Keep your eye on the travel expenses

If you’re in charge of managing your company’s trade show budget, you’ve got a lot of balls in the air. Committing to your location on the show floor. Deciding whether to rent or custom build your booth. Brainstorming for an engaging marketing theme. And who to staff the booth. 

Travel and accommodations for getting the right people to the show can send your budget spiraling out of control, and at the worst possible time. Because after the booth has been dismantled and the drayage bill has been paid, staffers’ expense reports start pouring in. 

Here are some tips for taking control of your travel budget game.

• Staff locally: Select employees who live in close proximity to the show’s host venue when possible. If they live within driving distance of the venue, you save on airfare and hotel rooms. Even if people have to fly in from nearby offices and stay overnight in the show city, shorter and perhaps cheaper flights could equal fewer hotel nights and reduced per-diem expenses.
• Don’t overstaff: The trick is to make sure you have all your bases covered with the right people. Make sure your staffers are actively involved in driving traffic to your booth and actively collecting leads.
• Consider alternative lodging: The show’s official hotel shouldn’t always be your go-to option, even though complimentary shuttles can save on costs getting to and from the show. Investigate alternatives such as condos or corporate apartments/condos. 
• Try to avoid taxis: Before you instruct staffers to hop in the back seat of a cab, do a little pre-show research. Does your hotel offer complimentary airport shuttle service?  What about mass transit options? Oh yeah, and there’s always Uber and Lyft!

World Class Graphics and Displays can help you put a cost-effective game plan together for your staff travel costs. Contact us today.