A trade show provides your business with the opportunity to capture the interest of a captive audience already interested in what you have to offer. This is not to diminish the importance of designing the right trade show booth. Even though its attendees are interested in the theme of the trade show, you still need to find an effective way to attract and retain their attention.
When you plan your trade show booth, keep the following key elements in mind:
Recognition
Trade show attendees need to be able to identify quickly and efficiently what your company does, whether you’re a small startup or a large conglomerate. It takes a person attending a trade show from three to 10 seconds to decide whether to engage with a brand or move on. If people are not able to instantly identify the purpose behind your brand, it is unlikely they’ll stop at your booth to learn more.
Consider your banners and pop-up backdrops carefully. You want them to be branded, but something in your booth needs to demonstrate what it is your company or business does—or sells. What props and display items would integrate easily into your display that instantly say, “THIS IS WHAT WE DO”?
Use a simple viewing rule for primary headlines, about 1 inch of letter height for every 10 feet of viewing distance. Favor mixed case over all caps for faster word recognition, and keep headlines short so the message lands at a glance. Leave generous negative space around your name and descriptor so the purpose reads cleanly from the aisle.
Psychologists have long discussed the role of color in human response and consider it when building recognition in a trade show booth. Yes, you want to work with your brand colors, but think carefully about what colors complement them in a way that speaks to show attendees to help your exhibit stand out from other exhibitors. Consider higher contrast items when compared against the background. Ensure any complementary colors you use to stand out coincide with the message of your company and the emotion that the marketing draws.
Check text and background combinations against common readability thresholds, about 4.5:1 contrast for normal text and 3:1 for large text. Show halls vary in lighting, so test your contrast under venue light to confirm it holds up in real conditions. If your backwall is dark, choose light props and finishes, and reverse that pairing when the backdrop is light.
Offering a free item for stopping by your trade show booth can be effective for recognition, but connect your free giveaway to what your business does, or the effort is wasted. T-shirts have only so much recognition value, but if you’re a hardware or tools distributor and you invest in branded small flathead screwdrivers or wrenches, that’s a memorable and useable connection to your business.
A construction company? Reflective vests or locking tape measures are related to your industry and can be used repeatedly. You don’t need to spend a lot, but do spend wisely on take-aways for recognition. A port-a-potty company offered a branded porta-potty shaped stress reliever, which was a silly, but fun and memorable, way to provide recognition for the business.
If you sell products, bring samples. Even of your less-in-demand products. Trade show attendees want to see physical examples of products. They want to feel, inspect and touch them.
“It allows for a more engaging experience and will help them remember your product long after they leave the show,” advises Dmitry Lipinskiy, CEO of Storm Group Roofing. “The key is to stay in the minds of those who interact with your booth, and physical product examples can help you do just that.”
Visual Appeal
Humans are a visually stimulated species who use their eyes to help them gravitate toward the things that interest them the most. An attractive and stimulating trade show booth includes strategically placed graphics highlighted by subtle lighting that is designed to pique their curiosity without overwhelming the senses.
Choose lighting with a high color rendering index, around 90 or higher, so materials and finishes look accurate. A neutral white color temperature near 3500 to 4000K keeps colors true and avoids odd casts on products and faces. Aim fixtures at roughly 30 to 45 degrees, and add diffusers to reduce glare or hotspots on glossy surfaces.
Evolve Stone is an example of a company who did a trade show booth well and added to its gravitas as the 2022 NAHB International Builders’ Show® Best in Show Award and Most Innovative Building Material of the Year. Evolve Stone’s exhibit space at IBS included a display of products that attendees could touch and see on a larger scale than a single square sample of stone veneer. Because Evolve Stone is offered in different colors, it was important to display each color for context.
Demonstrations highlighting features of Evolve Stone, such as its use with nail finishers, was key to creating visual appeal and memorability.
Use smooth, slow-loop motion graphics that catch the eye without overwhelming people as they pass. Avoid rapidly flashing elements, keeping flashes to no more than three in any one second to reduce seizure risk. Favor simple transitions and steady pacing so attendees can grasp the message in a single glance.
According to the company, “Evolve Stone answers the need for a more efficient installation process with a highly workable, lightweight stone veneer product that installs up to 10X faster than natural stone and traditional stone veneer. Evolve Stone provides crews more flexibility and is DIY-friendly, as it doesn’t require specialty training, specialty tools, mortar or staging.”
This is easy to say—and must be said—but more powerful to show. And Evolve Stone did just that at IBS.
Openness
When designing your trade show booth, aim for an open setup. Keep the flow easy and smooth. A table placed between your business and the trade show attendees provides a psychological barrier that could prompt someone to skip visiting your booth. Instead of placing a table in front of your business, locate it in the back or off to the side, if it must be used. Focus, instead, on creating open spaces that are bright, inviting and welcoming.
Keep an accessible route at least 36 inches wide through your space, and provide a 60-inch turning area where people need to change direction. Cover cables with low-profile, beveled cord covers, and ramp any changes in level at a slope no steeper than 1:12. Place literature racks and counters out of the pathway so mobility is not pinched.
Put yourself and your team out where attendees can see and easily talk with you. If you’re standing or sitting behind that table you left out, the barrier effect doubles. An attendee has to really want to talk with you hurdle over all the psychological obstacles.
Also, draw on psychology again. Clutter anywhere can stop a free flow of traffic, but it also inhibits humans from embracing a space and induces stress.
Researchers found that office clutter decreases job performance and workplace satisfaction, and relates to indecision and emotional exhaustion, according to Psychology Today. It can be the same with an exhibit booth. Spring for the larger space size, if possible, but if you can’t, at least work to keep the space uncluttered.
The look and perception of a booth is important. When attendees walk by your booth, they judge it quickly. If your space overwhelms them with information, stuff or even an organized mess, they may not stop.
Post easy-to-scan QR codes that link to a mobile landing page, and tag the link with UTM parameters to track source. Keep a backup offline capture method, like a scanner or form, for times when connectivity is weak. Obtain explicit consent where required by laws like GDPR and CASL, follow CAN-SPAM rules for identification and opt-out, and display a brief privacy notice near the form.
By addressing these three key elements, you can create a trade show booth that helps you meet your business objectives. Creativity, coupled with a strong focus on delivering what trade show attendees want, is a winning strategy that’s applicable to any industry.
Check out our blog, The Ideal Trade Show Checklist & Timeline, for more tips, or contact us to start a conversation about how to boost your booth at a trade show.
FAQs
A trade show is a valuable opportunity to engage a captive audience already interested in your offerings, helping to attract and retain their attention.
Focus on recognition, visual appeal, and openness to effectively attract and engage trade show attendees.
Attendees typically decide within three to 10 seconds whether to engage with a booth or move on.
Recognition is crucial for attendees to quickly and efficiently understand what your company does, encouraging them to stop and learn more.
Choose colors that complement your brand and stand out to attendees, using higher contrast items to draw attention.
Offer free items related to your business for effective recognition, such as branded tools for a hardware distributor or reflective vests for a construction company.
Yes, bringing samples, even of less-in-demand products, allows attendees to physically interact with your products, enhancing their engagement and memory of your brand.
An attractive booth includes strategically placed graphics, subtle lighting, and displays that stimulate interest without overwhelming senses.
