One of the hottest shows on Netflix is Tidying Up with Marie Kondo. And with so many of us spending a lot more time at home due to COVID-19 and state stay-at-home mandates, it is likely that you’ve used her techniques to declutter your closets and hold on to those items that truly provide joy.
While you are working out of your home office, you may be wondering how you can apply these same techniques to your work situation. 
And springtime is the perfect time to work with your exhibit partner on your own spring cleaning exhibit makeover.
Most trade show managers, who manage a full calendar of events, will tell you that there is no downtime in the calendar. One season might be particularly busy with the actual events happening (typically Q4) but means that the quarter before is filled with planning the upcoming events. Some events are so significant that an entire year (or more) goes into the planning. And therefore, in typical years, there never seems to be a good time for “spring cleaning” of your booth property. But this year is anything but typical so now is a great time for a refresh.
As Pam Thomas, Account Management Director for Exhibit Concepts, Inc. put it, “Now is the perfect time to ensure inventory is current and ready for exhibiting. Whether it’s disposing of old graphics because of a rebrand, assessing items for damage/repair or disposing of no longer needed promo items, we can work with you to get this accomplished.” Your exhibit house should have a comprehensive inventory of your property and graphics. Ideally, they are using an inventory management system that provides information about how often a particular item or graphic has been used for recent events. Your account team can provide recommendations for items that maybe need a refurb, or other items that may be best removed from inventory.
A spring cleaning exercise can also benefit a situation where your company has gone through a merger, a rebranding effort, or significant new products or messaging. So, in addition to identifying items for disposal, this exercise and time can also be used to update and refresh existing properties with new graphics. Or perhaps now is the time to add a new cabinet or reception desk into your booth property inventory.
Every year, Exhibit Concepts partners with clients to maintain their inventory. In instances where we are disposing of property, we work with local organizations to recycle as much of the property as possible. According to Dom Conti, Production Director, “our goal is to recycle and repurpose as much of the material as possible. There are so many local organizations that can make use of the raw materials when we break down exhibit components.”
Take advantage of this time to reflect and plan. Part of that planning process is to evaluate what your company needs to exhibit effectively in the future. As an added benefit, if we do end up disposing of some items, your storage costs will decrease.
Exhibit Concepts is here to partner with you for ALL your face-to-marketing needs, even spring cleaning. Stay well, we will get through this together.
