13 Mistakes to avoid when you plan and set up Exhibit Booths

1. Before you prepare to set up exhibit booths you need to think about who will be doing the work. If you are not experienced with the set up process then you may want to hire someone to do this for you. Professionals who handle this type of work can usually do the job much faster because it is what they do all of the time. You may save time and money by paying a professional.

2. Remember that the cost of your trade show design is only part of the price that you will pay. It is common to find that a $900 display ends up costing three or four times this much if you are not careful. Calculate any add on costs into your budget before you hit the show floor and start to set up so that you do not end up spending too much or going over budget.

3. Find out whether other show vendors can pass out materials outside of their display area before you set up exhibit booths, or even plan on attending an event. Some shows allow vendors to pass out materials anywhere on the floor, and competitors may use this to try and pass their materials out right in front of your booths.

4. Keep your exhibit neat and tidy and avoid clutter. Having too many displays and not enough room to maneuver through your booth should always be considered when you set up exhibit booths. If necessary, cut down on the amount of products you display. Choose the most important and really show them off.

Having a cluttered booth or placing restrictions on customers and how they handle your product is a sure way to push them away.

Source: Adpulp.com

5. Always review the show floor layout before you plan to set up exhibit booths. You should do this before you even reserve the floor location that will be used. This will help you determine whether you are on the end of the aisle along a main walkway or off in the corner where you could be hidden from view.

6. Look at the floor plan carefully to decide where the main areas of traffic will be, and then try to get space along this route to set up exhibit booths. If seminars or panels will be held during the show, see if your booth location will be along the route used to attend these events. You could get a boost in traffic as a result.

Space selection is an important part of trade show planning, because the right space and floor location can make a big difference on the outcome. At some events, space can fill up quickly so reserve the ideal space as soon as you can.

Source: The Design Factory article, 15 Things you need to know about Trade Show Planning. Click here to read the complete article.

7. Have your trade show design ready well before the event is supposed to start. If you already have all of the components and displays needed and they are still in great shape then you do not need as much time to prepare. However, if you want a display built or you need printing, you should start planning months in advance and not wait until a few weeks before the event to start.

8. Try to avoid reserving a space to set up exhibit booths next to a large organization that has a block of spaces all together. This usually means that all of the spaces will be used for one exhibit, and you could find crowds for your neighbor blocking your traffic and making it hard to get to your booth.

9. Make sure to include some interactive elements in your trade show design. This will give you an edge over booths that are static and do not contain components that interact with your visitors.

Using interactive exhibit booths in order to show how your products can help consumers is much better than simply saying the benefits.

Read our complete article here about interactive exhibit booths.

10. Try to avoid any areas with a PA system that will be used by vendors when you set up exhibit booths. This can make it hard to talk to your visitors if the PA is in use.

11. Once you choose the best trade show design it can be a good idea to try to get a location along the outside edge of the floor if you have a smaller budget. These spaces tend to be less expensive, and most of the biggest companies will be in the middle of things.

12. When you get ready to set up exhibit booths always make sure that there are one or two people in the booth at all times during the hours that the show is open. Theft has become a big problem, even at the most influential trade shows, and keeping people in your booth can prevent this.

13. Always have a box with all the tools and items needed to set up exhibit booth components and displays. The tools and other assorted items that you need will depend on your trade show design, but this kit will come in handy during the process of setting up if you do this without professional help.

What mistakes have you made when you attempted to set up exhibit booths in the past and how could these be avoided?

Planning Your Trade Shoe Design

In truth, it’s not just as simple as deciding how much space you want and then getting a couple of chairs, a few tables and some posters with your logo plastered on them.

No, you really have to think long and hard about your trade show booth design. It may sound like a lot of extra work. But the fact is, if you have a good tradeshow booth then your business certainly will gain some good attention.

Don’t Get Noticed for the Wrong Reasons

When it comes to designing a trade show booth, you have to think that sometimes less really is more. There is no doubt that you want people to notice your booth from across the room, but you do not want it to be for all the wrong reasons.

You want to make sure that you grab people’s attention with the design choices of your display stand, this will then pull them in to see exactly what you are all about.

Getting a trade show booth is a great idea for all kinds of business, and as long as you remember that the design of your booth is perhaps just as important as the product you are offering , you will not be disappointed.

