How can you display your manufactured product at a trade show or in a sales call so that it not only looks good but it tells the story of your product? There are many options available and choosing the right one can be difficult at first. This article is designed to make your decision easier. Displaying your product is easy, however making it look attractive, expertly professional and with the ability to easily demonstrate its benefits can be difficult.
Industrial products, in general, come out of production looking very plain and standard. Many have casting marks and are made from unfinished metal which in a trade show environment looks dull and lackluster. To create an eye-catching display your product can be sanded, painted and plated to make it more attractive and project an image of higher quality. Going a step further you can include a cutaway section, in which areas of your product are cut away to reveal the inner workings and how they interrelate. A cutaway starts the conversation about the story and benefits of your product on its own. The characteristics which make your product different from the competition are on full display. Now, go even further with a working model.
Working models can be made from displays or cutaways and are electrically powered or hand operable displays which show your product in action. These models can have acrylic protection over moving areas so no one can be harmed when the product is moving while the movement of the product and its functions are clearly visible. Again, your product is telling its own story and demonstrating its own benefits, which helps your salespeople sell your product more easily.
In addition to actual physical product displays, you can utilize animation or models to demonstrate your product and story as well. This is especially useful if your product is large or heavy and transportation to shows is an issue. Animation can show your product and how it functions using models based on three-dimensional files. Video and other marketing materials can be added to get a full multimedia display. Another option is lightweight scale models. Again using three-dimensional files, lightweight scale models of your product can be made from a plastic composite. These models look like the actual product and can be made in full color. They can be made as cutaways too so the interior portions are visible.
Finally, if your full product is too large but you want to focus on a certain benefit you can model part of the design. The modeled part can be made from any sort of material, one lightweight and attractive option is acrylic. If your product is small or if you have many different small models to display it can be hard to find a way to show them and still keep them intact. POP (point of purchase) displays can help in this regard. Using a colorful and branded backboard the components or models of your product can be mounted as a static display or even a functional push-button interactive presentation. They can be designed to be removable for handling or permanently affixed so they won’t wander off.
Lighting, base mounts and containers for transit are the final considerations for your display. Some well-placed LEDs can draw attention to your product, especially the interior of a cutaway. A properly designed basement can draw attention to your product too by placing it at eye level or at an angle for better viewing or by allowing movement and literature placement around the product itself. A key concern when traveling to a trade show is the safety of your displays. If they arrive damaged your marketing plan can’t be executed properly. Reliable packaging needs to be considered when a display is created. Custom fit foam filled cases are useful for smaller items or wheel cases can be utilized for larger, slightly heavier items.
For items that ship continuously and in rough environments, it is worthwhile to have a custom fit shipping container built for lasting protection. While nothing is impermeable, a container with a steel frame, wooden sides, and interior with felted hold-downs can withstand repeated shipping and is designed to hold your display in place to prevent damage.