One of the difficult things to do in exhibit management is change course when it comes to presentation. Most times, strategy drives these changes. Lately, cost and a realization of what a real ROI is has helped make the decision.

Our colleagues at Aviall made changes based upon both.

At the Paris Air Show, Aviall showed less hardware and product than they have in previous years. They are using more graphics and using storytelling by staff to portray the products as opposed to actually displaying things. This accomplishes several things:

• Sharpens the focus of Aviall’s mission from the product to the process
• Reduces expenses by lowering freight and drayage costs as well as saving time in filing paperwork to import and export displays and products.

This evolution has helped reduce clutter and cost and help tell more of the Aviall story, since it is now not focused just on product, reports Kim Williamson of Aviall. Read More...

Our colleague, Kimberly Williamson of Aviall, recently returned from the Paris Air Show at LeBourget Field. She filed this report for us.

“The show went well for us,” Kim said. “while the rain was a disadvantage for those with outdoor displays, it drove traffic indoors to our stand,” she said. Read More...

Our colleague, Rick Rackow of EBAA Iron, just completed the American Water Works Association trade show. Here are some of his observations of this year’s show:

“Show attendance, according to AWWA, was down only 3% to 6%,” he said, “which was surprising.” Read More...

Our colleague, Sheri’ DuMond, of Pacific Biometrics Inc. (PBI) is on site at the AAPS (American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists) National Biotech Conference this week in Seattle. She will report for us as time permits.

Before things get started tomorrow, Sheri’ told us this as she and her colleagues prepared to staff the exhibit and attend the show: Read More...

Our colleague Corbin Ball was at the HCEA show this past week and filed a report for us.

HCEA stands for the Health Care Exhibitor’s Association (www.hcea.org). This annual event is a conference between health care industry people who exhibit at trade shows and events and the suppliers of the exhibit industry. Read More...

Watch this space. The Paris Air Show opens today at Le Bourget.

This show should be quiet. With airlines asking for their orders from Boeing and Airbus to be delayed, the crash of the Air France jetliner in the Atlantic and the Boeing Dreamliner’s maiden flight not taking place until after the show, look for news from other areas. Read More...

When it comes time to let your competing suppliers of a contract award, here is one request:

Call them. If you can’t call them, send a polite e-mail. But, above all, don’t just not contact them at all and make them hear about the “loss” from a third party. That’s like hearing about a break up from someone other than the person breaking up with you. Read More...

Our colleague, “Trade Show Bob” Milam, reports from Anaheim and the International Food Technology Show:

“The Annual Meeting and Food Expo of the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) was held June 7-9 at the Anaheim Convention Center. Read More...

One of the more interesting and original ideas to come out of the MRO Show this year was this product display.

At first glance, this looks like a skid arrived at the booth and was overlooked and not unpacked. In reality, it did several things, according to Kim Williamson, trade show manager for Aviall.

Kim explained that it shows the range of product types as well as the uniformity of product packaging. As always, Aviall is the “box the parts come in.” Read More...

It’s usually the last thing on your mind, but you have to be clear thinking all the way to the end.

When you are packing up to leave the floor, be sure and have all of your boxes, crates, skids, bags and cartons accounted for and assigned to an outbound shipment. Read More...