Trade Show Direct Blog

Introducing Tradeshowdirect’s newest addition to trade show counter systems: Twist Displays.

Twist Displays offers simple counter and tower solutions that have a big impact. Constructed of anodized aluminum tubing and premium European birch plywood, these counters offer basic to completely custom designs. The standard products include a triangle, oval, and square counter, all of which can be converted into columns as well. These counters use plastic infill panels providing a flat surface for graphic space, and allow the interior section to be used for hidden storage.

Twist Displays are completely manufactured in the USA in Tradeshowdirect’s warehouse. Starting at $495 these counters are more than affordable, and can usually be shipped the day after the order is placed.

TS² 2008, Total Solutions Marketing for the Exhibit & Event Professional, will be held Monday, July 28– Thursday, July 31, 2008 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, PA.

Ken Bell, President and owner of Tradeshowdirect, will be exhibiting at the show, and featuring a new and exciting trade show display product line for release.

Call us for free tickets to the exciting trade show for trade shows.

Quality assurance is the most important part of any project that leaves our shop. In order to ensure that every single trade show display meets the highest quality standards in the industry, we assemble every booth to its final set up before shipping. We professionally photograph each booth, banner stand, kiosk, or counter for our records, and forward these photos to our customers as well.

Our brand new Display Gallery features a number of our favorite projects from past and present. Featuring ten to twenty foot booths, kiosks, counters, and banner stands, it is an excellent resource for referencing the high quality graphic and hardware production Tradeshowdirect is known for.

Sales representatives are standing by to assist you with your next purchase. Feel free to give us a call at 800-605-6179 or visit us online at www.tradeshowdirect.com for a quote today.

What does it mean to go Green in the trade show industry? The term “Green” is so subjective it is sometimes hard to tell. And with so many “Greenwashers” out there, that is, those who use the term merely for their image, how does anyone know the truth behind a Green trade show display?

Let us put to rest any myths that surround this whole topic. Going Green is a concept, an idea, and a good one for sure. And in this industry, it’s something everyone can strive to achieve as much as possible. But the key thing to remember is that “going Green” is not easy to do, and is not something that’s written in stone. There’s no official list of criteria that must be met for a display to qualify as Green. However, research has been conducted on the subject, and in this industry, people seem to know what they expect Green to be.

Exhibitor magazine’s “An Inconvenient Booth,” a breakthrough report on what exhibitors and vendors perceive for the future of the Green movement, lists the top 9 factors that determine a product’s Greenness.

1. Products are designed in such a way that they are more convenient to ship.

It has been Tradeshowdirect’s goal from the beginning to only sell lightweight and portable booths. We also know that designing and selling lightweight booths that breakdown easily saves large amounts of money when it comes to fuel - especially these days.

2. Products don’t have toxic/harmful components/ingredients.

Tradeshowdirect makes every effort to choose hardware components and manufacturing processes that are low in toxicity. Aluminums, plywoods, and plastics that are low in harmful chemicals are a large part of our display systems.

3. Products aren’t made from materials that are endangered/in short supply.

Portable exhibits like the ones we sell are the best at meeting this criteria. Rarely are displays made from material that is in depletion, or in danger of extinction.

4. Products have a sustainable design that promotes the reuse of components.

This is a criteria we have had in place for our products since we started. What good is spending thousands of dollars on a trade show booth if you can’t reuse it again and again? All of our booths are built to last, carry valuable warranties, and we have many clients who “re-skin” their booth with new exhibit graphics.

5. Products are designed to consume less material overall.

This is a must for portable booths. Less material = less weight = easier to transport = cheaper to ship = less hassle. We specialize in the distribution of lightweight easy to handle exhibits so your display is as hassle free as possible.

6. Products are recyclable themselves.

We sell some booths and exhibit products that are completely recyclable, and many booths that have recyclable components, such as Xpressions booths or Entasi. Graphics, certain fabrics, laminates, and substrates are all part of exhibits that are currently undergoing research to become more recyclable. All of our booths are made to be reused, and most carry a strong warranty, so recycling may not be necessary depending on the extent to which your booth is used.

7. Products are made from recycled materials.

Yet another aspect of trade show displays that is under immediate growth due to the Green movement. This new trend demands that exhibitors and suppliers alike search for ways to create booths from recycled materials. Tradeshowdirect makes every effort to use recycled materials whenever possible. Nearly all aluminum produced in the US today is recycled aluminum. Recycled aluminum and plastics are two important ingredients in almost every booth we sell.

8. Supplier reclaims/recycles a substantial proportion of the waste generated by its manufacturing operations.

9. Supplier’s manufacturing process consumes less energy/materials and/or produces less waste/harmful emissions.

Tradeshowdirect manufactures some of its products in-house. Of those we produce, every effort is made to create as little waste as possible. Making sure to get the best yield from a section of plywood, sintra, fabric, and aluminum tubing. When recyclable waste is produced, it is recycled.

