All too often the marketing department is the first to suffer from budget cuts when a financial crisis strikes. However, it’s important to consider how cutting your marketing budget will really affect your business. Think about which marketing strategies your company generally relies on to generate business throughout the year, and how you will continue to promote the company with a smaller budget. Keep in mind that customer’s view of your company during a recession will likely affect how the company is perceived by them when the economy turns around.

Although we are in the midst of an economic slump, exhibiting at a tradeshow is still a great way to strengthen your company’s brand image and generate business. The cost of exhibiting at several shows each year can quickly use up your marketing budget in a strong economy, and it can be even more difficult to maintain a stringent exhibiting schedule when you have to stretch your budget thin during rougher times.

By carefully trimming your trade show expenses, you can continue to market your company as you need to during the recession without the risk of weakening your promotional message.

Reconsider Your Current Exhibit

Your presence at the show is the most important element of exhibiting, not the size of your display. Think about how much booth space you actually need and will use during the show. If you downsize your booth space, you can reduce several exhibiting expenses. By choosing to exhibit with a smaller booth, you will reduce the price of the booth space as well as the cost of the display items that are needed to fill the space.

Another way to cut back on the expense of your exhibit is to consider purchasing a refurbished display rather than purchasing a new model. If you choose to rent an exhibit, you can trim more of your budget since you won’t need to pay for long-term storage or maintenance of the display. Whether the display is new, refurbished or rented, the custom graphics applied to the exhibit are what brands the display with your company’s name and image.

Eliminate Unnecessary Costs

One of the easiest ways to eliminate unnecessary costs is to plan your exhibitions ahead of time. By planning and making arrangements early, you can avoid having to pay costly rush charges and markups such as late registration fees and the added costs for priority shipping.

When you begin planning your exhibitions, limit the shows that you will attend to those which have given you the highest return in past years. While your budget is tight, it may not be possible to attend every trade show that you would like to, so choose wisely.

You can also reduce the amount of money spent on shipping and drayage costs by choosing lightweight display materials such as fabric panels and aluminum frames. A display that weighs less will cost less for setup, especially if you and your booth staff can setup the exhibit yourselves.

Make the Most of Your Exhibit

Let your exhibit work for you throughout the year. When it comes to designing graphics for your display, choose a consistent marketing message and image that you can use frequently. Ideally the message should be relevant for year round promotions and possibly be used for subsequent years.

If you purchase an exhibit, you can get even more use out of your display if you choose a versatile modular display. Modular displays are easily reconfigured for a variety of booth sizes and layouts. With a modular exhibit you can vary your booth size and configuration for the different shows that you attend. You can even setup parts of your display in your office space or on your showroom floor in between events.

While your budget may be smaller this year, it doesn’t mean that your marketing efforts have to suffer from it. By implementing some of these tips into your budgeting process, you can continue to build your market presence and generate business by exhibiting at trade shows.