Trade shows are not like art galleries. They are very fast-paced, and mistakes can not only cost money but possible clients and partners. It’s important to employ the best practices.
Planning, Designing, And Printing Mistakes to Look Out For at Trade Shows
Like Cinderella needing the perfect dress to go to the ball, a business needs the perfect booth setup to go to a trade show. Let Midwest Custom Print be your business’ mouse tailors in that case for the best practices when it comes to event preparation and custom printing. In a setting where eye catching designs and marketing materials matter the most, it’s important to be aware of the following pitfalls when planning your trade show booth setup and custom table covers and banner stands:
- Low quality graphic designs on custom table covers, banner stands, and more.
- Lack of branding unity with custom printed marketing materials.
- Placing your custom print order at the last minute just days before the trade show.
- Overdesigning a table cover or banner stand.
Low Resolution Graphics –The Most Common Printing Mistake
This goes beyond just branded tablecloth errors. It’s a mistake that can be made with anything from a custom sticker to apparel –the dreaded low-resolution graphics. Custom design submittals need to be high quality resolution free from blurry or pixelated logos that could reflect poorly on your brand. If something as simple as your brand is poorly optimized to trade show guests, then they may perceive your products and services as such.
As a general rule of thumb, always submit your custom printing designs in the PDF file format for the best image quality. You can also directly change the image’s resolution with a right-click in the “properties and details” or the “get more info” tabs. You’ll be able to edit the design’s resolution or DPI (dots per inch). High quality images have a DPI of at least 300. The lower the DPI, then the blurrier an image may appear. Avoid mistakes and blurriness by considering your custom design’s resolution before submitting them for printing.
Inconsistent Branding With Custom Marketing Materials
At a trade show, a uniformed branding is key. You can get creative with your logo with a wide range of variants, but you have to pick one. Trying to showcase creativity with different fonts, colors, and stickers will only lead to customer and client confusion. The goal of trade show displays is to create a cohesive brand identity that a new pair of eyes can easily digest and follow with one glance. Inconsistent branding can dilute that.
Instead of having a different design or logo on your trade show booth’s table cover, banner, or stickers that you may hand out to guests –keep it consistent with the same font, colors, and designs across all boards. If you do feel a rebranding or change in logo is in order, it must be reapplied to everything.
The Dangers of Last-Minute Custom Printed Materials
Trade shows will usually be announced months in advance so attending businesses have time to prepare. While printing shops like Midwest Custom Print offer rush services, it’s generally not recommended you rely on them for custom printed table runners and booth materials at the last minute. Because of the rush in services, printing errors are more likely to occur and the quality of the work may not be as good as it could be. There may also be unforeseen delays in production or shipping based on business days. This all makes the extra cost for rush services hardly worth it.
According to event planners, trade show preparation can take anywhere from three to six months depending on the event. Again, it’s a good thing that trade shows are announced nearly a year in advance for the sake of saving time. Trade show preparation goes beyond just having your booth materials ready and printed in time. It’s also about budget and inventory management for the event. So, it helps to start half of a year in advance with your custom printed materials completed well before the month of the trade show.
Over Designed And Complex Table Runners Are Eyesores
This is another example of how being too creative can be a mistake. The only table covers that are covered top to bottom are those that have just been eaten on and that is not a look for a trade show booth setup. In this case, less is more when it comes to custom event printing. The look at trade shows is clean and uniform with clear branding and a complexly designed table cover with too many colors printed will stick out like a sore thumb.
Your logo and a plain white background is all you need for a trade show appearance –simple iconography that identifies your business and establishes a presence. The layout should be kept clear, and the messaging should be clear to the passerby. The same can also be said for other booth elements like banner stands.
Avoid Printing Mistakes in Chicago With Midwest Custom Print
Reduce errors and avoid mistakes in your custom printing solutions for event planning with Midwest Custom Print in Chicago. We recognize that operating with these pitfalls in mind doesn’t just provide you with good customer service, but also provides your business with a professional and effective presence at your next trade show. We’re also ready to help customers preparing to make their first trade show appearance and provide custom table covers, banners, and more that will last in the long term and more shows to come. Visit our free quote and consultation for printing services as you start preparations for your next event.