So how do you make a Green display? To put it in perspective, the more criteria met, the Greener the display. Tradeshowdirect is doing its best to meet as much criteria as possible, keeping in mind the customer’s ideas, goals, and expenses. We believe that in this industry, you get what you pay for - and the Greener you can be, the better it is for everyone and our environment.

Need a banner stand? From now until August 31, 2008, spend $999 and get a FREE VALUE RETRACTABLE BANNER STAND. There are no limits to how many you can get - for every $999 you spend we’ll throw in another one! Spending a lot more and don’t need the banner stands? We’ll take 10% off your entire order instead!

All of our banners are printed on a polyester/vinyl fabric that resists edge curling. It prevents see-through, is weather resistant, fade resistant, tear resistant, and cleanable. We print in-house using a CMYK inkjet printer at 1200 DPI.

Don’t pass up this hot summer deal from Tradeshowdirect!

We believe there’s no such thing as a worthless trade show display. As the value of the dollar decreases and prices continue to rise, buyers look to save money as much as possible. The following is a list of recommendations to do just that.

1. Reuse your old display. Have an old pop-up frame sitting in storage collecting dust? Pull it out! Chances are it’s in decent shape and can display graphics just fine. If it’s in need of slight repair, look into its warranty information. And if there is no warranty, contact Tradeshowdirect - we can fix it up. Reusing a frame can save you $700-$1000.

2. Say “no” to shipping. If your display is portable, carry it with you! Most airlines will allow trade show displays to check as luggage. Sure you’ll have to lug it around, but saving money is saving money, and most portable systems are made for this type of transport. Shipping costs can be through the roof when displays have to get from venue to venue in less than three days. Tradeshowdirect specializes in the portability of trade show booths, and nearly all of our products can easily be carried by hand.

3. Skip lighting. Trade show lighting can look nice, but is rarely necessary. Leaving the lights at home will reduce your electricity cost at the show, your overall purchase price, and save even more since replacement bulbs or lenses won’t be necessary.

4. Get creative. Don’t spend money on commodities that are unnecessary. Get creative with accessories like furniture and literature racks. Use personal items whenever possible. Take advantage of the table the trade show provides. If it’s not a hassle, use folding chairs your office already owns. Furniture can prove to be more expensive than graphics. Instead of purchasing soft flooring buy Dr. Scholl’s gel sole inserts.

5. Don’t buy cases. Trade show cases cost on average $250 a pop. Most displays are packaged in padded bags and shipped in cardboard boxes. Instead of investing in a case, reuse the box your display arrived in.

6. Create a large look with a small display. Use several smaller systems to create a large one. Try three or four banner stands to create a backwall and save $300-$500. Purchase a few trade show kiosks to fill your space. Look at different ways to create a unique look for lower cost.

Tradeshowdirect is constantly looking for ways to save you money. Visit our store online www.tradeshowdirect.com.

Shopping for a trade show display? The best advice we can give is to take your time. Educate yourself on display systems and how they work before you buy. There are a lot of display systems out there that look great on a computer screen, but looks can be deceiving. Check out our article called Alumalite vs Exhibit One for a great example of this.

Trade show accessories can sometimes be tricky. It’s always good to ask about monitor mounts, lights, and literature stands or racks. Many displays have certain criteria that must be met for their accessories to work properly. Most displays have these accessories available, but they often work only on their respective displays. It is not wise to purchase a monitor mount somewhere other than where the display came from. Accessories like these have intricate parts, screws, and holes that must line up perfectly in order for them to be usable.

Lighting your display can also be challenging with different fire codes at different venues. Las Vegas is a great example of a strict regulation on wattage limitations. Anything above 75 watts is not allowed in their showrooms. Clamps are the most important feature when it comes to finding the right lamp. Be sure to find out what style clamp you need, or you may not be able to mount and use the lights you purchase!

Tradeshowdirect’s sales team is well educated on every product we sell, and other trade show products in the industry. In the trade show world, you get what you pay for. For this reason, we choose to sell only high quality products. In order to do that, we must educate ourselves on everything out there. So if you are unsure about a display, accessory, or light, give us a call and let our exhibit consultants guide you in the right direction, straight to a display that is right for you.

Over the past ten years, we have continued to make improvements with printing and laminating to produce the best pop-up display panels. We believe the best mural strip is printed by a six color ink jet printer (CMYK) at 1200dpi on a 7mil photo satin paper, and then thermally laminated with a 10mil texture over a 5mil gloss. This produces a rigid, yet rollable graphic panel that is completely protected against damages. The textured surface resists kinking, glare, and scratches, and can be easily cleaned with a mild detergent such as Windex or Simple Green.

