Rentals & Equipment

Posted on May 11, 2012 by applerock

Why would you choose to rent trade show displays and equipment rather than purchase? Owning a trade show display may seem wise but in the grand scheme, a trade show rental costs less.

1. First of all, there are storage costs to consider. Trade show displays are comprised of several pieces: structure, graphics, floor covering, lighting and possibly tables, chair(s), literature stands… the list goes on. Where do you intend to store this where it (a) won’t be in the way at your place of business, (b) will be kept cool and dry and (c) is readily accessible? Public storage units seem like the ideal solution but the smallest costs about $60 per month (at this writing). A climate controlled unit will cost much more. Multiply that by 12 months and you have an approximate cost for storing a trade show display that you’ve purchased. A trade show rental is simply more cost effective.

2. One trade show display does not fit all: In other words, one size trade show display may not be accommodated by every venue and it may not fit each of your marketing objectives. Rentals allow you to customize the look of your exhibit so that you meet your marketing objectives from show to show. Renting also allows you to change the display quickly because your resources aren’t tied up in one structure. This in turn allows you the flexibility to target your marketing message and your graphics from show to show.

3. One trade show display means you have to decide between “this” event or “that” event but not both and especially not simultaneously. Rental trade show exhibits allow you to appear at more than one trade show event occurring at the same time, provided you have the necessary staff, with a display customized for each venue.

4. Trade show exhibit rentals allow you to “test drive” several trade show displays before you purchase. It’s difficult to know exactly what you need and which trade show display will meet those needs.

Apple Rock provides custom trade show rental solutions tailored to each client’s individual design needs, budget, and marketing objectives. Before you decide to buy, contact an in-house design consultant. Apple Rock’s consultants are always available to review your program.

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Reasons to Move to a Portable Tradeshow Display

Posted on May 3, 2012 by applerock

Portable trade show displays are ideal if you’re seeking to reduce weight, size, shipping costs, storage costs, and setup/break down time, but not at the expense of powerful branding or visuals. Depending on the portable trade show display that you choose, it’s possible to store the display on your premises along with the graphics as well as transport the display to and from events, saving you hundreds of dollars in storage and shipping costs. If you need to ship the display to the next venue, you’ll be paying a lot less in shipping costs.

Portable trade show displays are smaller than other trade show displays and are lightweight, too, making them quick and easy for one person to carry and setup. This allows one or more people from your company to arrive at the event, setup the display, present your company’s value to prospects and still have the wherewithal to pack it and get back to the office.

One of the best reasons for choosing portable trade show displays are the flexibility they provide. Budget constraints don’t always allow for the larger floor spaces at some events you want to attend. Sometimes not every event you attend offers floor space for larger displays. In such cases, the more compact portable trade show displays are the right choice. Portable trade show displays are great as a stand-alone display or for use in conjunction with a much larger exhibit when the venue calls for it.

It make sense to choose portable trade show displays like table-top displays, inline panel displays, bannerstands, counters, literature stands and kiosks. Contact an Apple Rock specialist today for a consultation and learn how Apple Rock can help your business reach its goals with a portable trade show display.

Posted in Event Planning, Green & Sustainable Displays, Trade Show Displays, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Avoid Last Minute Chaos!

Posted on April 24, 2012 by applerock

A lot of people ask, “How far in advance should I begin to plan for the next trade show?”  My immediate thought is, “Yesterday!” Whether this is your first show or your 100th, you do not want to wait until the last minute. No matter how big the show or how big your booth, you should start preparing your budget and marketing plan at least 6 months in advance. If you are seeking to buy or build a new tradeshow display you may want to consider starting a year in advance to allow yourself enough time to find the right builder to partner with and enough time to design your custom display.

Not sure where to start? Always start with the important show deadlines and plan backwards.

