How to Control your Budget for the Exhibition Show in Dubai?
Budgeting for a Dubai exhibition can be a daunting task. A lot of thought process should go into it. If you are exhibiting in a trade show in Dubai for the first time you may not know where to start and how to avoid costly mistakes.
In order not to miscalculate the expenditure of a trade show you must take all of your probable expenses into account.
It is not possible to break the cost of exhibiting at a trade show into a shortlist of expenses. And this is one mistake most first time exhibitors make. For instance, they just take into account the rate of renting stand space, the cost they have to pay exhibition stand contractor in Dubai to design and build an exhibit, the transportation cost as well as the cost for staff accommodation.
A trade shows expenses are far more than this four-item list. You will have to set aside budget for constructing your exhibit, on-site labour charges and food and drinks for clients, etc. Never approach an exhibition stand design construction company in Dubai without fixing a budget for your exhibition.
We give you a few tips to control your budget for exhibition show in Dubai.
Book your space as soon as it goes on sale
Around 40 per cent of a trade show exhibitor’s budget goes on their exhibit alone. Out of this, a major chunk of the budget is spent on renting booth space, followed by the cost of designing an exhibit.
From the total budget, you will have to set aside about 40 per cent of the funds for floor space and exhibition stand design. If you know which trade show you will be attending and have its pricing information these costs are easy to calculate. To keep costs low you must book floor space early. Most trade shows will offer discounts for exhibitors who book early. After deciding to take part in an exhibition in Dubai, book your space as soon as it goes on sale.
Book travel, accommodation and entertainment ahead of time
The second greatest expense --which estimates to roughly 20 per cent -- is travelling, entertaining prospective customers and staff, and booking accommodation.
The good news is that the amount you’ve to pay for travel and accommodation is very flexible, just like the cost of floor space. By booking ahead of time you can save a lot of money on hotel rooms and flights. If you have already committed to attending try to book as soon as the event is announced.
This is most significant if you’re exhibiting in a city like Dubai, which is a popular venue for trade shows and conferences. When a major convention or event is in town, Dubai, like other major exhibition hubs like Las Vegas and London, can become a very expensive place to stay.
You can indeed cut down the costs by staying further away from the event’s location. However, to maximise evening networking opportunities it’s always better to book hotel rooms as close to the trade show as possible.
Instead of a hotel, you can even book a serviced apartment, which is more practical and affordable. You can book a large hotel suite with multiple bedrooms instead of booking individual rooms for your staff.
Instead of travelling inexpensive taxis, rent cars to commute. Make use of flight comparison website to book your air travel. The site scans multiple airlines so you can check for great deals.
If you are a regular traveller you can make use of the hotel loyalty schemes. They entitle you to discounts on rooms, free nights, and discounted food. If you are trying to curtail trade show spending, this will be of great help.
You can book and pay ahead for transport and accommodation, but that is not possible when it comes to entertainment. For entertainment, you will have to keep a flexible budget.
To escape the mad rush at restaurants and cafés during trade shows, you can bring a cooler to the event and store your food and drinks for prospects inside.
Instead of shipping displays hire a local exhibition stand contractor
Around 10 per cent of the budget is spent on shipping promotional materials and displays to the location of the trade show. You may need to allocate a large budget for shipping if you have a larger or intricate exhibit. To avoid this cost, it is better to assign the job to an exhibition stand contractor in Dubai; so that they will deliver the stand and you don’t have to pay extra charges. It will be included in the overall cost.
Set aside a budget for trade show services
More than 20 per cent of the budget is spent on trade show services like internet connectivity, renting carpets and on-site labour. If you don’t account for them in your initial budget, these hidden costs will quickly add up to your budget.
Promotional materials and free giveaways
Giveaways always come at a cost to your business. Promotional materials and giveaways can increase your ROI, but think about which giveaways will suit your target audience. Otherwise, it will be just a waste of money.
Ask questions
The top exhibition stand contractors in Dubai would love to work with you to create a great booth experience for your organization. They have experienced staff members, who have attended industry-specific training courses. They will know about the latest design trends. All you need to do is ask about their services. If an issue arises during install will you be able to contact them 24x7? Will they be able to replace a promotional material if the need arises? You should know how much extra charge you will have to pay for such emergency services.