With so many exhibition and event businesses, it can be difficult to determine which is the best for designing and building your next exhibition stand. Original design, high-quality construction, and unrivalled customer service are vital ingredients, but how do you choose the right company? Here are five things to consider for a new display stand builder.
1. Does the organization outsource its work to other contractors?
This can affect the pricing of your display stand and the finished quality. Some exposition businesses will design an exhibition stand for you and then subcontract the construction to another company. This arrangement can cost up to 20% more than commissioning an exhibition contractor to design, produce, and install your custom display with their staff.
The capacity of your exhibition firm to control quality and deadlines is another potential disadvantage of utilizing subcontractors to build your trade show booth. Customers frequently require last-minute alterations to their booth, but this can be considerably more difficult to handle if more than one firm is involved in building your finished booth.
I advise hiring a stand builder to design and build your display stand in-house. You will almost certainly save money, and the team designing your display will collaborate closely with the team building your stand, making it easier for the design concept to become a reality. You will also simply have to deal with one firm if unexpected problems develop or you are displeased.
2. Don’t be too quick to choose the cheapest option!
The ancient saying “you get what you pay for” applies equally to exhibition booths as it does to most other aspects of life. Of course, the cost is critical, but it’s also critical to be aware of various ways contractors who appear less expensive than their competitors can find methods to boost prices once you’re under contract. Minor adjustments can result in unexpected cost hikes and extra charges. You may believe you are purchasing a whole exhibition stand, only to discover that you only own a section of your display and may incur future hire charges.
The reality is that great products and faultless finishes do not come cheap, and if you choose the cheapest estimate, make sure you understand why and how it is so much less expensive than the competition.
Read the fine print. Check to see what the additional expenses will be for adjustments and alterations later on. Make sure you understand what you’re getting for your money. Ensure you understand which components of your trade show booth will be yours after the event and which will be hired and owned by your exhibition company.
3. Is the exhibition stand contractor accredited or a member of any organizations?
Look for organizations with event industry accreditation, such as membership in a trade body like the IEAA (International Association of Exhibitions and Events) or ESSA (Events Supplier and Services Association). These sorts of membership reassure you about the individual firms’ quality, service, and financial management.
4. What do their current or previous consumers think of them?
Request to speak with current and previous customers to get a true feel of how a stand contractor performs on the project, taking care to question them on quality, finishes, customer service (especially when things don’t go as planned), and any cost hikes they faced throughout the contract. Was the contractor responsive to modifications and accommodating when last-minute revisions were requested? Did they meet their deadlines, and was the service satisfactory from design through installation?
5. Is their service in high demand?
This is simple to establish with a little investigation. Exhibition stand builders with in-demand services should have a consistent flow of new projects for new and existing clients. They should be allowed to make this information public so that you can see their designs and who their clients are. A smart stand builder should be able to create stands for a wide range of sectors, with each design being unique to that company’s branding, services, and products. A glance at their online portfolio or brochure will reveal whether the company simply recycles the same designs, components, and supplies or whether each stand is truly custom, developed to the needs of the individual client.
