Trade Show Booth Display









Newsletter - Trade Show Success on a Small Budget
Pop Up Exhibits for Trade Show Success
o Benefits of Pop Up Trade Show Booths
o Evaluating Your Trade Show Display Units
o Pop Up Exhibit Budget
o Pop Up Trade Show Booth Design
o Trade Show Booth Displays
o Working with Trade Show Display Companies
Portable Trade Show Display Features to Consider
o Choosing Portable Trade Show Exhibits
o Designing Portable Trade Show Booths
o Make Your Portable Display Sell More
o Maximize Your Trade Show Modular Display
o Portable Displays
o Portable Trade Show Displays that Won't be Forgotten
o Portable Trade Show Exhibit
o Tips for Portable Exhibits
o Trade Show Booth
o Your Portable Trade Show Booth Theme
Search Trade Show Booth Display
Should You Consider Trade Show Display Rentals?
o Finding Suppliers for Custom Rental Trade Show Exhibits
o Trade Show Display Rental
o Trade Show Exhibit Design Tips
o Trade Show Exhibit Rental Tips
o Trade Show Exhibit Rentals Provide More Flexibility
o Trade Show Rental Tips
Tips for Custom Trade Show Exhibits
o Adding Interactivity to Trade Show Exhibit Booths
o Choosing a Trade Show Display Company
o Choosing the Right Trade Show Exhibit Company
o Custom Exhibit Tips
o Custom Trade Show Booth Design Tips
o Custom Trade Show Exhibit Concepts
o Getting Estimates from Trade Show Exhibit Builder
o Is a Custom Rental Trade Show Exhibit Right for You?
o Tips for Successful Trade Show Exhibit Systems
o Trade Show Sign Success Tips
o Working with Trade Show Exhibit Companies
Trade Show Booth Idea
o Extending the Lifespan of Your Exhibit Display
o Give an Effective Trade Show Gift
o Save Money on Trade Show Furniture
o Trade Show Booth Ideas for Small Budgets
o Trade Show Booth Rentals that Get Noticed
Trade Show Display Cases
o Trade Show Supply Checklist
o Trade Show Table Cover Options
Trade Show Display Design
o Custom Trade Show Exhibit Concepts
o Interviewing Exhibit Display Companies
o The Most Effective Trade Show Display Unit
o Trade Show Booth Design
o
o
o









Trade Show Booth Rental Design Ideas
Trade Show Display Equipment Tips
Trade Show Display Ideas
 Trade Show Flooring Tips
o Trade Show Promotion Ideas
o Working with an Exhibit Designer
Trade Show Display Graphics
o Tips for Trade Show Supplies
o Trade Show Exhibit Booth Configurations
o Trade Show Exhibits: Cutting Costs
o Types of Trade Show Exhibit Builders
Trade Show Lighting Tips
Trade Show Resources
o Link to Trade Show Booth Display
o Small Business Resources
Trade Show Success Tips
o A Trade Show That Pays Off
o Getting Estimates from Trade Show Exhibit Builder
o New Trade Show Banner Display Options
 Trade Show Flooring Tips
o Trade Show Booth Ideas for Small Budgets
o Trade Show Booth Rental Design Ideas
o Trade Show Display Ideas
 Trade Show Flooring Tips
o Trade Show Table Cover Options
o Trade Show Tips 2
Trade Show Tips
o A Trade Show That Pays Off
o Trade Show Exhibition Booth Tips
o Trade Show Tips 2
o Trade Show Tips 3
o Trade Show Tips 4
Used Trade Show Display
o Refurbishing Used Trade Show Displays
o Trade Show Display Booths on a Small Budget
o Trade Show Display Color Tips
o Trade Show Exhibit Traffic Flow
o Turn Used Trade Show Exhibits into an Effective Booth
o Used Trade Show Booth Structures
o Used Trade Show Booths - Getting Your Money's Worth
o Used Trade Show Exhibit - look big with a small budget
What Is RSS?
What Trade Show Banner Displays Do You Need?
o New Trade Show Banner Display Options
 Trade Show Flooring Tips
o Powerful Trade Show Booth Graphics
o Types of Trade Show Presentations
o Your Trade Show Exhibit Display Concept
Why a Table Top Trade Show Display May BeJust What You Need
o Designing Your Trade Show Exhibit Displays
o Powerful Table Top Trade Show Displays
o Trade Show Exhibit Booth Display - 5 Tips for Success
Guide to a Successful
Trade Show Booth Display
on a Small Budget
No matter what your industry is, you'll find trade show booth display secrets here
that will put you ahead of your competitors - without overextending your marketing
budget.
Exhibiting in a trade show can be a very costly experience if you're not careful. It
seems like everywhere you turn there's another big fee for your displays, graphics,
shipping, furniture rental, drayage, and so on.
But when you're armed with a few insider trade show secrets, you can spend a
fraction of what your booth neighbors are paying for everything - and wind up having
a far more profitable show.
That's why we've collected these innovative tips for spending less and getting more
from trade show rentals, banners, portable exhibits, table top trade show displays,
used trade show booths, and more.
You'll also find secrets here for saving money on trade show furniture, flooring,
lighting, and table covers - as well as your cheapest, most effective trade show gifts
and premiums.
Need a trade show checklist? We have one here - plus an enormous collection of
unique, money-saving trade show booth ideas.
We've also got smart and cheap trade show marketing tips, and ideas for putting
together a professional and profitable trade show booth display on a very small
budget.
Another critical element of marketing your business on a small budget is your
website. If your company's website isn't bringing in loads of targeted traffic, you're
missing out on a lot of sales that have the highest net profit.
So we'll be introducing a new section here on using your website as a very low-cost,
high-profit trade show marketing tool. We highly recommend an award-winning,
money-saving small business website solution that helps you build an online
presence easily - and generate targeted traffic fast.
Here's to your trade show success - the small-budget way!
Trade Show Tips
Try these trade show tips on nearly every aspect of exhibiting. Included are ideas
and solutions for displays, booth design, budgeting for a show, choosing the right
shows for you, standing out from the crowd, signs, banners, getting leads, literature,
and more.










Each year you exhibit in trade shows, you should feature new products for
your repeat customers. If that's not possible for your product line, consider at
least significantly updating some of your current products and showcasing
them, along with some updated marketing materials. Brainstorm ways to
creatively update your trade show booth display without spending a lot of
money on the updates.
For your first trade show booth display, consider renting the smallest possible
booth. You'll be learning a lot about what you do and don't want to do in
future shows, so it's usually best to keep your expenses lower while you learn
by trial and error.
If you're planning to go to a trade show as an attendee, find out ahead of
time what identification you need to bring with you to prove that you're in
business. Many shows are closed to the general public, and without proper
identification you might not be admitted to the exhibit hall.
On your website's home page, list your upcoming trade show locations and
dates, plus your booth number at each event. Then after each trade show, be
diligent about removing the event from your website so it doesn't give the
appearance that your site is never updated.
Have a photo of your most recognizable product on your business card. You
may also want to use the same photo in your trade show booth display. Trade
show attendees collect dozens of business cards during the event, and when
they get home it's hard for them to remember why they wanted your card, or
what you sold. A photo on your card will remind them, and will often save
your business card from the wastebasket!
Consider teaming up with related but non-competing businesses to promote
each other's products. For example, if you make bridal jewelry, you could
team up with a florist, a dressmaker, and a catering business to recommend
one another to your bridal customers. It's a great system for free advertising,
and a recommendation from a trusted business serving the same niche
carries more weight than a paid ad in the newspaper.
Dress up just slightly more than you expect the trade show attendees to
dress. You'll appear professional without seeming unapproachable or out of
touch.
Visit a trade show as an attendee. Network with prospects without having
your own booth. In some ways this is advantageous, as your time is more
free and you can leave the exhibit hall with a potential customer to have a
more private meeting.
Mail promotional materials to past and potential customers before the show.
Let them know the location of the event and your booth number so they can
find you easily. In your promotional material, offer them a freebie or discount
for stopping by your booth.
Investigate all trade show expenses and set a realistic budget for your travel,
booth, and literature. Remember to include expenses of advertising, shipping
your trade show booth display components, booth design, booth setup and
take-down, and entertaining clients.







