Tuesday 30 July 2013

Custom Modular is the new Custom Build


Modular 
Doesn't Have to Mean Mundane

            I have said the words “custom modular” to many clients, and a lot of the time they react as if I’d said a dirty word. When people think of a custom modular display set-up, they think of ugly framework, squared off edges and boring shapes. This may have been true in the past, however times are changing, and these changes have brought innovation to the custom modular stand.
           
            Gone are the days of custom modular meaning clunky, heavy and wasteful metal structures in which the framework is shamelessly exposed. Now, you can have a custom modular system in a range of shapes and sizes that feature bespoke elements and reflect your creativity, instead of restricting it.
            
          The days of blocks, cubes and sharp edges are gone. Today is about curves, spheres and flexibility. If you are at a point with your company where you can afford to purchase a bespoke modular system, then you should also be at a point where you know exactly how to show off your company in the correct way. Your company needs to look modern, professional and a class above the rest in order to attract your clients, and a custom modular stand is now the perfect way to showcase that.
          
        In a previous blog, we discussed how to successfully dress an exhibition space using a shell scheme. This blog will focus on how to successfully design and produce a stand for a space only plot. LED lighted floors, integrated television systems, shelving, storage, fake grass, flowerbeds, 3D acrylics and pretty much any creative idea you can think of is now possible, thanks to the advances of the custom modular exhibition system. 

Standard Aluminium Custom Modular Stand 
Versaform Build Custom Modular Stand


       
         Why limit yourself and your company? Ask questions, draw sketches, develop in your head how you want your exhibition stand to look and you can accomplish it. The best part is that you can use it all over again. Every graphic and every piece of framework is kept, stored and ready to be reused.

You do not have to pay companies and contractors to use MDF wood, Vinyl print and rigging that will only be pulled apart and thrown away. You do not have to pay two thirds of the original stand cost to have it reinstalled, and you certainly do not have to pay £20,000 for a purpose build in order to have a custom look.

Custom modular stands are evolving. You can now create shapes that you never thought possible, using high-quality graphics, re-useable, and re-configurable framework as well as being able to adjust height and shape. Integrate elements you feel need to be an integral part of your stand, create the stand that would attract you if you were a client. Why pay £20,000+ on every exhibition, when you can spend the same on a system that will give you a new, custom look for every exhibition?

Custom modular is no longer ugly and boring. It is now modern, re-configurable, and environmentally friendly.

What’s your design?

Let us know what your ideas are for your next space only event, and we will help you produce a solution. Give us a call on 01702 662111 or email us at info@gdisplay.co.uk for more information on how we can create a custom build system without the future repeat costs.

            
             -Thank you for reading.

           
      

Tuesday 23 July 2013

All Work and No Play...

All Work and No Play…

Last Thursday, the Guardian Display team were lucky enough to be invited to IET London: Savoy Place for a party being hosted by The IET in celebration of their multi-million pound venue refurbishment.

It seemed that it wasn't just Guardian Display who decided that this particular summer’s day shouldn't be spent in the office. A brief stop-off at the Sky Lounge atop The Hilton Double Tree confirmed our suspicions. Wave after wave of people, who had their suit jackets over their shoulders, ascended to the Rum Shack for a cheeky post-work Mojito (or two).


Rum Shack, The Sky Lounge.

We gazed at some of London’s most iconic landmarks, including the soon-to-be Leadenhall Building that is being constructed by valued clients Lang O’Rourke. After a casual drink in the summer sun, we made our way to IET London: Savoy Place in a cab that nearly left two of us behind!



Savoy Place. Home of The IET.

We arrived at the home of the IET with plenty of excitement for the evening. We were greeted at the reception and lead to the IET’s refurbishment party. The conversation was flowing, the music was excellent, and the view from the balcony was immaculate. There is nothing quite like sipping champagne whilst looking at the London Eye, Big Ben, London Bridge and the River Thames all in one breath-taking panorama.



Our team was greeted by faces we knew, and plenty more that we didn’t, whilst the fantastic waiting staff brought plate after plate of delicious food that would have been rude to refuse. Introductions were made and old contacts were reintroduced, whilst the wonderful Party Pianos filled the room with a seemingly endless range of brilliant covers of party favourites.

After a night of endless song requests, plenty of food and one or two drinks, the Guardian Display team called it a night. We said our goodbyes and gave our thanks to IET for organising a brilliant party, and wished them the best of luck with their near £30,000,000 refurbishment. They gifted us with a goody bag filled with chocolates and wine, which was greatly received.  It’s an exciting time to be involved with The IET, and we were pleased to be a part of their renovation festivities.


We’d like to wish the IET the best of luck, and we hope that their revamp will bring them even more success in the future. 

Monday 15 July 2013

How to Attract Attention from Clients at an Exhibition


Dress to Impress


I have been talking to exhibitors and visiting shows across the UK and Europe for years, and there is always one recurring factor that absolutely baffles me whenever I attend. It is becoming clearer that companies are booking an exhibition space, but are not giving any thought to the best way to dress the stand once they are there.

