Trade Show Blog

Three Things You Need To Know About Booth Design

Whether you're a seasoned exhibitor, or new to trade shows, you certainly want to put your best foot forward when you're in front of your customers, and a well-designed booth is key to giving the right impression.


Unfortunately, even with the best of intentions, many exhibitors make critical mistakes which can easily derail their efforts....or at least add unnecessary frustration to the process.

Here's my top picks for pitfalls to be avoided:

1. Don't feel like you have to "know" design... just be sure you "know" yourself.
This sounds like an easy one, but it's a conversation that I have with clients daily. All too often exhibitors have a preconceived idea of how they want their booth to look... when they don't even have a clear idea of what they're trying to accomplish at the show. If you want a great exhibit design and a successful exhibit program, clear and solid communication of your company's criteria and goals is essential (FYI..."look good and get more leads" is not a specific goal). Good design is always based on solid information, and it's the designer's job to develop the aesthetics and layout. Without that information, you may still end up with a design that you're satisfied with, but you will have missed an opportunity to take your exhibit program to the next level.

2. Be sure your exhibit and messaging is clear, coherent, and scalable.
Yes, you probably need a big logo that's visible from a couple aisles away, but once your prospect gets up to your booth....will they just see more logos? You're asking attendees to give you some of their time, so be sure that your exhibit rewards their investment. Your booth needs to be able to quickly inform attendees about your company/services/products, and pique their interest to learn more. Your booth staff certainly needs to be engaging and informative, but you're handicapping yourself if you expect your staff to carry the full load. In terms of scalability, your exhibit (structure, messaging, and overall experience) needs to engage the prospect both from a distance, as well as up close. Your exhibit program is a significant expense, make sure it's working for you.

3. Be sure your exhibit and messaging is clear, coherent, and scalable.

Okay, that's the same one again... but it is that important.

On clarity: even if your marketing department has the most powerful, evocative, and well-thought out campaign ever, you can still sabotage your booth by cluttering your booth with TOO MUCH of it. Or too much of anything for that matter. Less is more. Yes, I know, that idea may seem to run contrary to tradeshows as we know them...but I believe that there's value there. To draw an analogy from retail....your booth can either be well-thought-out boutique with everything in it's proper place, or a discount store with banners and signage everywhere. The choice is yours.

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What you need to know to effectively work with your Exhibit Designer

In general you need a display that serves as a branding tool and a selling tool. Combining your goals with the elements of strong, effective design is challenging. And it is critically important to embrace the appropriate display design to facilitate the best possible presentation of your marketing message and value proposition. This is why its important to have skilled professionals on your side.

While you undoubtedly have many other responsibilities, allow yourself plenty of time for a new display design. Waiting too long to get started can result in a design not achieving its full potential. In addition, you want to avoid extra fees such as rush charges to expedite the fabrication of your display. Work backwards from your show date and allow yourself:

• Two weeks to circulate your objectives and gain consensus and establish a budget
• Two weeks to start meetings with your display designer and obtain a production schedule
• Four weeks to six weeks to finalize your design, approve graphics, complete fabrication and ship

Begin the conversation by sharing your goals and objectives with your Display Consultant. They need to understand what you hope to achieve at the show: they’ll have the insight to help you position your products and services in the most effective way possible.

Many display companies use a questionnaire to help gather information. A brief enables you to gain the internal support from key stakeholders – members of your management team, marketing and sales teams – by capturing and documenting a shared vision. The brief will serve as a platform between you, your Display Consultant and your Display Designer. In addition you may use it as a benchmark against which to evaluate design proposals.

Request a copy of our FREE Design Strategies White Paper to see an example of a Exhibit Design Brief.

10 Things to keep in mind in order to create strong Trade Show Presentation

According to trade show research, live presentations are the third most important reason people remember a display stand, after display size and product interest. Any form of live presentation, for example, a staged product demonstration, theatrical skit, magician, game show, choreography, video, audio, robots or singers, can attract a throng of visitors to your stand. The key to success is using this powerful promotional tool as an integral part of your marketing plan to appropriately communicate your company or product message.

1. Consider your show objectives

Use your presentation to help achieve your objectives and to enhance your message or show theme. Find the most attractive benefit your product or service has to offer from the buyer’s perspective and flaunt it.

2. Project the right image

Decide what image you want to project and the best way to convey your company and product message. Consider conveying your message through bold graphics.

3. Think about your audience

Always think about the audience you want to attract and what you want them to get from experiencing the presentation. Be careful not to get carried away with a great idea and lose sight of the objective.