Before reserving your trade show space or planning your exhibit, identify your
customer and brainstorm some clear, quantifiable objectives. What are the
customer's needs, desires, and hopes that you can fulfill? And how many
leads or sales do you plan to make at the trade show? Now plan your show
and your trade show booth display to help you meet your goals and fulfill your
customer's needs.
Create an open trade show booth display. Make it a space people can enter
comfortably without feeling trapped. If you set a table across the front of your
booth and stand behind it, it's harder to draw customers in and involve them.
Wear comfortable shoes so you can stand as much as possible at your booth.
Rising out of a chair to greet visitors tends to scare them off, so being on
your feet already when they approach is to your advantage. If you can't
spend an entire day on your feet, a tall stool is better than a low chair.
Keep your trade show booth display uncluttered so customers can focus on
what's important - your product. When approaching your display, anyone
should be able to discern immediately what your booth is promoting. No one
is going to take the time to study it and guess, when there are hundreds of
other booths to visit.
You can usually count on the safe arrival of everything you ship to a trade
show. But shipping isn't always reliable - and what if part of your trade show
booth display, your literature, or other components don't arrive in time? Well
before the show, you should come up with a plan of action for this situation,
so you'll have some recourse to salvage your presentation.
Before planning your trade show booth display, find out everything you can
about your allotted space. Know its dimensions, where it will be located in the
building, what organizations will be in your neighboring booths, whether it's in
a high or low traffic area, whether you have access to lighting and electricity,
and anything else that will affect your exhibit display setup.
For displays to fit a really small budget, look for used pop up booth exhibits.
You can get them for just 20 to 30 percent of the price of new units, and have
a great portable booth!
Trade Show Tips 2
Here's a growing collection of trade show tips on nearly every aspect of exhibiting.
Ideas and solutions for everything from product packaging to encouraging orders,
sales reps, scam alerts, product pricing, product samples, shipping charges, following
up after a trade show, product positioning, delivery dates, and more.
Your product packaging is an important selling point for your items that will be
retailed in stores. Since retailers sell several different companies' products, they
aren't as familiar with your product as you are. And their sales staff are likely to be
even less educated on your product's features and benefits. So your packaging must
be able to answer the end users' questions about the product as well as promote the
features and benefits that will kindle the end customer's desire to purchase it.
Consider having a "show special" to encourage orders at the show. If you let
potential customers wait till they get home to order, far fewer of them will follow
through with placing the order they promised. The incentive of receiving a special
deal only if they order at the trade show can significantly boost your sales.
If your business is new and you can't afford to exhibit in a trade show, consider
reaching this market via a sales representative who exhibits in trade shows or gift
marts in your industry. A sales rep can give your products a presence at shows
without the cost of a full-fledged booth.
Although receiving an extremely large order at a trade show can be exciting, you
may want to check with other wholesalers to see whether the company that placed
the order has a history of paying promptly and in full.
Unfortunately, new exhibitors at trade shows are a frequent target for scammers
who place a large order and disappear after receiving it, never paying the big bill
they owe the supplier. Of course, large orders can also be perfectly legitimate; so
protect your business by exercising caution and checking the company's references
carefully.
Offer retailers suggestions on the best ways to display and market your products.
You may even consider selling them displays that are just right for retailing your
goods. If you do everything you can to ensure their success in selling your items,
they'll be back to purchase more.
A tried and true trade show promotion strategy is to set your product pricing so that
you can afford to offer volume discounts, to encourage larger orders.
The product samples in your trade show booth display should be tagged with your
code or item number, the available options (such as color and size), wholesale price,
and minimum quantity. A nearby photo display, poster, or literature showing the
product in its other colors, sizes, or options can help increase sales.
Your trade show booth may be approached by independent sales reps looking for
lines to represent. If you're interested in selling your products through a sales rep,
consider ahead of time what commission you would be able to pay a rep and still be
able to meet your expenses and turn a profit. With that information in mind, you'll be
prepared to have a productive meeting with a sales rep at or after the trade show.
If you're wholesaling your products to retail stores, you will be selling items that the
shops will retail six months later. Your January and February trade show orders will
be for products the stores will retail in the summer, while your June and July show
orders will be for Halloween through Christmas. So plan your trade show exhibit
accordingly to offer what the shops want to sell half a year later. You might also
consider decorating your booth for the season your products are targeted for.
Don't forget to include shipping charges on orders you write up at a trade show.
Buyers are usually expected to pay shipping and handling charges, so take the time
to find out what it would cost you to ship your products via various carriers. Be sure
to include costs of packaging, overhead, and the time it takes your staff to pick, fill,
and pack orders.
To rescue sales you weren't able to close at the trade show, consider sending a
follow-up offer after the show. Examples of offers you might make are a free gift that
would be of value to the customer if they order within 30 days; a special package of
your product at a special price; or a one-month free trial if you're selling a service.
Be sure to consider all possibilities for related products you can market to
accompany your best selling items. This will increase your profits from both add-on
sales at the time the original item is purchased, and back-end sales later to the same
customer.
Develop a concise, detailed production plan so you'll know how long it takes you or
your supplier to produce certain quantities of your products. Then pad your estimate
time slightly. That way you have a high likelihood of meeting your quoted delivery
deadlines, and may be able to pleasantly surprise your customer by delivering early.
You should know your production time before you go to the show so you can give
your customers accurate delivery dates.
You can use trade shows to test and refine your new product concepts without
spending any money on fully producing them in quantity. Bring a sample or two of
the new product to a show and get customers' feedback on it.
If it's a hit, go ahead and take orders for the item and schedule delivery dates that
will allow for your production time. If the item needs to be reworked to incorporate
customers' suggestions - or if it doesn't generate the interest you hoped - it's easy to
scrap the idea without losing money on production.
For your next trade show, sharply define the most profitable aspect of your niche,
identify its prospective customers, and intensify your marketing efforts in that area.
Size up your trade show competitors. What are their weak points in marketing,
displays, and customer service? Find ways to strengthen your own business in the
areas of your competitors' weaknesses, and promote these new strengths to your
customers and prospects.
Keep looking for new ways to position and sell your products, and more effective
ideas for your booth design. Examining the marketing methods and displays of
businesses outside your own industry can yield some fresh ideas for marketing your
own line.
Offer realistic delivery dates on your trade show orders to accommodate production
time of your product. You can offer to split the delivery on large orders, such as onethird by a certain date, one-third a month later, and one-third a month after that.
Make a simple but professional looking order form and have it made up into
carbonless duplicates to save time on taking orders at a trade show. Your order form
should include your prices and quantity price breaks, plus product names,
descriptions, and options (such as color, size, etc.). State your terms of sale, return
policy, guarantee, and other transaction information. Keep one copy for your records
and give the other copy to your customer.
Trade Show Tips 3
Here's a growing collection of trade show tips on nearly every aspect of exhibiting.
Ideas and solutions for everything from flame retardant fabrics to booth makeovers,
visual aids, table coverings, studying competitors, taking orders, sharing a booth,
avoiding drayage charges, and more.










