Posts Tagged ‘tradeshow display’

Don’t Miss A Sale! It’s Time To Make Your Next Trade Show Display Interactive!

Thursday, February 3rd, 2011

Recently my family and I had the opportunity to visit the McWane Science Center in Birmingham, Al. The three story building which is tucked away among banks, brokerage firms, and other offices downtown, is one of the many hidden gems in the city. For my four year old it was a dream come true. Unlike other museums which encourage silence and strolling from one exhibit to the next, the McWane Center has only one rule and that’s nothing is off limits in terms of what you can touch, pull, push, or throw. The completely interactive museum is everything that you would expect from what is essentially a business trying to get people in the door. Like the McWane Science Center in order to grow and encourage consumers to spend their hard earned money, today’s business must put aside the old ways of simply describing what their product does and instead give them complete access to experience the item firsthand.

It used to be the case not too long ago that in order to convince consumers that a product would change their lives, all a company would need to do is invest in a pedestal, an information booth to hold a few brochures, and a good pitchman. Times have changed though and with them trade shows are no longer filled with well suited guys spreading the charm and instead feature full scale putt putt golf courses, interactive audio video displays, not to mention chances to win big with such guaranteed crowd pleasers such as cash closets or spin to win games. In order to win a potential customer over they need to be able to touch, taste, and test the product so they know that what they are looking at is the latest thing that they can’t live without.  Consumers want a chance to get on Facebook or Twitter to find out what others have to say about your product. They need to Google the latest news and reviews before they dish out the cash. 

If you are a small business owner or trade show vendor looking to make a stronger impression while increasing sales, then the time has come to give your customers what they want with a fully customized interactive trade show display from Godfrey featuring the hottest designs on the market today!

The Hottest Toys Of The Year Could Be Found At Your Next Trade Show!!!

Monday, November 22nd, 2010

You don’t have to be a little kid to know the terms Kinect, Playstation Move, or Sing-a-ma-jig. These are just a few of the hottest video game consoles and toys on the market this holiday season. Long gone are the days when it was only children that kept up with the latest in toys. These days everyone from teenagers to retirees are addicted to such gaming systems  as the Nintendo Wii. While every mom, pop, aunt, and uncle, are scrambling for this year’s must have gifts, it may not be a bad idea to think about picking up one or two yourself to use as a little extra incentive for consumers to visit you at that next trade show event.

 Must have gifts make the perfect attention getters at any event. Imagine the following: a custom built trade show exhibit featuring full color overhead banners, fabric walls, enough shelving to hold tons of inventory, all of it covered in your company’s name and logo. An electronic information center sits near the entrance flashing a picture of this year’s got to have gaming system the Xbox Kinect the only system that does away with hand held controls and translates your movements into action on the screen and in large print “WIN YOUR VERY OWN XBOX KINECT!!!” A audio/video booth is set up to allow visitors to experience the thrill of the games first hand and in the back past all your merchandise is a small pedestal where guests can sign up to win by simply dropping their name and contact info into a fish bowl.

Promotions offering a chance for visitors to your exhibit a way to win big are great ways to get your company’s name out to the public and meet tons of people that might otherwise skip your booth. Essentially allowing that all important foot to get in the door, a prize such as this year’s hottest toy is a gateway to thousands of potential sales and in the long run may be the cheapest most profitable alternative to large marketing campaigns. Before you get ready to go to your next trade show event think about giving something back to the customer and thank about how Godfrey can turn help you turn any trade show into one for the record books!

It’s Time To Change The Way You See Trade Show Exhibits!

Monday, October 25th, 2010

Last week we gave you a post about how Apple had turned itself into a giant buzz machine constantly generating tons of attention through the use of special events each featuring an air of mystery behind them as millions of consumers around the world debated on just what the electronics giant may offer next. Today we want to touch on Apple again by talking about how one band has taken the Apple iPhone and made a name for themselves by giving the public something they have never seen before….a concert using nothing but iPhone apps as instruments.

The band’s name is Atomic Tom and according to rumors on the web is appears the group got the idea of using their iPhones as instruments after their own were stolen several weeks back. In hopes of showing off their skills to the world, Atomic Tom hopped on a New York City subway car and produced a video of their song “Take Me Out” which has now garnered them over 1 million hits since it hit the web.  Essentially what Atomic Tom has done is taken something that each of us have in our possession at least some point of everyday the cellphone and found a way to make it new again by giving it a renew purpose.

