Every year there are thousands of trade shows taking place across the country. They are the ideal marketing channel allowing you to connect your brand with your audience face-to-face. Every contact represents a new opportunity and with an estimated 46% of attendees holding an executive or upper management position it is imperative that your booth draws attention.

Before diving into the creative aspect of your booth it’s best to figure out what your goals will be for the show. Are you promoting a certain product or service? Or are you trying to increase awareness of your company as a whole? “You can have more than one goal, of course, but the point is that you need to be clear about what your participation in the trade show is going to achieve,” says Leslie Mueller business development specialist from MNCPA.

With your goals established it’s time to think about your booth and the stellar design that will get you noticed. Below are four things to consider when deciding the type of booth that’s right for you and the design to go along with it:

Space:

  • A cluttered booth in terms of display, sales reps and attendees is an uncomfortable situation. Determine how many employees will be within the space and choose your display size around that number. Tip: mark-up your booth space in an empty room by placing some tape on the floor. Now have your sales team stand within that space and add in 4 more employees to represent show attendees. If it’s crowded in this scenario it’s going to be crowded during the real thing.

Design:

  • When you’re up against so many other exhibitors it may be tempting to cram as much info within your display as possible when in fact a simplistic approach yields the most effective results. A clean, eye-catching design that gets your message across will allow onlookers to qualify themselves in knowing that they could use your service. Make sure that your brand is consistent throughout and that all aspects of the booth attribute to your objective.

Interactivity:

  • Having your prospects interact with your display creates a lasting impression. Consider having a video playing on a loop or incorporate some type of activity that rewards them with a takeaway that has your name on it. Charging stations and interactive demos of your product or service are extra touches that add to the overall attendee experience.

Mobility:

  • Setup and teardown are two of the most tedious tasks when exhibiting at a show, however that does not have to be the case. Purchasing displays that are lightweight and easy to assemble are highly recommended for anyone starting out. Consider who will be in the booth and their abilities to set up and dismantle the whole display. Lastly, shipping, if your display needs to be delivered to the venue consider the shipping costs and logistics that it will take to get it there.

“One of the most important things you can do before a trade show is to plan well ahead of the scheduled time. It is never too early to start,” states Morgan Kellher of Forbes, and this is 100% accurate. Production times for the displays, print collateral and giveaways as well as hotel and flight arrangements must be considered when booking the show. In my next article, I will go into detail on how to market your booth before the show as well as what collateral you should have on you!

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About the Author

Robert

Robert has a love for graphic design stemming from his passion to create while solving problems. He enjoys overcoming challenges and providing the best solutions while creating something stunning. Being able to see something that starts as just an idea or a sketch and turning that into a fully functional work of art is what makes Robert such an integral part of our team. Robert admires designers such as Paul Rand, who has motivated and inspired him to pursue his dreams of becoming a designer, and taking his skills to the next level. As Paul Rand once said, “Design is everything, EVERYTHING!”. Design is RJ’s life..

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