Exhibitions are investment of your time and money but well worth it when the end result is making a great impression on your clients and prospective buyers. Luckily, there are ways to do this even with a smaller footprint - here are five of our favorite tips.

1. Keep it clean and bold. Less really is more, especially with smaller exhibit spaces. A display with too much going on looks cluttered. Work with your exhibition designer to blend bold graphics with your products and digital media so they work together to promote your company to its best selling advantage.

2. Maximize your space. Eliminate as many barriers to entry as possible. Place tables to the side instead of out front. Place computer workstations and lockable counters against the backwall so visitors are comfortable entering your space to learn more. Split up the activities to spread out your visitor traffic. For example, place a conversation area with a table and chairs on one side and a demo area on the opposite side. 

3. Make it bright. Visitors are drawn to bright displays like moths to a flame. Lighter shades of colour in flooring and cabinetry can make you look larger. Use pops of colour in signage or carpet to provide an element of surprise. Top it all off with halogen or LED lights and you'll glow on show floor.

4. Engage your visitors. Once you grab the attention of passersby, you need to give them a reason to stay. Attendees are at the show to learn so give them a way to see, hear, touch, taste or smell your products. Use interactive tools, hands on demos, samples, etc. that will involve your visitors. 

5. Get your tech on. New technologies have opened new opportunities for exhibitors to leverage smaller floor plans. Big screen motion graphics, touch screens, tablets, video badges, RFID and so much more. You don't have to use every technology, but try your best to take advantage of the trend.

Remember, its not the size of your exhibition display or budget that determines how successful you will be.  Strong design, creativity, and good booth management are all major factors in trade show success.  Even those on lower budgets can create stunning displays that attendees will love, and the right combination can keep people coming back again and again.

For more design tips, download our Special Report on Exhibit Design Strategies.

Vincent Van Gogh said “I dream my painting and I paint my dream.”

Exhibitors dream their programme and then create it, too. At an exhibition your goal is to reach your target audience. Your advertising campaign, exhibition design and promotional strategies should work together to inspire your audience to visit you and learn about what you can do for them.

Simple? Not so much, which is why exhibitors depend on internal and external resources to write, photograph, design, fabricate, and build material for pre-show, at-show and post-show event marketing activities. That got me thinking about where the various contributors find their creative inspiration.  When asked, the exhibition designers I spoke to said they get their inspiration from the exhibitor; by what the company does and through conversations about what they want to accomplish.

So where do exhibition marketers get their inspiration? There are a number of sources for inspiration including peers, magazines, newsletters, other exhibitors and, of course, websites. Display solution galleries enable exhibitors to browse exhibition display designs that offer their desired features, functions and details – or perhaps features that are brand new to them! While some exhibitors locate the exact design they want, many locate several examples to express the characteristics or attributes they want to combine into their own customised display design or environment.

Tell us about your sources of creative inspiration.

Although exhibitions and events can appeal to all five senses, the presentation of your company, products, and brand is first communicated visually. So it's no surprise that the graphics you choose will play a critical role in attracting visitors to your display.

Colour is one of the most important elements in effective design. It stimulates our brains, engages us, and influences our mood.  The use of colour boosts our memory retention.  Colour even influences our purchase decisions. 

So, given that the right colour choices are essential, what colours should you use for your exhibition display?  

The natural place to start is with your corporate colours, of course.  After those are taken into consideration, the next step is to look at how different colour schemes may be utilized throughout your exhibition design. This can be helpful when selecting flooring colours, laminated surface colours for counters, or even furniture such as sofas or bistro tables and chairs. 

Work with your designer to explore different colour groupings that will maximise the appeal of your display. Using a twelve-part colour wheel, locate your corporate colours. Selecting colours adjacent to your corporate colours will create an analogous colour scheme. While one colour may dominate, using the colours next to each other creates a harmonious grouping for a serene, comfortable design aesthetic. 

On the other hand, if you select colors directly opposite your corporate colors on the color wheel, you will end up with a complementary colour scheme.  The benefit of this option is that opposing colours often create maximum contrast, which creates a vibrant aesthetic.

A third option is the triadic colour scheme, where you select colours evenly spaced around the colour wheel.  For this type of scheme, you should choose one colour as the dominant one, and let the other two serve as accents.

Colour is a powerful tool when it comes to display graphics. What are some of the fun ways you’ve incorporated color into your exhibition display?

When it comes to creating an exhibition display that has maximum impact, good graphic design is essential. You only have a matter of seconds to grab someone's attention as they walk past your display, so your graphics need to communicate who you are and what you do within the shortest time possible.

