Standout trade show booths are worth the effort it takes to create them. Done well, they can gain exposure for your brand and introduce your business to new customers. They can be your way of commanding attention at a crowded convention hall. They can help you make a great impression with potential clients, and reconnect with people you’ve done business with before.
With that in mind, here are a few basic rules for creating an effective trade show booth.
Think strategically. What are you goals in attending the trade show – to introduce a new product, get 200 new leads, build brand recognition? Your goals should drive the design of your trade show booth and how that design is implemented.
Plan ahead. Start thinking about your booth’s design and function at least a few months – not weeks – before your first show of season. Think about whether you’ll need elbow room for product demonstrations, a space to meet with potential clients, and display systems for brochures. All these things will affect your booth’s footprint and design. By starting early, you’ll also give your vendors plenty of time to produce everything you need for the show.
Work with a marketing team. A professional graphic designer and marketing team can make sure that the branding and colors used throughout your display are consistent and on target. A designer can also create a rendering of your booth using your graphics that shows you exactly what the finished product will look like.
Choose your words carefully. When it comes to trade show displays, the fewer words the better. You want your messaging to be clear, concise and readable from a distance.
Use quality images. In a large room, graphics must be oversized to be effective. For high-quality results, you’ll need large files and high resolution images. Since you’re planning ahead, consider hiring a professional photographer to get the images you’ll need instead of using stock imagery.
With trade show booths, less is more. As the date of the trade show draws nearer, you may be tempted to add just a few more things to your booth. You’ll avoid a cluttered look if you stick to your graphic designer’s rendering and stay focused on your goals for the event.
Choose giveaways that support your company’s brand. Pens are nice, for example, but they don’t scream “high-tech” or “innovative.” If that’s your brand’s identity, you’ll need to get more creative. Your marketing team can help with ideas, and will make sure your logo looks great on whatever you choose.
Tell your customers where to find you. Use Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and email to tell your customers where you’ll be at the trade show. Once your booth is set up, post pictures and live updates so they have a visual reference to look for in the crowd.
Now that you know what goes into a memorable trade show booth, it’s time to start planning. We’d love to work with you to design a booth that draws crowds. Give us a call at 910.681.0548 or send us an email to get things started.
This trade show booth resulted in over 300 leads for this client.
A few more examples of trade show booths we’ve designed.