If the show promoter provides table covers for each booth, bring your own
table runner with your logo on it, to make your display stand out from the
others.
Straighten up your trade show booth display periodically during a show to
keep it fresh and professional. During the show, literature gets knocked
askew, passersby sometimes leave empty cups or other companies' business
cards on your table, and product samples are moved around.
Working your trade show booth can be exhausting. Be sure each person in
your booth has ample breaks so they can stay fresh and sharp.
Instead of storing your trade show displays after the show, get more mileage
out of them by putting them to work at your business. They can be a
permanent exhibit in your office, reception area, showroom, or other location
as a professional marketing piece.
Charts, graphs, and tables are an excellent way to present persuasive data in
your trade show graphics or literature. To make these visual aids effective,
know which is best for the data you want to present:
o Bar charts - compare specific data.
o Pie charts - show percentages of a greater whole.
o Line graphs - show or compare trends, increases and decreases.
o Tables - show exact data for a range of variables.
Making over your existing trade show booth displays to create a new exhibit
can save you a lot of money. New displays are expensive - completely
replacing all your booth components with new ones will generally cost two to
five times as much as you'd spend on refurbishing used displays. Consider
each element of your booth separately, and brainstorm ways to update it
without completely replacing it.
If your trade show booth display includes glass or acrylic cases to exhibit your
products, don't forget to bring glass cleaner and a polishing cloth. Cases get
fingerprinted very quickly at shows, giving the impression that their contents
are shopworn. Regularly cleaning the glass or clear acrylic surfaces
throughout the trade show will give them an eye-catching sparkle and an
impression of high-quality goods inside.
Be sure to build in plenty of listening time when you plan your trade show
presentations. While it's important to present the benefits of your products
and services to potential customers, it's even more important to listen to
customers' wants and needs, and let them know your primary goal is to
provide what they want.
When it's another staffer's turn to man your trade show booth display, take
advantage of the opportunity to learn about your competitors' products and
focus. Spend some time at related companies' booths and learn from their
sales reps. Listen carefully to their pitches, ask detailed questions, and study
their displays. Collect their literature to analyze later. This is one way to stay
abreast of the current and upcoming market in your industry.
Don't forget to bring calculators to figure customer orders at your trade show
booth. Aim for one calculator per person working your booth, plus one or two
extras.







For a quick and easy way to take orders at a trade show, use a clipboard and
carbonless or carbon paper forms. Have several clipboards ready to go at
your trade show booth, with an order form and a pen clipped to each one.
Set up your trade show booth display with "easy information" in mind. Info
about anything your potential customers may want to know should be easy
for them to find intuitively at your booth, if you're busy with another
customer. You can use trade show signs and literature with clear, visible
headlines to answer frequently asked questions about your minimum orders,
pricing, shipping, etc. If customers have to wait for you to answer their
questions and can't easily find the information they need, they'll move quickly
on to the next booth.
One way to cut your expenses is to share a trade show booth with a related
but non-competing business. This solution works especially well for oneperson businesses.
Drayage can be a significant cost added onto your trade show exhibiting
expenses. It's the charge for delivery from the loading dock to your booth
space - and it can cost you over $60 per 100 pounds transported. To avoid
the additional cost of drayage, you can have your trade show booth displays
shipped to your hotel room, and then transport them yourself to the exhibit
hall, using available carts belonging to the hotel.
You can test the wholesale waters without the expense of doing a trade show
by renting a temporary space in a wholesale gift mart or showroom. For a
monthly fee, you can display your products there for direct sales to shop
owners. This is a good way to break into wholesaling on a small budget, as
well as test new product lines.
Even a one-person business can make a big impression at a trade show. It's
important that every aspect of your trade show booth display, literature, and
presentation be professional. It's worth taking time to consider the details of
your exhibit and develop various things you want to say to your prospects
ahead of time, to make your overall impression as polished as possible.
When designing your trade show booth display, be sure any fabric elements
of your exhibit (table coverings, backdrops, etc.) are flame retardant. Many
shows require this, and it's not unusual for a fire marshall to come through
the exhibit hall and ensure that all booths are in compliance. The marshall
may even test for fire retardance with a cigarette lighter to see whether
questionable fabrics flame up. So it's a good idea to plan ahead and use only
fire-retardant fabrics in your display.
Trade Show Tips 4
Here's a growing collection of trade show tips on nearly every aspect of exhibiting.
Ideas and solutions for everything from shipping cases to storing displays, setting up
your booth early, making small products visible, appointing trade show coordinator,
packing trade show displays, and more.
Keep your own written record of the weight of each shipping case, both empty and
full. That way you can ensure that you're being charged for the correct weight by the
drayage company and the contractor.
It's important to focus your efforts differently for national trade shows and consumer
shows. For national trade shows, emphasize company or brand identification. For
consumer shows, emphasize product identification.
Ask how many exhibitors will be participating in the trade show you're considering,
and how many exhibited at this show each of the past three years. If the number of
exhibitors has increased every year, it's a good bet that this is a successful show.
Set up your trade show display early, so that your booth is completely ready to go
an hour ahead of the show's start time. This gives you time to take a quick stroll
through the exhibition hall to see what other vendors are offering, and to relax and
prepare for hundreds of potential customers.
If your product samples are small, elevate them off the tabletop to make them more
noticeable.
Make sure your booth signs are visible from the distance where most people will see
them. Three-inch high letters can be seen from 70 to 80 feet away. One-inch high
letters can be seen from 10 to 30 feet.
Two essentials to keep discreetly at your trade show booth are aspirin or other pain
reliever so headaches won't affect booth staff's performance, and antibacterial hand
wash for sanitizing after all the hands you'll be shaking.
Between trade shows, put one or two fabric softener sheets in each display storage
case to counter musty odors that can develop during storage.
Have a lead management plan to make the most of all the leads you collect at a
trade show. Follow up immediately when you get back to work after the show, and
keep detailed records of each contact. Let nothing slip through the cracks, and
measure your results.
Make the most of your trade show exhibit strategy by appointing an exhibit manager
or trade show coordinator in your organization. Having one person responsible for
managing and coordinating all trade show activities and exhibits prevents details
from slipping through the cracks and enhances quality. It's best to choose a creative
person with a flair for marketing and details, and include this person in all trade
show meetings and decisions within your organization.
Store your trade show booth components and literature away from cigarette smoke
to prevent fabrics and paper from absorbing smoke odors. Customers subconsciously
use all five senses at your booth, and unpleasant smells can affect their perception of
your business.
Be certain everyone at your booth has scrupulously clean hands and fingernails.
People notice your hands during presentations, and form impressions about your
business based on what they see.
Depending on your products and the nature of your business, your trade show booth
may be more successful if your staff members wear unusual clothing instead of
business attire. For example, a sunscreen and suntan lotion company will be more
credible with booth personnel in tropical-print camp shirts and dresses than in
business suits.
It's not always necessary to use a persuasive presentation at your trade show booth.
Many times potential customers are already sold on your product or service when
they come to your booth, and your time is better spent in building a relationship with
them than boring them with a presentation. For these customers, good strategies are
to let them guide the conversation and to discuss topics about which you already
agree strongly.
Plan ahead to have a mental outline of information you'd like to cover with any
potential customers you treat to dinner at the end of the exhibit day. And be sure to
let the meal be an opportunity to get better acquainted with the customer, spending
plenty of time listening to their needs and concerns as well.
When packing up your trade show booth displays at the end of the exhibit, have a
cleaning rag handy. You can wipe your displays as you take down your booth,
cleaning off any dust or other grime accumulated during the show to prolong the life
of your booth components.
One way to make your trade show booth displays a lasting business tool is to choose
exhibits that can be used in more than one way. Reconfiguring your components can
give your booth a fresh look every year without the expense of purchasing new
displays.
You can avoid extra fees for exhibiting in a trade show by ensuring that you don't
miss any of the deadlines related to registering and exhibiting. Costs go up by a
hefty percentage after the registration and payment deadlines pass. It's worthwhile
to submit your application as early as possible and to keep good files on each trade
show.
Even with a small booth, you can build the image of keeping on top of the latest
technology and trends in your industry. Using computer-generated presentations and
graphics can keep your costs down while demonstrating how you use the most
recent technology to operate your business.
When getting ready to travel to a trade show, pack your displays and booth items
with quick setup in mind. The things you'll need first for setting up your trade show
booth should be on the top when you open your boxes. At the bottom of your boxes
should be the last things you'll need for setting up.
Focus your customers' attention by displaying only your most exciting or original
products. You can bring samples of your entire product line, but keep most of them
put away out of sight unless a customer asks about one of them.
Powerful Trade Show Booth Graphics
Trade show booth graphics are the single most powerful aspect of your exhibit. Here
tips for creating and using powerful images to promote your booth and your
business:







