Candy Adams, CTSM, CME, CEM, CMP, CMM, is an independent exhibit-management consultant, trainer, speaker, writer, and an Exhibitor conference faculty member. CandyAdams @BoothMom.com

xhibitors all over the world are pinching pennies so hard you can hear Abe Lincoln scream. In fact, according to EXHIBITOR's 2009 Salary Survey, exhibit-marketing budgets are down a staggering 18 percent. To make matters worse, many exhibit-related costs continue to rise - even amid the country's troubled economic realities.

As a result, you're probably among the majority of exhibit managers being asked to do more - or at least the same - with less. And if you're like a lot of unlucky industry professionals, you're not just being told to make cuts; you're being told to cut deep.

But slashing budgets with a chainsaw isn't the way to go. Rather, exhibit managers need to carefully review their budgets, question every expenditure, and eliminate anything that does not help them reach their goals and objectives. When conducting your analysis, always look for invisible costs, and never cut where an attendee, customer, or prospect will see. For example, don't skip refurbishing your exhibit or replacing tattered graphics,
as a damaged exhibit reflects negatively on your company's image, priorities, and financial well-being.

Luckily, more covert cost-cutting techniques, like the seven listed here, will help you save some cash without signaling that your company is in financial trouble.

1. Meet discount deadlines. Pay attention to meeting the show's "early bird" deadlines, and get written confirmation of those orders when you place them. Missing an early bird deadline can double the cost of a product or service. Also keep an eye on when rush charges kick in for the production of graphics and literature and the date by which you have to ship your show-related freight to avoid paying expedited shipping charges.

2. Order in bulk. You may be able to get discounts by ordering giveaways for multiple trade shows or producing graphics that can be used and reused at several shows. For example, instead of ordering 100 promotional items for each of your company's 10 annual trade shows, consider ordering 1,000 of the items all at once and asking your supplier for a discount.

Depending on the quantity of your order, you may be able to negotiate sizeable discounts of up to 20 percent or more. But be sure to avoid any sort of text or graphics that date the items and preclude you from using them at future shows - such as the show name or URL for a specific product.

3. Team up. Partner with another division of your company and exhibit in a "corporate booth" instead of paying for individual exhibits. Oftentimes larger companies end up with multiple smaller exhibits to represent their various divisions across the trade show floor. However, going the corporate-booth route is likely to save you money, and a single, larger exhibit will probably get you more bang for your buck than a handful of uninspired 10-by-10-foot spaces.

If you work for a smaller company that doesn't have multiple divisions exhibiting at the same shows, consider partnering with a company that sells complementary - but not competing - products. For example, if you make stationery, perhaps you can co-exhibit with a company that sells scrapbooks. You'll need to get show management's approval for any partner arrangements, but it's worth investigating, especially if you're unable to afford exhibiting on your own.

4. Get multiple bids/quotes. Getting quotes from a number of vendors will let you know if your current vendor's pricing is competitive. Bidding out your business will also keep your current vendors on their toes. Always ask for line-item quotes so you can do an apples-to-apples comparison. This will also allow you to decide what line items you can cut if you still need to pare down your bottom line. And, with many vendors having financial problems these days, it's always good to have backup vendors. I've already had one long-term vendor go belly up.

But remember that the lowest-cost provider is not always the best option. Writer Oscar Wilde cautioned against being the "man who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing." Remember the saying, "Good. Fast. Cheap. Pick any two," and keep in mind that there will be times when the loyalty of a long-time vendor, who may not be the least expensive, will pay off exponentially.

5. Ask your vendors for help. Capitalize on the expertise of your vendors to control your budget without sacrificing quality. Tell them what goals you're trying to achieve and what your budget is; then, turn them loose to help you achieve your goals within your budgetary parameters.

Exhibit houses, in particular, are becoming masters of refurbishing and reconfiguring exhibits to help cut down on everything from the cost of a new custom booth to shipping and drayage fees. Your vendors have a vested interest in helping you survive budget cuts as well, so don't be afraid to at least ask for their suggestions.

6. Eliminate unnecessary staff. Select a smaller, more effective booth staff so you can reduce the cost of travel, food and beverage, hotels, etc. Plus, with a well-trained, talented staff, you can potentially cut 25 percent of your original staff without reducing the number of contacts and qualified leads you're able to interact with at the show. However, this only works if you train your staff to work efficiently and effectively during show hours.

7. Drop turnkey services. If you've been paying the 25- to 30-percent turnkey markup to your exhibit house when you order your show services such as installation-and-dismantle labor, it might be worth re-evaluating the benefits you're getting through that partnership.

Find out if your exhibit house is hitting the discount deadlines. Is it negotiating for I&D and shipping discounts on your behalf? If not, you may be able to do it on your own for less. Negotiating discounts in these areas is standard practice in the industry.

I recently did an audit for a client who paid turnkey fees to an exhibit house to hire I&D labor and complete show order forms. The audit revealed that my client's exhibit house was not meeting the discount deadlines for services such as electrical, which, as a result, cost my client almost twice as much as the early bird price. Furthermore, the shipping company the exhibit house selected was charging almost twice the going rate for local storage and transportation to the show. Handling these three items ourselves at the upcoming show saved my client approximately $7,500.

Between lost discounts and the add-on fees, eliminating turnkey services can cut your costs in half - assuming, of course, that you have the bandwidth to do those things yourself.e