Trade Show Direct Blog

Always keep in mind that with trade show displays, you get what you pay for.

Alumalite Displays
We list the Alumalite displays as a point of sale in order to direct our potential clients to a better product called the Exhibit Line. After selling one of the Alumalite displays, we determined that it is highly inferior due to its extremely complicated set up process, difficult instructions, fragile connectors, and extensive use of multiple tools. Basically, our thought was that if it was this hard for us to set up, it’s likely even more confusing for our clients. Made in USA. Not recyclable.
Turn time: don’t buy this display. 10 days

Orbital Truss Displays
Truss displays definitely have a style all their own. If you’re looking for an industrial look, then Orbital Truss is the way to go. It’s relatively simple to set up, but due to its structure, it requires a lot of cases, or one large case, that has to be shipped via freight rather than UPS or FedEx ground or air. So keep that in mind for expenses. It is not as heavy as it looks, one person can easily lift the pieces. The connectors are very simple and do not have small pieces that could break or get lost. Mounting accessories like shelving and monitors is easy to do and will always be supported by the strong structure of a Truss frame. Graphics can be printed on tension fabric for a gorgeous and sleek look, or large format laminated graphics. We always recommend tension fabric graphics because they do not require any extra storage and always outperform laminated graphics. Made in USA. Recyclable.
Turn time: 7-10 days

Burst Display
The quickest, simplest trade show display in existence. Consisting of a durable aluminum pop-up frame and a tension fabric graphic that always stays on – there’s only three steps to set up this display. Remove from bag, expand the frame, and join the connectors. Done. The tension fabric graphic is printed with the highest quality dye sublimation process for a brilliant high resolution image. Lightweight, easy to ship in a box or case, inexpensive. A great purchase for exhibiting newbies. The Burst display will not support accessories, and it’s not modular, as in you can’t expand in the future, but it’s so cheap you could easily get another one and set them next to each other.
Turn time: 3 days

Exhibit Line
Our favorite trade show display system. An industrial look with warm, modern architecture. The Exhibit Line is the best looking modular display system that we’ve encountered with the easiest setup. It requires no tools, is extremely lightweight (especially compared to the Alumalite), and comes packaged in fewer cases, creating large savings with shipping costs. On top of all that, it has more modification capabilities than the Alumalite, including accessories and expansion kits. Two 10 x 10 displays can easily make a 10 x 20 with minimal costs. It can be setup in as little as 30 minutes, versus the Alumalite 120 minutes. The Exhibit One has more graphic options than the Alumalite, and is more customizable in this area as well. We have sold over 100 Exhibit Line Displays to many satisfied customers. They carry a one year manufacturer’s warranty.
Turn time: 5-7 days

Having your Value Pop Up set up correctly is important to displaying well at trade shows. When we visit trade shows we often we see pop up displays set up sloppily. Often the graphic panels don’t line up nice or they are simply thrown up and don’t mount correctly to the pop up frame. Having a clean display that is set up correctly reflects well on your companies image. Following some basic guidelines we can easily set up the pop up display and graphics to ensure they sit correctly and the graphics line up.

Take care removing your graphic panels from the shipping container. Remove each panel one at a time and lay them out flat so you know which panel is which. It is helpful for sales staff to have a small print out of the full display so they can easily figure out which panel goes where. Never set anything on the graphic panels that could damage them.

Start by setting up the pop up frame. Simply pull the frame apart with the yellow plastic tabs facing the floor. Pulling on the frame in a slow motion will pop it up and into place. After the frame is up and situated, install the magnet bars. Install the magnet bars from the bottom up buy first inserting the bottom of the magnet bar onto the yellow tab on the pop up frame and work from the floor up. As you move up simply snap the center two section of the bar to the frame and finally lift the top section up so it sits on top of the upper tab. The bar should sit smooth and evenly with no gaps between the sections.