Booth graphics need to be large and strong to make an impact. Tiny collages
or wimpy images won't grab anyone's attention among all the visual elements
competing for attention at an expo.
Adapt graphic elements from your product packaging and marketing literature
for your displays. That will help you create a consistent impression and
message.
Remember that you're creating a billboard for your product or service when
you design your exhibit graphics. It needs to convey an unmistakable
message at a quick glance and from a distance.
Make sure your images are well-lit. Consider what type of lighting will best set
the mood or theme of your visual message.
Design your graphics to promote the benefits of your products or service, not
the features.
Be different from the other exhibitors - but make your differentness an
integral part of your display and a natural way of attracting attention to the
benefits of your products. Forced differentness is confusing and off-putting to
customers.
Use your trade show booth graphics to make your display inviting and
memorable. Use images that strike an emotional chord in passersby.
Working Your
Trade Show Booth
by Rick Hendershot, M.A.
When you're at a trade show, you're competing with everybody else for competition.
You have to make your trade show booth attractive, noticeable, and worth coming
to. It has to create a great first impression. And so do you, as the person working it.
Just think of what goes in a typical exhibit hall. There are literally thousands of
people strolling around and hundreds of trade show booths to visit. Is yours going to
"get the visit"? Or will people walk right by not even taking a notice. How do you
attract the attention of potential visitors? How do you get them to come to your
booth rather than your competitor's.
Most experts in trade show marketing agree: You have to be aggressive and
proactive. You can't just wait for people to come to you. Just being there isn't
enough. You have to reach out and grab people's attention.
Considering all the money you spend on these shows — for transportation, hotel,
fees and the trade show booth itself — it's important to get the most for your buck.
Here are some key tips:
Don't put a chair in your booth. Chairs take up valuable space and make you appear
lazy. "[Attendees] did not come to that trade show to sit down," says Ed Leslie, a
Certified Association Executive and trade-show veteran "They came to that trade
show to get information and make the best deal they can." So design your trade
show booth space in a business-like manner.
Ask open-ended questions. The biggest fault of trade-show participants is asking
closed questions, according to Leslie. "Any question that can be answered in a yes or
a no is detrimental to you establishing your product or service," he says. The reason
is pretty simple. Prospects see closed questions as easy to avoid. They give you a
"yes" or "no", and they keep on walking. That's not what you want. You want them
to pause and think about your product. Make them stop and answer your question.
Get them talking. Think of some good "openers" before you even get going.
Blow your own horn. LOUDLY. Make a clear and concise list of your product's
benefits, and rehearse them until they are second nature to you. (Of course as an
effective sales person, you should have done this already). What does your product
or service do that's unique? Does it have a 100% guarantee? Will it save money in
the long run? Is it the first on the market? Find that selling point and make sure it's
visible to passers-bys. It should be visible in your trade show graphics. And it should
be prominent in your presentation. Don't just highlight your company name;
participants are coming to find that special product or service. "If they see what
they're looking for initially, they're going to come to you," says Leslie.
Make your handouts standout. How many times have you seen people toting a
canvas bag chock-full of brochures? This material, according Leslie, is likely to
become firestarter. People tend to keep things with bulk, such as product samples,
cds and other more substantial give aways. He encourages substantial novelty
freebies such as yo-yos. If you're not willing to spend the money on these types of
handouts, at least invest in business cards with a picture or graphic of your product
on the flipside — a quick reminder of what you had to offer. Cards can be filed away
in pockets and wallets. Says Leslie: "That business card will last much longer than
multi-colored fold-out material."
About the Author
Rick Hendershot is marketing manager for Tradeshow Display Experts, a producer of
popup displays for trade shows. The parent company, Canada Display Graphics, has
facilities in Waterloo and Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, and ships trade show
displays and custom vinyl banners across North America.
Tips for a Well-Trained
Trade Show Booth Staff
For maximum impact of your product and message, train all staff members who will
be manning your trade show booth. Each person should study and memorize your
company's most desired outcomes of the event, and each should be able to recite
your products' features and benefits.
All company personnel in your trade show booth must also know several openended, conversation starting questions to strike up conversation with potential
customers who stop by your exhibit.
Practice presentations and responses before you even leave for the event, so that
each member of your trade show booth team is effective and focused on the same
goals.
Trade Show Booth Design
Your trade show booth design is a critical element in communicating your business
and products. You have only an instant to grab the attention of passersby and make
an impression that resonates with them. So it makes sense to keep your exhibit
simple and aesthetic instead of loud and busy.
When putting together a good display, keep in mind what you want your visitor to be
thinking when they see and experience your exhibit. What is the single most
important thought you would like them to enter with and leave with?
Trade Show Booth Design Tips











Trade Show Exhibit Concepts
Your trade show exhibit can be the perfect marketing piece if you have a
great concept or theme. Here are tips on brainstorming a successful trade
show concept.
Trade Show Exhibit Booth Configurations
There are seven basic booth configurations. Choose one as the basis for your
trade show booth design, depending on your goals and planned
demonstrations or displays.
Trade Show Exhibit Design
Is this your first trade show booth design experience? Here are eight success
tips.
Designing Pop Up Exhibits
How to design pop up exhibits for trade show booth success. Tips for pop up
displays that attract targeted traffic and clearly define your product or
service.
Designing Portable Trade Show Booths
Portable booths need to be designed with several things in mind - the
company's exhibit goals, keeping costs under control, good layout, and
portability of the display.
Powerful Table Top Trade Show Displays
Table top trade show displays can be a powerful exhibit with the right
message and graphic design. Here's how to create a mini-display that packs a
punch.
Design a Great Trade Show Sign
How to design a trade show sign that resonates with your targeted
customers. Keywords that work on trade show signs.
Trade Show Banner Display
A banner display is an affordable, beautiful form of advertising for your
business. Learn how to take advantage of recent developments in graphic
imaging for an inexpensive yet powerful element of your trade show booth
design.
Trade Show Booth Rental Design Ideas
Rented displays don't need to look generic. Here are some quick, inexpensive
ways to dress them up for a custom look.
Trade Show Exhibit Traffic Flow
Traffic flow through and around your booth is an important consideration in a
successful design. Here's how to use traffic flow to guide whether and how
visitors experience your booth.
Trade Show Display Color Tips
Color schemes are a major factor in communicating the image and message






in your trade show booth design. Here are helpful tips about choosing and
using color in your exhibit.
Trade Show Display Design
Create a high-impact trade show booth design on a small budget. How to
update used displays and put together for an effective exhibit.
Trade Show Lighting Tips
Use trade show lighting to set the mood and style of your booth, direct your
visitors' gaze, and create a comfortable ambience as well as to light up your
display.
Other Trade Show Booth Design Elements
An effective trade show booth design incorporates many display elements,
including color, movement, light, sound, and fragrance. Here's how to use
these elements to your best advantage.
Trade Show Table Cover
Table covers come in different sizes, styles, and colors, and you can order
them plain or imprinted with your company's logo or other message. They can
be a significant visual element of your trade show booth design.
Trade Show Furniture
Trade show furniture may be a necessary part of your exhibit, but it need not
be expensive. Here are the bare minimum trade show furnishings, and how to
save money on them.
Trade Show Display Units
Every aspect of your display contributes to your overall exhibit concept.
Here's how to evaluate your trade show booth design to see whether your
strong, simple message comes across.
Keep Your
Trade Show Booth Design Simple
Don't make your trade show booth design too elaborate. The simpler it is, the easier
it is for you to influence your visitors' thoughts and actions. An exhibition hall is
already filled with an overwhelming clamor of visual elements from competing
vendors, and you can stand out as a welcome oasis of relief for the eyes by keeping
your exhibits simple.
But simple doesn't mean plain. Think aesthetic and pleasing to the eye as you
develop your trade show booth design.
Most importantly, know what you want your visitors to think and do, and create a
display that guides them those thoughts and actions. If the rest of your trade show
booth design is tastefully simple, your potential customers will intuitively know what
is expected of them, and where their attention should be directed.
Custom Trade Show Exhibit:
Brainstorming a Great Concept
A custom trade show exhibit can be a fabulous marketing tool if you have a good,
original booth concept. Here are tips for brainstorming your ideal concept:









