A Trade Show Truss Booth – What Size Do You Need?
Trade shows are the perfect opportunity for businesses to exhibit their brand message and products. And choosing the right size trade show truss booth for your business can play an essential role in upping your return on investment (ROI).
But before you decide on the ideal dimension or size for your display space, you need to determine your marketing goals and the type of activity that will happen in the booth to help you accomplish those goals. Many say that bigger is better, but opting for the biggest trade show truss booth isn’t necessarily the best thing for your business.
We recommend taking into account what the primary activities would be in your display space. Would you be doing more product demonstration, showcasing new products, or doing video presentations? Do you plan to engage in direct sales, lead generation, or hosting private client meetings? How big of a crowd do you anticipate having in your booth at one time?
Once you figure out the answers to these questions, you are better prepared to choose an ideal dimension for your trade show truss booth.
Common Trade Show Truss Booth Dimensions
Trade show booths are available in several different dimensions and layouts. The most common dimension is the 10' x 10' booth, also known as the linear inline booth. These booths have one entry point at the front, and three sides with a height of up to 8' tall and are lined against other booths.
A standard 10' x 10' linear inline booth offers ample space for storage, product shelving, and several configurations of display units. The downside for this dimension and layout is the single entry point.
Traffic can only be received from one side, and that can deter some potential customers from entering the booth, especially at busy times during an event. Also, the 8' height restriction does not allow room for tall hanging signs or panels.
Other popular and wider dimensions for linear inline booths include the 10' x 20' and 10' x 30' booths. These offer more floor space and flexibility, with the 10' x 20' being the generally featured dimension at most trade shows.
Trade show booths are also available in 20' x 20' dimensions or even larger. These wider configurations are for booths known as peninsula and island displays.
Peninsula booths have three open sides and one backdrop side. These options offer better visibility and access since the three aisles allow more foot traffic to gain entrance to the booth. In theory, a peninsula tradeshow truss booth provides thrice the chance to impress potential customers with your brand message and product display.
Typically, peninsula booths are available in a 20' x 20' dimension but can also come in 10' x 20'. However, you want to be strategic with the wider space available in a peninsula booth. It can be easy to clutter them with too many display panels and, in turn, squander the impact of the typically larger booth. Although this option offers significantly larger space than the linear inland booths, it is important to always keep in mind that, in many cases, less is more when it comes to displays.
Island booths are excellent stand-alone options that open on all four sides, making it possible for foot traffic to come in from all sides. Equally, it allows for freeing up floor space by rigging components from the ceiling. Island booths are generally a combination of four booth spaces, which means the dimensions are at least 20' x 20' but can also be much larger.
However, this option might pose a bit of a challenge if you need a private meeting space for your team or clients. Storage space can also be a bit tricky to figure out in island booths. The booth’s center might be the best place to allocate for a small storage and meeting area.
What Dimension is Ideal for Your Booth?
First off, the dimension of your trade show truss booth should be big enough to accommodate your team. Avoid the mistake of opting for a smaller booth if you have a fairly large team. You are likely to inadvertently repel potential leads and customers if your space feels cramped.
Calculating the ideal space size for your exhibit is pretty straightforward. Here’s a simple way to go about it:
Get clear on the total square footage for your booth. To do that, multiply the booth’s length by its width. For example, a 20' x 20' booth size offers 400 square feet.
Next, allocate at least 40 square feet of space to each team member. Anything less and your space will start to feel stuffy and crowded. While you may safely throw in one or two additional team members into your booth without overly crowding it, your best bet would be to stick to the recommended booth dimensions and configurations. This is particularly true in an era where everyone avoids crowded spaces as much as possible for health reasons.
After you’ve figured out the space needed for staff, you need to determine your type of products you wish to showcase. Larger products, such as machines and equipment, will naturally take up more space. Equally, you need to consider the number of products you plan to feature in the available space. But you do not need to worry excessively about allocating floor space to each product, especially if you don’t feature large ones. You can take advantage of Double Decker designs to create multiple “floors” for product displays.
Lastly, exhibit properties, such as banners, kiosks, tables, and chairs, will also take up space and need to be factored in. Ideally, exhibit properties should take up roughly 50% of the entire footprint.
The ideal size for your trade show truss booth is one that checks all these boxes. You can hurt your ROI if you try to maximize booth space excessively. Thankfully, you are not without help. We offer a vast range of services from fully customized trade show truss booths to unique trade show accessories that can help exhibitors maximize their ROI and accomplish their marketing goals.
