Your Exhibit Inspection Guide
The New Year often symbolizes new beginnings and a fresh look at the future. When strategizing your new marketing initiatives, think about how your brand is seen by the world. One way your audience will see your brand is in your trade show booth. The condition of an exhibit and its graphics can say a lot about a company, so take some time to set up and inspect your trade show material before your first show, especially if you haven’t brought it out in two years.Not sure where to start? Use this guide to walk you through the process or let us, the display professionals, inspect the display for you. We have experience working with all kinds of displays and know what repairs will need to be made.
Allow yourself enough time before the next trade show, usually about a month, to thoroughly inspect the display in case repairs are necessary. This will help you avoid rush charges to fix it at the last minute.
If you decide to go through the materials yourself, have a notebook and pen handy. First, list everything that you expect to check.
Look over all of your shipping cases and totes. If you have a rolling case, make sure that all of the wheels are intact. Check the locks and make sure that they fasten tightly. Are there any cracks in the case? Are all the old shipping labels removed?
Assemble the display as if you were at a show. This is the best way to tell if something is missing, broken, or damaged.
Check the hardware for any damage. Probe the frame for any broken parts, loose hinges or screws, dents, scuff marks, and other signs of wear.
Inspect graphics thoroughly for any damage, such as deep creases, staining, or scuff marks. In most cases, graphics can be cleaned fairly easily. Make sure to check the integrity of how the graphics attach and any hardware that may be attached to them. If you have fabric graphics, make sure to inspect the seams and hemlines.
Evaluate your graphics and decide if they need to be updated. Are they severely damaged? Do they match your current branding? Is the text outdated? Has your product line changed since the graphics were produced? Will the images still look exciting and contemporary to attendees on the show floor?
Plug in any lights to make sure that they work.
Check all accessories (chairs, literature stands, tablet stands, table cloths) that travel with the exhibit for possible damage.
Take some time to reflect on your last trade show season. Identify what went well and what could be improved upon. While this may or may not lead to changes with the display itself, it will help you plan your trade show strategy for the coming season.
Inspecting and examining your trade show display as a part of your yearly activities will enable you to be better prepared for the next trade show season.
Adapted from "The Year-End Trade Show Booth Tune Up Guide" by Lisa Shackleford
2025 is fast approaching, and if you’re not prepared, you’ll be stuck with late fees and rush charges for your events. We’ve compiled a timeline and a few tips to help you stay on track this coming trade show season.
Reflecting on the 30 years of FB Displays & Designs, Inc., it’s been an incredible journey filled with growth, challenges, and countless memories that have shaped who we are today.
This week we asked around the office to look ahead and predict the future. What will we see in the NEXT 30 years? What will we see from the company? The industry?
After the dust has settled of another busy trade show, performing a post-trade show analysis will help you determine your successes and areas for improvement.
Within weeks of joining Apogee, we were planning a trip to the premier industry trade show, ExhibitorLive. Tara, a few members from the main Apogee team, and I ventured down to…
The Marathon Companies decided to make a splash at this year’s IRE by upgrading to an island booth. Our team at FB Displays & Designs previously designed a 30x10 inline display for them…
I was armed with the show kit, which, back then, was printed on paper in a binder, and I felt like I was going to ace my first install….
Planning a new budget is the perfect time to assess your show program and ensure you’re being mindful in your decisions.
How do you make the most of a 10-by-10 space? Certainly, it's not easy to utilize every inch without creating a cacophony of clutter.
How do you know when it’s time to upgrade? It’s not always as simple as a broken piece you can’t replace.
How do you know when to retire a display? It’s not always just because it breaks. When we first partnered with Fisher Associates…
When FB Displays and Designs was established in 1994, then called FB Portable Displays, carpeting was standard for any and…
The hardest part of a design is when you are staring at a blank page to start. An easy creative ice-breaker is to play around…
There is a lot of planning that goes into attending a trade show. However, if something goes wrong…
After a meeting with a marketing consultant in May, we came to the decision that it was time for a website makeover…
We partnered with the J. Fitzgerald Group to re-energized the Moley Magnetic brand with a bold and modern style.
We’re frequently asked what the big thing in displays is right now. For a time, our go-to answer has been backlighting. Now …
Trade shows are making a comeback but not everyone is ready to go full out on a new display. Exhibit rental is a great…
When people hear that I work in trade shows, they often say something along the lines of, “It must be amazing to get to travel…
In the three to seven-second glance passing attendees give you on the show floor, your graphics need to make them stop…
FB Displays and Designs is proud to announce its sponsorship of the newest exhibit in the Buffalo Naval Park museum…
Planning ahead will save you time and money on your next setup. Here’s a list of ten tips that will help…
FB Displays and Designs is proud to celebrate the grand opening of The Cataract House Restaurant & Academy…
The Level display brings a unique blend of depth and motion to the show floor through its sliding panels and dimensional frame.
When showcasing your company at a trade show, your exhibit represents who your company is, and why you’re different from…