  • What is your Target Move-In Date? Always plan to install your booth earlier than later – this allows you extra time on the backend for troubleshooting any issues.
  • Based on your Target Move-In Date, you can back into your shipping date. We always recommend shipping your display to the Advanced Warehouse to ensure timely delivery of your booth to your space.
  • Now you know what date the display has to ship to you; or your display house can figure out the time needed to prepare or build your display for the show. We like to allow 8-12 weeks to properly engineer and build a display.
  • As soon as your display begins production you should have your graphics figured out as well. Too many times we have seen a booth shipped out without graphics because they were put off until the last minute. Your graphics are more important than the structure itself and should never be put off to the end.
  • Which brings us to the beginning: If you have a show coming up in 6+ months, you need to start thinking about it now and schedule a kick-off meeting with your Display House to get the ball rolling.

These are all things that you can manage yourself or you can take advantage of the experience and resources of an Event Management Company like Apple Rock to take care of all the details for you!

Posted in Event Planning, Trade Show Strategy | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Outdoor Event Marketing Checklist

Posted on April 11, 2012 by applerock

Spring is here and the weather is warming up. It is time to kick your outdoor event schedule into high gear?  Make sure you plan appropriately – both your visibility from afar and up close matter. Here are a few tips to consider when planning for your outdoor events:

  1. When considering using flags, tents, table throws, banners, etc. – talk with your event expert about what is appropriate for outdoor use and how to keep them from becoming lost in the wind.  There are many options for outdoor/weather friendly displays, or a variety of elements you can add to existing materials to aid in the stability. Ask about ground stakes and/or sand bags as an option for new or existing stands. Some even have base options that can be filled with water, which is much easier to transport to and from your events.
  2. If you have a double sided print on your flags or banners – do you have a light blocker so you are not seeing the image in reverse?  Also, make sure it has air vents so that when that little breeze or that gust comes along you do not lose your investment in the wind.
  3. Maximize your tent space and logo exposure! There are many options for your tents – like peaks to extend your logo higher, built in wall for a more private setting (also a great place to print your graphics), do you need counter space inside your tent. All these options serve a purpose, so tell your consultant what you want to accomplish within your tent and build it to ensure you are utilizing all its marketing and functional potential.
  4. Table room only? Dress the table with a custom logo throw, and don’t forget those clips to secure it.
  5. Don’t try to hand out printed literature at an outdoor event. Preload your corporate catalogue or presentation on a USB to hand out.  USBs come in all kinds or shapes and sizes, including wristbands to ensure your prospects walk away with your information.
  6. Last but not least make sure your staff is dressed appropriately. Most outdoor events call for a nice corporate photo shirt and a pair of khakis. A consistent presentation, right down to what your staff is wearing can make a lasting impression.

Now that you and your display are dressed and ready to go – ask yourself “Why am I hosting/exhibiting at this event and what can I expect to gain it?” ROI is the all important factor we need to quantify for our events.  Your exhibit consultant can help you develop a strategic plan to measure the results of the event, and determine if it is a right fit for you. Without a plan, you might find yourself all dressed up with nowhere to go.

Posted in Communicate Your Event, Event Planning, Face to Face Marketing, ROI & ROO, Trade Show Displays, Trade Show Events, Trade Show Strategy | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Apple Rock Wins An Exhibitor2012 Buyers Choice Award

Posted on March 15, 2012 by applerock

Apple Rock is extremely excited to announce that they have been awarded the Exhibitor2012 Buyers Choice Award for their new ADAPT Interactive Lead Generation Touch Screen Counter. Only Six companies have earned a Buyers Choice Award for the excellence of their new products at EXHIBITOR2012, which meets through March 7th at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center, Las Vegas.

In 2010 Apple Rock was honored with the Best New Exhibitor Award for their first time showing at the Exhibitor2010 Show. “We are thrilled to be back this year, for our third year, and bring this new technology to our biggest show of the year“, says Eric Burg, CEO Apple Rock Displays.

The new ADAPT Counter is the newest addition to Apple Rock’s very own ADAPT custom line of products. Burg adds, “The new ADAPT Counter allows multiple visitors to engage with the various applications available on the counter, and interact with each other.” The patented technology is like an iPad on steroids, with a 32-inch screen that can convert into four independent touchscreen stations. Similar to an iPad, the ADAPT Counter can hold all kinds of downloadable data, from product information and photos, to consumer-survey forms; and with an added Internet connection, users can access social media and other Web-based resources. Using a camera application, photos taken in the booth can be sent to attendees. The ADAPT Counter also allows you to “throw” information or photos up onto a secondary screen like magic.

