Don’t Make Mistakes – 10 Things to Consider When Buying a Display System

It can be confusing attending a trade show for the first time, you will see so many different display systems it can be hard to know what’s right for you. Today they are common, it’s rare to see an exhibitor who doesn’t have some form of display system, the reasons are quite simple –

Display systems are attractive
You can use large format graphics
They are light weight

Today we’ll look at portable display systems.

Ten things you should consider before buying a portable display system.

WEIGHT – generally portable display systems are light, made from aluminium, they are easily carried by one person.
ASSEMBLY – portable display systems such as pop up displays are easy to assemble, you can put them up all by yourself and don’t need a *team of experts* on hand with spanners, wrenches and ladders to assist you. Think of them as a roll up blind – super easy to pull up and to pull down. The graphics on your pull up banner are durable and vibrant and can be easily swapped in or out for your own needs, you may have different graphics for different events and shows, so it’s easy to change to the right graphic for the right event.
DESIGNS – endless, when looking for your first pop up display system, ask to see all the different ranges and designs to find not only what suits your advertising needs, but also what suits your budget. You also need to consider what events or shows you will be attending and order banners suitable to the size of your display area and needs – you want potential customers to be able to see you, not just a wall of banners.
ACCESSORIES – it’s a good time to look at what other advertising or promotional material you can add, that will match in well with the style of pop-up banner you have chosen, this can be anything from a gazebo or tent through to your advertising brochures.
INSTRUCTIONS AND PACKAGING – who hasn’t received instructions for an item purchased that is in *broken English* making it hard to understand what to do next? Make sure any and all instructions you get with any display system are in clear concise English, with – if necessary easily identifiable parts and some good clear pictures. Remember that you may have different staff attending different shows and not everyone will be familiar with how the display system or pop up banner works.
GRAPHICS – work closely with your supplier, to choose the right display system and fabric for your needs, once this has been chosen you can work together to choose the right designs, graphics and colours to suit your business and your needs.
WARRANTY – it doesn’t matter if you are buying a TV set or a display system, always ask what the manufacturer’s warranty is. You are paying good money for your display system and you want to know there are some *back-ups* in place should something go wrong (manufacturer fault rather than your own fault), are they flexible? You want a supplier who is customer friendly rather than sales friendly.
DISTRIBUTOR – You may not have experience in trade shows and while it’s different to marketing trade shows, it can be expensive – especially if you don’t know what you are doing. When you add up the cost of travel, hotels, trade show space, any freebies etc., you want to make sure you have done everything you can to maximise your investment. Your trade show distributor does this for a living so rely on them to get it right, they know what they are doing, listen to them.
MANUFACTURER – it goes without saying – choosing the right display systems provider, is important, look for references and feedback, ask those in your business who they would recommend.
PRICE – unfortunately it comes down to the length of your arms and the size of your pockets (as they say). You can’t always buy the display system you *want*, if you have a budget you need to be flexible. Price equals – quality, convenience, and design. You’ll find there is a spot where price, value for money and performance of the display system meet your needs and *intersect* – as long as you are getting a product that is affordable and value for money – go for it!