7 Ways You Can Save on Exhibit Storage
Everything needs to be accounted for financially when you are preparing for a trade show or exhibit, including the strategies for storing your show materials.
Keeping track of booths, merchandise, and construction materials can be a hassle and cost your business unnecessary money. The following are seven tips and tricks to saving cash while effectively storing your show materials.
#1 Consider Shipping from One Show to the Next
This option works better for companies who do many trade shows rather than just one every now and then. You can save a lot of dough just touring the exhibit from one location to the next one instead of creating a permanent home for the booth in between events. The fees to keep your materials in the host cities for a couple of extra days before sending it over will often cost less in fees than a rental storage facility.
#2 House Your Booth on Company Grounds
If you have any extra rooms that could be used for storage on the campus of your business, then the solution should obviously be to store your exhibit stuff right at home. You won’t have to pay any third party any extra money, and the materials will be conveniently located right on site so there is never any risk of losing anything.
#3 Throw Away Useless or Old Materials
It is natural human instinct to take objects or materials that we aren’t using anymore and shove them off in a corner, never to be thought again. The problem with this strategy is that after a while, you will find there is a finite space to keep new stuff. Instead of renting out more storage units, go through your inventory and see if there is anything that can be discarded and replaced with new items.
#4 Find New Ways to Store Products
Have you ever made a big dinner and then struggled to fit all the dishes into the dishwasher at first glance? You think you have everything placed perfectly, but it just won’t fit. Someone else in the family comes over from the couch and rearranges the pots and bowls, and suddenly there is enough space for everything!
The same concept applies to storing your booth materials. When packing them for storage, consider the different shapes and sizes and try to piece everything together like a jigsaw puzzle until it fits into a smaller space that will be more cost-effective.
#5 Simplify Your Booth
Do you really need all the stuff involved in your exhibit to make a show successful? Simplify the show at large and this will cut down on the bells and whistles that jam your storage space so full until you are paying out the nose. The most concise booth is often the most successful and attractive to customers.
#6 Ask for a Better Deal
If you frequent a certain location, ask the storage director if they can cut you a better deal for doing so much business with them. Just like with any other business venture, regular customers get cuts that others don’t get as often. It certainly doesn’t hurt to negotiate.
#7 Cut Out All the Extra Services
Many companies find out they are paying for extra amenities from their storage companies, like security or help shipping from one location to the next. Consider cutting costs by doing some of this stuff yourself or forgoing it entirely.
Storage Takes Creativity
When considering all the tips above, it is important to remember that creativity and flexibility will always be your most valuable traits when trying to save money with trade show storage. If you are willing to think about different options, you can save money in unexpected places!
DJ Heckes, Author
Owner/CEO
EXHIB-IT!