If you want to learn more about our new ADAPT counter and how you can generate more leads, capture your audience’s attention, while increasing your overall ROI – contact Apple Rock at 1.800.478.2324.

Exhibitor2012 Buyer's Choice AwardExhibitor2012 Buyer's Choice Award

Posted in Apple Rock Announcements, Technology for Event Marketing | Leave a comment

Out With The Old, In With The New

Posted on February 6, 2012 by applerock

This is the time of year when everyone begins to clean out their closets, plan new budgets and decide what they are going to do differently in the New Year. As the old saying goes,”Out with the old and in with the new.”

So what about your tradeshow or lobby displays? Refreshing your branded environments every year can bring new life to your brand and your image. Refurbishment is a wonderful way to accomplish this and be kind to the environment. Consider reusing what you can and should. Relieve yourself of the burden of carrying over from season to season or year to year what weighs you down, figuratively and literally.

Lighten the load for shipping and, of course drayage, and incorporate fabric graphics. Look for opportunities to replace old, and especially large, graphics with lighter weight fabric graphics. Fabric can help lighten your display both physically and visually. You could take it a step further and retrofit your display with fabric graphic light-boxes! 

While you are considering what to do for 2012, or how to economically create a fresh new face for your event branded environments, refurbishing may be the place to start. Recycle, reuse and refurbish!

Posted in Branded Spaces, Event Planning, Green & Sustainable Displays, Trade Show Displays, Trade Show Strategy | Leave a comment

Don’t fit in… Stand OUT!

Posted on February 3, 2012 by applerock

Unless this is your first time at a trade show, you generally know what everyone else is doing in your industry.  What colors the industry leans towards, if it’s high tech, heavy on audio visual, and what products they offer.  If you are in the market for a new booth take advantage of this opportunity.  Go bold! 

Take the medical industry… it is swamped with light blue and clean white.  Change your game without changing your brand.  Add a bright color to your structure, rather than a sea of metal hardware.  Get exciting graphics with intense colors or add eye-catching lighting.  If the show or industry is already bold be the calm Zen-like booth, that welcomes a passerby to sit and relax.  Have a bold structure with beautiful black and white graphics.

Lighting can change your booth alone. Don’t just add lights to your graphics or logo either, think beyond that.  Move your eyes and mind lower to the carpet for instance.  What was once standard gray carpet is now lit by blue lights from above that create a visual effect of moving water or even ice.  Now look to your fabric graphics hanging from your structure, it looks as if it’s flowing in the breeze.  This all brought to you from another visual lighting effect.  All these options are available and DO make a huge difference in the way your new or old booth look.  Simple additions like this, speak volumes to your prospective clients.

Customize your booth… it’s not as expensive as it sounds.  You do not have to pick a booth out of a catalog anymore.  You have options and any good display house should be able to offer you custom options for any budget.  Give the key elements you want to hit in your booth and see how a designer can create a custom look that is sure to make your booth represent everything you are and more. 

Don’t fit in – Stand out!  You want to draw people into your booth, show them why this year they should be working with you.  Let your booth do the hard part of starting the conversation, your sales team can do the rest.

Posted in Event Planning, Trade Show Displays, Trade Show Strategy | Leave a comment

Apple Rock is Proud to Present the NCRVDA Annual RV Show!

Posted on January 20, 2012 by applerock

North Carolina RV Dealers AssociationAmong the many things that Apple Rock does, we are also the proud creator and promoter of the North Carolina RV Dealers Association (NCRVDA) Annual RV Show. I guess you could say we get to practice what we preach.  This weekend we kick off the first show of the season at the Raleigh Convention Center, January 20th -22nd; then we will travel to Charlotte and Greensboro in February and March.  The NCRVDA Annual RV Show is the largest RV Show in NC, and it is the only show fully supported by the NCRVDA. Each show will feature 13 RV Dealers, OVER 100 brands of RVs, campgrounds, accessories and more – all under one roof.

