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Learn more about Exhibit City News: www.exhibitcitynews.com

August 2007

Top 3 “Detention Worthy” Plant and Floral Disasters to Avoid

Linda Musgrove
TradeShow Teacher
www.tsteacher.com

Being the TradeShow Teacher, walking a show floor sometimes makes me want to give a gold star to the booth managers who have produced an “A+” quality booth; then there are other times where the booth manager clearly needs detention to think about why their booth looks like it should be at a flea market instead of a convention center! While common courtesy and basic diplomatic skills prevent me from blatantly telling an exhibitor this, I often do feel compelled to offer some suggestions they can apply to their next show to bring their booth grade up.

In my day to day work, there are many areas on the exhibiting landscape in which I help exhibitors with “Trade Show Tutoring”, ranging anywhere from selecting the right show, to strategy, to evaluating results and even specific details like selecting the right floral and plants to create an eye catching appeal and underscore the image the exhibitor wants to portray.  

My clients are advised that selecting the most appropriate plant or floral display can be an important part in adding the finishing touches to their booth. It can help to drive traffic, solidify an image to be presented and can be a great way to hide wires or replace walls - if done right; similar to picking the right accessory for an outfit – it can polish an image and hide flaws - or just look horribly wrong. The same thing applies to picking the right plant or floral display. The idea is to find the quality item that complements the colors and theme of the booth display and unless you are trying to create a no-frills discounter image, you don’t want to use flawed plastic flowers that look like they were picked up from the dollar store on the way to the show floor!

Most shows offer rental of plants and floral as an additional resource in the Exhibitor Kit; they can be quite pricey, but the convenience and quality are often worth it. The items are delivered directly to the booth and cared for; assuming you picked an appropriate arrangement they are a pretty sure bet to look great throughout the show.

If you are left to your own devices, my first piece of advice for you is to consult with a florist. Bring a picture of your booth and displays when you go there. My second piece of advice is to avoid the Top 3 “Detention Worthy” plant/floral disasters at all costs. Instead, make sure to get an A+ by following the recommendations below.

NUMBER 1

DETENTION

Cheap Plastic Flower Bouquets & Plants

• Attendees make their impression of your company and products within seconds of glancing in your booth’s direction; a cheap arrangement could make an attendee question the quality of your offerings

A+

• Buy a good quality silk arrangement from a craft store, florist or wholesale silk floral distributor; these
  arrangements are sturdy, can be used repeatedly and will have the ability to draw positive attention to your booth
   

• Some Convention Florists offer silk arrangements as rental options
   

• A money saving tip is to look for a wholesale silk floral supplier that caters to florists; typically all you need is a tax id number to order from them

NUMBER 2

DETENTION

Dried Flower Bouquets and/or Dried Trees  

• These are a tricky item to get right and most of the time the dried flowers look like a memento from your High School Sweetheart and the dried trees look like there has been a draught – hopefully not the professional look you are going for!

A+

• If you have a fondness for the look of this particular floral/plant style, get help from a  professional; visit florists in your area to see their selections on hand and ask advice on additional resources (a reputable florists will gladly point you in the right direction). Your best bet is to find Florists that focus on events. (A caution to keep in mind with this arrangement style; you are dealing with old, dried up flowers/leaves which have a tendency to fall off, you could arrive at the show with the majority of your arrangement on the floor of your vehicle!)
   

• The best type of floral bouquets or trees are the live ones! You can rent them from the Convention Florist, or buy an arrangement from a local florist. If you are confident enough to create your own bouquet, I suggest finding pictures of floral arrangements you have seen that will compliment your booth and work from that as a guide instead of “winging it”
   

• A money saving tip (similar to above) is to find a wholesaler focused on fresh flowers and plants. When you arrive you can walk into their huge refrigerated rooms full of flowers to make your selections; keep in mind that many items have to be bought in packs of several dozens – it’s a bit like shopping at Costco or Sam’s Club - but the savings are significant - you’ll pay a fraction of the price of what you’d pay by the piece at a traditional florist

NUMBER 3

DETENTION

Wilted Flowers

• Convention Center temperatures vary from show to show, sometimes it’s freezing in there and sometimes it’s boiling hot. Those factors play a significant role in the lifespan of any arrangement you may have selected for the show. As mentioned earlier, the first impression of your booth is critical and wilted flowers can leave an attendee with the subconscious impression that your product offerings might be a little “wilted” themselves

A+

• If your flowers have wilted, remove them immediately and try to find a fresh replacement from the Convention Center Florist, a local florist or look for a nice silk arrangement that will not become a victim of the Convention Center temperatures 

Linda Musgrove is President of the Miami based Trade Show Training & Consulting firm, TradeShow Teacher, catering to businesses Nationwide. She has taught many companies, over the years, how to improve their Trade Show Results through Educational Trade Show Marketing Programs for individuals, departments or entire teams and with the Trade Show Training Manual she authored, titled: Trade Show Training, for Increased Return On Investment.