One more thing that needs to be mentioned as well is, while it can be a lot of work, coming up with a good trade show booth design is also a lot of fun.

You’ve got no time limits, and you can customize your presentation for your audience. Trade show exhibitions can be a very useful tool for marketing, just as long as you tailor-customize your tradeshow display to your customers’ interests and needs.

Shine a Spotlight On Trade Show Attendees

When you’ve got an invite list, remember to establish contact with all of them. You can make them feel special by inviting them to a specific event. You can dedicate time to them by offering discounts or consultations. You can invite them to social events or parties.

You have to emphasize your product’s efficiency and superiority if you want to maximize your utility with trade show design. Demonstrate to customers that your product will fulfill a specific need, and that you’ll fulfill that need at a fraction of the cost that most providers offer. Don’t be afraid of controversy. You need to take risks, and sometimes that means advertising bold claims.

How to Show that Your Customers Love You

Next, be sure to highlight your customers’ testimonials. Actually, the most effective testimonials are effective because they clearly state the benefits of your product or service.

For example, DON’T advertise with a testimonial like this: “I highly recommend Eco-Green Carpet Clean.” Rather, try something along these lines: “Eco-Green Carpet Clean has saved me hundreds of dollars on carpet cleaning, and I’ve never been happier with this chemical-free choice.”

Be a catalyst for change and cut deals with organizers so that you can get preferred display. Giving away sales percentage in exchange for extra promotions never hurt anyone. In fact, it usually helps! Can you finagle a spot as a keynote speaker? Can you solicit help from the promoter to throw you a specific event?

Stand Out With Innovative Trade Show Designs

Humans are visual creatures. That means that the trade show with the most bells and whistles often attracts the largest crowd. You want to stand out as the “cool kid” at the trade show with “lots of toys.” You need to turn your trade show booth into a social hub. It’s competitive, but you can do it.

There is no such thing as a free lunch. This makes you stand out even more when you distribute free items to customers! Don’t give out boring, tired old items like stress balls or pencils. Try something different and new! Customize your free items to fit your product.

The absolute most important part of any trade show is this: YOU HAVE TO GET YOUR CUSTOMER’S CONTACT INFO! Otherwise, there is absolutely NO purpose to staging your trade show. Get creative in order to glean this information. You can’t just ask for it directly, so give your customers some sort of incentive to give you the information. A good example is a game, or a sweepstakes, or something where people feel like they benefit from participating.

Trade show exhibits can be exhausting and expensive, but if done right, they can pay off far more than any other avenue of marketing.

Effective trade show booths catch attention, draw in visitors, and educate prospects about your product or service. They represent the very edge of your trade show funnel, generating leads from the convention floor. As such, the graphic elements in your exhibit area must strongly express your branding and marketing message.

Fonts and Text for Your Trade Show Booth

Place the most important text in the upper part of your display. This makes it easy to see, even with people standing in front of your booth. Use a common and easy-to-read typeface that is large enough to be read from a distance.

A combination of upper and lower case letters is usually best. After all, you (probably) don’t want to “shout” by using all capitals!

How to Use Colors at a Convention

Don’t overdo it with a multitude of different colors. Use three main colors (preferably your logo and branding colors) so as not to confuse the eye. Use colors that help to set the mood that you want attendees to feel about what you are offering.

Exhibit Booth Lighting

Exhibit booth lighting is an often overlooked but extremely important element. Convention and expo halls often do not have proper lighting to emphasize what you want seen the most. Even (and especially) if you have a small display, make sure your lighting sets the stage for success.

Multimedia Helps Your Exhibit Sell

Video, audio, and animation that promote interaction are great attention grabbers and can make a big impact. This helps provide a total experience for attendees, instead of just a sales pitch.

Consistent Graphic Design for Your Company

Your graphics should mimic your products and collateral material. This helps your branding by showing consistency.

If your trade show exhibit is of the smaller variety, emphasize one main point. Trying to focus on many different things can be confusing, and leads won’t likely convert to buyers if they feel confused about your business.

Don’t Forget the Promotional Giveaways!

Conventions and tradeshows are known for the vast amount of loot (“swag”) they carry. Your giveaways should always pertain to your business and have your company’s contact information and logo.

You will stand out if your free gifts are different than the typical pens, notepads, and paperweights. Make sure it is something that can be used or seen for a long time…not just pitched after the show.