The concept of changing the way people see everyday objects isn’t something new to Godfrey, since we’ve practically been doing that with trade show displays from the very start. Featuring state of the art custom graphics, ultra-light easy to transport materials and some of the most amazing designs to hit the marketplace in years, Godfrey is second to none in terms of what they can do for your next trade show exhibit. Just look at some of these amazing designs:

Video & Audio Displays-Large screen, small screen, plasma, LCD, or projection we have the perfect fit for your existing exhibit, retail environment, lobby, kiosk, information center, and showroom. Plus we offer stand alone components for those that want to start from scratch!

Fabric Display Structures- From pop ups to tensioned walls to montage displays to overhead banners, Godfrey is setting the standard for what can be done in terms of custom fabrics. Our Grand Fabric Structures can be sculpted in a wide variety of shapes including columns, enclosures, towers, and banners.

Forum Modular Display- The most versatile trade show display on the market today, featuring push button connectors which allow for the one-inch aluminum tube frame members to fold down in an easy to ship case.

Forget about those other displays that have gotten so ordinary that they practically blend into the background. The next time you get ready to attend a trade show, give Godfrey a call and find out how you too can become one of the few that changes the way people see things.

Is Your Trade Show Exhibit Missing The Minor Details?

Wednesday, September 1st, 2010

When someone leaves your exhibit they may not be able to quote what was shared with them word for word or tell recite the names of the people they met, but for the most part people do pay attention to the details. Ask any recent visitor to your booth and more than likely you’d receive info on what promotions were being offered, how polite the staff was, and what their thoughts on the layout of the exhibit were.  Sure they may miss some of the larger things that were being promoted, but sometimes it’s the little touches that tell people whether or not they would be happy doing business with a vendor.  Van Halen lead singer David Lee Roth once gave a classic example of how not paying attention to detail can lead to larger issues.  The discussion revolved around a liner in the bands contract that specifically called for a bowl of M&M’s free of any brown colored chocolates, “So, when I would walk backstage, if I saw a brown M&M in that bowl . . . well, line-check the entire production. Guaranteed you’re going to arrive at a technical error. They didn’t read the contract. Guaranteed you’d run into a problem. Sometimes it would threaten to just destroy the whole show. Something like, literally, life-threatening.”

Godfrey practically specializes in minor details that are sure to make a big impact on trade show sales and among the best are a couple of items that are guaranteed to light a fire under any customer:

It may not seem like much at first, but an Earth Frame is the perfect addition to any trade show exhibit. There’s just something about the shape of our planet that when used as a logo or prop gives a company a sense of trust and wisdom. When they see a Earth Frame encircled by the shape of the continents the consumer gets an idea that the company they are looking at is a global presences and cares about the world it operates in.

Fire is something else that evokes a specific emotion in all of us. A flame represents hope, a new life, a victory, and a new idea. Nestled atop a fabric column, a fire bowl can often appear so real that many would swear they felt the heat coming off of itand  if the vendor isn’t careful that heat might just be enough to set the entire display on fire.  As an added bonus the fabric column easily converts to a product pedestal and even supports a conference tabletop.

Trade shows are often far too hectic to allow vendors to do more than make a quick first impression. By designing an exhibit full of small details that tell the customer they are meeting a vendor that truly cares about them, a company has the power to take that first impression and turn it into a lasting relationship. For more information on how to make that perfect first impression, contact Godfrey today and get on the path to higher trade show sales!!

Godfrey Guarantees Personal Trade Show Attention!!

Friday, July 30th, 2010

Over the course of researching what I want to share on this blog over the course of a week, I continuously catch myself thinking that I’ve seen everything that Godfrey can do only to be surprised yet again by something amazing that I never knew about. This week alone I’ve shared with you the perfect tent for outdoor events and gone over some of the benefits of offering your trade show visitors a chance to sit and take a break in a set of classic looking scoop-back seats. I’m always bragging about our pop-up displays and grand fabric structures. From poster frames, to table wraps, to LED displays, to inflatable props; Godfrey just never seems to run out of designs to meet your needs. What you may not know is that my latest discovery of what Godfrey offers just might change the way you plan your next trade show event.

Before I share my new find I want to discuss just how easy it is to start working on your custom display. The first thing you need of course is an idea. Do you want something large and elaborate or are you looking for something small that can quickly be taken down to carry with you? Once you have a basic idea of what you want it’s time to meet your personal project manager. This is the person who will help you take your idea and turn it into a fully customized display. Together you will work out the basics, come up with a concept, and from there everything is sent to our design team. The design staff takes what you and your project manager have done so far and turns those ideas into something tangible that will be submitted to you for approval. Once this is complete it’s just a matter of time before your custom display is built. During this process you will be notified regularly about what progress is being made and you will even receive pictures of how everything is coming together.

