Maximizing the Lifespan of Your Outdoor Display Materials
July 27, 2017 – One of the key ways a company maximize ROI on trade show display materials is by finding ways to reuse them. While there are some pieces – like the display frame itself – which will need to be kept in storage, a lot of the decorations and accessories you buy can easily be repurposed and reused throughout the year.
The issue then becomes one of trying to keep those pieces in good condition, despite the extra use, particularly if they’re being used outdoors. So today, we wanted to talk a bit about storage and care of outdoor display pieces, and how to make the most of your investment.
Getting the Most Utility and Value from Outdoor Display Materials
- Plan
If you are intending to reuse your trade show materials, buy with that in mind. Just as one example, vinyl banners will last far longer outdoors than cloth will – and thicker vinyl lasts even longer. Buying stronger materials will increase the upfront cost, but the expanded lifespan will pay off in the long term providing a much better ROI.
Or, on the other hand, if it’s a display piece you’re not planning on reusing often, consider renting rather than buying. It’s cheaper, plus you aren’t stuck with storage and maintenance costs on top of the purchase.
- Bring them inside overnight and during harsh weather
Whenever you see materials such as flags and banners outside a business which look worn and tattered, it’s almost guaranteed that the owners have left them outside through varying weather conditions. This will greatly decrease their lifespan. Even if it takes you and\or your employees a few minutes, always bring more fragile display pieces indoors when they won’t be actively attracting new buyers.
You’ll get much better life from them, plus, they’ll send a much better message about your business when they look well cared-for. If a business is flying tattered flags, it suggests they don’t spend much time thinking about their image.
- Use climate-controlled storage systems
When you aren’t actively using a piece, don’t throw them into the cheapest storage facility you can find. This is another case where paying a little extra will bring much better results down the line. Vinyl, for example, becomes brittle if it’s exposed to a lot of temperature fluctuations. Other pieces, like cloth backdrops, will react badly to changing moisture levels.
Keeping your investments in a storage facility that maintains a constant temperature and climate will go a long way towards ensuring they are still looking good when you need them next.
- Have a lot of materials in storage? Use barcode tracking
This is something we do in our own storage facilities, whether we’re storing pieces we’re working on or hiring out space to clients. Every piece gets tagged with a barcode (QR codes, mostly) which contains its description and location. That makes it a lot easier for us to keep track of everything, and it’s a good idea in general if you keep a lot of display materials in storage.
RFID chips are another possibility, plus they can use beacon functionality to lead you to pieces you need.
- When in doubt, call in help
Why do it all the work and logistics yourself? Packing, shipping, and assembling\disassembling trade show displays probably aren’t among the core competencies of you or your staff. In particular, after a long trade show, everyone involved is going to be tired and trying to leave the show as quickly as they can. This is when accidents and breakage are most likely to occur.
A professional moving and logistics company can take care of all this for you. Experienced movers know how to assemble and disassemble fragile pieces in a way which protects them. They’re also likely to have access to superior storage options as well. It’s far safer for your investment than doing it yourself.
Best Displays and Graphics offers full turnkey logistics services alongside our work designing and building trade show displays. We’re happy to help guarantee your investment is well-treated, properly assembled/disassembled, and stored in suitable facilities afterward. We can take care of your logistics for a single show, or even set up extended schedules to guarantee the proper care of all your trade show materials across several shows. And if there’s ever any problem, you have a single point of contact to call for assistance.
