Your Ad Here

Thursday, May 24, 2007

Make an Impact with Your Trade Show Display Graphic Images

Avoid Headaches & Time When Submitting Graphics for Your Exhibit

So, you’ve decided on the trade show display you think will best represent your company. And after deciding on the model, the trade show graphics you select are the next most important element to help you really stand out at a trade show – your graphics.

Just as you want your trade show display materials to be as professional as possible, you want your trade show display graphic images to be as bold, clean and powerful as possible. The steps to achieving this are quite simple, but require a good marketing foundation, some creativity to develop eye-catching graphics and a thorough understanding of how to prepare those graphics for use in your trade show display.

Here, we are going to focus on the last step – gathering information and preparing your trade show graphic for submission to the trade show display company’s production department. Each company has a different procedure which makes it essential you work directly with the company from which you purchased your display. Make sure you learn the specifics of each step of the design process, from submitting your graphics files to receiving a proof/sample of how the final product will look.

Below are some details to keep in mind before you call, so you can help make the process as seamless as possible.

Minimum size – The files must be appropriately sized in order for the trade show graphics to work. If your image is too small, or the resolution of your photography is too low, blowing it up to a size that will fit your trade show display and accessories will result in a distorted or blurry image. Ask for the smallest and largest acceptable dimensions for your graphic images to avoid needless design steps with the design department.

Dye Sublimation or Ink Jet - Dye Sublimation fabric prints produce higher resolution than ink jet graphics, but at a higher price. If you furnish graphics files that are a minimum of 400 dpi, you may be able to get finished graphics that are more than four times that size. If your budget is limited, ink jet graphics may be a better option.

Color Match – Your version of royal blue may not be the same as the trade show graphic designers’ version of royal blue. And asking to see an electronic sample can be tricky, because the different settings on different computer monitors can distort the color’s appearance – and the same goes for printouts as well. Because of this, many designers use Pantone color models as standardized guidelines for choosing universal colors. Find out which ones your design team follow and choose a color that best represents your company from there.

Fonts – It is recommended you outline or rasterize all the different types of fonts used in your trade show display graphic images – especially if your graphic combines actual text files with graphic files to create one graphical element or file. However prior to outlining your text double check the spelling.

Format – Should your trade show graphic be submitted as an Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, Quark Xpress or InDesign file? Does the design department prefer a .tif, .pdf, .eps file or some other file format? Also, should you submit your materials on a CD, DVD, ZIP disc or upload it to a FTP site? Does the design department work on PC, Mac or both?

Production Time – Begin your submission timeline by backtracking from the time you expect to receive the completed trade show display. Ask your customer service rep how long it will take the company to complete the trade show graphic production to determine when you should expect delivery. Don’t make the schedule too tight – you want to leave some wiggle room for yourself and the designers in case there are any obstacles or last minute details to be worked out.

Your trade show display introduces your company to trade show visitors and prospective clients before they ever meet anyone from your company. Your trade show graphics are the most important part of creating that first impression, and can make or break your image.

By discussing your graphics concept(s) with your customer service rep at the very beginning of the design process you can streamline the process to ensure your trade show graphic images will be the most compelling they can be. Follow these preliminary guidelines to save yourself and the graphic design team time and frustration.

Seven Secrets That Successful Trade Show Exhibitors Do Not Want You to Know

Why are certain companies consistently successful at trade shows? They understand and practice the processes of targeting and follow-up. You can increase your return on investment by utilizing the same secrets that successful companies want to keep hidden.

1. Understand the primary reason you are participating it the trade show - You can use a trade show for many purposes. You may want to introduce a new product or service, announce updates of classic products that better serve your clients, search for new prospects, scope out the competition or perform market research. Successful companies realize that they can only focus on one or two issues per trade show. They make easy-to-understand offers with which targeted clients and prospects can immediately identify.

2. Plan for your target audience - One main reason a company will fail to have a positive return on their investment from a trade show is because they expect to talk with all of the attendees who walk past their booth. They are not clear who their best prospects are, how to identify them or how to quickly qualify their purchasing needs. These companies have the “yank them in” mentality. They want volume, and waste time with poor prospects while the solid gold prospect get frustrated and leaves.

3. Pre-invite targeted customers and prospects - Once you know what products or services you are featuring at the show, you can contact the appropriate clients and invite them to visit your booth to give them a special preview of your offer. This is an excellent opportunity to cross-sell your existing customers and ask them for referrals. Successful companies realize that existing clients are a fantastic source for increasing sales, without the investment in time that developing new clients require.