Next comes that amazing discovery I mentioned above that just proves that Godfrey is the best at what they do. Along with your display you will have access to a support manager that will actually accompany you to the tradeshow and help you setup your booth. That’s right! Godfrey actually has a team of job managers that will show up and make sure everything is installed just as you ordered. And it doesn’t stop there! In between shows you can even ship us back the display where we can then service, refresh the graphics, or even upgrade your design!

From start to finish and long after the show is over, Godfrey is here to give you the tools you need to make your next event the largest ever! Call us now and get your project manager working on a new design today!!

Avoid the Agony Of The Feet. Offer Your Trade Show Visitors A Comfortable Seat

Wednesday, July 28th, 2010

Anyone with kids will tell you that one of the best parts of the day is those last few hours when you finally get to kick your shoes off and put your aching feet up. As somebody who is a parent and used to work trade shows every weekend, by the time I got to finally sit down I could barely walk. Convention centers are designed with one thing in mind and that’s providing the most space possible in hopes of attracting the most exhibits and therefore the most visitors. Below is a list of some of the largest convention centers in the U.S. Check out the size of some of these mega-centers!

Top 10 Largest U.S Convention Centers

 1. McCormick Place,  Chicago, 2.2 million square feet

2. Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, 2.05 million square feet

3. Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, 1.94 million square feet

4. Georgia World  Congress Center, Atlanta, 1.37 million square feet

5. Kentucky Exposition Center, Louisville, 1.29 million square feet

6. Sands Expo & Center,  Las Vegas,  1.13 million square feet

7. Ernest N. Morial Convention Center,  New Orleans, 1.1 million square feet

8. Dallas Convention Center, Dallas, 1.02 million square feet

9. Pennsylvania Farm Show  Complex & Expo, Harrisburg, 1 million square feet

10. George R. Brown Convention Center,  Houston, 930,000 square feet

I don’t about you but 2.2 million square feet is enough to make me cry just thinking about it. Imagine setting up shop at one of these giant complexes and trying to not only get yourself noticed, but get people to stop and spend time listening to what you have to offer. Speaking of things to offer one way to get visitors to put the race to see everything on hold is to offer them an oasis in the middle of the trade show desert. By offering those that pass by a place to sit not only are you giving them a break from all the chaos, but in turn you are showing how much you care. Regardless of whether they are interested in what you are showing or not, you might be surprised by the number of people that will give you a second look when they hear you say that there’s no gimmick. If they’re interested in your company that’s great, if not that’s fine too. The point is that you just want to help out by giving them someplace to get off their feet for a moment. Oh and as it just so happens wouldn’t you know that Godfrey has several varieties of seats from the classic directors chair to the modern scoop stool. As always whatever your trade show needs, all you gotta do is look to Godfrey where we have the solution to all your trade show needs.

The Hands Off Approach To Trade Show Events

Sunday, June 27th, 2010

Literature displays, portable kiosks, and table wraps are great tools to have with you when showing off your ideas and products to the public, but all three pose the same problem for those that sell items that are considered hands-off……they give the customer too much room to touch, feel, and possibly damage the item being displayed. I once knew a guy that worked for a publishing house. One of their bestsellers was a book that described and priced rare coins.  As part of the promotion for the book, my friend would visit several trade shows and use a couple of rare coins he had purchased over the years to show people how easy it was to use the book. He kept running into the problem of people wanting to touch the coin that he had paid so much for. Since the money added value to the books he was trying to sell, he had to find a way to display the items without making them so easily accessible.

The body’s natural oils have always been known to breakdown and cause damage to antiques or rare items whether it be books, metals, or fabrics; that’s why it’s important to limit contact with these types of things. Plus anything of value can easily be stolen hence vendors who sell these types of items need some security to avoid loose hands taking something that can’t be replaced. Thankfully for those that prefer their exhibit items to been seen and not touched, there are Merchandise displays available. Similar to what you would see in a jewelry or retail store, merchandise displays feature a clear see through case with a sliding door in the back and optional shelf perfect for rare coins, jewelry, artifacts, or anything else that you want to show off the public. Each display comes with a base available in a wide variety of colors and even the option of a door in order to give you some secure storage space underneath. Portable, lightweight, and easy to break down, like all things offered from Godfrey each display can be customized to feature your company logo.

If you have been searching for a better way to show off your products or simply want some extra security, than look no further! Easy to transport and featuring multiple designs to choose from, these Merchandise displays are just what you have been waiting for. Call us today at 800-789-9394!

