You’ve recently purchased that awesome, epic, top-of-the-line popup display
for your upcoming trade show. Your mind is racing through the long list
you’ve compiled in your head over the past week. Excitement floods into
your belly, making it churn like the high-seas, but deep down you know
you’ve got this! Barring a freak accident, or random health scare, you
are set to attend the upcoming trade show. There’s only one thing that
could legitimately derail your entire campaign: a broken pop-up display.
That epic new pop-up display you just purchased has some sort of damage
due to improper use or mishandling. As a result, it may be unfit for
the trade show floor.
You check through your trade show preparation list, and determine
that you are totally prepared. The only thing you are worried about is
that your popup trade show display will not set-up correctly. You’re
unsure of how your staff handled the pop-up display at your last show,
and worry begins to overwhelm you. What if the display is damaged
because the staff didn’t set-up or teardown properly?
Damage due to the mishandling of your trade show display is always
avoidable. To avoid the scenario I’ve described above it is important to
teach yourself, and your staff, how to properly handle your pop-up
display. Reading blogs, display manuals, and offering step-by-step
instructions to your team can help minimize the risk of damage. Below,
are some helpful ideas to educate you and your staff on trade show booth
maintenance.
One rule that could go without saying is: READ THE MANUAL.
Most popup displays on the market come with a small booklet or pamphlet
that aims to inform you on how to setup the module safely. Of course,
everyone interprets things differently and some people may not be
patient enough to read through the entire set-up process. For this
reason, I encourage people to do a few trial runs to get the set-up and
takedown mastered, and then teach the rest of your team. Along the way,
you can point out specific things you’ve learned from previous set-ups
and guide your staff through each step. This will help to minimize
damage due to improper setup (bent poles, broken clamps, etc.). Plus, the extra trial runs will help get you and your team ready for the big day on the actual trade show floor.
Not only is it important to take care of the hardware and framework components of your popup display, but also the graphics.
Why? Mainly because graphic repairs or even re-prints can be
expensive. Not to mention, a re-print would take up precious time that
you simply may not have. To ensure the integrity of your display’s
graphics I recommend wearing latex gloves, or something similar during
the setup process. Gloves will keep your precious graphics free of handprints and finger smudges, and can even help protect them from long
fingernails. In addition to gloves, make sure you understand what your
graphics are printed on. Some materials may not react well with certain
cleaning solutions.
Here are 6 of the most important steps to keep your popup display in
good operating condition. But, I do have a few last-minute tips that are
sure to keep your display healthy!
- Practice set up and take down multiple times. Also, let the popup
display stay assembled for a few hours. This will help you note the
structural integrity of the display itself, and see any pitfalls it may
have. - Never rush the set up. Patience is key!
- Have some glue on hand in case a magnet on your display fails or you need to repair something minor.
- Ensure you have read through the entire manual, and understand how each step of the set up process should be performed.
- Always set up your display in an open, and well lit area. Clutter
can drive you crazy, and the popup display may need more room than you
think. - When packing/shipping your popup display don’t cram things or pack
them too tightly. Also, be gentle when transporting them from point A to
point B.
Hopefully, you can use these tips and tricks to your advantage at your next tradeshow or event. You can never be too prepared!