Determine your central message or theme. This may be the major statement
of your company's general marketing thrust, or something more precisely
defined. This concept will be incorporated in every aspect of your booth and
all related marketing activities.
When choosing your concept, consider how it might allow for ways your
prospective customers can participate in various aspects of your booth.
Interaction is a key to creating a memorable custom trade show exhibit.
A concept that stirs an emotional response - such as patriotism, love,
nostalgia, fear of loss, etc. - is the most powerful type.
Not all successful trade show booth concepts are grandiose or extreme.
Something subtle or clever, or pleasantly surprising, can make for a very
successful exhibit theme.
Consider your target audience carefully and think of themes that appeal to
their interests, serve their needs, or otherwise motivate them.
You can tie your custom trade show exhibit theme into nearly all aspects of
your display. Booth staffers' clothes, booth decorations, music, lighting,
fragrances, etc. can all be chosen to express your overall concept.
Above all, be original. Don't do a concept that's like anything you've seen
before. Choose your theme based on what makes your company or product
original.
Once you brainstorm you ideal custom trade show exhibit concept, move on
to brainstorming ways to make it inexpensive.
Consider how you can express your exhibit theme into a tagline or brief
sentence. Distill it into its most essential and most emotional expression. As
you make design and technical decisions about your booth, work from that
phrase.
Trade Show Exhibit Booth Configurations
A trade show exhibit booth can be designed in about seven different configurations,
depending on the planned activities and traffic flow. Here are the different display
layouts:
Single Demonstration Booth
This trade show exhibit booth configuration is set up to accent a demonstration area.
It consists of an off-center pedestal for displaying the product(s), a graphics-covered
display wall across the back, and a large open area for visitors to watch one or more
demonstrations. The product pedestal is out of the way of the crowd watching the
demo, but still available for visitors to view its contents.
Multiple Demonstration Booth
For several different product demonstrations, this trade show exhibit booth layout
works very well. It's similar to the Single Demonstration Booth configuration above,
except that it features multiple product pedestals - each located in its own
demonstration area.
Short Presentation Booth
In this display layout, customers enter through one side, gather in a space where the
brief presentation takes place, and then move on to a separate space where they can
sample the product. Visitors then exit at the other side of the booth. Graphic display
walls are on the sides of each area.
Center Island Booth
For displaying large items such as equipment, this trade show exhibit booth
configuration is excellent. A large display or table takes the center of the booth
space, while product pedestals and demo areas are scattered around the edges.
Traffic Flow Through Booth
Here the front of the exhibit space is completely open, while the back and side walls
are covered with displays and graphics. Sometimes there is also a small center table
as well. In this configuration, the display does all the work, with staffers on hand to
answer specific questions. Traffic flows through the booth in a U-shape, with visitors
passing along viewing the three sides of display and graphics.
Conference Booth
Designed for discussions and/or writing up orders, this trade show exhibit booth
configuration uses an area that's blocked off for private conferences. It also has
display/graphics and product pedestal areas for visitors to flow through and look at.
Storefront Booth
This is the least desirable trade show exhibit booth layout because it creates a
barrier between the booth staff and visitors, and reduces interaction. It consists of a
"store counter" stretched across the front, intimidating public entrance to the booth.
Display and graphic areas are across the back and sides.
Trade Show Exhibit Design Tips
Your first trade show exhibit design should be kept as simple and inexpensive as
possible. As you work the event, you'll learn a lot about what you do and don't need
for your booth, so it's a good idea to keep your expenses down while you work
through the learning curve and discover what you actually need.
Plan to study other companies' booths and displays at your first show, and consider
how to improve on their ideas for your own setup. Here are eight tips to help you
maximize your success and minimize your expenses for your expo:
Your First Trade Show Exhibit Design:
Eight Success Tips
Exhibiting in a trade show can involve a major investment of money and time. But
the financial returns for your business can be excellent if you learn some of the
secrets of trade show booth success before signing up for a show and investing in
your displays.
If you're considering setting up at a trade show for the first time, here are eight tips
for a successful trade show exhibit design:
1. Rent the smallest possible booth space for your first trade show. The first
time you exhibit, you'll learn a lot about what works for you and your
products and what doesn't, and what you'd like to change for your next show.
Also, seeing other exhibitors' booths and ideas will inspire you to evolve
various aspects of your own display. So it's a good idea to keep your trade
show expenses lower as you learn, by renting a smaller space and starting
with a simple display.
2. Create an open trade show exhibit design. Make it a space people can enter
comfortably without feeling trapped. If you set a table across the front of your
booth and stand behind it, it's harder to draw customers in and involve them
- so they tend to walk on by.
3. Keep your booth uncluttered so customers can focus on what's important your product. When approaching your display, anyone should be able to
discern immediately what your booth is promoting. No one is going to take
the time to study it and guess, when there are hundreds of other booths to
visit.
4. Before planning your trade show booth display, find out everything you can
about your allotted space. Know its dimensions, where it will be located in the
building, what companies or organizations will be in your neighboring booths,
whether it's in a high or low traffic area, whether you have access to lighting
and electricity, and anything else that will affect your exhibit display setup.
5. For your first trade show, consider renting booth display components. Rental
displays can relieve you of the issues of transportation and storage, and allow
you to be a little more daring in your exhibit design than you might be if you
were purchasing them. Also, studies show that many first-time exhibitors
never do a second trade show. If you only exhibit once or twice, purchasing
your own exhibit components doesn't make economic sense.
6. Design your exhibits with an eye to keeping shipping costs low. Oversized or
heavy displays can be very expensive to ship to the trade show, and may also
require that you hire expo personnel to bring them into the exhibit hall and
help you set them up. Opt for smaller, collapsible, lighter weight displays as
much as possible.
7. Plan to secure your expensive items so that they can't be stolen at a trade
show. If you use a laptop computer for a multimedia presentation at your
booth, be sure to have it securely locked to your display, and take it with you
at night if it's a multiple-day event. Display the samples of your more
expensive products either well inside your booth where they can't "walk off"
as attendees stroll by, or inside a locked display case.
8. For the most professional image, create a unified appearance for your trade
show exhibit design. Choose no more than three colors for your display
elements and table coverings - such as gray, white, and blue. Each exhibit
component should be one of your three colors. Also, choose no more than
three textures - such as brushed metal, matte vinyl, and clear acrylic; each
display element should be one of these textures. This creates a professionally
pulled-together booth that lets your products stand out in the display.
In summary, although it's tempting to go all out when designing your first trade
show exhibit design, it makes more sense to keep your first booth small and simple,
and focus your energy on marketing your products and networking at your first
show.
During the event, learn as much as possible about how you'd like to alter your
exhibit design for the next show, and write down all your ideas either during or
immediately after the show.
Once you have your first trade show under your belt, you'll have a much sharper
idea of what you do - and don't - need in a trade show exhibit design to make each
successive show your most profitable one to date.
Pop Up Exhibits
for Trade Show Success
Pop up exhibits form the backdrops of trade show booths. But they can do so much
more than just provide a back wall.
They are the place to create a display that defines your product, draws customers to
your presentation, and makes the single most significant statement you want your
trade show booth to communicate.
Here are some great tips for defining your trade show booth space, attracting the
right traffic to your booth, and making the statement you want to communicate
about your product or service - all by designing an effective pop up display.
Tips for Designing
Pop Up Exhibits
Your pop up graphic is a simple visual element that provides a back wall for your
booth area. Its power lies in its simplicity.
As a single, large visual element, this backdrop can be designed to deliver a
powerful, memorable impression - unhampered by the clutter of other items that can
fill a trade show booth. Keep the area directly in front of your pop up clear, so it has
no competition for the eyes of your audience.
You can make your literature available via a literature stand or table to one side of
your pop up exhibit - where people will see it once they've noticed your main image.
When designing your pop up, think simple and bold. A single powerful image and a
short headline make a far stronger impression than a series of pictures and
paragraphs of text. It will be read and remembered instead of passed over by tired
eyes perceiving paragraphs as "too much".
Great Pop Up Displays
Within Your Budget
Give pop ups the attention and creativity they deserve. A well thought out pop up
display is worth its weight in gold for attracting the targeted traffic you want.
When you attend trade shows, make a point of observing other booths' pop ups.
Look them over critically, keeping in mind what you now know about this type of
display. Which ones are effective, and which are missing the mark? By studying
other companies' booths, you will learn what works and what's a waste of money.
With careful design, thought, and planning, it's very possible to create an effective
pop up exhibit that's well within your budget.
Custom Trade Show Booth Designs
If you're considering a custom trade show booth, you'll have a dazzling array of
options. Here are some tips to help you create an effective exhibit:
Customize Your
Trade Show Booth

Color
Choose different colors than all the other exhibits. Many companies go with a
"safe" businesslike blue color. It may be safe in some way, but it doesn't
make any of them stand out. Be different - choose a radically different color
for your display!

