Are You Addressing Your Exhibition Visitor’s Generation?

We live in an unusual time where our exhibition visitors could be made up of several different generations. With this in mind we need to be thoughtful of how and what we communicate and how this will effect our exhibition stand designs.

Let me explain in more detail.

If your typical customer was born in the 1940’s or 1950’s then it is likely that they would have certain morals and values. This is a generation that was brought up at a time where money was tight and resources scarce. This generation values customer service, loyalty and professionalism so they might prefer to be sold to and communicated to in a traditional way and probably face to face.

They might prefer a handshake to an email, and to speak to a person not a voicemail.

In a generation where you get what you pay for and give as good as you get, gadgets and technology could be viewed with caution.

This generation is frugal and works in a matter of fact way. Brought up in a time when waste not want not was the order of the day, they might not want to see complicated or over designed exhibition stands with expensive giveaways and technological mumbo jumbo.

Customers that were born in the 1960’s would have a different perspective on things. This is the generation of prosperity, enterprise and achievement. After all they won the world cup and put a man on the moon so anything is possible!

Known as the baby boomers they were the first generation to take advantage of package holidays. They invented Tupperware parties, experienced Beetlemania and watched Opportunity Knocks on the very first colour TV’s.

This generation is open to ideas and challenges and is used to coping and experiencing change through technology.

Born in the 1980’s generation X was the first to fully engage and interact with modern technology.

From the release of pac-man video, mobile phones and faxes this generation’s world became smaller and easier through technology. It has more concerns over environmental issues and sustainability by discovering a hole in the Ozone layer.

Capable of solving the Rubik’s cube puzzle this generation is used to interacting on exhibition stands through simulators and graphical user interfaces.

Generation Y or “I want it now”, live and expect a completely different visitor experience.

This generation’s mobile phones have always had cameras. Members belong to groups that have followers and virtual friends that like them! They would sooner tweet than speak in person and have found out more about your company and its products or services before your exhibition than any other generation. They can SHOUT about you or castigate you to thousands of others in a moment. They look for referrals and gather information in forums and chat rooms where they share ideas. They expect an interaction between the real and virtual world and can live comfortably in both. They don’t know what a record is and have never heard of the Berlin Wall. If they want something they can download it or order it online. If they want to try something before they buy, they can watch it on YouTube or discuss it on Skype.

This generation expects to be interactive and entertained through technology. It thinks that augmented reality is yesterday’s news and that everybody has a 3D TV in their home.

Taking the time to analyse and appreciate the demographics of your exhibition visitors will help you with its design and layout. It will assist you on how and what you communicate to your audience, pre and post exhibition, to ensure that you realise a better return on your investment.

Peter Bowen C.E.O. of Access Displays Ltd has been involved in Sales and Marketing for over 30 years…

Make Your Own Display Boards

If you have a dresser lying around that is too junky to save, by all means throw it away. But, how about saving one or more of the drawers to make display boards out of? These are a great craft project and will dress up any bedroom, sewing room, play room, or even kitchen. It’s a great way to get the kids involved in a project at home and will spur their creative juices.

First, paint the drawer to give it a fresh new look. You can choose any color you wish, to go with your existing decor. Allow the paint to dry for at least 24 hours.

Next, get some cork-board and cut it to fit the inside of the drawer. Glue it to bottom. Allow the cork-board to set for a few hours.

Then, cover the cork-board with some paper. This can be anything – leftover wallpaper, paper used for lining shelves, even some leftover wrapping paper (although you may need a couple of layers of wrapping paper because it may rip easily.)

Now, you can hang your drawer/display boards on the wall. You can leave the handle in place, or take it off. Not only do you have a pretty device on which to hang things, you have a built-in shelf that you can use for small items like pens, string or yarn.

You can display things like cards, appointment reminders, calendars, pictures or postcards.

Put the board up over an existing shelf for extra storage space in one spot and to add to your existing decor. You could use up all of the drawers and have one in every room if you wish. They are practical, functional and pretty. You could even give some away as gifts.

They are great for college dorm rooms, where space can be limited. This makes a great project for a rainy Saturday afternoon.

