Feature Story

How To Get The Edge in Design Competition

by Mitch Gilbert
Gilbert Design Inc.
Bryn Mawr, PA

The competition to land large exhibit building contracts is getting tougher and tougher all the time. Most exhibit builders enter design competitions hoping they will profit not only from building a new booth, but also from servicing, repairing and continuously modifying it for years to come. If they do their job well, they will have established a relationship with a client that could continue to pay off with more exhibit construction well into the future.

With so much to gain, exhibit builders today must exploit every advantage available to them to win new projects. Luring large accounts often requires sizable investments of time and money to create impressive design presentations. Losing a project due to underestimating what competitors will do for their presentations is even more costly. In short, losing design competitions is more expensive than making the proper investment to win them.

So what is an exhibit builder to do? What can exhibit companies do to ensure they are delivering the best presentations possible?
Successful exhibit companies sometimes use a pool of freelance designers to help them get the edge needed. Even companies that keep a full-time design staff realize that it helps to have outside sources that can provide alternative solutions to a client's design request. As one exhibit salesperson put it, "No single designer has a monopoly on creativity." Freelance designers can often bring other viewpoints into the mix. They have the advantage of being exposed to other exhibit construction methods and materials from working with a variety of other companies and projects.

Another benefit of using freelance help is that it offers the exhibit builder the ability to select a designer that is best suited to a particular project. Some designers may be more experienced in creating exhibits for certain industries, or are more adept at working in a certain style. Some have a specific rendering or presentation method which may be appealing to a particular client. For example, a client in a trendy fashion-oriented business might be attracted to the artistic flair that hand renderings or loose concept sketches provide, while precise photorealistic computer-generated illustrations might appeal to others. Having access to a multitude of design talent allows the exhibit builder to orchestrate the presentation much like a casting director selects the appropriate actor for a part.

Furthermore, electronic mail has made it easy for exhibit builders to draw from the talents of freelance designers worldwide. It allows exhibit companies to view the designer's ideas instantaneously, and easily monitor the progress of a project just as if the designer was on staff. CAD files can be transferred back and forth between the freelance designer and exhibit house, possibly incorporating elements from staff designers and detailers.

Many exhibit builders are finding out that it is less expensive to utilize top designers on an as-needed basis than to absorb the overhead of keeping them on staff. It enables them to have access to the talents of people they might not be able to afford to hire for a full-time position. Also, since this is a seasonal business, they can avoid having to pay a designer while he or she is sitting idle during slow periods.

Sophisticated exhibit buyers have come to expect a lot from our industry even before the booth is purchased. Exhibit companies that take full advantage of all of the resources available will most likely succeed in working with them.eb

Mitch Gilbert is a freelance designer in Bryn Mawr, PA. He has been providing designs for trade show booths, visitor centers, retail stores and point-of-purchase displays to exhibit and display companies nationwide for more than 25 years. He is proficient at both hand and computer renderings.

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