For years, companies that promote and run tours in destination cities worldwide have relied on photos and carefully chosen words to draw in their clients. At first, those photos and words were sent to travel agencies where people could book from their own home city, planning out an itinerary before they ever boarded a plane. Today's travelers are more likely to look you up online, seeking out more photos, more text, and more information than you would ever have anticipated in previous years. In addition, there is another market segment that many companies overlook: the people who don't plan or set out an itinerary. To appeal to them, you need to present photos and information in a large format that catches their attention at the destination. Companies have used many methods to accomplish this goal, but perhaps the most successful involves the use of materials traditionally designed for a trade show display, including pop up displays and banner stands.

Why Pop Up Displays?

A trade show display has a lot in common with a good tour advertisement. Both are aiming to promote an image, to sell a brand, and to do it on a very large scale. There is a lot of power in putting a big photo on billboard-like banner stands and letting visitors see it as they pass by. In addition, banner stands or pop up displays function very well when put out on a sidewalk. This is particularly useful if you are favorably located, such as a company on a beachfront that sells boat tours.

Pop up displays have the distinct advantage of being highly mobile. You can put one virtually anywhere you want, and if you brace it properly, it can withstand mild winds. That makes it useful inside your storefront, in the window, or even outside on the street (provided it's under an overhang as you don't want it getting wet).

Banner Stands Are An Inexpensive Alternative

While pop up displays are relatively low cost, banner stands are even more inexpensive and can have just as much of an impact. Whereas pop up displays have a certain depth to them created by their frame, banner stands are much thinner. They are made of cloth or polyurethane material stretched across a visible frame, allowing them to be taken down and stored easily. They also tend to be more durable and can be purchased with full weatherproofing if your business is in a particularly rough climate. The advantage of this type of unit is that even when fully weatherproofed, it is very inexpensive. You can put one wherever you think visitors are likely to go, even in the lobbies of nearby hotels once you get permission from the owners.

Trade show displays shine on the convention floor, but the similarities between trade shows and tourism marketing make these unique elements a good idea on the beachfront too. With a little bit of creative thinking, you can adapt them for many of your promotional efforts.