trade show displays miami

August 5th, 2011

If you’ve shipped even one trade show exhibit over any significant distance, you know how tough it can be to ensure that it arrives safely, arrives on time, has a storage location, and has a method of shipment to the convention center. Successful shipping requires that each of these aspects go smoothly; like links in a chain, if even one part is delayed or compromised, trade show displays may not arrive as planned. You have very little control over unexpected delays in the transportation process, but you can take steps to keep the other links in the chain as strong as possible. Whether you are shipping portable displays across the state or across the country, you need to know how to deal with some of the most common problems ahead of time so that they don’t become catastrophes later on.

Problem #1: Bad Packaging

The solution to this common problem is wonderfully simple: order a shipping container that’s designed for your unique trade show exhibit. Don’t try to ship your unit in anything less customized. While it may be possible to use packing peanuts and bubble wrap to absorb impacts and keep your stand safe, it’s far better to use a custom made hard-shell case. These cases are typically made with customized inserts to hold your unit securely during even the rockiest of trips. Some cases may be better for air transport, while some are designed for ground, but both will hold portable exhibits securely and keep them from being damaged.

Problem #2: No Storage

You should not schedule your trade show displays to arrive on the morning of the convention. They should arrive at least one day in advance to allow for any unforeseen problems. There are many things that can stop your stand from arriving properly, but most companies can sort these out within 24 hours. Give yourself some extra leeway for your portable exhibits to arrive, and you’re likely to have success in most situations.

Although having extra time is an advantage, it raises another problem: storage. When your trade show exhibit arrives a full 24 hours before most of your staff, securing a safe place to keep it until set-up time is crucial. Most well-run conventions offer a solution to this problem by either partnering with a nearby storage location or even providing storage themselves. Be sure to ask the organizers about the availability of such a space. If they don’t offer or recommend one, talk with peers who have attended the convention before. See what they’ve done to store their trade show displays, and how they’ve liked the results.

Problem #3: No Transport

Transport can be easy if your trade show exhibit is small. Simply pick it up from storage, put it in your rental car, and you’re all set. Larger units are what make things more complicated because they are not so easy to carry. You may need to rent a larger truck in order to carry it, and you may even want to rent a shipping team for larger stands. Know the dimensions of your trade show displays, their weight, and how many people and how much trunk space is required for successful transport. Figuring out all these things in advance simply requires one test run. If you’ve got everything worked out, you’ll know ahead of time and be able to adjust accordingly.

Implementing these solutions does not guarantee smooth travel. There are many factors beyond your control, and those can’t be influenced no matter how carefully you plan. However, following these suggestions will minimize the chances that your portable exhibits encounter any problems during transport, keeping your convention experience as stress-free as possible.

POD Trading is the use of Software Technology to achieve a mathematical certainty of profit when trading financial markets.

In economics, Sports and finance, POD Trading is the practice of taking advantage of a price discrepancy between two or more markets: getting a combination of matching deals that capitalize upon the differences, the profit being the offset between the market prices. When used by academics, POD Trading is a transaction that involves no negative cash flow at any point and ensures a risk-free profit.
trade show displays miami
POD is an acronym for “Positively Offsetting Discrepancies”

Contents

• Tax

• Understanding How POD Trading works

• Compound Trading

• Computer Software

• Pitfalls

• References

Tax

POD Trading is more commonly used within the Sports betting industry. In countries such as  Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom all winnings are considered tax exempt.

POD Trading became tax exempt in Australia by way of the the Family Actual Means Test (FAMT), where it was described that “windfall gains’ would be fully exempt from taxable income.

Understanding how POD Trading works

• POD Trading– Thousands of sporting events take place around the world on a daily basis, and bookmakers offer odds on the results. It is not uncommon for many bookmakers to offer different odds on an event with only two or three possible outcomes, making a possible POD Trade exist. Any individual bookmaker will organize their odds so that no one person can cover all outcomes at a profit against their books. However, in order to remain competitive their margins are usually quite low. Different bookmakers may offer different odds on the same outcome of a given event; by taking the best dividends offered by each bookmaker, a customer can cover all possible possibilities of the event and secure a small but guaranteed profit.

• This occurs because the bookies are competing for the revenue which means they must offer different prices than their competitors. Furthermore, the bookmakers all originate from different regions; therefore the betting which occurs on international events will be weighted differently with bookmakers from those regions. A POD Trader will then place two or more bets with two or more bookmakers and by using proportionate amounts of money to the different odds offered can guarantee a small but definite profit, usually between 1.5and 6.5%.

Example Trade

There is a basketball match between the LA Lakers and the Miami Heat:

Odds on the LA Lakers = 1.97 (in fractions)

Odds on the Miami Heat = 2.18 (in fractions)

If you have $1000 and split it up as shown below then there is a mathematical certainty of profit.

If you stake $ 525 on the LA Lakers it would equal $1034.25

If you stake $ 475 on the Miami Heat it would equal $ 1035.50

This guarantees a ROI of a minimum of 3.425%.

The Odds shown in the example above would never be offered from one bookmaker as it would put that bookmaker in a position where he would stand to make a guaranteed loss.

However it would be possible to have these odds offered by opposing bookmakers i.e. bet on the LA Lakers with one bookmaker and bet on the Miami Heat with another bookmaker.

These trades are available all day, every day, but are near impossible to find without the use of computers.