4. Give them a real reason to visit you - If you use candy and gimmicks to attract people, you will get people with sweet tooths who like gimmicks, not good prospects who want what you have to offer.

The real reason must be clearly stated and benefit-oriented to the customer or prospect. They do not care if you have the latest or greatest product or service, they want to know how they will benefit from it. Unsuccessful companies (generally 90% of exhibitors) spend a great deal of time and money telling everyone who will listen how great they are and how good their service is. The 10% of companies who are successful forget their ego and focus on the customer’s benefits.

5. Don’t waste their time (or yours) at the show - Use the brief time you have with a prospect to ask them questions about their company and qualify them. Practice with your colleagues so that you will be able to determine if the booth visitors are appropriate prospects within 30 seconds. If not, practice thanking them for stopping by and excuse yourself.

If you determine that they are a good prospect that will benefit from your offer, ask for permission to contact them the week after the show. Make an appointment for a phone call. Keep that appointment. You will be the only person who does, and they will be impressed with your professionalism. Use that phone call to further qualify and set up a meeting or demonstration.

6. Do not plan to give demonstrations at your booth - While it is appropriate to have your equipment or materials at the booth, it is not the place to give in-depth product demonstrations. If you want to have the ability to give a 10, 20 or 30 minute demo, rent a separate room and set up a quiet place (with refreshments) so that your customer or prospect gets your full attention (and you get theirs). They will love and remember the VIP treatment.

7. Follow-up, follow-up, follow-up - You will dramatically improve your return on your trade show investment simply by staying in touch with the customers and prospects you have qualified at your booth. Most companies incorrectly assume that the prospect will remember them when they are ready to buy. If you stay in touch with them regularly with informative direct mail, faxes and personal calls, they will automatically think of you when the time is right.

These seven secrets are the keys to increasing the return on your trade show investment. Successful companies understand that it is necessary to involve all of their staff in the preparation, execution and follow-up procedures discussed here. Growing the profitability of your company can be assured when all of your team members understand the goals and can contribute effectively.

Ordering Late… What to Do When Time is NOT on Your Side!

Let me ask you this question – What portion of your overall responsibility would you say includes purchasing promotional products for tradeshows? Probably less than 1%, right?! This is probably the reason why so many buyers find themselves ordering late and paying for rush service and overnight shipping.

So Why Does It Take So Long?

Think about this - every promotional product we sell is customized. Unlike retail products, these products aren’t just taken off shelves and shipped. The reality is that they require time to produce.

So what should you expect when it comes to timing? Well to start, you should figure on the art preparation (1 to 2 days) the production (standard 5 to 10 days) and the shipping (ground 1 to 5 days).

A good rule of thumb is standard production on most items with shipping and art prep require 3 to 4 weeks from the time you order to the time you receive your goods. Keep in mind some products require more or less time.
The bottom line is this - if you order early, you will save money and eliminate unnecessary stress.

Rush Jobs Go Bad

Consider this. If you think paying through the nose to rush an order is your biggest problem, guess again! The fact is- rush orders have twice the risk of creating much bigger problems. Imagine getting the wrong product, having a misprint, or even missing a delivery in time for the show.

So what should you do? Remember, there are approximately 5000 manufacturers in this industry. The problems start when you pick a product you see on a large website or catalog and your distributor has to deal with a manufacturer they have no experience with.
The solution? Keep it simple… And believe me when I tell you to trust only about 50 of them.

I’m a firm believer in the “under-promise,” “over-deliver” philosophy. If I can’t say with confidence that I can’t get an order to them on time – I will tell them that. Better that, than let them down and ruin my customer’s confidence in my service.

Believe me when I tell you again - there are a large majority of manufacturers in this industry who simply do not care about you or me. But always keep in mind that there are 50 great suppliers who do.

Why Should Your Small Company Attend Trade Shows?

Many small business owners believe that exhibiting at a trade show is out of their league, mainly because of financial considerations.

They believe large companies have large marketing departments with large budgets. Not only is a trade show booth unaffordable, they also don't know how to design, transport, and assemble a booth, or how to go about working a trade show.Except for the budgetary concern of actually renting space on the trade show floor, all other concerns can be overcome. Even if you’re just starting a business or running a small company, it’s important to attend and exhibit at trade shows.

Why? Here are some important reasons: Attending Trade shows Allow You to Meet Your Competitors.