4. Have a realistic budget

Your budget is going to be a primary determining factor as to the type of presentation your company could consider. Be realistic. Know when it’s appropriate to be modest and when it’s okay to be a little more extravagant.

5. Be professional

Your budget is going to be a primary determining factor as to the type of presentation your company could consider. Be realistic. Know when it’s appropriate to be modest and when it’s okay to be a little more extravagant.

6. Grab attention and encourage action

Having a powerful and compelling pre and at show promotional strategy will help attract your target audience. Consider the best ways to promote your presentation—a special mailing, advertising or the Internet. Give visitors an incentive to attend, such as a gift, discount or a special demonstration.

7. Focus your staff

Communicate and involve your staff. Let them know exactly what you expect of them before, during and after each presentation. Make sure they can do what you expect of them. Decide whether you want to use your own staff or hire outside talent. Consider motivating your team with a contest for rewarding the most prospects.

8. Monitor and capture leads

Design a simple and easy-to-use lead form to capture pertinent information from your prospects. Determine who should complete the card—visitors or staff—and train your booth staff accordingly.

9. Deal with logistical issues

Major issues to consider are how much space you want the presentation to fill, if it should be in an open or closed area, how visitors will come into and leave the area; will they sit or stand during the presentation, how many presentations should be conducted every day, and how long each presentation will be? Ensure that the presentation does not interfere with fellow exhibitors and respects the adjoining space.

10. Evaluate success

Plan prior to the show how you will measure the success of the presentation: will it be based on the number of people attending, or the number of leads collected?

Looking for additional tips download one of our four white papers today.

Planning and Preparing for your Trade Show - 10 Steps you Should not Ignore

1. Determine how trade shows can strengthen your present marketing strategy

Do you want to:
• Increase existing products/services in existing markets?
• Introduce new products/services into existing markets?
• Introduce existing products/services into new markets?
• Introduce new products/services into new markets?

2. Set measurable and realistic goals

Know what you expect from a show. Set realistic and measurable goals. Write them down and share them with your exhibiting team. Decide exactly what information you want and then set up the systems to measure your results.

3. Establish a realistic budget

There are many different expenses involved in exhibiting. When putting your budget together, consider the following: The exhibition space; the display (estimate 60% for structure and accessories and 40% for graphics); show services including shipping, setup and dismantling and utilities; transportation; pre-show, at-show and post-show advertising; promotions and special events; personnel expenses including travel, accommodation, daily expenses and time value.

4. Select a display that meets your needs

Do your homework and select a display that meets the goals set for each show, portrays the right image for your company, is durable, flexible and versatile and fits your budget. Explore the ease, ability and cost-effectiveness of expanding your display over time.

5. Develop an overall message or theme

While developing your promotional plan, advertising, special events and media relations, you’ll need to keep a consistent theme throughout each piece. This will help reinforce your message to prospects as well as enable them to better recall who you are.

6. Use graphics to enhance your message

Graphics are used to create interest, focus attention and tell visitors about your product or service. In just three to five seconds, graphics need to communicate who you are, what you do and how customers can benefit. Graphics are often the first impression an attendee has of an exhibitor, so it’s important to make the "right" statement. Consider size—bigger in this instance is often times better!

7. Select the "right" staff

One of the most crucial aspects of any event is its people. The personnel you choose to represent you are your ambassadors. These people have the responsibility of making or breaking future relationships with attendees, prospects and customers. Invest time in training them so they know what to do and how to best represent your products, services, and company.

8. Plan early for transportation needs

Save money by planning for transportation needs well in advance of the show schedule. Choose a carrier that specializes in trade show transportation and will give you the service you need. Always communicate both in writing and verbally with your carrier.

9. Develop a follow-up system for new leads

One of the biggest frustrations after the exhibition is managing the leads. If leads are not distributed and managed in an organised and effective way, your overall results could be impaired. Determine how each lead will be followed up and who will implement it. If you plan to send literature or a thank you letter to attendees, have it pre-packed and ready to ship. Write and set-up email or mail merge templates to expedite personalizing correspondence. Whatever system you use, ensure follow-up is prompt, within three to five days after the show. The quickest follow-up occurs when you input lead information into a computerized system and transmit it immediately for fulfillment. If you don’t follow up, your competition will! There are several good lead management software applications on the market. Find one that fits your needs or consider designing your own— the simpler the better. Decide what kind of questions you will receive and how to respond to them. Consider different follow-up methods for the various types of visitors, e.g. prospects with an immediate need, prospects interested in buying within the next six months, prospects who are only partially interested. Try varying the follow up; phone calls, emails or letters. By just extending the follow up period you will be amazed by the results and remember to measure your success.

