It’s a practice we see regularly in the trade show industry: a company needs an exhibit for an upcoming show. They obtain a design from one exhibit firm, then shop the production at other firms. Perhaps this is the direction provided to event marketers by financial stakeholders in their company who are mostly concerned with the bottom line rather than the experience.  

But is this the most efficient way forward in establishing a valuable partnership?  

At Steelhead, we don’t think so. And here’s why.

A proven design process.

Our proven design process is a critical part of our business model and contains the following three steps:  

We get to know you on a personal level. It’s our mission to get to know our exhibit marketing clients at an individual level. For example, the needs of an event marketer at a startup are different than the needs of a corporate event planner for an international conglomerate brand.  

We do a deep dive into your brand. We want to know why you’re exhibiting at this show and what your desired outcome is for your audience.  

‍We incorporate the design into your event strategy. Brands need exhibits that are designed for the moment. We tailor the design and experience accordingly.  

The result: A customized, collaborative solution that is refined into a guaranteed price exhibit.  

We simply can’t get there through a quote alone.  

The value of creativity and service.  

When prospects come to us with an existing exhibit design, they are not leveraging the value of our creativity. This usually means that someone else can build it more cheaply.  

Steelhead isn’t the least expensive exhibit builder in Las Vegas, nor are we the most expensive. We like to consider ourselves middle-premium. Extraordinary service is a huge part of the value of working with Steelhead. Not every exhibit provider offers the same services we do, and usually in this industry… you get what you pay for.  

If prospects do not find value in the creative process or in extraordinary service, then we’re just not the right fit.

Leveraging the Access Model.

Our whole business philosophy is centered around creating experiences that are made for the moment. And we achieve this event customization and unique experience by utilizing the access model for exhibit structures. If we’re quoting existing design, then is this exhibit truly made for the moment?  

We get it, we’re not the right fit for every brand. And that’s OK! Because the brands we do work with value our partnership which ultimately makes us all happier and more efficient which is always reflected in the final product — the experience that was made for the moment.  

Want to reconsider putting our proven design process to the test? Reach out to us today to schedule a discovery call with one of our brand managers.