PUBLICATION CENTER

Xhibit Solutions offers customers all the advantages of a custom-built trade-show booth with a much lower total cost of ownership

Xhibit Solutions used LexJet’s Light Block Polyester SUV (12 Mil) and 10 Mil PreLume® DisplayFlex® laminating film to create the graphics for this custom modular booth they designed for Sprint Relay. Sprint Relay, which provides communications products and services for the deaf and hard-of-hearing, wanted a booth that could function like a pop-up retail store at the DeafNation Expo, a trade show for and about deaf people that is held in 15 cities each year.

In business, no one ever knows what the future holds. But smart business owners can improve the odds of weathering economic storms by remaining aware of changes, and doing whatever it takes to keep loyal customers happy.

Just ask Eric Duncan, the founder and president of Xhibit Solutions in Bridgeville, PA. He survived tough economic times when he launched his business eight years ago, and he is confident his business will make it through the current downturn.

Duncan decided to open his own business after he had spent 12 years selling portable exhibits in Pittsburgh and Washington DC areas. His goal was to cater to the growing number of companies who were seeking high-quality, more customized exhibits at more affordable prices.

As luck would have it, Duncan opened Xhibit Solutions on Sept. 1, 2001—just 10 days before Sept. 11. For months after the attacks of 9/11, Americans were skittish about flying, big trade shows were cancelled, and uncertainty abounded about if and when the US economy would return to business as usual.

Fortunately, Xhibit Solutions already had a big corporate client that was so impressed with the high level of service that Duncan had provided as a sales rep that they stuck with him when he opened his own business. One of the first projects Xhibit Solutions did for the client was a series of flag graphics that reflected the patriotic mood of the nation in the aftermath of 9/11.

After launching his company during rocky economic times, Duncan remains alert to whatever challenges (and opportunities) the future might bring. While Xhibit Solutions continues to be a leading supplier of exhibit packages, pop-up displays, and portable and modular exhibits, the staff has started using their design skills and in-house printing capabilities to produce vehicle wraps and graphics.

While Duncan isn’t aggressively promoting these new products yet, he recognizes that selling vehicle wraps could provide a good way to maintain a steadier cash flow during the traditional slow periods between the spring and fall trade-show seasons. Many of same design principles used to create eye-catching visuals for trade shows can be adapted to creating visuals for moving vehicles.

A Strong Business Model: One reason Xhibit Solutions’ exhibit-building business continues to remain steady even in this tough economy is because Duncan had devised a way to offer clients the advantages of custom-designed booths with the affordability, portability and easy set-up benefits of modular systems. Instead of just representing one manufacturer of exhibit hardware, Xhibit Solutions represents five or six manufacturers.

“When a client comes to us, we pick the components that make the most sense for them from both a design standpoint and a budget standpoint.” says Duncan. “In order to get more for their money, our clients don’t feel like they have to compromise in terms of what they want to accomplish with their booths.”

He notes that his company’s “custom-modular” approach provides the look and functionality of custom-designed booths with reduced size and weight and greater reconfigurability from show to show. Because the cost of shipping, storage, and installation of a custom-modular booth can be so much less, the total cost of ownership can be 70% less than the cost of a custom booth.

Instead of trying to go for the biggest sale right off the bat, Duncan strives to build long-term relationships by keeping each customer’s best interests in mind. He wants customers to keep coming back, and they do. About 80% of his sales comes from repeat customers, many of whom rave about the quality of customer service Xhibit Solutions provides.

In-House Printing: About three years ago, Xhibit Solutions purchased a Roland VersaCAMM low-solvent inkjet printer/cutter and a Seal cold-roll laminator so they could save money by producing some of their booth graphics themselves. He started buying most of his materials for large-format graphics from LexJet about a year-and-a-half ago because he likes the guidance account specialist Steven Lowe provides. For example, Duncan appreciates that Lowe can suggest two or three value-driven or high-performance options, based on whether his client needs graphics that only need to last for one or two national shows or for a more demanding 12-show circuit of regional shows.

For most booth-graphic and banner-stand projects, Duncan uses one of LexJet’s Light Block Polyester SUV films combined with a PreLume® DisplayFlex pressure-sensitive laminating film. Duncan likes using the polyester film because it remains flat, laminates well and is easy to trim.

Now that Xhibit Solutions has become comfortable printing some of their own booth graphics, they have started promoting their ability to print traditional vinyl banners, meeting signage, POP signs, window clings, custom decals and labels, wall murals, wayfinding signs, custom retail signage, trade show hanging signs, and floor graphics. No matter what type of graphics a client requests, Duncan knows he can trust LexJet to recommend the most cost-effective combination of materials for the requirements of the specific project.