How quickly time slips away from event managers and marketers. There is never enough time in the day, and "getting ahead" seems all but impossible. But heed our warning: after 30+ years of trade show experience, the Apple Rock experts implore you to take step back from the daily grind and take a hard look at your upcoming shows. Especially those all-important first quarter shows that seem suddenly materialize after all of the end-of-year distractions.
Take note: once we reach the beginning of the fall season we are heading into a very critical time to effectively plan for Q1 shows. CES, for example, is a make-or-break show for many of us and that is merely 13 weeks away!
Apple Rock VP of Creative Jonathan Hackler says “The arch-enemy of creative design is time pressure. Scrambling last-minute for a quick design, completely circumvents the most effective design processes and will not produce the best results.”
And on top of that, nothing will inflate a trade show budget faster than procrastination and missed deadlines.
Let's get to work!
What have you accomplished and what still needs to be done?
The Basic Timeline:
- October = design and sign
- November and December = build and preview
- January = it's go time!
Keep in mind, custom builds take time to imagine and design and revise and then build.
- 10'x20' = 4-6 weeks*
- 20'x20' = 6-8 weeks*
- Larger = 12+ weeks*
*If your timeline is shorter then talk to our experts about our Modular and Custom Rental options.
Creating a timeline to follow from start to finish will take some work but is well worth the effort.
Some trade show experts use an overall, wide-encompassing blueprint for a calendar year’s worth of shows. Or, you can plan for each individual show separately. Either way is effective as long as you are diligent about the deadlines for each show and do not procrastinate.
There are many aspects of the design and build process that can take place simultaneously but nothing can happen until you START! Simple? Yes. But often hard to do. Let Apple Rock help you get things moving, especially if you are new to the game.
Not enough time for your custom dream display? Consider Custom Rental with some purchase components that you can build on for your next show. The trade show exhibit process should be collaborative and ongoing , especially when you involve an experienced partner like Apple Rock.
There are endless combinations of hybrids solutions (rental with purchase components, or vice versa) that allow you to build your display "core" as you go.
Getting ahead of the game can be the most difficult aspect of the marketer's job but in the end a succesful event marketing program should not be rushed.
Give yourself time to create that perfect branding vehicle.
Utilize event pros like Apple Rock to help you manage time, budget and resources to maximize that ROI and keep yourself sane as we head into 2019.