Display boards can be made from any number of various types of drawers, both deep and shallow. Use your imagination to create some unique hangings for your wall. You can paint designs on the outside for an even better look. Any teenager would love to have this in their room, even boys. You can make it more ‘boyish’ by choosing darker colors or darker paper for the inside. You can even leave out the paper altogether and just show the cork-board as is. There is no end to the possibilities.…

Promotional Gifts For Conferences And Exhibitions

At conferences, exhibitions and product launches promotional gifts are one the most versatile and cost effective ways to get your company noticed.

Everyone likes to pick up a selection of freebies when attending these events but there are a number of things to take into consideration when selecting the products for your campaign.

Make sure your chosen items are relevant to your business.

Get the best quality you can but stay within budget.

Choose something that will make you stand out from your competitors.

One excellent way to get the maximum exposure is to have available a supply of printed bags which provide a large print area and will be on display throughout the event as people walk around with them. Another advantage is that they will be putting your competitors branded items inside the bag so that it will still be your corporate message that people will see.

Promotional pens and mugs are still very popular but you might like to try something a little different like printed USB flash drives which are becoming essential to modern businesses and have a higher perceived value to the customers.

Branded clothing and lanyards are also useful tools and can be worn by your representatives as well as being given away to members of the public.

Logo printed keyrings are also very popular items and will continue to carry your message long after the event is over. A surprising variety of keyrings are available ranging from the standard plastic ones to high quality leather fobs which can be embossed or foil blocked. There is also the opportunity to combine two functions in one by choosing a keyring that incorporates a USB flash drive for example.

Novelty items provide that touch of humour and entertainment value that is so often missing from modern campaigns and shaped stress toys are one of the most popular making them likely to be valued over a prolonged period. Many other items come in standard novelty shapes with bespoke options often available so it is worth exploring these to find one that best represents your business.

Other less obvious options for corporate events are personalised drink bottles which can contain still or sparkling water or fruit flavoured drinks. Confectionery items such as sweets and chocolates can also carry your branding making your stand even more attractive.A�

As you can see there are a wide variety of promotional gifts options to make your next conference, exhibition or product launch a resounding success.…

Berenice Abbott Retrospective Photography Exhibition in Paris, France

The Jeu de Paume museum in Paris is hosting a retrospective of Berenice Abbott. Having taught university courses for nearly twenty years, her name has come up with some frequency in classes and I often felt a little embarrassed that I usually was only presenting her as the person who played such an important role in saving the work of Eugene Atget after he died. I knew especially her project on New York city which was an effort to capture and save images of the disappearing parts of New York in the 1930s just as Atget had done with Paris from the end of the 19th century into the 1920s. But I never found myself particularly struck with the strength of her work. This retrospective, then, was a chance to finally see a full cross section of her work so that I might see if she measured up to her teachers.

Sadly, while there are some quite beautiful images, more often than not the photos don’t have the same spark as many of her influences–Atget, Walker Evans, Paul Strand. This, then, raises the question of what exactly holds her work back. There are undoubtedly countless reasons and different ones for different photographs. One could imagine that maybe for an American like myself the photos of Paris might have a greater inherent appeal than anything from New York–even from a New York I never saw. However, there are other photographers–notably Strand–who took some very striking images of New York. And I should add, Abbott does seem at her best when photographing New York although she does best with dramatic architecture and not so well as Walker Evans with more modest structures. Like Walker Evans, she sometimes plays with photographing signage–and sometimes there’s an interesting element there but her successes seem much less frequent than Evans. Too often her buildings seem to lack character. They’re just neutral structures and we don’t necessarily feel what it is that made her stop and set up her camera to take the picture. The print quality is sometimes quite beautiful and most of the time it’s quite passable and yet there aren’t many pictures that have a glowing quality.

Where she seemed least confident or skilled was in photographing people in a somewhat documentarian manner. It’s unclear if she didn’t spend enough time looking, if she was too tentative and so shot too fast or what but more often than not the people don’t seem to be an important part of the photos. They’re a presence but they don’t come across as overly intriguing. She didn’t have the talent of a Helen Levitt, for example, to find really striking interactions between humans and their environment. In the end I’m led to feel she might not always have pushed herself enough to try to capture the essence of something. She gets closest when she’s dealing with architecture but she doesn’t seem to have had the poetic talent that Atget had. Somehow with Atget there was an energy that seemed to emanate from the buildings and streets he photographed whereas with Abbott too often the buildings seem lifeless. Maybe she wasn’t enough in love with New York or architecture in general to really show these buildings as powerful identities. With Atget every paving stone seems to have a story to tell.…

Large Format Printers: Great for Various Projects

Large format printers typically allow for images to be printed between 17 inches and 60 inches wide. These printers are utilised in the creation of banners, posters, exhibition prints and any signage that is on a larger scale. Large format printers also go by the name of wide format printers and printers that exceed 100 inches in print width are occasionally referred to as grand format or super-wide printers.