The Art Of Knowing What You Want And How To Get It

Monday, June 7th, 2010

Last week in a post titled “The Right Person For The Job” I talked about how something as tantalizing as Fillet Mignon would appear to be plain trash if it were to be served to you on a garbage can lid. Now in that post I was using this example as way to make sure you are employing people who have a certain degree of charm and personality, but the same can be said about how you choose to show off your product as well. You could essentially have one of those products that becomes synonymous with a entire line of products from any number of manufacturers (Coke, TiVo, and Matchbox Cars are examples of this), but because you did not choose the best way to promote your idea nobody ever takes notice. It’s those early decisions about how you will choose to bring your product to the consumer that make all the difference in the world.

Understandably this isn’t an easy process and not something to jump into. You want to start with a very broad idea of what you want and then begin to eliminate choices. Is your event outside? Do you need something like a large tent or would a smaller Mushroom style kiosk do the trick? Are you looking for something that can easily be packed up and taken to the next location or does portability not matter? Maybe you are just looking to spice up your office front. Will there be some type of attendant with a desk stationed there? Is privacy going to be a concern? How about signage? Were you thinking about something that may possibly hang from the ceiling or maybe you’d rather just have a stand that would allow people to pick up literature as they pass by?

All of these questions and we haven’t even considered graphics yet. Are you looking for something with bright colors or is something more professional what you had in mind? Do you have a specific logo that needs to be included or are you looking to come up with a new theme unlike anything you have done before? Are considering renting a booth to start out or are you ready to fully customize a display of your own?

Finding what is right for you and your products can be time consuming process, but one that is fulfilling and often very profitable. Knowing what works best for you and what you want makes all the difference in the world. The Godfrey Group understands this and that’s why we’ve created a Design Library that lets you start narrowing your ideas down and even save them so that you can come back later after you’ve researched what you want a little further. Don’t hesitate. Login in today!!

Homework Made Simple Thanks To Godfrey

Monday, April 26th, 2010

A few years back I was working a swim meet at a university in south Alabama and things were not going my way.  I had swim caps. I had the latest greatest suits and goggles. Training aides, nose plugs, ear plugs; if it was meant to make you faster in the water I had it there just waiting to be purchased. I had it all and still though my sales were dismal at best. Suddenly several hundred 7-10 yr olds came running towards the table and….kept going right past everything I had brought. It was then I figured out where I went wrong. It wasn’t that morning during set-up; it was several weeks before when I assumed that because the event was at a college everyone attending would be college kids. The majority of everything I had packed were higher sizes and thus way too big for those actually swimming that day. I hadn’t done my homework and cost myself hundreds of dollars in sales.

Before you make plans to attend that next big trade show on your calendar, make sure your company is a good match for the overall theme of the event.  Know your demographic, their likes and dislikes, and find out if they will be there in abundance. Get a sense of the layout of the event and don’t be afraid to ask if your booth will be positioned near others who may be offering similar products to yours.  Ask the organizers of the tradeshow how they plan to advertise the show and what the schedule will be. The next step is to make sure you’re prepared to bring you’re A-game and that’s where the Godfrey Group comes in.

At the Godfrey Group we want every event you attend this year to be your best yet and that’s why our Personal Project Managers are specially trained to help you take any idea from conception to completion.  We can supply your company display designs, custom production services,  a wide range of graphics, booth rentals, and we can even help you manage that next event on your schedule so you don’t make the same mistake I did.

Slimline Backlit Box Frames

Wednesday, November 11th, 2009

slimline2A backlit box frame can highlight your company’s promo or poster better and faster than almost anything else!  Godfrey Group can offer you almost any kind of backlit frame that you can imagine, and if you need something that is difficult or even impossible to find – an unusual size, etc. – we’ll probably have it!  And if we don’t, we can probably make it for you!

Light Up Your Sales at tradeshows and in retail environments where the fight for attention is fierce. Backlit displays deliver your message with impact and help generate traffic.

SlimLine Light Box Frames are so thin they can be hung on the wall like a picture frame. Nominal thickness of 2-5/8”. Great for walls or use to brighten an exhibit.

FaceOff FlipFace Frame provides quick change of graphics. SlimLine light frames are extremely lightweight and easier to handle, while providing bright, even lighting. Custom sizes available.slimlinedrawing

For sizes larger than 48”x 96”, we can custom manufacture large format light boxes. Boxes feature aluminum framework, flip face aluminum frame that snaps over graphic, and laminate or milk plex edge panels. The large format frame will accept backlit vinyl graphics, which we can print in-house. Please call for a quote:  1-800-789-9394

For other backlit displays, see the Godfrey Group website.