First, you’ll meet the competition. How do you compare with them?
Trade Shows Will Get You Noticed by Prospective Clients There are more than a couple of reasons to attend trade shows; meeting potential clients, making sales and promoting your business are top reasons.


originally reported by : Newest Promotion products.com

Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Site Build It!


Imagine If ...
... you could build a professional Web site and drive thousands of warm, targeted, open-to-buy visitors to it, every day? Now imagine doing it...

all by yourself, regardless of subject or business

with a simple all-tools-in-one-place process

for less than a dollar a day.

Do you have a particular skill (cartoonist, fitness trainer, copywriter) or passion/knowledge (Siamese cats, chocolate, premium coffees, mountain climbing or sports cars, favorite city or Caribbean island, etc.)? Convert that into a Web site -- the content attracts interested visitors, who in turn generate profits for your new business.Or perhaps you already have a business, online or off? Sell your services and/or products by attracting warm, willing-to-buy visitors.
Let us show you how Site Build It! (SBI!) does it

Will it be easy? No. "Get Rich Quick" is a fraud. This is business. Will it be do-able? Absolutely -- even for Jim, who has zero tech and marketing skills. That is why you need a mentor...

The SBI! Action Guide is much more than a manual. Think of it as a mentor who escorts and advises you, who shows you what e-commerce really is. Upon completion, You will have a site that fires on all four cylinders. His in-demand Content will attract Traffic, targeted visitors who are PREsold by the quality information. Then, and only then, will you be ready to Monetize. And monetize you will! Content Traffic PREsell Monetize... the only way for small business to succeed online. Keep this process in mind as your next click starts the process by brainstorming Content. That's the beginning of the answer to your question...

SBI! Web hosting is high-speed and reliable (redundancy, backups, etc.) of course. And it includes automatic annual renewal of your domain name, unlimited e-mail (with unique Spam 'n Virus Blast It!) and all the usual features of top-notch hosting. But honestly... hosting is hosting nowadays. Any good company can do that well. It's the C T P M process, and all the tools (many of them unique on the Web) to execute it perfectly, that makes your site work. After all, without targeted, PREsold traffic, does your site really exist?

If you're an HTML "pro," use your favorite HTML editor (DreamWeaver, FrontPage, etc.) and graphics program (PhotoShop, etc.) to create your own Look & Feel.

But uh-oh.... you may not be a designer. No HTML or design ability, whatsoever. No problem! SBI! offers cutting-edge through-the-browser design capabilities. You chooses from a wide selection of professional, customizable, ready-to-use templates, uses the built-in tools to add his personal touch, and presto... high-class, fun design!


Sponsored by : Digital Metamorphis

Friday, May 18, 2007

Featured trade shows for June 2007

Every month we will try to keep you updated about all future trade shows and any news regarding the industry. If you know of one that is not listed please leave a comment and help us out. It is apperciated!

Below are a few of the fetured upcoming Trade Shows as listed on GlobalSource.com for June 2007. If you are attending these or any future Trade Shows or even just need a banner, table drape or can use any of our services please stop by our site at Digital Metamorphis Trade Show displays


June 01 - 05, 2007
Swiss Watch by JCK
Venue:
The Venetian Hotel Resort and Casino, Las Vegas
Organizer:
Reed Exhibitions
Telephone:
(1) 952-828 7100
Products:
Watch & Jewelry

June 02 - 03, 2007
Houston Bead Market
Venue:
The Stafford Centre
Organizer:
Positive Progress Productions
Telephone:
(1) 903-734 3335
Products:
Gemstones, Pearls, Buttons, Glass, Tools, Jewelry, Lampwork, Seed Beads

June 07 - 09, 2007
Printwear Show
Venue:
Charlotte Convention Center
Organizer:
National Business Media
Telephone:
(1) 800-669 - 0424
Products:
Business of apparel decorating, Screen printing, Embroidery, Heat-applied graphics, Digital textile printing, Sublimation, Apparel

June 07 - 09, 2007
Sign Business & Digital Graphics Show 2007
Venue:
Charlotte Convention Center
Organizer:
National Business Media
Telephone:
(1) 800-669 - 0424
Products:
Sign business & digital graphics show; Signs, banners and industrial fabrics, Digital printing and wide-format graphics, Dimensional sign making, Vehicle and marine graphics

June 14 - 16, 2007
eBay Live! 2007
Venue:
Boston Convention & Exhibition Center
Organizer:
eBay
Telephone:
(1) 866-645-5619
Products:
Clothing, shoes and accessories, motors, electronicsVisit Global Sources at Booth number 1131