The main reason for this is complacency. Most of these companies who seem to struggle attracting people to their booth have booked shell scheme stands. The exhibition organisers give them some walls and some furniture, and as far as they are concerned, that is job done. Many companies spend their entire allocated budget on acquiring the stand space, and leave nothing to spend on the dressing of their space.

It is the equivalent of paying to get into a nightclub, and then sitting in the corner on your own in plain clothes until the club shuts. It is the well dressed, attractive person who will garner the most attention, and this is the same for exhibition stands. You could have the greatest product or service that the world has ever seen, but no one will be interested in hearing about it if your exhibition space is drab, boring and with very little effort put into it. People will walk straight past, and a potential business opportunity could slip away.

It shocks me how little effort is put into an exhibition once a company arrives. Attending exhibitions is costly, and for most companies it is a financial gamble, as potential leads and future business is not guaranteed. When you are at the show, you have to give yourself the best possible chance of the gamble paying off; you have to swing the odds in your favour by showing your company in the best light. If you walk into an exhibition an hour before the show starts, throw a couple of posters on the wall and place some business cards on the supplied poseur table, you are not showing off your company to its maximum potential.

Dressing your space properly is the key to a successful show. When prospective clients are walking up the aisle of an exhibition hall, it is your job to draw them in. It is the stand that attracts the client, and it is the sales people that keep them there. If you do not have the initial attraction, even the most experienced sales person will have difficulty keeping them interested. If your space looks like there has been no effort put into it, this will reflect directly onto your entire business.

Let’s look at some examples of successful marketing displays. Harrods and Selfridges spent thousands of pounds and hours of time dressing their shop window displays.
Harrods' Christmas Window Display


















Selfridges 100th Birthday Window Display














Why do they do this?

They do it because it is this that will entice the customers inside, and it is only when the customers are in the store, that they can start to sell to them. An exhibition is no different. Your stand space is your shop window, and if you don’t believe your company is worth showing off, then neither will the clients.

So how do you draw the most attention to your stand at an exhibition? How do you make it stand out and make your business look superior to those around it?

Here are the key elements of a successful exhibition stand:
  

1.  Cover as much of the boring white shell scheme stand as possible
Searcys Shell Clad
                     By covering the shell scheme, you cover the entire framework. This shows clients                      that your company are professional and well presented.

 2. Use big images- a picture says a thousand words



Alfa Romeo Versaform Build

Words are useful, but save them for the sales people. Using large, high-resolution images will catch the client’s eye and inspire their curiosity, meaning they will be more interested in asking about the company.

  3. Make sure your company logo is visible everywhere


Guardian Display Versaform Flex
A company is recognised by most people as a logo. You see McDonalds as the “The golden arches”, you see Apple as the half eaten apple, and so on. You need to display this logo on everything; business cards, graphic panels, banners, pop-ups, on TV screens etc. This is how people will remember you, and you need to make sure they see it. Your logo should be the centrepiece of your graphics.


4. Presentable Sales Staff


Your sales staff are also vital to your stand, without them, you won’t sell a thing. Like your stand, your sales staff must display the company logo with pride; they must be presentable and exhibit the professionalism of your company. They must reflect what your business is all about. Branded shirts or polos will always provide the image of competence and expertise.


   4. Involve Interactive Elements

Lang O'Rourke Versaform Build


No matter how advanced we become as a society, we will always be fascinated by technology. Involve iPads, Laptops, TV Screens and other audio-visual equipment in your exhibition stand, and allow clients to interact with it. Not only will it put them as ease and garner their interest, it is a fantastic ice-breaker and will allow sales staff to sell your product with extreme confidence.

5.  Make sure your graphics are in line and looking seamless

Geniemobile Versaform Flex

Now imagine you have done everything you need to do to make your stand look fantastic, but the graphic panels are out of place and not placed together seamlessly. The entire image is ruined. Spend time ensuring that all panels are correctly aligned, that there are no gaps, no matter how small, and that everything (graphics, brands, displays and panels) are all lined up perfectly. Symmetry is attractive.

6. Graphics are the beauty, the text is the brains

MediaFabric Pop-up Display Stand
Aston Martin Fabric Display

Use your images and your words to their full potential by using them sparingly. Only have a very small amount of text accompanying an image of a graphic. The reason for the graphics is to attract people, so let the sales people talk about the substance once the graphics have done their job.

If you use these tips effectively at your next exhibition, then you will see a rise in the amount of people visiting your stand. You may even have a queue of people waiting to speak to your staff because the display has fueled such curiosity. Show your company off in the best possible light, put the effort in and you will reap the rewards. To find out how Guardian Display can help you make the most out of your exhibition space, visit www.guardiandisplay.co.uk or give us a call on 01702 662111.

-Thank you for reading!