Military-Grade Trade Show Booths & Displays
Not too many outlets reported on it, which is somewhat surprising by itself. Apparently, military trade shows like the recent Special Operations Forces Industry Conference don’t get much press – which is strange, given the size and budget of the military-industrial complex in this country!
Unassuming name aside, the SOFIC is where a lot of the future of military operations worldwide is being put on display. And it’s being done using trade show booths & displays, same as in almost every other industry.
So, let’s take a bit of a look into SOFIC, based on some news reports. How are those fishing for top-dollar government contracts designing their expo displays? It’s a trade show environment most of us aren’t going to experience – but can we learn anything from it any way?
A Look At The Expo Displays At The Special Operations Forces Industry Conference
Well, at first glance, SOFIC looks like James Bond’s Q Division held a trade show, with gadgets on display that would be the envy of any “wannabe” world power – jetpacks and remote observation drones and very very big guns.
Yet, the general tone of the show would have to be one of understatement. From a distance, it would look somewhat boring or unremarkable. Perhaps the participants still have enough taste not too light up the names of their military monsters in neon.
It’s easy to look at exhibition booth designs like these and only see the cool new gadgets on display, but remember: These guys sell to some of the deepest pockets of all. They’re going to use only the techniques they know have the best chance of success. What that means is, the things these guys are doing, you should be looking to work into your own exhibition display design.
I. Function Over Form
However, what this points to is an extremely functionalist approach to trade show booths & displays in this industry. Flash and dazzle seem to be kept to an absolute minimum, and reserved for things like videos and slideshows that are best presented through handy touchscreens. If a booth is showing off a jetpack, they’re expected to have a working jetpack available.
That’s a lesson more exhibition booth designs should remember. Far too many marketing dreams have been crushed by a non-functional demo.
II. Providing Tangible Evidence
Hands On appears to be another watchword for people putting these expo displays together. Virtually everything has a display unit, even mockups of high-powered weaponry. It really underscores the point: Even when dealing with military contractors, making your demonstrations hand-on and interactive will generate interest.
III. Video Screens Are Still Ruling The Day
One aspect that surprised me is how many plain video screens were still being used. There doesn’t seem to be much encouraging use of personal devices like smartphones. Perhaps given the nature of the industry, there’s a lot less drive towards mobile devices which are less robust or less secure. Either way, it seems video presentations were the primary tool for getting information out.
IV. Use Outdoor Presentations To Wow
You just can’t do the really cool stuff indoors. When you have the time and opportunity to put together something really impressive that you need to do outdoors, you’re virtually guaranteed to have one of the exposition showstoppers. Few things stand out quite like an aquatic airman at a trade show. Especially as wireless and cloud technologies keep allowing us to move ever-further from anything that’s actually plugged in, take advantage of it to move parts of your trade show booths & displays outside.
V. Would A Live Speaker Work For Your Expo Display?
Just saying, Hillary Clinton spoke at their trade conference last year. Who might you be able to get that would wow folks in your industry? Perhaps a Clinton is off the table, but that still leaves you with a lot of options. Keep working those social media contacts and look for the right time to score a really killer speaker. Great speakers virtually guarantee widespread coverage.
VI. Booth Operators Who Know Their Stuff
They were there, they knew what their hardware did, and they knew what did and did not get said to the media. We keep hammering this point because it is so totally crucial that even the military gets it: your booth staff have to all be the smartest people in the room in their field. No question should go unaddressed, and the presenter must have clearly put in real time handling whatever it is they’re presenting. This isn’t rocket science, but so many companies disregard it anyway.
Now, of course, this military trade show also demonstrates just how much money the military industry has at all levels. SOFIC events attract the highest names in the US government to comment on future military paths forward. Mostly today, they’re talking about how business and government are going to have to work hand-in-hand with private manufacturers, at trade shows like this.
You might not be in a position of working with governments any time soon, but keep in mind, it’s a growing industry worldwide in a growing number of fields. You never know when you may the one trying to make a sale to someone with a mil-spec pocketbook.
If you know what works on the big boys, you’ll know what to remember when working on your next exhibition display design!