Movement
Catch exhibit attendees' eyes with something moving in your display. It may
be a video presentation, a live human presentation, flags or streamers
blowing in the breeze of a fan, something bouncing up and down, flashing or
traveling lights, or a hologram. Whatever it is, it's an important way to
capturing attention and directing potential customers to your custom trade
show booth.

Light
Because most exhibit halls are harshly and brightly lit, your concern is not
bright lights for your booth. Rather, you need to focus on accent lights to
focus attention on specific areas of your exhibit. Consider spotlights, track
lighting, strands of tube lights, colored lighting, flashing lights, and any other
lighting that grabs attention and directs it to particular focal points in your
custom trade show booth.

Sound
Without creating a disturbance that annoys your neighboring booths, you can
use sound subtly to create a mood. Nature sounds, such as a jungle,
rainforest, beach, mountain stream, etc. can draw people to you like an oasis.
The same with any water sounds, such as you can achieve with an
unobtrusive fountain or wall waterfall. Once inside your custom trade show
booth, these subtle sounds can help isolate your visitors by blocking out the
siren call of your competing booths.

Fragrance
If a particular aroma enhances the impression of your business, then
incorporate it in your custom trade show booth. Chocolate, coffee, or vanilla
scents can attract attendees to nearly any kind of food business. Pina colada
fragrance sets the scene for suntan lotion and tropical clothing. If there's a
scent that's related to your company, by all means find a way to incorporate
it into your exhibit!
Trade Show Sign Success Tips
Your trade show sign components must be carefully designed to bring your booth the
targeted traffic you're looking for. The signage at your exhibit is one of the most
important elements for getting the right customers to stop and take a closer look at
your display.
The exhibit hall at any event is overloaded with signs, all trying hard to catch the
attention of the same passersby. How do you make yours stand out amid the visual
overload?
Put yourself in the weary shoes of the people walking through the show. What do
they want? What's in all this for them? What can your booth sign say that will
resonate with them?
Here are some great tips for writing and designing effective signage:
Wording Your
Trade Show Sign
As your potential customers make their way through the trade show floor, the
primary question in their minds is, "What's in it for me?"
At many booths there's no readily apparent answer to that question - so the
customer keeps moving on.
Don't be one of those booths! Every sign in your exhibit should tell potential
customers exactly "what's in it for them."
Unfortunately, talking up your company doesn't answer that question.
Every trade show sign needs to speak plainly in terms of how the customer benefits
by using the company's products or services.
Your choice of wording can make a tremendous difference here. For example, saying
"you" and "your" engages the customer one-on-one.
After that, what catches most people's attention? Anything that solves a problem.
Companies and individuals have problems, and need solutions. Use your signs to
position your company as a provider of a specific solution to a specific problem.
Try words like:
Free, secret, easy, discover, now, fast, solve, find, get rid of, fix, relief, remove,
increase ... you get the idea.
Combine one or more of these attention-grabbing, solution-providing words with a
strong benefit for your customer. For example:
"Get rid of termites now."
You've got their attention, and they know exactly what problem you can solve for
them. If they have termites, they'll stop walking and come right on up to your booth
for more information.
Other Elements of
Trade Show Signs
Once you've worded your message just right, think about the other elements of your
main booth sign.
Amid all the visual overload of a trade show, what kind of sign design would strike
your customer as something he or she can relate to?
What colors do you associate with your product? What fonts? What size, shape, and
type of sign? What pictures or graphics?
When you combine analytical and creative thinking, you'll design a trade show sign
that calls out irresistibly to your targeted customers.
Types of Trade Show Presentations
Trade show presentations are an important opportunity for you to connect with your
potential customers and demonstrate first-hand how your product can solve their
problems.
The Three Types of
Trade Show Presentations
Informal Demonstration
This is the most common type of product presentation. Invite passersby to try out
one of your products in a hands-on experience, or have a presenter lead a small
group in trying out the product.
For example, a cosmetics company might have visitors try out a two-step hand
softening product. Or a gourmet food company might have small "try-me" size
samples available to visitors.
Formal Demonstration
This is a well-orchestrated presentation that takes place at scheduled times
throughout the day. A demonstrator presents a product to an audience, and may
involve some audience interaction.
These are more planned trade show presentations, usually requiring props or
equipment such as a microphone, visual aids, some sort of a set or setting, and
probably a script for the demonstrator to follow. Product samples may be available
for the audience after the formal demonstration if it's appropriate.
Formal Presentation
This is a production of some sort, aimed at a large crowd or seated audience. It
involves a live stage show or multiple-screen video presentation, and usually the
services of a professional production company. Scripts, sets, and performances are
developed and rehearsed.
Needless to say, these are a costly form of trade show presentations. However, if
they are done well and effectively demonstrate how one of the company's products
can solve the audience's problems, then they can be a worthwhile investment.
your targeted customers.
Adding Interactivity to Trade Show
Exhibit Booths
Trade show exhibit booths that get visitors involved tend to be the most successful.
Who wants to be talked to and advertised to, with no exchange between the
company and you? If you were the customer, wouldn't you rather have an active
part in determining for yourself whether this product or service is right for you?
You can create an interactive display in several ways, depending on your products or
service. Here are a few ideas for adding customer participation to your exhibit:
Hands-On Demonstrations
The most memorable displays are those with product demonstrations that customers
get to participate in. Your purpose is to let the visitor experience first-hand why your
product fills one or more of their needs or desires.
Rather than having your product sitting on display atop a pedestal, find a creative
way to get it into your customers' hands and let them use and experience it.
Games and Contests
If you decide to offer a game or contest to draw in visitors, be sure to tie it in with
your product and your exhibit goals. Don't have one just to produce traffic; aim to
attract qualified visitors who are interested in what you have.
Visitors should pass a qualifying step before getting to actually play the game or
participate in the contest. The qualifier should be something that people not actually
interested in buying your product would not want to bother with - such as filling out
a questionnaire or sitting through a brief product presentation.
Next, the game or contest should involve your product. Design the activity to be fun
or surprising, with your product appearing as the solution to a problem.
Remember, however, that shy or reserved people may not wish to participate.
Demonstrators
Good presenters can turn trade show booths into attention-getters. A live
presentation should be interesting and memorable, involving your booth's visitors
whenever possible. Demonstration plus interactivity can be a killer combination.
Surveys
Surveys also have a place in many exhibits, as a way of providing customer
interaction. Invite visitors to test one of your products, and then ask them to
complete a survey.
If you decide to incorporate surveys, make them brief. Ten questions or less is all
you should ask of your visitors. Don't expect participants to answer essay-style
questions; all questions should be multiple choice.
Product Comparisons
Let customers compare your product head-to-head against other brands. Taste tests
are a good example of this technique. Comparisons are most successful for your
company if you know your product really is superior to its competition. If a visitor to
your exhibit can test drive your product against another from a different brand, and
find that yours is better, this can be a very powerful form of customer interaction.
Computer Demonstrations
With a computer station and presentation software, many trade show booths are
letting an electronic presentation do the talking and convincing. It's a great way to
provide a presentation that visitors can experience at their own pace by clicking their
way through it.
Personal Contact
Face-to-face interactions between your booth staff and customers are often one of
the best methods of customer participation. This method is inexpensive, and very
effective if the staffer is a good listener.
Trade Show Display Design
for a Small Budget
Trade show display design can be suited to a small budget more easily than you
might think.
An effective combination of exhibit, presentation, and literature can be created to
achieve the maximum impact for each dollar you spend.
Creating a booth from used displays or last year's recycled exhibits can be effective if
you make an effort to do some updating for each show.
Look through industry literature related to your business to see the current trends in
marketing, colors, and presentation of information. Take some inspiration from trade
show exhibit websites and trade show display designers to freshen and update your
booth for this year.
One of the most important elements of a successful booth presence is the people
staffing it.
Read these trade show booth design tips covering every aspect of an outstanding
display design.
Keep Trade Show Display Design Simple
For maximum impact of your product and message, keep your trade show display
design simple. Booths with flashy gimmicks might be remembered for their
flashiness, but often customers don't remember the company, product, or service.
Focus on communicating your message, preparing the booth's staff, and creating an
updated trade show display design that resonates with your targeted customers.
Your Trade Show Exhibit Display
Concept
A trade show exhibit display concept falls into one of three categories. The goals of
the booth determine which concept is most effective for your particular business:
The Three
Trade Show Exhibit Display Concepts
Corporate Image Concept
This booth emphasizes the portrayal of the company's image. It can use its products
as a tool to help communicate this image; however, many displays using this
concept forgo displaying products to focus solely on the big idea of the company's
image.
This type of display is most effectively used to change or enhance a company's
image, or to position the company in the global marketplace.
Customer-Oriented Concept
Here the booth is focused on the benefits to the customer of using the company's
products or services. This type of concept can be achieved in many ways, one of the
simplest being to divide the display and graphics into market categories, not product
or service categories.
This customizes different areas of the trade show exhibit on specific customer niches.
A customer-oriented exhibit concept is most effective for companies with a broad
customer base.
Product-Oriented Concept
This type of trade show booth focuses on a single product or a specific group of
products. A product-oriented concept is a good way to create a clear image of the
company providing solutions to a particular problem with its products. It's a sharply
focused message.
This concept is a good option for a company entering a new product area, or a new
company positioning itself in the marketplace.
Using Multiple Exhibit Concepts
You don't necessarily need to limit your booth to a single concept. As long as you
keep them focused, you can combine two or more of these exhibit concepts to
achieve more than one goal. Just be sure your overall effect isn't trying to
accomplish too much with the result of confusing your visitors and diluting your
results.
Tips for Portable Exhibits
Portable exhibits can make a huge impression on a very small budget, and each year
more companies tune in to the power of portability. Here are some tips for making
the most of your portable display:





