Derek has over 10 years of experience with custom exhibits, event marketing, rental solutions and client management. Derek worked at MICE and Osgood two custom exhibit houses as well as Lewellen & Best. Derek helped orchestrate event marketing with integrated branding solutions for companies such as Westinghouse Digital, Foxwoods Resorts Casino and Hyundai KIA.

Skyline’s Chicago Exhibit Dealer, Tradetec adds Derek Swain as Senior Exhibit Consultant to assist exhibitors and event marketers in Illinois. Meet Derek at – http://budurl.com/DerekSwain

Trade Shows can be full of unnecessary surprises, of which can have a costly effect on your bottom line and in turn can head your Trade Show ROI in the wrong direction.  Putting in place solutions for cost effective trade show planning will eliminate some of the typical surprises exhibitors face.

Prevention of trade show mishaps is by far one of the easiest solutions for cutting costs in your event planning.  Whether it’s missed deadlines, shipping errors or inspection of your exhibit properties.

The question is not if you should exhibit, it’s whether you are exhibiting smarter?  There is a familiarity with the process of trade shows, whether it’s shipping, design, I&D or storage of properties, if you are unfamiliar with the specifics, the bottom line can become over inflated and you will not be able to judge the true ROI of your trade shows.

Having the ability to produce reports that will calculate the efforts of your marketing department is key to future planning of trade shows and corporate events.  With a small amount of time invested on the front end with the importing and refining of data online trade show & exhibit management can become a streamlined tool.

As in anything whether it’s in our personal or business lives, having in place a structured routine will alleviate stress related triggers.   Getting organized for trade shows and having one location that you can touch on all the details, will allow you to shift your focus on  your companies core competencies and will allow your marketing department and event management team to become more proficient.

With the concerns of lay-off’s and cutbacks, defining your position within your marketing department needs to become a focused effort.  Aligning yourself  with an event management partner and solution provider will only strengthen your efforts.

When it comes to your upcoming 2009 & 2010 trade shows, set in motion a plan of action, a plan of organization & structure.  Decreasing the trade show mishaps with easy to use  event management software is a cost effective & reliable solution.

Exhibit halls are still packed and bring together buyers and sellers in an environment where you companies are looking for solutions.  Helping them, helps you.

Tradetec – Skyline Chicago is not only your source for Trade Show Displays & Exhibits, we are a solution provider and a partner for your trade show management success.

With the addition of Manage My Trade Shows we will help familiarize your trade show managers and coordinators with a powerful online trade show software so that they will be able to report, schedule, follow up and refine your trade show program.

Having recently read that 80% of trade show attendee’s never receive a follow up call after the trade show has ended.  The major reason for exhibiting is to reach potential buyers, where do your leads go? If those 80% are not being contacted by your competition, it’s time to put in place a lead follow up program.  With online event management software, you can easily determine your marketing ROI and cost per lead.

Having the ability to print reports and analyze your companies strongest trade show performances will give you the ability to focus on your overall marketing goals and shed light on where your company may not be as efficient or cost effective when it comes to your trade show marketing.

Where will your exhibit need to be next?
Was it all intact at the end of the show?
Are your light bulbs burned out?

By teaming up with an outsource partner for trade show management, you have a virtual safety net, where all the detailed tasks are collected and can be customized to best refine your companies trade show marketing campaigns.Outsourcing trade show event management to an educated and knowledgeable firm adds extra benefit to your entire trade show program.  Managers may be reluctant to turn over this responsibility, in fear they may be replaceable, this is not the case.  Using a trade show management software and having a reliable source and partner that is familiar with the exhibiting industry, will allow you to eliminate the details and the headaches of research and information gathering and free up valuable time that can be better spent on refining your overall marketing strategies.

Putting in place a service team that will care for your properties like they were theirs, you’ll no longer have the wrong graphics, late shipments, broken components or lost schedules. Chicago is home of McCormick Place and The Donald E. Stephenson Convention Center, Manage My Trade Shows can assist with show books and trade show services, no matter where your next show is.
Trade Show Managers carry the weight of the entire event, streamlining this process and being able to report budget vs. actual and refining your strategy can be accomplished easily with the support of online event management tool.

Being able to show upper management the return on investment for their trade shows will only help in future decision making. Having access to your trade show program from any where in the world, there is no down time when it comes to scheduling, itineraries, inventory & shipping and tracking your exhibit properties.

Showing the value your marketing strategies is getting tougher with budgets being crunched, jobs being re-defined and strategies changing.

Focus your trade show exhibit display on only a few of your strong market place products, over stocking your exhibit with every product in your portfolio will overwhelm the attendee’s that are looking for specific solutions.  Many attendee’s are being more selective of what they are looking for and have come to the trade show with an agenda.

Trade Show Display Themes should fit the particular venue/tradeshow, your companies overall marketing goals, and most importantly, your targeted audience.

The design of your trade show graphics should draw attention, at a quick glance, you want your trade show graphics to broadcast a solution as well as answer the questions that may be on the minds of your targeted audience.

By create a sense of warmth with the placement of lighting, you will be putting an emphasis on your products and solutions that will be inviting to your prospects.

Tradetec Chicago Trade Show Displays can assist in your exhibit solutions by helping you Exhibit Smarter, Not Less Often.

Tradetec offers custom modular exhibit that help eliminate shipping and drayage costs, these solutions coupled with an online trade show program management tool, that can help eliminate any confusion when it comes to managing your exhibit program.

Have you ever hit the trade show floor only to find out…..

Your trade show graphics are torn, tattered or faded?
The I&D Guy has not been scheduled?
Your missing electrical cords?
The booth staff has disappeared at show close, and you are left to pack up by yourself?