These large printers can accommodate different textures and types of paper making them very useful for different types of projects. For instance vinyl and satin-finished papers can be used with these machines which are great for maintaining a good quality, professional finish. Instead of individual sheets of paper like a standard printer, large format printers use large rolls of paper which are more economical when putting bigger projects together and highly compatible with the printer.

These kinds of printers aren’t commonly designed for use at home or in the office. Of course, professionals who may utilise the printer for their business from home may acquire one, but the generic computer owner will not have any need for such a large printer. Rather, large format printers tend to be tools of specialist printers and businesses. Commercial printers are probably the biggest users of large format printers. These print specialists are experts in creating large format signage, prints and other posters or graphics that any business may need for marketing or advertising purposes. Vehicle graphics may also be produced with specialist inks and paper in place, to provide waterproofing and a gloss finish.

Businesses also require exhibition and display stands on a regular basis and by visiting any print specialist; they can have stands and exhibition material produced on a larger scale without losing any quality to the images or text and information. Large format printers are also popular with students and those who may be interested in digital photography. Quality is essential within the realms of a profession like photography.

Large format printers coupled with large file sizes, still maintain exceptional quality throughout the imagery producing successful prints time and time again. This is perfect for both exhibitions and businesses. The colours are also fade resistant since the inks that are used tend to be of a superior quality. This print process is established straight from the computer with the help of advanced software. Inkjet, solvent and light jet printers are utilised for the printing. The digital print specialists will almost always accept your files by email or on CDs but it is wise to remember to keep the original file size for the best outcome for the images themselves.…

Pop Up Exhibition Stand Have Several Key Features Which Guarantee Returns on Your Investments

A pop up exhibition stand is one of the most popular choices when it comes to popularising your company at various trade shows, movable presentations, exhibitions, seasonal fairs, sales and other events of that sort. Why are they so much in demand? Simply because pop up stands have several key features which guarantee returns on your investments if you purchase a pop up stand for your marketing campaign.

First of all, these stands are portable, which gives one a nice opportunity to change the location if you want to visit a few events in the course of one day. Or even to move around during the same event, no matter whether it is a trade show or advertising campaign in a shopping centre.

A pop up exhibition stand is easy to set up, and it is standard with this type of stand that it can be assembled and disassembled by one person. So you do not have to hire the professionals for the setting up and removing process, you can easily do it yourself of with the help of any non-qualified employee of yours.

Of course it comes in a variety of designs, styles, shapes, sizes and materials, but best of all would be to choose lightweight model. The frame of the unit can be metal, plastic, wooden, or made of some other material, but besides being strong and reliable it should be light as well, otherwise it will reduce the mobility of the stand dramatically.

Other parts of a pop up exhibition stand are panels with fabrics, where you can attach the information needed, illustrations, posters and so on. Or these panels can be covered with your graphics, such as logo design, text of promotional message, contacts etc. Make sure the graphics you order are reliable enough and quality laminated, as your stand might be used not only indoors, but under the open sky as well. If the frame is metal, check that it does not get affected by corrosion.

Even if some unpleasant moment occurs, and some parts of the stand get broken, spoiled, unusable, do not forget about the warranty period. The quality of a produced pop up exhibition stand is so high these days, that lots of manufacturers offer lifetime warranty. It shows just how confident they are about the good service of their exhibition stands. In any case, make sure that the warranty period is at least one year.

Accessories play an important role as well, of course: they should be quite reliable too, but the most important factor is that they can be used as additional items for your promotional-advertising marketing. For example pay attention to a bag or storage case.

Indeed why should you waste an opportunity to spread the word about your company in a different way? Put your logo on the accessories as well, or at least choose the colour combinations of your brand.