Starting from the left side of the display hang the front graphic panels. The hooks on the top of the magnet bars are used to temporarily hold the graphic while you seat the magnets. The two top tabs are only meant to help you position the graphics, the final placement of the panels is controlled by the magnets. Make sure the magnets on the graphics align properly to the magnet bars. Working from left to right install the next corresponding panel. Hang the panel from the top tabs and align the magnets to the magnet bar. You can easily adjust the position of the graphic panel up or down by pulling on it in either direction to ensure the images line up. Graphic panels often require slight tweaking up or down depending on the floor that the pop up is sitting on. Any imperfections in the floor surface can cause a slight misalignment of the panel which is easily corrected buy moving it slightly up or down. Continue across the pop up installing the remaining panels and adjust them up or down as needed so they align properly.

At Tradeshowdirect we set up every pop up display in house to make sure it will go up properly, before sending it to you. Some trade show companies that do not produce the work they sell rely on other vendors to produce their panels. This is a risk since they have not idea if the panels work or not. We always set up every display we produce in house so you are assured of receiving a display that functions properly.

Finally install the graphic or carpet panel end caps. Start by hanging the end cap from the front of the pop up display. After seating the magnets on the front side slowly wrap the end cap around the side of the display and seat the magnets on the back of the wall. End caps require a slightly more delicate approach since they are made with a thinner laminate that allows them to easily fold around the end of the pop up. Be delicate with their installation so you don’t kink them.

Following these basic guidelines you can have a great looking pop up display at your next show. Stand out by setting up your display clean and perfect every time!

Good News!

There has NEVER been a better time to buy a Pop-Up display from Tradeshowdirect! We’ve dramatically lowered our pricing on every Value and Premium Pop-Up Display in order to remain competitive and dedicated to providing high-quality displays at prices that work with your budget. We’ve also lowered our pricing on graphic panels for your display, so re-skinning your booth with our brilliant mural strips has never been more affordable.

Every Pop-Up frame we sell carries a lifetime warranty and our graphic panels are guaranteed to NEVER de-laminate.

8ft Value FABRIC Pop-Up Display $999.00
8ft Value Pop-Up Display – Complete Graphics $2,269.00

10ft Value FABRIC Pop-Up Display $1,199.00
10ft Value Pop-Up Display – Complete Graphics $2,497.50
10ft Value Pop-Up Display – Complete Graphics w/ Bubble Panel $2,831.50

20ft Gullwing FABRIC Pop-Up Display $2,499.00
20ft Gullwing Pop-Up Display – Complete Graphics $4,826.25
20ft Serpentine FABRIC Pop-Up Display $2,499.00
20ft Serpentine Pop-Up Display – Complete Graphics $4,598.00

At Tradeshowdirect we understand that there are times when you will need your trade show display quickly. Sometimes you know what you want for a display but your artwork is taking longer than planned to prepare. With a little planning, we have some creative ways to help save you money when this occurs.

We can ship your hardware without graphics using ground shipping. By shipping your hardware before your graphics you can save hundreds of dollars in shipping costs. The average cost for shipping a Value 10′ Popup display with graphics is $60 with ground shipping. Shipping display hardware is very costly when you have to ship it with upgraded shipping. That same display with upgraded shipping can cost more than $350 shipped overnight. While the hardware is being shipped, we will produce your graphics. Then, using a faster shipping method, we will ship your graphics to you, direct to your trade show, or even to your hotel. Shipping your graphics overnight to the same location as your hardware would only cost you roughly $125.

Another way to ensure quick graphic production and shipment is by providing print ready files that have all the correct specifications for printing including bleeds and proper dpi settings. By supplying print ready files you can skip the proofing process and print your graphics directly. This would save you a day and avoid having to ship your graphics overnight. Those same graphics that cost $125 to ship overnight would cost you only $65 with 2 Day shipping and even less if 3 day shipping is available.

Bottom line: If you know your project has a tight turnaround, let us know a little bit ahead of time. Chances are we can save you a lot of costly shipping fees.

I get calls all the time from clients who are routinely complimented on their booth’s good looks. “So many people came up to us and told us how amazing our booth looks,” they’ll say. The question is, what’s the difference with their booth? What makes their trade show display stand out among its neighbors?

