3-D printing has created quite a stir in the manufacturing sector in a short period of time. From $5.8 billion in 2016 to a projection of $55.8 billion by 2027, there are endless possibilities when it comes to building an object – one layer at a time. But what does this have to do with face-to-face marketing? A great deal, it turns out.
Scale Appropriately
A goal of creating trade show experiences and customer engagement centers is to build relationships that result in sales. For many companies, a sale means delivering a physical product into the hands of a customer. But what if the product is too large, too small, or too fragile to incorporate into a custom trade show exhibit or experience center? Or what if it is part of an integrated system that screams complexity?
For years, a slick product brochure or an informative video had to suffice when an actual product could not be integrated into an experiential space. Given that research has confirmed buyers want to see what a product looks like and understand physical attributes as part of the competitive evaluation, these options are not ideal.
As technology has evolved, choices for engagement opportunities that highlight products and their functionality have grown. 
The best-case scenario is when you can integrate an actual product into an engagement that customers and prospects can inspect. But when an actual product is not possible, a 3-D replica scaled appropriately is a great substitute.
By adding the third dimension, technology engagements seem to jump off the surface, drawing attention and providing an unexpected experience and interaction with a product.
Demonstrate Complexity
As mentioned, some offerings are a complex system of many components. For large systems that stretch throughout the world, such as a cellular network, it would be impossible to demonstrate with actual product. 
Building a small scale 3-D version of the system that shows the pieces and how they relate physically to each other, as well as how they interact, can help customers grasp the process and appreciate the value of such a system.
Leverage Assets
At Exhibitus, our 3-D printers make it possible to include products in many different ways for a variety of venues. Some clients leverage 3-D produced products made for a trade show and re-create similar branded interiors that show case the products in a permanent installation in corporate settings. Others provide replicas to its sales force for “on the road” demonstration. Contact us to learn more about how our 3-D printing capabilities can put your product in the hands of customers and ahead of the competition.