Many times the role of display graphics is underestimated. Exhibition graphics are your primary communication tool so they need to reflect your company or product's sense of style, appeal to your audience and be easy to read. Design for display graphics is very different from brochure, packaging or website graphics. Your designer needs to balance additional factors into exhibition graphic design including viewing distances, lighting, surface shapes and sizes, text, fonts, colours, imagery, and messaging hierarchy.

What makes this even more difficult is that exhibition graphics often come last in the decision-making process about the display, which means there may be tight time constraints, and of course everyone involved with the display design may have differing opinions. What we'e found through working with thousands of exhibitors is that it helps to have a framework for working through the design process. While each graphic has its own role in your messaging hierarchy, your graphics should also complement each other, and work together well as a unified whole.

In general, your highest, largest areas are reserved for company identification. These graphics tend to be visually bold and easy to see from a distance. Once visitors are at your display, there are graphics designed to direct them to the various areas within your floor plan – live presentation areas, product demonstration areas, and so forth. Finally, there are up-close graphics meant for individual consumption. These might include product benefit descriptions, service locations, or maybe instructions for self-driven interactions. Your display may utilize some or all of these types of graphics.

It's a good idea to ask your designer to provide a rendering of your display with the graphic images superimposed on it, so that you may preview the overall graphic direction. In addition to getting a feel for how the display looks, a preview also enables you to ensure that the location of graphic areas won't be obstructed by stand furnishings, your products, or visitors engaged with interactive elements.

Use our handy checklist to evaluate whether your graphics are working. 

How do you know that your graphic design is working for you?

Do you want a bigger exhibition display for your annual event but use smaller displays for the other smaller shows?

Do you want to reduce your exhibition expenses so you can allocate the savings to more pre- or at-show promotion?

Do you want the freedom and flexibility to have an exhibition display that won’t limit your future marketing needs or budget?

If you answered yes to any of these questions then you may want to consider a custom display rental.  If you’re like most companies today, you have to utilise every pound of your budget to its best advantage.  Once you’ve allocated your fixed expenses such as the space, you probably try to maximise the variable expenses which often include your display.

The rule of thumb for deciding whether to purchase or rent is simple:  if you plan to use the same display three times in one year, it makes sense to purchase. But it makes more sense to rent your display for a one-time use. 

Many companies book shell scheme spaces at their smaller shows but want to make a big impression at their main event. Mergers are often accompanied by a marketing “scramble” to rebrand. Trade shows are often the first approach to testing a new market.  A one-time exhibition display rental may be just what you need to look your best in any of these situations. Develop a whole new design or add elements such as greeting station, interactive kiosks, or towers with storage to your existing properties.

The beauty of a custom display rental is the ability to have the design you want without having to compromise. You can have all of the benefits of a fresh, dynamic, compelling design that none of your visitors will know is a display rental. 

As you can see, all of the costs associated with ownership including inspection, repairs, storage, taxes and eventual disposal – are eliminated with a display rental.  The savings really add up. Now you have the ability to better control what you want to invest your budget in….maintenance costs or more pre-show advertising, VIP hospitality, sponsorships, discount incentive offers …you get the idea.

Here’s another bonus tip: the price of your display rental includes graphics which are not rented but purchased.  So keep in mind that they can be reused on the same display rental next year – this adds up to more savings!

Our client, iDirect does a great job choosing vibrant stand graphic colors and placing their logo and tagline at a height that is visible to attendees up close and from afar

In the world of exhibiting how do you know if you have winning exhibition stand graphics? Below is a checklist of “winning” qualities that could earn you “best in show”.

Your exhibition graphics should first and foremost...

1. Promote your products
Whatever combination of graphics and text that you decide on, make sure that they work together to showcase the features and benefits of your products/services. When someone walks up to your stand they should know immediately: who you are and what you do. Remember, you only have 3 seconds to captivate your target audience and you don't want to overwhelm them into scampering off to your competition's display. If you have complicated messages to communicate such as a client success story, rely on to your A/V presentations instead of your stand graphics to tell the story.

2. Boost your brand
When looking at your exhibition graphics, look at it from an all encompassing stand point, do your graphics: incorporate your logo, adhere to established branding guidelines, communicate your value proposition etc; all of these elements should be skillfully combined to lure in your target audience. [Also, be careful to not include any propriety information in your graphics as reprinting can be a costly endeavor].

Make sure to maintain your company’s colour palette in not only your exhibition stand graphics but, it should carry through to flooring and furniture. If possible, repeat your logo on graphics that are visible from across the show floor, the aisle and even up close on staff name tags or clothing all the way thru to premium giveaways. The average attendee needs to be reminded 6 separate times to distinctly remember your brand, so the more times your brand is at front and center the more success you will have at driving brand memorability.

3. Stay on target
If you took a birds eye view of all of the places that your campaigns have appeared (both on and offline) your exhibition stand should be another channel to promote your campaigns. Make sure that you are openly communicating conversion points on your exhibition graphics such as your website and that your display is consistent with other display stands. 

