Questions? Call us. 727-823-1965

Questions? Call us. 727-823-1965

Not that long ago, buying a trade show booth was a major undertaking. If you were going to participate in a lot of shows, you might go to the expense of having a custom booth made.

If you didn’t plan to display at shows frequently, you might have graphic panels created that could be placed on modular frames, so that when the show was over, you would ship your graphics to wherever you were storing them and the modules to your rental source.

Depending on the show, you might be able to rent the modules you need directly from the trade show producer or exhibit hall.

In either case, the word lightweight would not be associated with your display. And at trade shows, weight matters.

At major trade shows in large, big city arenas with union crews, you pay to have your exhibit shipped to the arena. Then, you pay drayage to have your exhibit moved from the loading dock to your assigned booth location. Shipping and drayage charges are both determined by weight. Obviously, the lighter the better.

Fabric to the Rescue

Today, the solid panels of yesteryear are largely being replaced by fabric panels, for a variety of reasons.

  • Fabric display panels are lightweight
  • They can be rolled up or folded until needed, which makes them easy to transport and store
  • Fabric holds up over time
  • Graphics look great on fabric

This last point is important for any business, large or small, whether they have all the money in the world to spend or have a very limited budget. Going to a trade show and not looking great is a waste of time and money. When you choose fabric, you have two ways of looking great.

Your graphics provider might be able to print directly onto a fabric panel with a wide-format inkjet printer very similar to the one you have at home, but don’t try this at home. If the job is set up and handled properly, the results should be excellent and will cost less.

For absolutely stunning fabric panels, choose dye-sublimation printing. In dye-sublimation printing, the dye is transferred from a solid to a gas onto the fabric. The higher the polyester count of the fabric, the stronger the bond with the dye. The result is a crisp, bright image that “pops.”

There is no shortage of stand types to hold your fabric display panel, so you have a variety of affordable, lightweight (but substantial) options for setting up your display.

Just Say No to Vinyl

You may find a trade show display vendor who will offer to save you money by producing your panels in vinyl instead of fabric. And while it is true that vinyl is less expensive than fabric, it should not be used to lower costs for your trade show booth. Here are three reasons why.

  1. Vinyl banners are perfect for outdoor use, but they won’t give you the same image quality as fabric up close and indoors.
  2. In photographs, vinyl often reflects the flash, so the graphic is not seen.
  3. When someone sees your trade show booth, and especially when they visit, you want to impress them. Vinyl does not impress.

Leveling the Playing Field

Many large companies that display at trade shows frequently have already switched over to fabric, or are in the process.

If you are the owner/operator of a smaller businesses and you’ve been shy about trying to compete with the big dogs at trade shows, fabric won’t make your booth as big or fancy as theirs, but it will allow you to make a great impression at a much lower cost than you would have had to pay just a few years ago.

Need a new or revised display for your upcoming events? Contact Bayprint for assistance you can count on.

When dependability matters, count on Bayprint to deliver perfect products to promote and market your business.