Under Armour and Acer have partnered together since 2003. As Under Armour grew and changed, their branding, strategies and exhibit program did as well. Their partnership allowed Acer many opportunities to holistically address their overall business goals by balancing practical needs with creative requirements to maximize value. Ultimately, this leads to overall exhibit cost savings.
Supplementing Rental Stock
Acer has the ability to supplement rental components for overlapping or specialty events so we can make every dollar spend like five! For one NSCAA event, Acer provided Under Armour with a complete rental exhibit. This allowed Under Armour to participate in several overlapping shows without purchasing new properties, while remaining on-brand and relevant to this audience niche.
Crating and Skidding
Exhibit materials take up a lot of space. They need to be crated appropriately to minimize freight and handling charges by maximizing available space. Components should be designed and engineered to fit in standardized crates wherever possible. Standardized 48”x48”x101” crates fit side-by-side in trailers to maximize trailer volume while minimizing freight, drayage and special handling fees on site.
Lay-flat and specialty sized crates should be avoided wherever possible, because they will take up more room on a truck and incur larger drayage fees. According to the 2017 Exhibition and Event Industry Labor Rates Survey done by the Experiential Designers and Producers Association (EDPA), average drayage (material handling) fees for standard crates at an exhibit hall are $99 per CWT, while special handling crates average $126.07 per CWT.
Be sure your exhibit partner is well-versed in packing efficiency and has barcoded inventory procedures so that the exhibit is packed consistently each time. By barcoding components and providing clear inventory, efficiency in on-site labor can reduce charges for straight- and over-time hours during handling and set-up. Use of bar codes also helps pinpoint the location of any given property whenever they are needed, which is just good practice.
Logistics Planning
Planning show-to-show or temporary holdovers between shows can reduce handling and freight costs dramatically. With an extremely active trade show schedule, Under Armour often requires holding properties in different cities between shows. In particular, Acer’s auxiliary warehouse in Las Vegas has saved Under Armour countless thousands of dollars when compared to moving exhibit freight cross-country repeatedly. Our network of storage facilities around North America has aided this client many times as well, with short term storage between shows in cities like Chicago or Orlando offering savings over shipment of materials back to the Maryland warehouse. Our account teams coordinate logistics with our affiliate warehouses, so the client benefits from the savings without enduring the headaches.
Proactive proposals
When a property nears end-of-life, we can help determine options for disposal, re-use or sometimes even re-sale. This scenario allows Acer to be forward-thinking and strategic on how we can add value to multiple client programs when opportunity arises. Under Armour had an exhibit that featured two double deck structures. As their program evolved and the need for in-booth conferencing changed, we had a separate client that developed the need to incorporate decks within their exhibit space. Acer suggested that Under Armour sell their decks to our client. Under Armour thought it was a great idea – profited from the sales and avoided any costs associated with disposal. The other client benefited from savings in purchasing gently used deck structures, already crated for additional investment savings. It was a win from all vantage points!
While engaging visual design is of paramount importance to any exhibit, a whole host of other considerations can contribute to the overall success of your trade show! Be sure you are working with a partner who addresses more than aesthetics when beginning a project. Contact Acer today if your exhibit program needs some attention.