Event marketing is booming right now.
Advertising agencies are increasingly being flooded with client briefs for trade shows, expos and live brand activations. Many advertising agencies simply do not have the capability to design and construct an exhibition stand in-house.
That’s where the right agency partnerships come in.
Partnering with a professional stand builder can take your agency’s capabilities and create an entirely new revenue channel. Even better:
- Clients get a full-service experience
- Agencies win bigger contracts
- The stand builder handles the messy stuff
Here’s why this partnership just makes sense…
In this guide:
- Why Event Marketing Is Blowing Up
- What Exhibition Stand Builders Actually Do
- The Big Benefits Of Partnering Up
- How To Find The Right Partner
- How The Partnership Works Day-To-Day
Why Event Marketing Is Blowing Up
Event marketing is currently one of the fastest-growing channels in the industry. Data proves it.
One recent report shows 74% of event marketers plan for their budgets to increase and only 5% to decrease. Clients are investing more money into live events than ever.
Why the surge? Because events actually work.
Trade shows showcase your brand to audiences that are ready to buy. Nothing converts better than face-to-face interaction. So when agencies start getting approached by clients who want to exhibit at events in London, Birmingham or Manchester… why not partner with established exhibition stand builders in London who are already experts on the venues, regulations and logistics. It’s an event marketing advantage that affords agencies immediate credibility with clients launching any trade show campaign.
Bottom line: Event marketing budgets are growing rapidly and agencies without a dedicated show partner are losing revenue opportunities.
What Exhibition Stand Builders Actually Do
Not all agencies understand the value of stand builders. Here’s the breakdown.
Exhibition stand contractors typically take care of the physical aspect of a client’s exhibition or trade show experience. They cover everything such as:
- Custom stand design
- 3D visuals and mockups
- Structural build and fabrication
- On-site installation and dismantling
- Storage between events
- AV and lighting integration
- Furniture and finishing touches
You can call them the “hands and hammers” of event marketing. They are the ones who will bring your client’s brand to life by creating an actual environment for consumers to walk into and experience.
Others provide add-ons such as graphic design, booth staffing, and lead capture software. These additional services allow them to become even more useful as an agency partner.
The Big Benefits Of Agency Partnerships With Stand Builders
Now for the fun stuff…. Here’s why this type of agency partnership works financially so fast.
Offer A Full-Service Package
Clients enjoy having one person to please them. If your agency can manage strategy, creative and physical stand build in-house it is much less likely you’ll lose that client to someone else.
Stand builder ships equipment and manages execution behind the scenes while agency keeps account. Best of both worlds.
Grow Revenue Without The Overhead
Building an in-house stand team is expensive. You’d need:
- Designers who understand 3D and structural design
- A workshop for fabrication
- Vans and installation crews
- Storage for stand assets
Working with a stand builder provides an agency with all of the above… without hiring anyone new. Agencies can charge a markup on the stand build as part of the overall package and keep the extra profit.
Impress Clients With Better Results
A beautiful exhibition stand is nice to have. But a great exhibition stand attracts attendees, converts leads and creates buzz.
If your agency’s clients witness a killer stand generating buzz and a crowded booth, they’ll want more of the same. They’ll tell others too.
Free Up The Internal Team
Attempting to project-manage your own stand build internally is a major headache. Permits, venue regulations, health and safety inspections, changes up to the wire…
Delegating that to an expert allows the agency team to focus on what they do best… planning, creativity and managing the campaign.
How To Find The Right Stand Building Partner
Partnering with your stand builder is like finding a marketing agency you love. Not all stand builders are suited to your needs. Seek out one that meets these criteria:
- Proven portfolio – Ask to see recent builds for clients in your niche
- Design-led approach – Great stand builders think like marketers, not just contractors
- Flexibility – They should scale from small pop-ups to huge custom builds
- Reliable timelines – Missed deadlines at a trade show are a disaster
- Transparent pricing – No surprise fees when the invoice lands
Do your due diligence. Ask for references. Visit an existing build if possible. Your stand builder should feel like an extension of your agency, rather than simply a vendor.
Tip: Hire a stand builder that already white-labels to agencies. They know the biz and will want to keep their agency client looking good in front of you.
How The Partnership Works Day-To-Day
When the agency partnerships are secured, operations are easy. The agency owns the client and campaign strategy. Stand builder owns design, build and install.
A typical project runs like this:
- Agency wins an event marketing brief from a client
- Agency briefs the stand builder on brand, budget, and goals
- Stand builder returns concepts and 3D visuals
- Agency presents to the client (with the builder in the background if needed)
- Build is signed off, produced, and installed on-site
- Stand builder dismantles and stores everything after the show
Communication. The most effective partnerships collaborate through shared project boards, weekly check-ins, and clearly defined approval processes. So that nothing slips through the cracks.
Cvent reports that customer satisfaction and revenue are tied for second place in ROI metrics used by B2B marketers. Translation: If the stand generates real leads that turn into real revenue, the client will return year after year. And the agency will continue to grow.
Final Thoughts
Event marketing is here to stay. Requests for trade show stands, expo builds and live activations from clients are increasing annually.
Agencies attempting to make sense of it all internally will drain budgets and overwhelm staff. Agencies partnering with the right specialists to handle stand building will:
- Win bigger contracts
- Deliver better client results
- Grow revenue without adding overhead
- Stay focused on their core strengths
It’s easy. Locate a stand building partner. Try them out on a small job. Develop the relationship. Suddenly event marketing becomes one of your most profitable service lines.