Trade shows are big business—$13 billion big, according to a recent report by IBISWorld. The latest Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR) Index Report released in March shows the overall exhibition industry posted a relatively strong rebound of 2.7 percent in 2011 after struggling through three years of decline due to the sluggish economy, with growth forecast to continue through 2014.

And where big business is, lots of companies are jockeying to get their slice of the pie. But with the common misperception that a “sign company” can’t handle high-end trade show graphics, how do you make sure you get your piece of that pie?

In reality, the signage and graphics industry is uniquely qualified to provide visual communications support to tradeshows. In this column, we’re highlighting just a few of the reasons you can share with your clients to promote your services.

Knowledge of Large-Format

Perhaps no industry segment has a better understanding of large-format graphics than signage providers. At Signs By Tomorrow, some of our centers have produced graphics large enough to cover multiple-story buildings. These are highly complex projects that require not just knowledge of the equipment and materials available, but also an innovative approach to designing the graphics and knowing how to install them.

Thanks to that deep experience and knowledge, signage companies are extremely qualified to develop large-format trade show graphics that are eye-catching, practical to set up and break down, and durable. Knowing that these large-format images are highly effective in terms of faster impression times, we translate that to trade shows and events during which you have just seconds to capture a prospect’s attention.

Turnaround Time

Our name says it all – Signs “By Tomorrow.” Even if you don’t have it in your name, there’s no doubt our industry is built for speed. We find time and again that what keeps customers coming back is the trust that we can meet even the most challenging of deadlines, without sacrificing quality.

When dealing with trade shows and exhibits, it seems there is never enough time to pull everything together. Whether a customer became aware of a show at the last minute or had to wait for a prototype to be done for photography, display graphics are often a rush project, and our business model is built to not just meet this need, but thrive under these challenging conditions. This ability to provide quick turn times on both design and production provides a great opportunity for us to market to companies facing looming deadlines.

Pricing

While many businesses associate a premium price with premium quality, this is simply not the case. In reality, the options available to us in the signage and graphics industry allow us to mix and match products to deliver high-end display materials at a competitive price. Due to our business model of offering a wide variety of products and services to the market, our industry is not solely dependent on tradeshow graphics, which translates to more competitive pricing.

Customization

For years, customers had to choose between a generic display to fit a limited budget or pay a fortune for a custom exhibit. That’s no longer the case, particularly for providers in our industry. Most signage and graphics companies have access to a wide variety of materials that can be quickly, easily, and affordably customized to reflect the client’s brand without breaking the bank.

For instance, Signs By Tomorrow was able to develop a dynamic custom display for a start-up manufacturer of fashion accessories for tweens and teens. Rather than providing a conventional pop-up type display, Signs By Tomorrow created free-standing panels featuring this company’s unique products and brand while reinforcing its high-end market appeal. We even developed a custom product display to showcase our client’s product offerings that they wound up offering to their retailers as in-store POP displays. This ability to customize to meet a client’s individual needs and work with their specific budget is one of the hallmarks of our industry.