A pop up exhibition stand has number of other advantages, but to name just a few is quite enough for a progressive mind to make a decision.…

Guide to the Tashkent Uzexpocentre

The introduction of the Uzexpocentre in Uzbekistan has transformed the region into a key venue for Exhibitions in the central Asian region, in recent years. Shows such as the ‘Tea and Coffee expo’, ‘Mining World’ and the ‘International Oil & Gas Exhibition & Conference’ are just a few of the shows which now take place in the Uzexpocentre each year and the centre continues to attract more major shows continually. A look below at the Uzexpocentre in more information and also some tips on reaching the centre:

The Uzexpocenter is an Open Joint-Stock Society National Exhibition Company, which is part of the Republic of Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Foreign Economic Relations, Investments and Trade and has become an awards winning venue in recent years. Located in Tashkent, the Uzexpocenter was built following a need for a high quality exhibition centre in the country and construction of the complex began following an order by the Cabinet of Ministers in Uzbekistan.

The centre was opened towards the end of 1992 and since then it has hosted several prestigious events and has helped boost international trade in the country. The centre was originally called the Uzexpocentre Republican Trade Exhibition Centre, however the name and the structure of the complex was changed in the year 2005. It is now known as the Uzexpocentre Open Joint-Stock Society National Exhibition Company.

The main facilities of the Uzexpocentre include its 1250 square metre Atrium hall, press conference hall, exhibition hall and outdoor exhibition space. In addition to these facilities, there is an additional exhibition hall and a number of pavilions in the exhibition centre. One of the more modern exhibition spaces in the building is the Pavilion No.1, which offers over 7000 square metres of exhibition space and can be used to host trade fairs, exhibitions and other events. In 2007, there was an additional pavilion added to the complex, which added another 12,000 square metres of space to the complex.

For exhibition visitors and exhibitors heading to Uzbekistan for the Uzexpocentre, the country and its customs remain an unknown quantity for many people, with the country off the beaten track and somewhere is often a new location for most visitors. If travelling from abroad then Tashkent International Airport will be your best option for entry into the country and this leave you able then to organise transport locally to the exhibition venue.…

Indoor and Outdoor Event Planner

If you are planning for a business event, you need to take care few things to make it a success and attracting crowd. It is imperative as when planning an indoor or outdoor event that involves exhibition setup or trade booth counter, many people are unaware of the proper management, look and feel which your product or company vision or exhibition theme requires. Most important is the time spent in setting up a stall or booth or canopy or any other promotional media. Therefore, plan your event in such a manner which ultimately turns a center of extraction for the crowd. If you have ample amount of time, which is a rare case, go for big hoardings, big budget and big size banner stands along with canopy and hefty counters. However this situation is also not the ideal case for many businesses. Only a few business houses can afford it. For the masses, the budget is less, time is less and effect expectation is high. For such businesses, moderately priced banner stands are the ideal choice.

Retractable banner stands make a great choice if you wish to use them year after year for all your promotional needs because these can add an extra mile to the aesthetic look and give a professional touch to your event. Compared to traditional wooden or MS stands, the latest banner stands can resist damage from rips and tears easily. They are turning up as highest selling commodity globally when we talk about business promotion events whether it maybe a product launch, a service startup, or company policy or slogan campaign. These are affordable, easily transportable and less in weight. Banner stand display systems can be setup in few minutes, saving considerable time for you. Latest trends in banner displays have completely eliminated all the hassles in untangling ropes, rods or threads or screws as was the case in earlier ones.

When you are away from your office or business, they still serve the purpose of your office. They continue to conduct business silently. They can easily be fit into their own carry bag and can easily be taken out at any point of time making you comfortable to reach to next business venue or event. Lot of colour and material choices are possible in Retractable banner stands. You can select black, white, silver, grey or combination of these colours. You can select Aluminium structure or chrome finished structure or bamboo structure. As more people are resorting towards natural items, with its natural look and feel, bamboo banner stands are more in demand. The shape and style is available in X banner base or L banner base. They have strong structure base to resist any wind flow when place in open space or ground. As per your size of graphics, you can select the stand which suits the size. You can even select a flexible stands that is capable to hold different size graphics.

These trendy look banner stands give your company instant name recognition and turn a major tool for promoting your company branding. Make an impact with these low budget promotional tools with style and professionalism.…