My firm's heavy products cost a fortune to ship. What tech tools can effectively display our large products in our exhibits?

When exhibitors' products are too heavy or cumbersome to ship to trade shows, video presentations depicting these products have been the go-to – and often mundane – solution for decades. However, a couple of technologies with product-display capabilities have recently made their way into our world.

Virtual reality has been used extensively outside of our industry, but it appears to be making a big impact on the show floor in 2017. You can use VR to create an effective and engaging product tour, and you can even customize the experience to each user's unique preferences and interests. What's more, advances in VR headsets have lowered the technology's price point, making it affordable for many exhibitors.

Another huge trend is the development of 3-D product modeling. You can have your products mapped in 3-D, reprinted in the show city, and transported to the show floor, thereby drastically decreasing shipping and drayage costs. Granted, 3-D printing isn't quite as interactive as a VR experience, but it can help you get a visual representation of your large or heavy products to the show floor without breaking the bank.