5 Ps of car show exhibits

By Alvin Uy September 14,2016
USE artificial rocks and plants for your exhibit for easy logistics.

USE artificial rocks and plants for your exhibit for easy logistics.

 

Photos by Alvin Uy

 

Joining a car show is never easy. It involves a lot of planning and preparation. Whether you are out there just to show your beloved custom car and compete in a car show or promoting a product, a carefully planned exhibit is always essential to make the most out of it.

Planning and preparation

In doing your planning and preparation, always consider your budget. Be realistic about your logistical and financial limits. Mounting the good exhibit doesn’t always mean overextending your budget and resources.

Here are a few things to consider for your planning and preparation.

To plan for the stage setup, first make sure you know the dimensions of the space allotted to you. Prepare a floor plan and elevation plan if it is a complicated setup.

Professional stage riggers use software like Autocad or SketchUp to render 3D drawings for better visualization.

After deciding what to do, always consider the schedule for ingress and egress. Timing is very important since setup time and pull out time is very limited.

Make a checklist so you don’t miss out on anything, and use this list as guide when doing your budget as well.

Choose the right car. Let’s face it, not all cars are created equal. In my years of organizing car shows, some cars tend to be more attractive and “winnable” even in the eyes of the most discerning car competition judges.

Even the color of your car is a consideration. Veteran car show participants would say some colors like black stand out because it brings out the shine in their cars, but they tend to easily expose imperfections like dimples and scratches. Other popular colors are red, blue and gray.

Detailing. Get a professional detailer to prep up your car, unless you happen to be a car shop owner. There are brands like Meguiar’s, Mother’s and Sonax that have all the right products to make sure your body paint, tires, engine, chrome parts and glass will look better than brand new.

Never show up in a car show without making sure your car is clean, spotless and shiny. If there’s any imperfection on the finish, make sure you take care of it before entering the show.

Putting on stickers over a dimple or scratch can help in case it runs into a small accident and there’s no time to fix it.

Sponsors. Putting up a car show is always costly. So plan your budget wisely. Try to look for companies promoting their products, and these can do wonders for your budget.

MAKE sure your car’s interior, exterior and even the  under chassis is clean and spotless.

MAKE sure your car’s interior, exterior and even the under chassis is clean and spotless.

From detailing work to aftermarket accessories, there are a lot of companies who would like to promote their brand in events like these. They usually ask for a little space on your car by way of stickers or banners, or even merchandise in your show space. Some will go as far as forking out your joining fee and providing models for you.

Just make sure you know the guidelines, and clear these issues out with the car show organizers. They usually have a set of guidelines for these things.

Accessorize. Unless you are a car company selling brand new cars, you may want to accessorize and customize your show car.

These days, even corporate displays staged by car companies tie up with aftermarket companies to dress up their cars on display.

From aftermarket wheels and tires, to roof racks, body kits and outboard lighting rigs, there are a lot of options to make your car more attractive.

Placement

During the show proper, make sure you know your ingress schedule, and stick to it. Car show organizers have 1,001 things on their minds, and the last thing they want to hear is your car will arrive late especially if it’s located at the far end of the hallway.

Here are some things you need to make sure you are ready for.

Lighting. Having the right lighting is very critical in making sure you have a proper setup. Even a smartphone with a good camera can take a very good picture with proper lighting.

THE engine bay is full of chrome and rubber parts that can get greasy with use. Make sure it’s spotless during showtime.

THE engine bay is full of chrome and rubber parts that can get greasy with use. Make sure it’s spotless during showtime.

Whether it’s an open car park event or a serious car show staged in SMX or the World Trade Center, good lighting always brings out the best in your car.

However, make sure you don’t overdo this since spotlights tend to heat up the area, and in some cases, may even melt your car’s plastic or fiberglass parts.

LED lighting is recommended since it consumes less energy, and allows you to play around with lighting tones.

Models. Hiring a good-looking model enhances your display, especially if you are promoting a product or trying to attract people to see your car.

The main idea of joining a car show is getting attention, and it also makes your sponsors happy. Although some car shows encourage hiring lady models wearing very skimpy clothing, this actually cheapens your car, and may attract the wrong crowd.

Almost all car shows have young visitors, so it is better to have models properly and tastefully dressed.

Some veteran car show participants like Atoy Llave of Atoy Customs and Sam Liuson of Concept One are advocates of creative car exhibits, they usually do not hire models, and just let their exhibits speak for themselves.

Last year, Llave hired some cosplay models wearing Star Wars Stormtrooper costumes, and became a real crowd drawer.

MODELS are a good way to attract visitors, but let them dress up tastefully to avoid attracting the wrong crowd.

MODELS are a good way to attract visitors, but let them dress up tastefully to avoid attracting the wrong crowd.

These models complement your display, and helps you keep an eye on your car as well.

Security. For car shows that draw a large crowd, it is advisable to put your own security to keep an eye on your car display.

Some visitors have been known to open the car doors and sit inside. Kids have been known to smudge their hands and mess up the car’s shiny finish, sit on the fender to pose for pictures, or worse, dent or scratch up your car’s immaculate paint job.

In large car show events, theft is also a major issue, so always be on the alert. The most common items stolen during car shows are phones and laptops lying around in plain sight.

In some instances, the shift knob is a favorite pick for thieves, who can immediately spot cars that show their interior.

Staging. Creating the right environment to showcase your car is very important. Aside from proper lighting, professional, corporate as well as amateur car show participants realize the value of creating a nicely staged set.

It’s not just about elevating the car display with a stage platform or laying out a carpet.

Some car show participants have been known to just lay out a dirty rag and call it a day. This is a big no-no. Always have a clean and neatly prepared stage, even on a simple set up.

Landscape. Landscaping your display might work well, especially if your vehicle is a SUV or pickup truck. It gives a certain outdoor/off-road flair to your showcase.

Choose artificial rocks and plants over real ones so there’s less maintenance and logistical issues. But try to look for landscaping materials that closely resemble the real thing.

ATOY Customs hired a cosplay Stormtrooper that became a hit in last year’s transport show.

ATOY Customs hired a cosplay Stormtrooper that became a hit in last year’s transport show.

Depending on the budget, some exhibitors go as far as bringing soil and sand, and even creating a water pool, but these can be a logistics nightmare.

Pullout and Post-event to dos

Lastly, know what time the egress of the event is, and make sure your crew is ready. Car shows have very limited time for egress, and it is usually mayhem since everyone is tired and yearning to go home.

Make sure you settle all the bills with your car show organizer, and have all your stuff packed and properly accounted for.

Traffic inside the exhibition hall can be very bad, and this is where accidents are prone to happen. Be sure to move around carefully to avoid any untoward incidents.

After the event, take some time to talk to your crew to assess what went on during the show, and see how you can improve your next exhibit.

Visit your sponsors to make sure you thank them for their support.

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