Whether you’re space is a 10×10 or 10×20, it’s always a plus to be a step above the rest. Here’s a few simple and relatively cheap tricks that will make your booth stand out from the crowd at any trade show.

Lighting
DId you know that a vehicle with its headlights on during the day is 25% more likely to avoid a collision? Put simply, lights let you be seen! Think about it - you’re walking down another long, dreary aisle at a trade show, longing for a light at the end of the tunnel, and what do you see? The warm glow of a beautifully lit trade show booth. So enticing…you can’t resist.

A well lit trade show booth makes your expensive graphics even more brilliant. And when you’re stuck between two unlit booths - those trade show lights can make all the difference.

Flooring
You can’t put a price on a comfortable floor, and we all know how sore our feet are after a long day of exploring trade show aisles. A soft floor offers rest to the weary sole (pun definitely intended). Attendees and exhibitors alike will appreciate the inviting soft flooring in your booth.

A 10×10 section of trade show flooring also sets your booth apart from the rest, similar to lighting. A nice carpeted floor always catches the eye and creates a warm environment for any booth.

Bright Colors
I don’t care how big your display is. I don’t care how unique it is. I don’t care how modular it is. If it doesn’t have eye-popping colors, you’ve wasted your money. Why get a great modular booth and put boring, dull graphics all over it? JUST SAY NO to boring graphics. Your booth is better than that. Get a designer to add some color splash to your booth.

The designers at Tradeshowdirect strive to create the best atmosphere for every trade show booth they work with.

The trade show display industry has just begun tapping into this area as our new and existing clients are beginning to become more “green-conscientious.”

Tradeshowdirect strives to be as eco-friendly as possible in the manufacture of every display we sell. As for the Breeze display, here’s what I can tell you about its ‘greenness.’

Materials used:
Coroplast – completely recyclable
Front Runner Fabric – “no more toxic than wood”

Breeze Green Facts:
Both Coroplast and Front Runner fabric arrive pre-cut to our warehouse, creating zero waste. (The waste at the factory is recycled into more coroplast and fabric panels.)
The Breeze is the most lightweight trade show display we sell, saving on shipping/fuel costs.
The Breeze does not require new construction to apply new graphics, and carries a lifetime warranty (it lasts forever – we have never had to replace one due to damages of any kind).

Tradeshowdirect is currently researching biodegradable laminates for graphic production.

If you are relatively new to the realm of print and graphic production, you may be wondering what a bleed is and why is it necessary. Hopefully, this will answer any questions you may have.

Bleeds are important for several reasons, but first let me clarify what a bleed actually is. When an image or color appears to extend to the edge of a printed document, a bleed is the area it extends past the final trim size. This means that if you want an image produced to a final size of 8″x10″ with 1/4″ bleeds being required, you will need to submit a file that is 8.5″x10.5″. When dealing with larger graphics, such as trade show displays, 1/2″ bleeds or larger are often required.

You may be wondering, “Why do I need to include a bleed area if it is just going to be trimmed off anyways?” The reason is simple, yet not always painfully obvious. When graphics are trimmed down to their final size a slight margin of error is accounted for. Now we might only be talking about 1/32 of an inch or less, but if there were no bleeds one of two things would happen. Either a very thin white border would show up or the final size would be slightly too small. Bleeds allow for graphics to be trimmed to precisely the right size without leaving a thin white line around the edges.

When dealing with trade show displays adding 1/2″ bleeds is the general rule. However, there are instances when more is needed. For example, when dealing with fabric displays, the edges often wrap around before being stitched. This is accounted for by adding a 2″ bleed on all sides.

Lastly, you may be wondering what the best way to set up your document is to include bleeds, while still being as user friendly as possible. This all depends on what program you are using. The recommended program for large format printing is Adobe InDesign. Without going into great detail, InDesign is set up for handling production as well as dealing with large formats through linked files, which keeps file sizes manageable. As the ideal production program, InDesign allows you to set up document bleeds to any size with guides showing you where they fall. Adobe Illustrator CS4 allows you to set up bleeds up to 1″ under the document setup tab. If you are using Illustrator CS3 or below, you still bleed the image outside the document size but then you will have to manually set up your own guides or markers to show the bleed amount. If you are setting up your document in Adobe Photoshop (strongly discouraged), there is no bleed setting. In this case you will have to account for the outer portion of your image size to be the bleed area.