We invite you to come out to the show, and DISCOVER the RV Camping lifestyle. RV Camping is a great American pass time that can bring your family closer together, and reinvent your family vacations. According to recent studies by the Recreational Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA), even though the cost of gas prices have fluctuated over the last couple of years, RV vacations still remain the least expensive vacation option. PKF Consulting, an internationally recognized consulting firm with expertise in travel and tourism, found that “typical RV family vacations are on average 26 to 74 percent less expensive than other types of vacations studied.” Even factoring in RV ownership and fuel costs, the study reveals that RV vacations are more economical than those taken by personal car, commercial airline or cruise ship.

There’s never been a better time to shop for an RV. Come see the latest and greatest in RV and RV equipment. 2012 Models will be debuted at all three shows; and you will find better, more fuel efficient models…even some are GREEN! Participating RV dealers will display everything from tent campers, travel trailers, 5th wheels, motorhomes, hi-line motor coaches, to park models and conversion vans in a variety of floor plans-all affordably priced to meet every budget and camping lifestyle.  As a bonus, all Attendees (25 years old and older) will also have an opportunity to register to win a brand new 2012 Chevy Silverado, sponsored by Carolina Chevy Dealers. (Please visit www.northcarolinarvda.com for official contest rules and information.)

Click here to learn more about how you can embark on a new adventure with your family this summer, and GO RVing!

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General Contractor vs. Exhibit Appointed Contractors

Posted on January 11, 2012 by applerock

I’ve heard the question asked many times, “Why would we hire an outside company to install and dismantle our trade show booth, rather than the general contractor?”  Let me explain the differences to help your decision easier:

The General Contractor (GC) is the standard union labor worker offered at the show for you to hire.  They are usually hired as temporary employees on a show-to-show basis.  The GC has literally no ties to the company they are installing for and most of the time you will never meet the person who is handling your $40,000.00+ booth.  They are handed instructions when they arrive at your booth space on how to assemble it, where the graphics go, what literature you have, how many crates were supposed to be dropped off, et cetera.  As soon as they are done installing your booth, no matter how long it takes…they are off the next booth space and most likely never to be found again. I am not saying that these workers are not good at what they do; I just know that accountability is a hard thing to ensure when they are expected to install numerous booths from 8:00 am till 4:30 pm each day, with little to no knowledge prior to showing up. 

Exhibitor Appointed Contractors (EACs) are a team of experts that you hire in lieu of the GC, to install and dismantle your display.  EACs are most often full-time employees that are event and trade show skilled workers.  They tend to have more knowledge of your display – they have access to instructions and photos of your booth prior to the event.  They review the installation and create a team to work together prior to your move in date of the show.  They have full contact with you during the install and after to be sure everything is meeting or exceeding your expectations.  If questions arise, as they likely do, they are able to contact you and clarify your needs and expectations.  Most EACs are reachable thru-out the show and will likely be the same people taking the booth down, packing it up, and shipping it back to you.  Being that the EACs are hired individually by you the client there is more accountability. An EAC works for YOU – they represent you interests and want to make sure the process goes as seamlessly as possible. They make every effort to complete the job in the allotted time that was quoted to you.  If something unforeseen occurs they will notify you of the delay and any extra hours if needed.  With an EAC, you will not be blind-sided at the close of the show with overage expenses that you were not made aware of.

Tradeshows are an investment. You have already invested good money into the design of your display and products, so I hope that you also invest in the way your booth is handled.  The mishaps and damages that can occur from someone installing your booth incorrectly, or carelessly unpacking and packing it can really take a toll on your marketing budget, not to mention, your stress levels!  So, take care of your investment – shop around for the best EAC that will take care of you and your display. Look for a company you can partner with for all your shows.  You will likely find some very creditable companies who are competitively priced with the labor cost of the GC’s out there, and you will be able to rest easy knowing that your investment is taken care.

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