10. Re-evaluate regularly

You should continually re-evaluate the reasons why you re-select a show. Make sure they continue to attract your target audience and get results.

Experiential Marketing and Nomadic

Experiential marketing is a very powerful tool to win brand loyalty. It provides customers an opportunity to engage and interact with brands, products, and services in sensory ways that in turn provides information. The success comes from the fact that personal experiences help people connect to a brand and make intelligent and informed purchasing decisions by experiencing the benefits for themselves.

At Nomadic we see the huge benefit of face-to-face marketing and our experience in Trade Shows led us in the field of Experiential and Roadshow Marketing. Our lightweight display solutions are perfect to deploy your brand message consistently in locations globally and locally. With easy, fast set-up our display equipment has been designed with convenience in mind.

For more examples of custom portable displays, click here.

Read How Custom Rentals Can Offer Marketing Flexibility

Many exhibitors have encountered a one-time need to rent a display yet many companies prefer the freedom of renting a new display design year-after-year. If you want the flexibility to change your annual presentation at every event, want unlimited design options that keep pace with your business needs, and to control costs by eliminating ownership expenses, then you should consider a custom rental solution.

Companies like these have chosen to rent a custom display from Nomadic for several consecutive years:

Broadview Software, a provider of media software solutions for television and radio broadcast management, participates in the National Association of Broadcasters Show in Las Vegas every year.

Champions Way, a developer of business management software solutions for the martial arts industry exhibits annually at the Martial Arts Super Show.

Proslide Technology designs, engineers and manufactures custom water rides. They participate in World Waterpark Association and Intl. Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions.

Use your savings on ownership expenses to market your participation in events and improve your ROI.  To learn how you can save thousands with a design driven rental solution, download our cost savings comparison between a purchase and custom rental.

Maximizing Visibility: Why it is Imperative and How to Do It

To have great graphics, you have to have visible graphics. Even the best design in the world won’t work if no one can see it. There are two primary considerations that relate to visibility: Size and Placement

Size covers the physical dimensions of your graphic, any copy and images used in it, and proportion to the exhibit as a whole. For example, a graphic the size of a standard postcard will be lost in a standard-sized display booth. An extreme example perhaps, but yet one you’ll want keep it in mind when selecting graphics.

Consider how far away viewers will be from your graphics.

• Are the graphics easily seen from this distance?
• Can the copy be read?
• Are the images easily understood?

If you’ve answered “No” to any of these three questions, you need to work with your designer to improve matters.

Placement involves the location of your graphics. Too often, graphics are blocked from view by other elements, such as people walking by or through the exhibit or informational displays.

Again, take the time to consider your display in use. Ask yourself what can interfere with an attendee’s view of the graphics.

• Are they too high or too low?
• Will they be obscured by crowds of visitors, furnishings, product displays, or your staff?

Bad graphic placement is often a result of graphics designed on a computer screen by someone who isn’t aware of the physical environment or the unique circumstances of the average display event. Help your designer do a better job by providing a floor plan of the entire hall where you’ll be exhibiting, highlighting columns and other barriers to view. Ask your supplier to place the graphics on a 3-D rendering of the exhibit for review, before you commit to something that won’t work for you.

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Industry News - Research Reveals Important Forecasts, Goals, Tactics and Metrics

Many exhibitors are planning their 2010 trade show and event programs. The Center for Exhibition Industry Research released 3 new studies recently that may influence your plans - - here are the highlights.

• Marketers truly value exhibiting at B2B events and anticipate participating in the same number of events in 2010.
• The average booth size in 2009 was 555 sq ft and exhibitors anticipate their booth size will remain consistent in 2010.
• Customer relations, new leads and brand/product awareness were considered the most important objectives for participating in B2B exhibitions.
• Of the most used promotion activities, giveaways were rated the most effective for driving traffic to exhibitors’ booths, followed by show signage and e-mail.  
• Of the least used promotion activities, social networking was rated the most effective, followed by coupons.
• Young professionals make up the growing share of your target audience. They have the power to make buying recommendations today but will have purchasing power in the near future.  To attract these attendees to your display consider their preferences:
  • to receive exhibition information through technology-driven communications including email, social media and web sites
• • to learn about products/services related to their job or that will solve a problem at work
  • to visit exhibits that are interactive vs static
  • to view one-to-many style presentations vs “hard sell” one-to-one approaches
• When asked about the most important metric to evaluate event success, 80% of executives responded it was sales and 70% of exhibitors indicated it was the number of qualified leads.