Quest Renewables is excited to meet industry partners at the regional RE+ NE tradeshow in Boston, MA from February 22 – 23, where the team will be exhibiting at Booth Number 108. Since RE+ NE is right around the corner, Quest is using the time leading up to the show to prepare and reflect on past tradeshow experiences.
Over the last 9+ years of exhibiting at solar tradeshows, Quest Renewables’ approach to exhibiting has changed. In fact, the industry expos themselves have changed, as the industry focus shifted from exclusively solar, to solar + energy storage, to “renewable energy” as a whole. Quest Renewables frequently exhibits at what is now known as the Renewable Energy Plus (RE+) regional and national network(s). The national tradeshow hosted by this network was originally named “Solar Power International,” to reflect an exclusively solar-industry focus, and has since evolved over time to include emphasis on energy storage and renewable energy in addition to solar energy. Now the network takes on the name “RE” which stands for Renewable Energy. Note: the former name Solar Power International, or SPI, is still informally and unofficially used in the industry as a reference for the RE+ event, however, it is no longer used or recognized by the tradeshow host.
Quest Renewables has been in the solar canopy business for over 10 years, and has maintained a tradeshow presence for 9 of these 10 years. Quest debuted as a company at SPI 2014 in Las Vegas, Nevada. At this time, the mission for attending SPI was to meet new customers, and develop brand recognition along with a new market presence via high-impact messaging and a large, interactive display. To achieve this end the team launched full-scale construction of a single unit of the flagship product, the Quest’s Solar Carports™ . The canopy was erected above a 600-square foot (20 x 30) exhibit space. At the time, Quest Renewables collaborated with research partner Georgia Tech Research Institute to host the booth space, as pictured below.
Attendees were given the opportunity to walk underneath the array and see first-hand the Quest’s Solar Carport’s positive design attributes: lightweight steel, strong connection points, and reduced foundations. Staff had hundreds of valuable conversations with customers, suppliers, and general industry stakeholders.
Since the larger-than-life approach was such a success in the early days, Quest Renewables continued to construct full Quest’s Solar Carports™ trusses at tradeshows until 2018. As the Quest’s Solar Carports system capabilities expanded, the exhibit plans grew larger and more innovative, as seen below in an image from the 2016 Solar Power International tradeshow. This approach served the company well by creating memorable experiences that left a real impression with future customers. It is worth mentioning that each time the team installed a full canopy onsite at SPI, the team was required to approach the booth set-up as a construction zone. Construction of the Quest’s Solar Carports™ onsite at tradeshows also required additional planning in terms of shipping, material handling, staging, and contracted labor.
At Solar Power International 2018, the focus shifted from large scale demonstrations to a more minimalist, relationship-oriented approach with a heavy emphasis on networking with new and existing customers. The focus evolved into using the show to grow our connections with existing contacts and suppliers, and meet new clients. Quest Renewables opted for a smaller 10 x 20 exhibit that featured powerful digital visuals and ample staffing, along with elements of comfort to promote in-booth discussions with valuable contacts.
Today, Quest Renewables chooses to attend a number of regional and national shows (primarily within the RE+ network). The team uses 10 x 20 or 10 x 10 exhibit spaces, which offer a more personal experience for booth attendees. Quest Renewables uses friendly staff to build relationships, alongside video messaging and picture graphics to share the magnitude of past and current projects.
Quest Renewables looks forward to meeting with all RE+ NE attendees in Boston from February 22 – 23 at Booth Number 108! If you are interested in attending the Quest Renewables booth, check out the booth page at the RE+ NE website. If you’d like to reach out to a team member prior to the show dates, please reach out to sales@questrenewables.com.