The top 8 questions you need to ask
When you’ve made up your mind to become a regular exhibitor at trade shows and events, it makes sense to buy or rent your own stand.
But selecting the right exhibition stand builder can make all the difference.
Your stand is going to be a direct reflection of your business, so it’s not something to get wrong. And you don’t want to be blowing your marketing budget by creating an exhibition stand that’s all wrong for you.
You need to make sure your stand designer can listen to you, to see your vision, and to deliver a stand that best shows of your brand and products.
Before you decide, let’s quickly run through some things to consider.
The top 8 questions to ask your exhibition stand builder.
Never be hesitant to ask a supplier questions. They shouldn’t mind, and they should be able to answer every question you have.
You’re about to spend your marketing budget on what can be a big investment, so it makes sense to have all the information you need to make a decision to suit your business.
Here are the top questions we recommend asking your stand builder:
- How long they’ve been in business – it’s not the be all and end all, but you’d like to know what experience they have in this area.
- What qualifications they have – again, this may not be super important to you, but you’d like to ask if the team working on your stand are builders, graphic designers and the like.
- Ask to see their portfolio and price ranges – a reputable company will be able to show you past stands that they’ve created and will be able to show you what you get based on your budget.
- Read reviews and testimonials – as with any company you’re looking to work with; it’s a good idea to read reviews and testimonials from past clients to hear opinions of the consumers.
- What does their service involve – you may want your exhibition stand builder to do the whole lot (design, build, installation, storage etc.) so make sure you ask them the level of service they provide to make sure they’re going to suit what you’re looking to do.
- Find out about their briefing process – this is super important as you want to make sure your builder is onboard with your vision and will take the time to talk through everything with you.
- Will they fit in with your budget and timing – if you’ve got a set budget or an event coming up quickly, you’ll need to make sure your company can fit in with this.
- Ask if they have in house designers and Factory – This is really important to ask as many stand builders don’t provide this service and outsource it. This ultimately means they’re factoring in additional margins on your costing and it may become more expensive than companies who provide this service.
Make sure you’ve recorded all your questions and answers and then compare the companies. Who is the stand out (pun intended) that you feel is going to do the best job for you?
Some tips when working with exhibition stand builders
Before you engage an exhibition stand builder it’s vital that you’ve worked out all your goals – is your branding solid, what are you trying to achieve or promote, what do you want to do (i.e. give information, be interactive, sales etc.). You need to be able to share your vision with the company who’ll then be able to run with it.
Once you’ve worked this out, have a look at your budget so you can discuss what you can do. How big can you build the stand and how fancy can you make it (i.e. interactive etc.).
If you have purchased your stand, you’ll also have to consider storage or storage costs of your stand. Most stands can be dismantled, but you’ll still need storage space when you’re not at an exhibition. Do you have room, or do you need the stand company to offer a solution for you?
The more details you can provide, the better. And from there, the company you choose should be able to run with it and help you create a stand you can use for years to come.
We’d love to talk exhibition stands with you
Nimlok Australia is one of the major players in the exhibition display industry, and we’d love to show you why. From design, building and installation, we provide high quality stands for clients throughout Australia and New Zealand.
We have an award winning team of designers in house, we build all of our stands at Strathfield and offer factory visits so you can see your stand being built.
Write down all your exhibiting questions and give us a call or shoot us an email and we’ll be more than happy to help you.