01/09/2021
Misconceptions Your Boss Has About Convention Displays
Trade show and convention displays are a careful balance between what marketers know will work, what the budget can carry, and what your boss wants. While bosses always want to see a convention result in success, the idea of what success requires can look a lot different from the vantage point of corporate offices versus those on the ground at the convention.
It can be tricky to overcome your boss’s misconceptions about convention displays. This is especially true when you are advocating for something new or different. Perhaps you’re not even sure what your boss is reluctant about, but know that they are apprehensive about the display. Knowing common misconceptions bosses have about convention displays can help you overcome resistance to change. And this will help you and your business make the most of your time at a trade show or convention.
Misconception: One Person Can Do it All
This is tricky, especially if you are the one person who is expected to handle all things convention display! To your boss, it might look easy to come up with an idea, turn it into a tangible display, bring it to an event, and let it shine. That’s a lot of work for one person, or even one department. Unless you are part of a very small business, various people and departments should probably provide input for each convention display, including marketing, sales, customer service experts, and the management team.
Outlining all of the ways various departments and individuals can positively impact decision-making around convention displays can help show your boss that a team approach is ideal. It may also be helpful to look back on previous, successful, team-oriented creative projects your business undertook. Remind your bosses of the positive results of working as a team. Then, you can ask your boss to help get others involved for the overall success of the company.
Misconception: It’s a Quick Project
Especially if you are a fast worker with a knack for details, your boss might think you can get anything done in a short timeframe, even a convention display. Your boss and other decision-makers need to understand that the more time you have to perfect a display, the better it will be.
Planning means your company will have time to review design proofs, double-check text and facts, and find a quality company to create the display. Your business will have time to create a full marketing plan based around the display instead of using something generic.
The more lead time you have, the better the results will be. Let your boss know that you want enough time to do it right. It can be helpful to ask your preferred display vendor what their recommended timeline is. This will give you expert advice to show your boss and back up your arguments.
Misconception: What You Have is Good Enough
If your company has convention display material or a few signs and materials you’ve been tasked with repurposing, your boss might believe that that’s good enough. This is often because re-using old displays will save you money and this can be very attractive to those holding the purse strings.
So the saying goes, however, it takes money to make money. Much like you wouldn’t try to move old, outdated products, you shouldn’t try to use old, outdated materials and displays to make a good impression.
Luckily, a good convention display doesn’t have to break the bank to have a strong impact. You can use rentals and other affordable options to add to your exhibit. Your boss may be equally surprised to find out how inexpensive a well-made convention display can be. And don’t forget to contrast the initial investment with the cost over time, the amount of use you will get out of it, and the return on investment from better engagement thanks to higher-quality displays.
Misconception: Risk is Intolerable
Of course, your boss doesn’t want you to make big mistakes that put the company or its reputation in danger. Those putting together trade show displays have been known to miss a convention deadline, fail to pay a deposit, alienate customers, or simply fail to show up. Most of the time, these risks are inevitable but avoidable with experience and planning.
Some risk should be tolerable, even to your boss. We’re talking about risk like a new marketing plan, new convention display technology, trying a new promotion, signing up to present a seminar at a convention for the first time, and other calculated efforts to find new angles for your business.
The key to getting your boss to accept some level of increased risk is to take it slowly. Show your results as you implement each change. A business that never fails is a business that is not trying hard enough. Failure should be okay in testing ideas, so long as you are showing positive growth overall. The more success you achieve in taking incremental risks, the more your boss will be inclined to give you the leeway to try new things.
Misconception: Keep it Cheap
A poorly-made convention display is the result of bad choices or an obvious attempt to save money by cutting corners. They attract attention, but for all the wrong reasons.
If your boss is focused on nothing but the bottom line, he or she might push you to keep things cheap, sacrificing quality. You know better, and so do we! We’re pleased to help you make the most of your budget to ensure that you have quality convention display materials that will stand up to your boss’s scrutiny as well as the test of time.
At Exhibit Company, we know how to make the most of your resources, skills, and goals, translating your company’s vision to a real-life display. We’re happy to work with your entire team, including your boss!
Trade show and convention displays are a careful balance between what marketers know will work, what the budget can carry, and what your boss wants.
