Trade Show Displays: Thinking Out of the Box
If you want to stand out and get noticed, your trade show displays need to move away from traditional designs. When I visit a trade show, I’m looking for things which are novel, interesting, and out of the ordinary.
This is an opportunity for these businesses to shine, and show off their best face, yet so many companies never do anything more than the same boring, boxy set of walls with a couple tables inside. I almost expect to see a mime wandering around, pretending to be trapped inside the booth.
All the guru’s keep saying the same thing – your display needs to stand out! Row after row of box-like display stands is boring for visitors, and gives you little opportunity to tell people that your products or services excel – think about it, not even your booth is different.
To stand out you have to get creative in your design, and appeal to both the mind and the senses. In short, to attract visitors to your trade show displays, you need to get out of the box.
Trade Show Displays: Thinking Out of the Box
Here are a few ideas for how to make your next exhibition stand more than just three walls and a table.
- Curves attract. In general, people are more attracted to curves than straight lines. If your trade show displays are stuck in a rectangular space that you can’t do anything else with, try making use of curved or oblong display stands, banners, and other accompaniments. You might even be able to make creative use of drop cloths or rounded pop-up displays to create the illusion of a round room within your rectangular space.
- Use interesting shapes. Present people with an unusual geometric design or complex polygon, and most will (at least briefly) revert to an almost child-like state as they try to “figure out” the object. Displays such as the Xpressions Connex are great for creating these sorts of complicated shapes, that immediately draw the eye and encourage people to stop and figure out how they work.
- Break up the horizon. It’s a common beginner’s mistake in design to think that everything has to be perfectly lined up, like hanging paintings in a hotel room. Actually, breaking up those horizontal lines are great for attracting the eye. Don’t put everything on the same plane in your trade show displays. Use tables and stands of different sizes, and spread out your wall hangings vertically as well. This creates a much more complex and visitor-attracting design.
- Create an indoor outdoor space. Another option for your trade show displays, if you’re stuck in a space you can’t work with, is to ignore the walls and focus on creating your own space. Try setting up a tent and setting up a zen-type garden with paths around your booth. Give it warm, natural lighting to contrast with the room’s electric lights.
- Stimulate the other senses. Far too many trade show booths focus solely on visuals. Don’t forget about the other senses when you’re trying to escape the box! Can you find a way to work scents into your display? Certain smells, like citrus, can carry a long distance and work to guide people to you. The same goes with sounds. Look for sensory elements you can add to your booth which would be pleasing to passers-by and attract them from a distance.
Don’t Get Trapped in the Box
All it really takes is a bit of creativity in your design and trade show furnishing choices, and you can easily make trade show exhibits that escape the “box” of the usual booth. The more creative and interesting they are, the more leads you’ll reap by the time the show is over. Good luck!