When you attend a trade show, you pour many of your company’s resources — such as time, staff and money — into making it a success. This underscores the importance of your booth and making sure that it captures the attention of attendees while helping you achieve your objectives. The three trade show booth elements outlined below are ones that you shouldn’t skimp on.
1. Eye-popping trade show graphics
Did you know that your trade show booth has a maximum of three seconds to capture a person’s attention and convince them that they should learn more about your brand? One of the most powerful ways of doing so is by investing in eye-popping graphics that demonstrate your brand’s personality while supporting its objectives. Consider elements such as the typeface and fonts that are used, the trade show materials your graphics are made of and any taglines or other messages that can further support your company’s goals.
Provide large-format artwork at final size around 100 to 150 dpi for clear prints at booth distances. Keep logos as vector files and specify brand colors with Pantone or CMYK values to prevent shifts.
2. Skillful lighting
Like the graphics you use, the skillful use of lighting can help you capture the attention of trade show attendees from afar. Backlighting, for example, is an inexpensive lighting element to implement that also is an effective method of highlighting your brand. Be sure to start off at eye level when placing lighting elements so you can attract the attention of people as they come near. Then work your way up to make your booth visible to those who are some distance away.
Use LED fixtures to cut heat and power while delivering long service life, often 25,000 hours or more. Select 3000K for warm or 4000 to 5000K for neutral light, and target CRI 90+ for accurate color.
Quality lighting elements deliver continuity and consistency in terms of tone, color and shade for your brand. In addition to making your booth appear professional, high-quality lighting also tends to last longer.
3. Innovative design ideas
The above two suggestions are primarily used — at least in part — to capture the attention of attendees when they are elsewhere on the trade show floor. Design elements, however, tend to be more subtle and can better be appreciated by people when they visit your booth. Make these count by integrating different textures and materials — like metal and wood or transparent and sheer fabrics — to give attendees an unexpected experience that creates a buzz. Instead of sticking with the standard box shape booth design, add contrasting items like round seating or a gently-curving sign to make it less angular and sharp.
Keep a clear walking path at least 36 inches wide, consistent with ADA accessible route guidance. Use ramps where needed with a maximum slope of 1:12, and secure flooring edges and cables to reduce trip risks.
Making sure that you don’t cut corners with the above three elements will help your brand’s appearance at trade shows become memorable. They are well worth your investment and will pay off every time you use them.