While it’s often possible to add bleeds towards the end of your design, it’s best to design with them in mind, especially when dealing with larger bleeds. They are a necessary part of print production and designing your displays with bleeds in mind will save time and headaches down the road.

Tradeshowdirect offers in-house creative design for $75/hr. Give us a ring at 800-605-6179.

At Tradeshowdirect, we take pride in producing the best performing and most attractive pop-up displays in the industry. Our production process creates highly durable graphic mural strips printed with photographic quality.

Hardware
Your pop-up hardware is manufactured 100% in the US from our partners in Hollywood, CA. The display frame is constructed of .25″ round anodized aluminum tubing and offers a lifetime warranty against manufacturing defects. The case is rotationally molded, offering the most durability possible in polystytrene construction. Affixed with heavy duty plastic wheels and four turn-key latches, it also carries a lifetime warranty against manufacturing defects. Doubling as a podium, your case will hold your entire display - frame, graphics, lights and all.

Fabric
Should you decide to use fabric panels for your pop-up display, you’ll be pleased with your purchase of the highest rated Velcro receptive fabric in the industry. Manufactured in the US by FrontRunner, your fabric panels have been thoroughly tested against key local and international flammability standards, and in a toxicity test were rated as no more toxic than wood.

Graphics
Panels for this display are produced through the Display Flex process. Display Flex is a digital print with photographic quality, printed on photo satin paper and thermally laminated with a 10 mil texture top and a 5 mil gloss back. The final product is rigid but still rollable, scratch resistant, and safe to clean with a mild detergent. The graphic is equipped with hanging hardware and magnets so it is ready to hang on a pop-up display. If you’ve ever experienced graphic panels that kink or delaminate, you won’t get that from us. Every mural panel and detachable graphic we sell is guaranteed never to delaminate.

Visit Tradeshowdirect.com today to find the right pop-up display for your next tradeshow.

Thanks to all of our contributors; you helped make 2008 a great year! May your season be filled with joy. See you in 2009!

Holiday Schedule:
Closed: 25th, 26th, Jan 1st
No Shipping: 24th, 25th, 26th, 31st, Jan 1st

Is your display outdated? Recently re-brand your company? Taking a new approach? Buy direct from Tradeshowdirect.

Updating your trade show display graphics is a breeze with Tradeshowdirect - even if you’ve never worked with us before. Here’s how we do it.

If you have worked with Tradeshowdirect in the past, chances are we’ve already produced graphics for your booth. Whether it be a Value 10ft Pop-Up Display, Breeze Tabletop Display, or even a Showstyle, we already know your booth inside and out. That’s because we’ve set it up. We’ve checked it for quality assurance, and we’ve got photographic evidence. In fact, it’s probably showcased in our Display Gallery on our website. How many trade show display companies take the time to set up your booth before it’s shipped?

The fact is many companies don’t even see your booth before you do. After being in this business for over ten years, we find that unacceptable. Anyone who spends hundreds to thousands of dollars on a display deserves to have it checked before they receive it. At Tradeshowdirect, we not only have the equipment to build your booth and produce your graphics, we have the space and manpower to have them set up and professionally photographed. We even set up your replacement graphics.

Bought your display somewhere else? No problem! Just ship it to us and relax. We’ll double check every height, width and depth before we do any printing. We’ll even make any repairs it might need, complimentary of course. After it’s set up and photographed, we’ll package it up and ship it back to you, good as new.

Our graphic panels are produced by a process called Display Flex: printed on a six color, 1200dpi, ink jet printer (CMYK) on 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. Your graphics are then trimmed and finished by hand.

Tradeshowdirect makes every effort to deliver the high-quality display you deserve. Please feel free to call 800-605-6179 or email info@tradeshowdirect with any questions. We’re happy to help you with your next trade show display project.