Charm School

New tricks for an old trade show booth

You never get a second chance for your exhibit booth to make a first impression. At any event, you want to put your best foot forward visually. But how can you pull off such a feat when your budget doesn't exactly reach Fortune 500 proportions?

That's the question Ambler, Pennsylvania's Incentive Media LLC hopes to answer with its line of Sample Stations, which start at less than $200. Sample Stations (above right) are full-sized, graphic-emblazoned booths that fold neatly into briefcase-like cases. "Basically, anybody can carry it," says co-owner Andrew Borislow. "Stick it in your trunk, and [you can] show up anywhere to put on a promotion."

Dismissing the notion of just throwing a tablecloth over the nearest table, Borislow argues in favor of more stylish booths: "It's pretty easy to justify the expense of the Sample Station vs. what a small business may already be using."

This article was originally published in the June 1999 print edition of Entrepreneur with the headline: Charm School.