Common Sense Trade Show Budgeting

It may surprise you that successful trade show budgeting doesn’t start with dollars and cents. It starts with common sense.

Having a clear idea of what you want to accomplish at a show is key to mapping out your trade show costs. Because after the crates are all packed and you’re heading back to the office, you want to have promising leads in your briefcase.

Once you’ve determined the key messaging and capabilities you want to promote in your booth, you can begin to put together your trade show budget.

Start by separating your expenses in to the following categories:

• Exhibit space
• Staff travel/lodging
• Show services
• Shipping costs
• Exhibit property
• Exhibit graphic design and production
• Promotional activities
• Miscellaneous

While this list isn’t comprehensive, it highlights the fact that there are a lot of expenses to consider.  With a little forethought and planning, you can avoid surprise costs and gauge what it will take to realize a return on investment that makes sense – and dollars and cents.

Our next blog will provide more detail on the expense categories and how much of your budget each category should account for.

For more information on custom trade show display, contact World Class Graphics & Displays today.