Marketing can take many different forms, especially now in the 21st century. Traditional means, such as newspaper ads and radio ads and signs, are still relevant, and they can be augmented with online ad videos and displays. Many businesses choose to take both routes for maximum flexibility, but there is another option, one that works well for advertising to business customers: trade shows. Many trade shows are held across the United States every year for just about every industry out there, but attending a trade show does not guaranteed success. If you take part in a trade show, you are encouraged to design your own display with anything from colorful tablecloths and brochures to modular panel displays and other portable wall units. Trade show display ideas vary quite widely, and your own display may make use of borrowed hardware, paper, and of course, the human element.
Trade Show Trends
A trade show can be held at such a place as a convention center, where there is plenty of room for many exhibits of all sizes to be set up with room for foot traffic in between them all. Many statistics have been gathered about trade show guests and attendees, and they show that most guests there have buying authority; therefore, your own trade show display should be ready to draw in these paying customers and entice them to make a deal or agree to a purchase. This can be highly lucrative if done well. Most trade show attendees also say that they are going to trade shows to find good deals and learn new brand names, and nearly all attendees who run the booths are looking to make some sales. Some business professionals are known to visit several trade shows per year, and it may require a well-built and creative display to stand out in their eyes. When you design your own display, you may take this into account.
Custom Trade Show Exhibits For You
When the time comes to design your own display for your company’s presence at a trade show, what steps should be taken? For one thing, take note that some materials will be borrowed from elsewhere, and will not originate from your own company. This may be especially true if your company is small, young, and has limited resources. In this case, you can visit companies in the area well ahead of time and find some that can lend you portable walls, racks, and other displays at a fair price. Such portable items may vary in size, shape, material, and quality, so it is best to design your own display with those in mind and find the right ones for the job. Such items can be moved to the trade show area and set up right before the event begins.
As for the contents of your display, this area has some overlap with sign design and interpersonal communication skills. The display should only be as large as it needs to be, and roughly 40% of it should be empty space, to better streamline the exhibit and emphasized the real message. A cluttered display, by contrast, is overwhelming and will dilute the core messages of your display. Also, make sure that you display not only your brand logo and name, but also a very short phrase, up to six words, to entice guests and inform them briefly what your business is all about. The message should be easily readable at a glance.
Meanwhile, a good general strategy is to us a combination of static images (best for drawing a buyer’s attention), and short videos to provide more information clearly and in an appealing manner once a buyer arrives. Videos should be brief and stick to the booth’s general message, to help keep everything on track. Aside from that, an appealing trade show display will make use of traditional media too, such as brochures and flyers and business cards, that a guest can take with them for reference later. As for the color palette, warm colors such as red and yellow are helpful, but be sure to limit their usage, and try adding other colors such as blue for contrast. Lastly, you may want some lighting fixtures added, and they may be mounted on rental wall units.