| |
The Art of Trade Show Booth
Design
Article by Angelita Menchaca of Polaris,
Inc.
January 23, 2002
As the New Year begins, everyone is planning their budgets and preparing
their schedules for the tradeshow season. New booths are being manufactured,
new graphics are being printed, giveaways are being purchased, and a
thousand other little details are being pulled together in the hopes
of making good presentations. With even the smallest shows being fairly
expensive, it's not a wise choice to blindly create your booth without
some booth basics. Fortunately, there are some known and established
hints that will help you make the most of your exhibit, present the
image you most desire, and make your company memorable.
Booth Design Should Communicate Your Company Image (Your Brand).
When conceptualizing your booth, think carefully about the image you
want to project. Are you prestigious? High tech? Friendly and customer-orientated?
This overall image will be your customer's first impression of you--make
sure it's the one you want.
Create a Clear Theme. A unifying theme that has a clear
message about your company and/or your product makes your presence memorable.
Be sure to carry it across all aspects of your show participation because
the more the theme is repeated, the more likely your message will be
remembered. DON'T GET CARRIED AWAY, however. While far-out and fanciful
themes can be fun and eye catching, a successful theme only works when
it makes marketing sense, relates to your company, and is professionally
executed.
If you decide a theme is not for your company, still be sure to convey
a strong, consistent image that can be carried across all aspects of
your show participation. Just as when you have a theme, the design of
all your pre- and post-show promotion should reflect your image by using
the same color schemes and design elements.
Every Display Graphic Should Be Eye-Catching, Informative and
Professional. They should answer the questions "Who are
you? What are you selling?" and "Why should you buy it?"
These may seem straightforward enough, but how many times have you seen
booths where none of these answers were immediately evident? Since most
prospects will just move on to clearer, more direct booths, this is
where good, creative exhibit design and consulting is worth its weight
in gold. When designing the graphics, remember:
• Keep your booth messages brief. Remember that attendees are
being attacked from all sides with various messages and can only take
so much. Where possible, stick to bold headlines and short bullet points.
Text should be placed at eye level or higher. Believe it or not, upper
and lower case print is much easier to read than block capitals.
• If something is new, promote it. People always have an eye
out for the latest things on the market, especially at exhibitions.
Label your new product or service accordingly to get the word out and
make the most of your showing.
• Remember to promote benefits, not features. Show how you can
solve specific problems and needs. If your product or service is the
quickest, cleanest, or most durable, promote it for all to see. Save
the technical data for brochures and pamphlets--your most interested
prospects won't hesitate to pick those up for later perusal.
• Use professional graphics and don't skimp on photography. A
picture is worth a thousand words, for better or for worse. Visitors
know poor photography, bad design and cheap materials when they see
them, and will judge the professionalism of your company based on your
appearance. This is no place to skimp. Good quality images are integral
in creating a professional image so plan ahead, set aside plenty of
photography and design time and follow through on your theme.
• Keep your exhibit simple. Your booth is primarily to attract
the attention of your prospects, give a quick glimpse of what you have
to offer, and project the appropriate image. Don't try to cram everything
onto it--let your salespeople and product/service literature fill in
the details. This will not only keep your design cleaner and more attractive,
but will also give your company a more personal and human feel.
Movement Stimulates Interest. Moving exhibits are much
more fun and exciting than static displays. Rotating signs, lights,
audio-video displays, etc., are much more likely to attract a visitor's
attention and provide a means to begin a conversation.
Make Sure Your Company Is Visible from All Heights.
Place your logo/name graphic up high so visitors can spot your booth
from a distance. Hanging signs are great but can be expensive, whereas
a simple pillar can be just as effective and a lot more cost-friendly.
Place another sign a little above eye level so visitors walking by or
looking down the aisle will see you. Headers and banners should accomplish
this nicely. Also remember to place your logo in front of your information
counter and have idle computer monitors default to a running company
advertisement or company logo.
Make It Easy and Non-Threatening for Visitors to Enter.
The more open a booth, the more likely people will come explore. Many
companies use the same carpet as the aisles so visitors step onto their
stand without realizing it.
BUT--If you are marketing to a very specific audience and want to reduce
traffic to only serious prospects, a raised floor or bright carpet will
help keep window shoppers at bay without deterring earnest customers.
Do not, however, place tables or other barriers that allow limited entrance/egress.
No one wants to feel trapped with no escape, so this kind of set-up
will virtually guarantee no one will enter your booth.
Display Products at Eye Level and Allow Visitors Access to Them.
Where possible, exhibits should be on open display so attendees can
study them first hand. This really attracts visitors -- when actually
holding a product they are open to learning a lot more, and it makes
excellent visual aids for the staff. Freestanding podiums for product
displays are especially effective for attracting prospects in this fashion.
Information Desks and Demo Stations Should Be Large Enough to
Handle the Expected Number Of Visitors. Don't discourage potential
customers with overcrowded stations. While a small crowd may arouse
interest, a mob will deter almost anyone.
Giveaway Promotions Should Reflect Your Theme and Not Take Any
of the Staff's Time. Also, display only one giveaway at a time
-- this will reduce the grab and run effect. REMEMBER: Giveaways and
gimmicks may draw a lot of people into your booth, but they won't necessarily
be your best prospects.* Be sure to always project the right image and
explain how your product or service will help them.
Look for Opportunities to Work With Other Exhibitors and Place
Your Products in Their Booths. Not only do you get wider exposure
to prospects, but it also allows you to get to know industry players
and creates opportunities for future partnerships in other areas.
Remember: People Are Integral to the Success of Your Booth.
Your booth will not sell your company by itself, nor should it. Shows
are the perfect time for your salespeople to meet customers, listen
to their questions and concerns, and measure their response to your
product or service. Again, the booth is simply there to attract prospects
and customers so human interaction can occur. Allow your booth to support
and enhance this interaction, not supplant it.
Evaluate Past Exhibiting Experience. What worked? What
didn't? What attracted you to other exhibitor's booths? Learn from the
past, and when you get to the show, continue evaluating other booths
for qualities you would like to integrate or avoid in yours.
As always, these tips are simply guidelines. There are always successful
exceptions that break all the rules, but most of the time these are
a good place to start. Even among large, flashy booths, if your exhibit
is clean, well designed, and has a knowledgeable staff, your company
will make a good showing and hold its own without problems.
About the Author: Angelita (Angel) Menchaca has worked as a freelance
writer, served as the Senior Editor for a national magazine publisher,
has a BA in Creative Writing, and we are pleased to say that as of September,
2001, she has become a full-time Project Coordinator and writer with
Polaris, Inc. Angel is currently working in the Polaris Portland office.
Copyright © 2002 by Polaris,
Inc. All rights reserved.
back to the article
page
|
|
|
