Exhibiting at a trade show can be expensive. To save money, some companies choose to set up and take down their own booths instead of hiring industry professionals. Sure, these companies may save financial resources, but they can lose out on valuable networking time (not to mention the energy and attitudes of staff employees).

Here, we outline the major benefits of outsourcing your trade show labor.

Be more productive with your staff before the trade show

Training your trade show staff on how to set up and take down a booth can take hours. You need to inform them of exactly what will be there, pay for them to get there a little earlier so that they can get everything done within the show’s set-up schedule, and either write out detailed instructions or make sure they watch instruction videos prior to the show. Scheduling trade show labor would allow you to shift all of this valuable time to productive pre-show sales and marketing activities, such as working with your team on booth messaging, trade show goals, and scheduling meetings.

Shift the focus of your staff’s time to networking

Anyone who has ever set up an exhibit knows that it never runs as smoothly as you think it’s going to. There are always unwanted surprises –missing pieces or broken monitors – that cause you to run around like a madman right before the show begins. The time it takes before everything is “show-ready” ends up taking up time that could have been dedicated to kick-off and networking activities. Hiring expert trade show labor to do the work for you will free up that valuable time.

Get that standout booth

Today, companies are going for the more intricate booths that require much more time and energy to set up. Some booths these days simply can’t be set up by your own staff because they require specific tools and assembly, that only certified trade show laborers are permitted to use.

Before you opt for the easy install booths (like banner stand backdrops) to avoid the use of tools, be sure to consider if that’s really the right option for you. If your trade show return on investment would benefit from a more intricate, competitive display – be it a custom design or rental – give some serious thought about how to fit trade show labor into your budget.

In conclusion

As a trade show partner that works with many companies – large and small – we’ve consistently seen greater success for those who hire professional trade show labor to take care of their exhibit. You might have to shift your budget slightly, but trust us; it’s a worthy investment and will result in a show that is way less hectic and much more focused on getting leads.

Here at Watson, we have certified professionals who make installation and dismantle services seamless and convenient for your team. To learn more, contact us today!