Tips for Portable Displays brings you ideas for trade show success with
portable exhibits.
A Pop Up Exhibit is far less costly than a custom trade show booth. Here's a
breakdown of expenses that will be greatly reduced or eliminated if you
choose a pop up trade show booth display.
Portable Trade Show Exhibits should be chosen with an eye to their weight,
storage case features, fire retardancy, ease of setting up and taking down,
and product support.
Portable Trade Show Booths need to be designed with several things in mind the company's exhibit goals, keeping costs under control, good layout, and
portability of the display.
The most successful Portable Trade Show Booth Theme is based on your
target market. You'll need to have the demographics of your customers, and
a profile of the event's attendees.
Trade Show Booth Idea Starter
Here are trade show booth idea starters to get the event's energy and momentum
flowing at your space. The suggestions below are intended to spark your own
brainstorming session. Even on a modest budget, there are things you can do to
build recognition for your business, attract targeted visitors, and communicate your
product's benefits.
Designing your exhibit was the first step. Once you're at the show, maintaining a
good energy flowing through your booth will attract attention and bring results.
Keeping in mind your goals for the event, your targeted customer, your product's
benefits and features, and your unique selling point, consider these suggestions as a
springboard to your own unique boothmanship.
10 Ways to be
More Attractive at
a Trade Show
by Catherine Franz
Here are ten trade show booth ideas even the smallest budget can incorporate. You
can even use some of these at speaking engagements and other presentations.
1. Have a visual point at your booth -- like a PowerPoint show or a television
with a video playing. Put together a workshop video, even if it isn't
professional quality. People will usually not look at it more than three minutes
before they feel conspicuous and will approach you.
2. Have a photo album with success stories and pictures. This is especially great
for independent professionals selling an intangible product. Pictures of
workshop attendees having fun and doing various projects or a celebration in
your office with your clients is very connecting and attractive. People like to
belong to things that they perceive as "successful."
3. Have a drawing for something that is valuable and attractive to your
customers. Don't give away something lying around your office or something
that has your ego attached; this is very unattractive.
4. Candy bowl. One they have to reach deep into. Don't fill it up - let it look like
there isn't much left. That's even more attractive. They want to reach in
before it's all gone.
5. Hire an intelligent model with a marketing background to assist you.
Someone "very attractive" will draw visitors in, and their intelligent
presentation will convert many visitors to customers.
6. Do what grocery stores do - demonstrate how to use your product. Wear a
headset microphone and have a small speaker attached.
7. Wear clothes with your logo. Name tags are great for participants but
displaying your logo or name is important for building your brand, even when
you're away from your booth. If you can't afford to have logo t-shirts or other
clothing professionally done, create your own using inkjet transfers and your
computer printer.
8. Don't just stand behind the booth. Get in front of it and mix and mingle.
9. Stand up in your booth and smile. If you get tired go somewhere else to rest,
and have someone else with an attractive, approachable energy take over for
a while. A good rule of thumb is to rotate the energy every 30 to 60 minutes.
10. Display your web site name big and bold in the background. Make the name a
different color than the "www" and the ".com".
About the Author:Catherine Franz is a marketing industry veteran, a Certified
Business Coach, Certified Teleclass Leader and Trainer, speaker, author. Subscribe to
her award winning marketing, writing or attraction ezines at the Abundance Center.
Trade Show Booth Idea File
Start your own trade show booth idea file. Whenever you come across articles or
photos that inspire you for things you'd like to try, add them to your file. At trade
shows, take the opportunity to walk through and take notes on other exhibits and
presentations.
It's helpful to know what you don't like as well as what you do like. Also, if you can
define reasons for why you do or don't like what other businesses do at their booths,
it will help you evolve your own display and presentation into an exhibit that
resonates with you and with your customers.
And whenever you sign up for a trade show, go through your trade show booth idea
file and find new things to add to your display or try in your presentation.
Trade Show Booth Displays
Trade show booth displays can benefit from a well-designed chart to help customers
visualize a key benefit or feature of your product. A chart can be printed up as a
large backdrop visual aid, or it can be included in your literature.
The key to creating charts that educate and persuade customers is to make them
simple and understandable at a glance. An exhibition hall is filled with an overload of
competing visual stimuli, and few if any customers will make an effort to understand
a complicated chart or graph. So it's best to keep your charts neat, basic, and
factual.
Here are some success tips for creating charts that inform without overwhelming:
Creating Great Charts for
Your Trade Show Booth Displays
A well-designed chart can be one of the most persuasive elements of your trade
show booth displays and literature. It illustrates to your customers why your product
is the obvious solution to one of their specific needs. It can communicate major
benefits or features more clearly than words can.
To make a great chart, you need to create a clear, compelling picture of the data
that will call your customers to action. Your chart's message must be easy for them
to understand without having to study it. Three of the most easily understood chart
types for your trade show booth displays are:
1. Bar charts
Bar charts are an excellent method of comparing groups of data. Each data
group can consist of a single bar for simple comparisons, or multiple bars
breaking information down into subcategories for more in-depth analysis.
Bar charts are easy to interpret because most people are already familiar with
seeing data in this format. You can use bar charts to emphasize the data
represented by the tallest bar, the shortest bar, the overall trend of the bars,
or a change in the bars caused by a certain variable.
2. Pie charts
Pie charts are useful for showing percentages of a greater whole. In a pie
chart, the entire pie represents the total data, and each "slice" represents
data from a particular group within the whole. People like to look at pie charts
and see the relative value of all the slices; this chart type is good for trade
show booth displays.
A pie chart is straightforward and easy to understand. It provides a clear
visualization of the data class that represents the largest percentage of the
whole (represented by the largest piece of the pie), and the relative value of
each of the other data classes.
3. Line graphs (also called run charts)
Line graphs show or compare trends, cycles, increases and decreases over
time. Typically a line graph shows events on the y-axis affected by time on
the x-axis. Often a line representing an average of the data charted is
included as a reference point. Or multiple lines may be charted on a line
graph, with each representing a different product or variable.
Including line graphs in your trade show booth displays is a good way to show
favorable trends or other positive increase.
More Chart Tips for
Trade Show Booth Displays