With a comprehensive trade show exhibit program management system, you are able to schedule your booth staff, your electrical drawings and diagrams are accessible online from anywhere in the world, you have the ability to track the ROI of your tradeshow for marketing analysis, and the ability to copy your entire sales force & marketing department via email regarding all activity involved with specific shows, so that everyone is on the same page when those trade show floor doors open.

A dedicated exhibit management partner can give you reliability and a sense of security, knowing that the small details of your exhibit program are taken care of can free up your time to focus on your prospective clients.

By taking full advantage of your trade show exhibit space you can reach corporate marketers, establish your position and brand to the B2B Market.  When you are looking to market your companies products and brand, there is ample opportunity at B2B Trade Shows, beginning a sales process with a large base of future customers.

New product launches at B2B Trade Shows can be successful and create impact for your companies future growth and help in your long term marketing goals.  Focus on the message you are looking to create, establish your objective’s early and entice your audience with pre-show mailers & sneak previews.

One of your main objectives in B2B Marketing is generating leads, keeping well documented information and defining your lead management plans with your sales team will help in the follow through of your sales effort.  With online trade show management software, your information can be maintained easily and reliably and is at your fingertips for reporting cost per lead, follow up, budgeting & inventory management twenty four hours a day.

B2B trade shows are a major source for word of mouth marketing, and many of the attendee’s have great influence on their peers, bringing back solutions and strategies.  With proper trade show management, strategy & event planning, your name could be one that solution.

Asset Management is an intregal part of your trade show programs & strategy, streamling your trade show display solutions with Event and Inventory Asset Management software is unique, cost effective, and will change your perspective on how to efficiently manage even the smallest of trade show schedules.

Tradetec Skyline Chicago offers a trade show booth portfolio of creative and captivating exhibit designs from tabletop displays, island exhibits, marketing kiosks, portable displays, pop-up displays and in-line exhibits.  Making sure that everything involved with your trade show program is trade show ready.

With Tradetec Skyline Chicago’s on-line event management system, you are able to see real-time trade show inventory detail, track ROI’s, select & view literature and promotional items.  Eliminating any confusion you may face while trying to manage your exhibit program.

Trends change over night, and keeping an eye on your trade show strategy can be beneficial. Determine which elements of your trade show marketing have worked best for you and focus on building around those elements of your trade show marketing.  If your trade show display has many visitors, but you feel your leads are not as significant as you had hoped, you may need to concentrate on your booth staffing and your presentation.

Being able to measure the results of your trade show management and marketing is essential in moving forward with a good strategy. It’s essential to have a plan in place for reporting and viewing good results as well as bad results, this way you can pin point the best direction to take for future trade shows. With an online trade show event management program you can have information & reports at your finger tips.

By reviewing your trade show management & marketing frequently you are able to make adjustments accordingly and alter your game plan. Looking ahead at your budget for the next year, you can use up to date data and this will give you a strong foundation for your upcoming trade show season.

There are several factors that need to be addressed to make for a flawless and streamlined exhibiting experience:

Trade Show Labor
Furnishing & Carpeting
Material Handling
Graphics & Exhibit Design
Exhibit & Event Rigging
Cleaning Services
Transportation & Freight
Show Books
Exhibit Fabrication & Management

Trade Show Services can be baffling to new and experienced exhibitors alike, with many hours going into a project only to find out one or more of the small details of your trade show services were overlooked. A Professional Trade Show Service Team that works with exhibit halls, shipping firms, and designers on a daily basis, can offer your company a support system that will work together to solve any issues before, during and after your trade shows. Giving to you innovative solutions that will create valuable results to your bottom line.

The exhibit design, fabrication and logistics is an investment that requires proper planning. Often times exhibitors can loose focus on the details of trade show services, investing time & money in chasing down details and/or issues, trying to find the right person that can help them with an answer. With an online trade show service management program you get quick access to:

· Save time by quickly tapping into all event-related information

· Access and share marketing objectives and goals

· Organize trade show schedules, graphics, properties, and records in real-time

· Meet a multitude of deadlines

· Collaborate with team members 24/7 from the show floor, office, or on the road

· Access historical information on events including layout, costs, and show details

· Jump-start new employees by providing work flow based event information

· Manage the total cost of an event through Budgets and Expenses

· Create and access surveys for pre-show and post-show reports

· Access staff profiles and itineraries

· Determine ROI and maintain leads

Many exhibitors are attending more shows annually, and need to have their exhibit properties sent from show to show, tracking efforts can add hours onto an exhibitors day. With trained project managers, an online event management program can eliminate any confusion and will allow your team daily reports of exhibiting schedules and asset management reports.

Your approach to trade show services can be identified easily with a trained trade show service manager, our approach begins with identifying what it will take for clients to successfully meet their trade show goals.

A Service Team with trade show knowledge should come from years of experience from designing, manufacturing and managing exhibits. With marketing & technical expertise on the trade show floor, making sure the process runs smoothly from the beginning of the trade show, right down to the inspection of your exhibit properties when they come back to the storage facility. Keeping track of items that need to be restored or re-furbished for your next trade show.

Whether your exhibiting in a 10’ x 20′ trade show display, 20’ x 20′ trade show display rental or even a 40’ x 40′ trade show exhibit, you will see the creativity and innovative solutions that a full trade show service team can bring to your experience on the trade show floor.

As you begin the process of exhibiting at trade shows and find yourself looking for advice on your trade show program, contact a dedicated service team. It all begins and ends with the “statement & impact” that you would like to make when the doors open at the convention center.

Whether your trade show is in Chicago, Las Vegas, New York, Orlando, or even an International Trade Show venue – a dedicated trade show service team is invaluable at creating the results with ease.