Trading Programs

There are several companies who design trading programs which are used to generate POD trades

Trading Programs for POD trading gathers live data feeds from a wide-range of online bookmakers and (in real time calculates) which bookmakers have discrepancies on certain events.

Then the POD trading software displays this data in a way that improves the speed and accuracy of determining the offset and required investment.

Effective POD trading software will indicate how much money needs to be placed down to produce a mathematical certainty of profit and bring you into the bookmakers website  to place the bet (not all software will offer this feature).

Drawbacks

There are potential drawbacks to this industry.

Firstly some companies or traders may claim that it is totally guaranteed.

This statement is true to a certain extent, however, there are some things which can go wrong:

No matter how well you design your trade show booth, it may need a little something more to stand out from the crowd. Particularly if you are expecting a lot of competition, an add-on may be just the thing to distinguish your stand and really drive traffic. With the addition of an exciting element to your unit, you can get visitors coming and going on your schedule, using exactly the amount of resources you want to expend.

What Is A Trade Show Booth Add On?

There are many different items that fall into this category. First, there are small pieces. These typically sit atop a surface inside the unit and are compact enough to be carried easily in the arms of a staff member. They might include a locked box (give out the key, have a highly promoted opening ceremony where everyone gets a shot at opening the lock), a small pinwheel unit (spin for a prize), or a toss-and-win game (hit the center and win a gift card or gift certificate.)


banner stands miami
The more exciting attractions tend to be the ones that sit on the floor, independent of the trade show booth. These range from a nearly life-sized gorilla (possibly in fluorescent pink or lime green, if you’re adventurous) to a money blowing machine or a full-sized prize wheel. Because of their sheer size, these units tend to have the most shock value and are very eye catching when used in combination with a display.

Focused Event Timing Or A Less Structured Style?

Depending on what type of attraction you’ve chosen, you’ll need to decide whether you want to make the attraction an event in itself or whether it should be available to anyone who visits your display. Ideally, you’d want to attract people with the prospect of the unit at all times, thus you wouldn’t want to wait for a scheduled use. There is one major exception to this ideal: any event where you’ll be giving away something of substantial worth. Branded convention giveaways are one thing, and can (and should) be given out liberally throughout the convention. If you’re giving away a large gift certificate or a lot of cash, you want to make it an event; it’s not something you can afford to offer everyone who comes to your trade show booth.

The key to successfully making your attraction an event is to clearly publicize it throughout the day, and ensure that you schedule it at prime time, yet not conflicting with anything else major. Lunchtime on the last busy day of the convention is usually a good opportunity. There is plenty of time for people to play, there isn’t generally much else scheduled, and everyone is looking for a bit of fun.

Getting Quality Leads From Your Investment

Like convention giveaways, attractions always get more visitors, but many of them may not be qualified leads. You will need to rely on your staff to separate the really strong leads from those who might not be so keen on your product. Those with the most passion and interest tend to be self-separating, but you will still need to do some work at the trade show booth. Put in the time and effort to find these leads and pursue them and you’ll find that you can get a lot more out of your trade show booth with clever use of attractions.

As the economy picks back up, budgets around the country are beginning to grow again. While the bigger ticket convention items might not be in reach for all companies yet, smaller portable displays are viable for most. During the recession, these small units really came into their own with many new uses being discovered as cash-strapped companies sought out a convention presence on a shoestring budget. While those tiny budgets are no longer a problem, the value of banner stands and tabletop units remains undiminished. The ideas discussed here are only a sample of the many ways that they can be used, and they will help your company understand the true value of small units.

Banner Stands For The Waiting Room

 

pop up booths miami
Any kind of business with a waiting area or largely unused antechamber can greatly benefit from promotional signage. The unit can essentially be set up and then left to do its work with almost zero maintenance. This technique is very commonly used at health and fitness clubs, where a single sign promotes the current deals or offerings available. Banner stands are particularly suited for this purpose because the actual sign can be switched out, allowing maximum flexibility. If your company already has another small unit that was created for conventions, there is nothing wrong with placing it into the space that would otherwise be filled by the sign. They’ll both help prospective clients understand more about your company.

Signs At Your Storefront

Retail shops can benefit greatly from wise use of portable displays, especially if the graphics or text can be switched out. These signs are an excellent way to promote the latest merchandise or to announce sales. They are generally designed to be eye catching because they were meant for a convention, and so will certainly shine in a mall or on a sidewalk. While they may not be as durable as street signage, conventional portable displays can certainly handle it.

Portable Displays In The Boardroom

Convention materials do not always need to present to an audience outside the company. As the economy looks up, many boards are now seeking to understand the marketing efforts that have been going on and determine what might be worthy of added funds. Portable displays used at the convention can go a long way toward explaining the ROI from the trade show. In the same way, unused banner stands that sat the season out due to lack of funding work well to help convince the board that full funding should be restored.

Company Morale Boosters

Oddly enough, when a convention sign is placed around the office, it tends to boost the morale of everyone in the area. They are reminded of their victories and why they choose to work there, and are inspired to new heights of productivity as a result. After the convention, placing your unit in view of your co-workers can be a very effective use. While it might not be directly driving your sales, it is indirectly inspiring you and those around you to work harder and smarter.

There are many ways to make portable displays keep working for you long after the convention. Whether you’re making clever use of banner stands or simply using your unit to inspire the office, there is more to these booths than meets the eye.


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