5 Questions you should ask before your next exhibit

Buying a trade show display, banner stand, truss system, exhibit, booth, and even table covers can be a time consuming and sometimes daunting process, but it doesn’t have to be if you know the right questions to ask up front. This article is going to touch on 5 basic questions a consumer will want to ask regardless of what company you decide to purchase from.

The first question a consumer should be asking is about the product’s warranty, never assume any product comes with a “standard warranty” and when possible ask to see the terms and conditions in writing.

The second question to ask is, “Can I get an estimate in writing with a total cost?” A lot of companies will offer “teaser” rates which only include the cost of hardware, not shipping, not graphics, or any other necessary items. The reason for “teaser” rates being so successful is that most consumers are on a strict timeline and may overlook billing details. We all know when consumers are working on a deadline that every day counts, so if the consumer has committed to the “teaser” rate and is planning on buying the item at the “teaser” rate, this can severely effect your budget. The problem with this is, that when the seller sends a final invoice to include all the fees they did not include in the initial estimate, consumers are surprised to find that the final invoice amount is higher than the initial estimate.

The third question that I recommend any client ask is important, “How long until I receive the product?” The date the product is to be received is commonly referred to as the “In-Hands Date.” I can’t tell you how many times clients tell me, “Another company told me they can have it in 5-7 business days.” While sometimes this may be true, what some companies fail to mention is that this date is after approved artwork. If you are waiting for your graphics to be done by a third party vendor, and they don’t complete the project within the time frame you have set forth, your project can be severely affected.

The fourth question to ask is what are the art specifications? When I say art specifications I am referring about the sizing of the graphic, template constraints, bleed area, DPI resolution, and PMS color matching ( if applicable). This question will save you valuable time down the road. Having your artwork designed correctly the first time will ensure that you limit the amount of obstacles along the way.

The last question to ask is one that might seem like it is an obvious one, but is not asked most of the time. The question the consumer needs to ask is, “Is there anything else you need from me before we complete this order?” This question serves a few purposes, one of them being, it shifts the said responsibility from the consumer to the display company. The display company should inform the consumer of everything the display company needs from the consumer, if they don’t the display company may now be responsible for any mistakes pertaining to the order.

Another purpose this last question serves is that it will give the consumer insight into a company’s experience. We all know that people learn from experience and because of this, a good trade show display company should ask all necessary questions so that they can complete the project with minimal follow-up. If the display company is constantly changing things around or needs frequent follow-up, the consumer must ask themselves “What else have they forgot?”

The purpose of this article is to give the consumer a brief overview of what some good basic questions are when shopping for their next trade show display. The next time when YOU, the consumer, are in the market I hope that Silver Star Displays has the opportunity to earn your business and bring your ideas to life.

Tags: Advertising, Banner Stands, Banners, Booths, Chicago, Exhibits, Irvine, Las Vegas, Lighting, Los Angeles, Miami, Modular Displays, New York, Orange County California, Placentia, Printing, Table Covers, Throw Covers, Trade Show Displays, Truss, Tustin, Visual Marketing