3 Trade Show Booth Design Trends for 2021
With tons of gimmicky and eye-catching competitors in nearly every corner of the convention center, it can feel a bit daunting to come up with a trade show booth design that gives your business the exposure you hope to get. This is particularly true when the expo is filled with industry giants, and you are the new kid on the block.
But there’s no need to worry. This post will share three design concepts that can give you the maximum return on your investment. The best part is that you don’t have to spend an insane amount of cash to win with these creative design ideas. You only need to think strategically and a little bit out of the box.
1. Multisensory Design Trends
Purchases are not unconnected to emotions, which explains why it is crucial to ask yourself how your trade show booth design makes attendees feel. Exhibitors are thinking up more creative ideas that present irresistible opportunities for people walking past their booths to feel things.
These tempting tactile surfaces can stir up emotions in people, making them want to know more about your exhibit and possibly lead to a sale. Here are some multisensory ideas to try.
Multi-Touch Video Walls
Use animated displays to engage visitors at your booth. The longer people get engrossed with your audio/visual displays, the higher your chances of getting them to learn about your exhibition. An animated light box is a powerful display tool which generates a bright, vibrant “moving image”, meant to draw the eye to your exhibit booth.
Touch screen monitors are common these days, and these displays will enable you to vary your brand message, but most importantly, it allows visitors at your booth to interact with your brand the way they want.
Interactive Walls and Cut-Outs
Interactive walls provide attendees with the opportunity to take pictures at your booth. Make it more fun by including superimposed images or graphics. Many people will likely share their fun photos on social media and get others talking about your exhibit.
Don’t forget to include your brand logo in a conspicuous spot in the photo because there is a huge potential for exposure.
3D Hologram Displays
3D Hologram displays are relatively new in trade shows. Incorporating them into your trade show booth design can set you apart from the crowd and give you the edge over your competition.
Starwar's Image of a Hologram
Virtual Reality (VR)
Event marketing is now dotted with brands employing cutting-edge virtual reality technology to provide simulation experiences for interested attendees.
Add VR to your trade show booth design and give people a memorable experience. Of course, if you do it right, it can be an effective lead generation strategy.
2. Booth Design Trends - Nature
Attendees spend many hours walking in and out of similar-looking booths on the show floor. Imagine their surprise when they see something that makes them feel they are outdoors in nature.
Here are two great trade show design ideas that incorporate nature.
Go Natural with Natural Materials
Adding natural materials in booth design does not only give people a change of scenery; it is also sending a message to visitors that your brand is environmentally conscious.
You can creatively incorporate reclaimed wood, living plants, vinyl flooring in stone, stained wood planks, and other similar natural materials in your trade show booth design to create a more responsible and eco-friendly wow factor.
Trade Show Flooring in Faux Wood Linking Tiles
Create a Different “World”
A booth doesn’t have to look like a booth – at least, not to the exhibitor whose goal is to stand out from the crowd.
Create an exhibiting space where visitors can temporally forget that they are in an expo hall. Apply a nature or outdoor themed design to your booth to make people feel as if they are in an entirely different “world.”
3. Graphics in Trade Show Booth Design Trends
While not an entirely new trend, graphics continue to set the pace in event marketing, and for a good reason. It is versatile, allowing brands to attract people with stunning images and at the same time vary their messages.
Check out these ever-trending booth design ideas.
Multi-Dimensional Backdrops
Get creative with unique and eye-catching backdrops that present shapes and designs that are not flat and boring. Different shapes, sizes, and heights will make people want to take a second look. Fortunately, it costs significantly lesser to print these days, so exhibitors can play around with creative ideas.
Another plus of multi-layered backdrop panels is that the smaller panels are less expensive to print, so you can print out a new backdrop panel and give your booth a fresh, new look for each tradeshow event.
Printable Flooring
It doesn’t matter whether you have a small show booth or a larger one, this years booth design trends include custom flooring. Your custom floor message can be your brand logo, a specific design covering the entire floor space, or a URL.
Large booths can use custom flooring to bring about an overall cohesive design, and small booths tend to appear bigger than they are.
Use Lighting
You can set different moods for booth visitors using creative trade show lighting. Lighting is so powerful that it can give people a sense of privacy, particularly if your exhibit space has provision for potential client meetings.
You can use the element to inspire curiosity and intrigue people walking by your booth. Take things up a notch by installing sound-responsive lighting for fun interactions.
Tips to Ensure Booth Success
Spending good cash to set up your booth is a step in the right direction, but you need to take a few extra steps to make the most out of your event. Consider the following trade show booth design tips that can up your game.
1. Let people know what you do
If your company name is not spelled G-O-O-G-L-E or A-P-P-L-E, you should never assume that attendees know what you do or who you are. In other words, tell everyone what you do, even before they ask.
Don’t wait for attendees or investors to walk up to your sales reps and engage them in a conversation about what your business has to offer. Put it up on your banner in clear, bold fonts and hang it up where anyone close enough can learn about your offerings.
Besides giving people a clear idea of what your business is about, it will save you and your team the headache of repeated explanations to everyone who cares enough to ask who you are and what your business is about.
Equally, with a summary of what you have to offer on display, people who walk up to your reps are likely genuinely interested in what you do and will often ask more specific questions. It is like creating a funnel to filter only truly interested clients.
2. Use playfulness to create buzz
Bottom line: think up creative ways to make attendees see your booth as a venue or engage with your product the way they would a game.
For example, let people have something to play with when they walk past your booth. It could be taking selfies with images that superimpose on their heads or a chance to play a digital game. The more you can get people to engage with your product and space playfully, the more buzz – positive buzz – you will create about your company.
3. Give away something unusual
Nearly all businesses will give something away, but many of those things end up in the trash. That’s because the junks don’t solve any problem for the recipients. Forget branded mugs and pens – no one wants these things.
Think headphones, sunglasses, or even laptop skins. Of course, you can put your brand name and logo on these freebies, but they are more useful than traditional and worn-out mugs and pens. You can even offer free coffee and beer. Many tired and hungry attendees will appreciate the pick-me-up, especially after a long day of visiting countless booths.
4. Do something unexpected
Your ability to stand out at tradeshows lies in how creative you are in getting people to do a double-take (in a good way, by the way).
Take something that appears unconnected to your brand and place it in a prominent space in your exhibit. Aim to inspire amusement, wonder, and most importantly, let it be something that is likely to elicit questions from attendees.
The more you can get people to pause and engage with your staff in a need-to-know conversation, the higher your chances of overall success.
5. Keep your booth uncluttered
Embrace negative space, even if you have a very large booth. You don’t have to set something up in every inch of your space just because you can – that’s definitely not how to make the most of your booth.
Aim to keep your space simple and uncluttered because less is indeed more when it comes to trade show booth designs.
6. Include Your Name Everywhere
Put your brand name on everything related to your business during the show, whether it is your booth, product, or anything you freely giveaway. That’s the most effective way to make people remember you.
Big names such as LG, Samsung, and Sharp will never pass up on the chance to be remembered, regardless of their already established popularity. You should take a cue from them and plaster your name all over your space and exhibits. Make it completely unnecessary for anyone to search for your company name when they pass by your booth.
Did you see anything you liked? Any ideas that you'd like to explore in further detail? Our design team stands ready to get to work on your behalf - just leave us a message and we'll be back in touch!