Be sure your chart compares your data on an equal basis. Use the same scale
for all data categories in one chart (for example, comparing data measured in
dollars with data measured in hundreds of dollars isn't equal). And use a
consistent interval between your data categories (measuring one-week
intervals against 5-week intervals isn't an accurate comparison).
Use charts in your trade show booth displays and literature to communicate
the significance of your statistics. Some of the statistics you may want to
highlight in your chart are:
o Mean value (the average point of all data).
o Maximum value (the maximum data point in the series).
o Minimum value (the minimum data point in the series).
o Sample size (the total number of data points in the series).
o Range of data (the maximum value minus the minimum value).
o Standard deviation (how widely data are spread around the mean).
Once you've chosen the best type of chart for the data you want to show your
customers, remember to keep your graphic as simple as possible. Trade show
customers are assaulted by thousands of images from the myriad of trade
show booth displays. Don't compare too many things, or include too many
categories of data. Your goal is to educate your customers, not confuse them.
And resist the temptation to add fancy extras like pictures and 3-D effects if
they make the chart look busy. If a chart is too detailed or cluttered,
customers won't invest the effort required to figure it out. They'll bypass it as
a technical output of mumbo-jumbo, and move on to something that clearly
and compellingly calls them to take a closer look at a product and the trade
show booth displays advertising it.
Designing Portable Trade Show Booths
Portable trade show booths should be designed with an eye to meeting the
company's goals for the expo. Here are some things to keep in mind for successful
portable exhibits:


Before finalizing a portable booth's design, go back over the goals you set for
the event. Do any design changes go along with your overall plan for the
show?
If the goals have evolved over time as the project advanced, do they
necessitate major or minor design changes? Be sure that if the goals
changed, there's a good reason for each modification.





Exhibits may need to be completely redesigned if the goals have changed
radically during the booth design phase.
Be sure all structural requirements are adequately met to support the exhibit
goals. There should be enough space for displays, storage, demonstrations,
graphics, and visitor participation.
Portable exhibits can be set up to accommodate nearly any traffic flow
pattern. Be sure to optimize your layout for the traffic flow that best suits
your goals.
Before finalizing your design, determine whether any proposed changes will
increase the cost of your exhibit. Sometimes small changes can result in
greatly increased expenses, so be sure to analyze this carefully before
committing to the display design.
Portable displays should be, above all, easily moved and transported. Make
sure the exhibit's design doesn't interfere with its portability.
The Most Effective Trade Show Display
Unit
What do you want your trade show display unit to accomplish for your business? A
successful exhibit accomplishes a three-step process during the show:
1. Your booth draws the attention of potential customers at the expo.
There is so much sensory competition at any exhibit event that you need to
have a plan to stand out and be different from the rest. Don't have the
mindset of creating a standard booth that's "businesslike".
Who cares about businesslike? That's dull and outdated. Rather, work toward
developing a booth that makes event-goers say, "Wow! That's refreshingly
different. Let's see what it's about."
2. Your overall exhibit speaks to your targeted customers while weeding out
curiosity-seekers.
You don't want to waste your time and resources entertaining lookie-loos who
have no intention of ever becoming your customers. So once you've captured
attention with your display, have it deliver a message that cuts out everyone
who's NOT ever going to be a customer for your product.
Make it clear what you offer. And make your offer appeal to your most
desired audience.
3. Your display makes your target stop and enter.
And how do you accomplish this most important (and most delicate) step in
the process? Simple - with your unique selling proposition.
And that means expressing your most outstanding benefit so clearly and
compellingly that your target visitors forget the rest of the booths and make a
beeline to explore your offer and speak to your booth staff.
Every element of your trade show display should exude your primary benefit,
leaving no doubt in your target customer's mind what you can do for them and how great it will be for them when you do it!
Powerful
Table Top Trade Show Displays
Table top trade show displays can pack a punch despite their small size. Here's how
to create a mini exhibit that does the job of a much larger one:
A good graphic message is the answer for powerful mini booths. And on a small
exhibit, the key to effective graphics is to keep them brief and simple. They need to
accomplish two goals:
1. Catch the attention and interest of likely customers.
2. Tell or enhance the story you're communicating about your product or
service.
Working within the small parameters of a tabletop display presents an interesting
challenge for your graphic message. The best approach is to emphasize one strong
point. If you try to cover any more ground than that, you'll need a larger exhibit to
express your message.
Plan your entire exhibit and presentation around communicating that one statement,
and you'll create a powerful mini-booth for your business.
If possible, use a picture to communicate the message. That may seem challenging,
but it's worth spending the effort and time to come up with the most intense visual
image possible to convey the point you want to make. Pictures speak louder than
words, especially in a crowded exhibit hall with signs everywhere.
Hiring a professional to create this image for you may be a worthwhile investment
that will pay for itself many times over.
Don't waste precious space in a table top display with a big image of your company's
logo. Your purpose is to convey your one strong point to passersby; your logo can be
on other items in your booth - such as your table skirt, literature, business cards,
etc.
Be careful to get any lettering in your graphic just the right size. Too-big lettering
will take up space and overshadow the graphic image, reducing its impact; too-small
lettering won't be read.
Although your exhibit is small, be sure to light it adequately. Without light, exhibits
die in an expo hall.
Consider your color scheme carefully. Color can communicate a message as well as
pictures and words.
Although table top displays present a challenge because of their small size, a wellthought-out graphic of a single powerful message can make them as effective as a
much larger booth.
Designing Your
Trade Show Exhibit Displays
The design of your trade show exhibit displays affects whether you attract the
visitors most likely to be interested in what you have to offer. However, there are a
lot of options available for every aspect of booth design, which can make the process
seem overwhelming. Here some tips for effective booth design:
Think of displays as if they were a traditional advertisement. In advertising, the
AIDA (Attract, Interest, Desire, Action) formula has withstood the test of time.
Here, you'll simply apply it to your booth design. Here's how:
First, your exhibit needs to attract the attention of your intended customer. Your
graphics are a good medium for this job.
Next, the display must interest your audience once you've gotten their attention.
How can you do that? You'll need to understand your targeted customer - what
motivates them, what their needs and wants are, how to strike an emotional chord
within them.
Once you've made this connection, your trade show exhibit should build up a desire
in your customers to own your product or use your service. You can create this
desire by portraying what you offer as the solution to their problems or the answer
to their dreams.
Now it's time to urge the customer to act on this desire. They need to be urged to
Buy Now or Act Immediately. You can use fear of loss (a classic motivator).
Encouraging an urgency to purchase before they lose the opportunity to own your
solution or answer (or before they have a chance to change their minds and decide
to keep their wallets in their pockets) will then net the sales you're looking for.
Examine good print advertisements and TV commercials, and pick apart the way
they use the AIDA formula. Then when you've got a good grasp on how the best
advertisements accomplish the sale this way, try applying the same concepts to your
trade show booth.
See how to choose your trade show display concept for three types of booth
concepts, and how to use them for a succesful exhibit.
Table Top Trade Show Display Features to
Consider
A table top trade show display can serve several purposes at once.
It can hold literature, attract visitors with signs and product photos, hold your
booth's lighting, and more.
Make a list of the things you want your exhibit to accomplish.
Now do some research on booth components that are on the market, and decide
which of the available features will address the needs of your table top display.
Features of
Table Top Trade Show Displays
Portability is one of the features that makes table top displays so popular. They are
usually designed to fold or roll up and fit inside a small portfolio, case, or rigid tube.
They take little space to store are easy and inexpensive to ship. Many come with
their own case that's designed for easy shipping.
Ease of setting up and taking down the display is another feature to consider. Table
top exhibits can usually be both set up and packed away quickly by one person,
without the use of tools.
Versatility is another advantageous feature. A table top trade display that can have
parts added or removed easily can be used often, and in more ways than an exhibit
that can't be modified. Parts you may want to add include literature pockets, a sign
holder, and presentation panels.
Velcro(R) coverings are also helpful, for easy application of graphics and headers to
your exhibit.
The ability to add lights to your table top display is also important. Good lighting
makes a good impression, and it sells products.