trade show booths

Manny Stone Decorators’ Guidelines for Effective and Spectacular Trade Show Visual Merchandising

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This blog post is meant to help to maximize the impact of a trade show appearance by providing decades of experiential
advice, tricks of the trade, and inspiration for your next exhibit.

A great first impression is vital in the world of trade show exhibiting. Manny Stone Decorators will help your merchandise get buyers’ attention and generate greater sales.

visual merchandisingVisual Merchandising, by definition, is the creation and projection of an attractive, exciting, practical sales
environment, whereby the proper presentation of merchandise within that environment acts as your most important selling tool … the silent salesperson. It is a marketing practice that uses floor plans / booth layouts, themed color, lighting, graphics, display props, technology, and other elements to attract customer attention. Its goal is to use the available trade show floor space to generate more sales.

In these days of rapidly rising advertising costs, the importance of Visual Merchandising is quickly intensifying. Advertising impact has a relatively short duration, while proper Visual Merchandising, creating drama and excitement in any trade show booth or sales environment, can play a major role in enticing customers to shop and buy from you on a continual basis.

Manny Stone Decorators has a solution at your price point, from custom built-to-rent hard wall booths, to foam core / flame-resistant foamboard. Our trade show booths feature color graphics, white masonite flooring and interlocking foam floors. We really offer your trade show booth that TLC – including tables, lights, and chairs – that you are looking for. These options will really make your trade show booth stand out and get noticed.

The following 7 Guidelines relate to the proper presentation of merchandise.
Each Guideline aims to simplify the process for buyers to access and purchase your product.

1. Product Location Matters
Highlight import merchandise front and center so buyers can “feel it, taste it, smell it.”

2. Give it Some Space
Sufficient space should be allocated to display merchandise at its best.

3. Light It Up
Each lighting fixture used will enhance the merchandise being featured.

4. “SIGN” Me Up
Your logo and URL address must identify with your brand. Buyers will know you mean BUSINESS and are here to stay!

5. Tell Your Story
Utilize graphics, props and accessories to provide maximum merchandise projection and impact.

6. Color Me Happy
Display merchandise by color: from left to right, light to dark.

7. Style and Class
Proper styling and colorization turn a dull presentation into an exciting and highly fashionable presentation.

How To Maximize Impact When Exhibiting Within a “Vanilla Box”

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Current value-based trends includes a turnkey exhibit booth experience. This is done by providing a “vanilla box” consisting of walls, lighting, flooring and furniture to exhibitors.

It is universally agreed upon that each exhibitor’s top priority at a trade show is to draw attention to their own brand. By identifying brands as individual classifications within each exhibit, there is a valuable sales opportunity for each exhibitor.

comparie Manny Stone Decorators graphics and booth style vs the competition


Which booth(s) got your attention? Click here for more extraordinary booths created by Manny Stone Decorators.

Exhibitors should be asking themselves these questions and use their answers throughout their booth design process:

  • Who are they and who are their brands?
  • Where are their brands located within the show, within their booth?
  • What is their brand’s messaging and personality?

For thirty years, Manny Stone Decorators has been the only family run EAC service provider at Javits. We provide the perfect materials to enhance your exhibit as well as supervise the Javits union labor team. It is our job to generate magnetism and boost exposure to your booth, makings it stand out from the rest. We are willing to provide minimal, moderate and full coverage based on each exhibitor’s concept and budget.

Manny Stone Decorators specializes in value-based brand identity by using flame resistant foam board and PVC panels for:

  • Graphics
  • Logos
  • Photographs

Below you will find our most recent blog post focused on Graphics, images of the Graphics we have produced as well as client testimonials. You will also find a series of illustrations that outline the various options for trade show booths.

Graphics blog by Lloyd Stone

Graphics

Testimonials

trade show booths full coverage

trade show booths 3 panels or 1

trade show booths graphics centered

trade show booths two options

trade show booths full coverage

trade show booths graphics 1 wall

trade show booths centered graphics

trade show booths inline 5 sheets

graphics options for tradeshow booths

graphics options for tradeshow booths 2

color centered graphics 2 options

corner booth options

corner booth options 2

corner graphics options

The Rationale For Renting a Trade Show Booth Rather Than Buying One…

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Dear Customer,
Allow me to make the case against purchasing a booth for a show. There are a number of good reasons but, simply put, it is not cost effective.

First: customers are responsible for storage, maintenance, and shipping of the booth between shows. They will also have to purchase crates at $1,100 – $1,500 per to ship in order to store their materials. As a renter, there is no charge for the use of MSD crates or skids when we provide services in New York.

Second: booth sizes, heights and configurations frequently change from show to show, especially as a company grows. Customers purchasing a booth would be stuck with that one size. Modifications would likely require significant additional costs. Some venues allow standard 8 -foot heights on all walls while other venues allow for line on sight–or a 4-foot maximum – side walls. Other venues allow for 10-to12 foot heights.

tradeshow-booth-example1
trade show booth design


We, conversely, do not store customer-owned booths at our warehouse. We do not have space. All rented booths that we provide are deconstructed at the close of the show. They are shipped back to our production studio. The exhibit materials are evaluated, and recycled for use at exhibits at other shows during the year. This allows us to offer materials to customers at a reasonable rental price. Before each show, all walls and fixtures are sanded, primed and repainted. After installation, they receive a second repainting on site. The customer essentially gets a new booth for each show, custom built to rent.

Finally, a large portion of the cost of purchasing a booth is related to union labor for installation and breakdown. Union installation and breakdown of a hard wall booth can result in costs between $3,000-to-$4,000, based on the size of the booth. Custom rentals from our company include union labor and, more importantly, supervision of that labor force by our staff, ensuring that the job is performed correctly and expediently. This is a responsibility and expense that the customer assumes in purchasing a booth. Look up the cost of union labor with supervision by show management in the setup manual; you will find that it is costly.

trade show booth design
trade show booth design


In the end, as an owner, you would end up paying more money for each purchase – installation / deconstruction – than you would pay to rent a custom-built booth.

We are here to answer any other questions you may have when considering renting a hard wall booth. We also offer discounts for clients who participate in two or more shows throughout the year and choose to be part of our multi-show contract.

Thank you,
Lloyd Stone
President, Manny Stone Decorators

Manny Stone Decorators’ 60th Anniversary noted with Peacock Alley at the 2013 NYIGF

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Peacock Alley discusses their experience working with Manny Stone Decorators at the 2013 New York International Gift Fair. It is noted that while Peacock Alley is celebrating their 40th Anniversary of being in business, Manny Stone Decorators is now celebrating their 60th Anniversary.