Buyers should be aware of the different products in the industry. Many companies now choose to print directly onto a laminate-like substrate, rather than laminating paper. This allows for cheaper pricing on a lesser quality product. The graphic is usually unable to be cleaned even with the mildest of detergents, and if at any time the panel is scratched, it scratches off the actual graphic because there is nothing protecting it.

We believe our process is the best way to prevent your graphic from damage.

We have sold hundreds of mural strips and other laminated graphics over the last decade with numerous satisfied clients such as Johnson & Johnson and Microsoft.

What We Do

We specialize in the manufacture and production of trade show displays, large format graphics, and the distribution of the best accessories on the market. We are constantly working to provide the newest and best products available at prices that are fair and affordable, and in the fastest time possible.

How We Operate

Tradeshowdirect’s first goal is to get products to you as fast and hassle-free as possible. In order to do that, we use a combination of product distribution and in-house production that creates a perfect window of flexibility for our clients. We keep a heavy stock of our most popular items, like the Value Banner Stand and Value Pop-Up Displays, for a quick turnaround and unbeatable prices. When you order with Tradeshowdirect, you can be sure your booth is not only being produced in house, but constantly checked for quality assurance.

We sell a number of products manufactured throughout the United States. Rest assured that every product we sell has gone through a rigorous quality checklist. This is for the consumer’s benefit, but also our own! We believe the quality of a product should never be sacrificed in order to make a sale. We also believe in fair pricing, and can guarantee your satisfaction because we firmly believe in and stand behind our products.

Once your artwork is approved, we produce your display as fast as possible, usually in 3 days or less. Before shipping, your booth is set up and sent to photography. Photos are then sent to your email address with your shipment’s tracking number.

Why Us?

We take pride in getting our clients exactly what they need when they need it. Our exhibit consultants know the ins and outs of the trade show industry, and can help you get the trade show display, banner stand, or accessory that’s right for you. For us, a job is not complete until we have our customer’s complete satisfaction. We desire to create lasting relationships with our clients, building trust through honest, frequent, and friendly communication.

For this reason, we choose to keep you involved in every step of the process. From the large custom displays to the smallest Smartpak Case, we won’t just help you purchase, we’ll keep you in the loop! Our sales staff and design team work directly with you, collecting ideas, creating templates, renderings, and graphic proofs to ensure that everything meets and exceeds your expectations.

Finally, we’re a hands-on kind of company. We’ve got the space to get up close and personal with every display we see. This also makes it possible for you to ship us your display for us to personally ensure that your new graphics look great and work perfectly. We have created graphics for all kinds of booths – big, small, short, and tall – so send us yours today and know it’s in experienced hands. We understand that each step in the production process is as equally important as the next.

Tradeshowdirect has been pleased to provide exceptional graphics and displays for over a decade.

At Tradeshowdirect, we believe there’s nothing better than producing your trade show display in-house. “In-house production” means that from the time you place your order, we personally manufacture or assemble your display, design and print your graphics, set up your display, and photograph it. This way your display never ships until we determine it’s ready.

Over the years we’ve learned that shipping directly from an outside manufacturer isn’t always the best. Sometimes parts are wrong or missing, graphics aren’t the right size or contain an error, or instructions are too difficult or confusing. So when we order a display from a manufacturer, such as the Exhibit One display, we have it shipped to us first. When it arrives, we unpack it, inspect it, and set it up to make sure everything works correctly and looks good. This system has caught numerous errors in the past, ensuring the customer is getting the highest quality product.

Even when we use several manufacturers for one job, we still have everything shipped to us before the client. Although we pay shipping twice, it’s worth it to us to make sure every customer gets what they pay for. When we’ve set up the booth and made sure everything works properly, we take high quality photos for our records and our online gallery. We also email these photos to the customer so they can see their booth before we ship it.

If we have trouble setting up a display, we make sure our clients don’t. Manufacturer’s directions are often written for educated trade show staffers, not always the everyday personnel or sales staff that operate a trade show booth. We take out all the guesswork of tools, screws and knobs by providing easy to follow instructions with high quality detailed photos, making sure our customers will have a hassle-free exhibit.

There are many companies out there (distributors) that refuse this extra step because of limited office space or shipping costs. The result is a display that hasn’t had the TLC put into it to ensure customer satisfaction. Multiple packages arrive from different locations at different times, rather than the whole booth all at once, creating more room for shipping problems. Graphics don’t fit or have errors, hardware is missing a part or a piece is broken, and your shipping costs suddenly doubled because you have to return parts. Your show date is rapidly approaching and you still haven’t set up your display.

By taking the time to completely assemble every single display, we eliminate huge margins for error and ensure the best quality display for our customers. And it rarely adds extra turn time! So purchase your next display from Tradeshowdirect, and be sure your display is put through the best quality assurance system in the industry.