June 23 - 24, 2007
Arkansas Bead Market
Venue:
Ft. Smith Convention Center
Organizer:
Positive Progress Productions
Telephone:
(1) 903-734 3335
Products:
Gemstones, Pearls, Buttons, Glass, Tools, Jewelry, Lampwork, Seed Beads

Sunday, May 13, 2007

Canvas and Poster Prints

Digital Metamorphis is here to help you, treasure the most valuable moments of your life! We are here to create custom contemporary wall art, and digital art work for you. We are even great at restoring old photos, which have seen better days! Everything is one of a kind, and personally cared for like it was our own!


Canvas Prints

Our canvas prints are beautiful prints that have a museum quality look and feel. This is accomplished by printing directly on to photographic canvas paper. With our archival inks your canvas will last a lifetime guaranteed. Also all canvas prints come mounted onto stretcher boards for that complete museum quality look!

Poster Prints

These Wonderful prints are basic enlargements. However the image printed on them is far from basic. They are printed on high gloss photographic paper. When you order one of these you can recieve almost any size print of your photo or the design created for you. You will also choose a size if you want enlargements of your restoration project.

Introducing the New Xpression 3D Pop UP Display

A great Xpressions pop up trade show booth allows you to display your company’s message in an amazing stylish new design.

As one of the exclusive distributors, Digital Metamorphis is excited to introduce the new inventive Xpressions pop up displays. The unique characteristics of Xpressions trade show booth products enhance the creative appeal and energy of your marketing message. The trade show audience is invited to explore the depth, movement and excitement not found with traditional tradeshow exhibits. Enjoy viewing the latest designs below and imagine the possibilities for your brand or service using anXpressions exhibit display.

The new Xpression pop-up displays provide a unique and different way to market your company. Utilizing the geodesic aluminum pop-up frame with removable fabric trade show graphics panels this system allows for the easiest set up and tear down of any portable trade show display. The ease of removing the trade show graphics on the front (or the back) of these units makes them particularly advantageous to company’s whose message changes on a regular basis. Also, unique to the Xpression, images can be mount on top of and covering or partially covering background images. This creates the unique 3 dimensional look of the Xpression.
Xpressions innovative fabric panel pop-up displays go up in just seconds. So lightweight and easy to do, these displays can be easily transported in a shoulder bag and opened in less than one minute. Trade show display set-up has never been easier!

The Xpressions system comes in 60 different fabric panel variations for dramatic visual effects. Fabric panels can be changed and updated easily and for far less than the cost of traditional vinyl display panels.

To find out more about Xpressions pop-up fabric panel display systems from Digital Metamorphis, call or e-mail us today.

Digital Metamorphis Intergrates Custom Trade Show Displays into Their Product Line

Digital Metamorphis is announcing all new products and services. The last few years Digital Metamorphis has been steadily growing as a custom canvas a poster print and design firm. Now DM is offering design and manufacturing services for the trade show display industry. They also offer any and all point of purchase signage that may be needed by a number of small and large businesses. They are not going to stop the customized design and print services, just adding to their already large list of products and services.
“We just wanted to offer our customers and any future customers, any and all print needs they may require! Our canvas and poster customers have come to know and enjoy our high quality prints and customer service. It is now time to offer that same quality to our trade show customers. We have already been offering this service for the past few months.”
There has always been a top notch graphics department at Digital Metamorphis, but now it has grown in size. There are now have, two more, large format printers. One that is set up for direct printing to vinyl banner material. They also have dye sublimation printer that prints to our paper which is later ran through a new heat press along with the specified fabric.
DM now has a full metal shop that constructs their aluminum tube frames for stock shape tension fabric displays and any custom shape that may be needed. There is also a full finishing depart that is responsible for all sewing and test fitting the fabric skins onto the frame prior to being shipped.
Digital Metamorphis is starting to integrate complete custom display design that includes all structures, frames, and skins. Offered as well are any of the well, known Truss Display Systems.
“We offer many of the current displays that are on the market already, including the most popular pop up displays of all sizes. We are also offering a wonderful product by the name of The Xpression 3D pop up display. The Xpression displays are the newest tradeshow display format on the market. Innovative and eye catching, these trade show booths will grab your audience’s attention.”
Digital Metamorphis asks that you stop by their website and see if you can benefit from any of their services. “If you can we know you will enjoy them as much as we do making them!”