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Only a few years ago the highest level of qualification available in Business Administration was the MBA (Master of Business Administration), a well-regarded qualification offered by most major universities. After completing an MBA a small proportion of students would continue to a PhD (Doctor of Philosophy), but this was generally seen as a research qualification, of little relevance to practicing managers.

This situation has changed in recent years because of the introduction of a new type of qualification, the Professional or Vocational Doctorate. Professional doctorates are generally awarded in areas where most candidates for the degree are involved in the practice of a profession, rather than carrying out academic research. Professional Doctorates are available in a number of areas, including Engineering (EngD), Education (EdD), Social Sciences (DSocSci) and Clinical Psychology (DClinPsych), as well as the one we’re concerned with here, the Doctor of Business Administration (DBA).

Professional doctorates can be recognised by the fact that the name of the degree specifies the subject area in which it is awarded, rather than the more generic Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), which can be awarded in any subject area. PhD programmes are normally research based, with no taught content, but DBA programs often include a year of advanced-level study prior to the research phase. The taught component often focuses on current hot topics, such as entrepreneurship.

The DBA also incorporates a research element, but this tends to be applied research, rather than the scholarly research typical of PhD programmes. Professional doctorates require the submission of a body of original research of a similar length to a PhD thesis. However, this might take the form of a portfolio of technical reports on different research projects, as opposed to a single, long thesis.

Many candidates undertake a DBA on a part-time basis, fitting it around their work commitments. In this case, the research element may be something of direct relevance to their employer and the course may even be sponsored by an employer. A thesis may be jointly supervised by faculty members and company employees.

Relatively few institutions currently offer DBA programmes, but their numbers are on the increase. They include such well known names as Heriot-Watt University and Harvard University. The jury is still out on whether DBA programmes will come to rival the MBA in popularity, but don’t be surprised when you notice that the nameplate on your manager’s door reads “Doctor”.

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Trade show displays come in all different sizes, types, and colors. They are very diverse and they are successful at getting individuals to visit your trade show booth. However, you need to know what the different sizes of trade show exhibits are because you have to know what sizes can accommodate your product and what sizes will accommodate the amount of space you can afford at a trade show. If you are just starting out, a trade show booth that stands twelve feet tall may be a bit much when you have to pay for the space that you’re using. Ideally, you should be prepared to lease about 50 square feet of space for each individual working your booth. That means, if you’re going to have two people operating your booth, you need to have 100 square feet of space to accommodate them and your goods.

Popular sizes

The popular sizes range anywhere from a tabletop exhibit to a twenty-foot by twenty-foot exhibit or even larger. The tabletop exhibits tend to be quite popular and many individuals incorporate them into their larger exhibits. Tabletops are frequently used when the booth size is limited. However, they can still be quite effective. They are also able to see the exhibit at a glance.

Other popular sizes include:

- Ten-foot backwall exhibit: More than 50% of trade show exhibits are of this type. Ten feet is usually adequate space to display its products and its message while also accommodating workers inside the booth. These displays are also great at allowing you to display graphics. There are even popup displays with curved walls that garner a lot of attention.

Just make sure that you do not put a large table in front of your backwall. Doing this can block the impact you’re trying to make. You can place a small table with a tabletop trade show exhibit off to the side, but be sure that it does not block what you have going on. Allow your customers to walk right up to you instead of having that barrier. The only way there should be tables is if you have an actual store with products on display. If that’s the case, be sure to provide enough room for the customers to navigate around.

- Twenty-feet by twenty-feet backwall exhibits: Once you have conquered the world of the ten-foot backwall exhibit, it is time to graduate to a larger one. This opens up entirely new design possibilities. You can even have small work areas within the exhibit that allow workers to demonstrate the product.

Many individuals place towers in the middle of these large displays. This will get more attention from across the room. The idea of having such a large booth is to be able to conduct business the way you need to and to get the attention of the customers without having to physically scream.

- Twenty-foot by twenty-foot island exhibits: These are large booths that allow for more workspace and also demonstrations of a particular product. You can even incorporate dividers that allow for you to meet with customers in private conference rooms. It is like having an entire store at a trade show. It was also be impressive to customers. However, this is for the big dogs, which means this is something you have to graduate to.

Depending on the type of product you have and your budget is going to determine what size trade show booth you have. You can always start small and grow your business. That is how many trade show exhibitors conduct their business. They always work their way up. So don’t get discouraged if you cannot start with a larger display immediately.

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