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Ultimate Cheat Sheet on Tradeshow Exhibit RFPs Cheat Sheet by

Step-by-step guide to creating a usable and succinct RFP for a new tradeshow exhibit.

About Your Company

You should offer at least a brief outline of your company and the industry you're in. Spend a little time explaining how tradeshow marketing plays into your overall marketing efforts. Attach an annual company report.
Know what you want out of your tradeshow appear­ance. Be specific: increase leads by 25%; do 300 product demos; hand out 1000 samples, etc.
Exhibiting Goals: Prioritize your goals and how tradeshow fits in: are you there for leads, branding, to launch new products, to make sales, to support clients or distri­butors? Do your specific goals and needs change from show to show? If so, detail those differ­ences.

Mockup

 

What You Want from the Exhibit House

Design Rendering: If you are expecting a design rendering, make it clear. Understand that a design mockup takes time and money to assemble, and that many exhibit houses will want to discuss the project with you prior to creating a mockup.
Design Quote or Budget Range: If you haven't stated a budget range (you should have), ask for the price quote or budget range for the proposed design. Keep in mind that the design will evolve and the price will adjust accord­ingly as you request changes.
Company Details: These are important to some companies, not so important to others. Let your respon­dents know exactly what you expect.
Ability to Deliver: Confirm that the exhibit house is able to meet your schedule, and has the ability to respond to the various details included in your RFP.
Previous Project: What has the company done before? What companies have they done work for? Are they familiar with your industry?
Special Services: Graphic design, turnkey services, in-house graphic produc­tion, shipping coordi­nation, I&D logistics, etc. Ask how its billed: hourly or a flat fee.
 

Exhibit Details

Functional Needs: demo spaces or stations, storage needs, monitors, etc.,
Branding Issues: details of your brand. Is a visit to your website good enough, or are you able to include branding outlines and logos?
Budget Range: If you have a specific budget, include it. But a modestly narrow range is usually good enough.
Exhibit Size: Do you want to be able to set some elements of the exhibit up as a smaller booth, say, a 10x10 instead of the full 10x20, for example?
Target Show: Let your respon­dents know when you need the booth, the deadline for responses, and when you expect to make the award.
Other Details: Do you want the ability to change out signage easily? Do you need meeting space? If so, how big? Will the exhibit be set up by their own crew or are they hiring a profes­sional crew?

Final Thoughts

The "­X" Factor: What else does the exhibit house bring to the table for the project? Do they have a special talent that would be especially useful in this project? Do they have the ability to train booth staffers, for example? Or are they able to help you craft a compre­hensive tradeshow marketing plan? Let your respon­dents know if you would like to hear more about their company or any strategic partners for the project.

Brought to you by Trades­howGuy Exhibits

1880 4th Street NE, Salem, OR 97301 /// 800-65­4-6946
       
 

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