For more show smart tips on STAND APART booth graphics download our whitepaper “Graphics that Work”

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Saavy marketers are grabbing attention and building brand awareness by "raising the roof" on their exhibition displays. From our design studio through to the factory floor we've seen a dramatic increase in demand for overhead hanging signs in variety of organic and geometric shapes.

How Fabric Displays Can Save You Money…
Fabric displays demand attention on the show floor yet they’re affordably priced.  The are also affordable to own being compact, lightweight and easy to assemble you save on storage and transportation.

What The Experts Have To Say…
Vince Alberta, VP of The Las Vegas Convention Center and Visitors Authority, even reports a recent surge in suspended fabric displays from years past, touching on their proven ability to drive brand exposure at exhibitions and deliver ROI.

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Back by popular demand is Part II of our post, 10 Ways To Cause a Speed Bump At Your Exhibition Stand. We’ve gathered essential “intel” and have listed the latest tactics your colleagues are using to AMPLIFY their stand traffic and get the results they want. So, kick your promotional efforts into overdrive with these Show Smart tips:

1) Enliven Your Booth Staff
Video badges were all the hype at the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show.  Now savvy Exhibit Marketers everywhere are using them in their face-to-face initiatives because they make a perfect conversation starter. This nifty novelty catches the attention of visitors just long enough for your stand staff to engage them. Video badges are also pixilated powerhouses that will cost you a pretty penny or two – some average out around 178.00 each and require pre programming! So, if you think these are as cool as we do, make sure to include them in your budget for next year!

2) Arrest Your Audience
A visually arresting exhibition display features graphics that POP.  Your exhibition graphics need to grab attendee attention and then IMMEDIATELY communicate who you are, what you do and how your product/service can help them. Whether it's your brand that will draw audiences from all directions to be consumed by one individual at time, you need to understand how your display graphics should all work together. Not sure that your display is realising its full potential? Download our whitepaper on Graphics That Work for more…

3) Create a Snap Shot of Your Brand
Photo booths featuring your branded back drop are fun show stoppers. While attendees enjoy “glaming” it up for silly candid photos, they bring back your branded "kodak moment" to share with friends, family and business colleagues. So, it's a great PR opportunity.

4) Extra, Extra READ All About It
Broadcast your Twitter buzz on a large LCD monitor in your exhibit using the official show hash tag. As attendees are dismissed from information packed seminars and pass by your stand, they’ll see what they’ve missed out on while they were away and be encouraged to follow you on Twitter.

5) Be Intelligent
Part of driving quality show traffic to your stand is knowing your particular audience and tailoring your message to them so that they feel like they are an exclusive customer. Lygase RFID Solutions has developed a product that allows exhibitors to communicate surround sound marketing messages that can be displayed on a big screen or kiosk based on recognition of an attendee's presence. The attendee wearing a lanyard with a UHF RFID tag will be shown a targeted message once detected by an RFID reader and that message will invite that person to a particular booth.

This targeted approach will impress booth attendees and will ensure that your brand is remembered. Make sure to research your vendors before signing the “dotted line”. 

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For over 250 years Douwe Egberts, a Sara Lee Company, has been a name synonymous with exceptional coffee. Douwe Egberts is one of the leading coffee roasters in the world and a major supplier of coffee systems and accessories for the workplace. So it’s no surprise that they have the #1 market share in 9 out of 13 countries in Europe.

Douwe Egberts has recently made a return to trade shows and are owners of Nomadic's legendary Instand® displays.  They wanted to launch their newest product, the Easy Milk Coffee Machine, with a larger impact exhibition display at Caffé Culture 2011; this trade show is exclusively devoted to exposing thousands of products and services to the coffee bar industry.  Douwe Egberts wanted to debut a new trade show booth that would repurpose their existing display with rental elements as a cost savings measure.

Nomadic Display UK strategically designed a more sophisticated selling environment using key elements from Douwe Egberts' previous display along with rental parts.  The ornate backwall featured elegant photographs of pouring coffee and their sleek stainless steel products exuded a café chic ambiance. Douwe Egberts was able to immerse visitors in an overall brand experience that engaged all five senses with their coffee systems. Since debuting their display at Caffé Culture, Douwe Egberts has taken their power packed custom display “on the road” to outdoor events such as a live cricket game.  Instand’s ultra durability enables Douwe Egberts to travel extensively with their exhibition stand and its versatility allows them to switch out graphics to target different audiences at outdoor events.

Check out what the Douwe team has to say:

“Nomadic exceeded all of our expectations, delivering a fabulous trade show display for Egberts at Caffe Culture. The Douwe Egberts' staff could not have been better prepared for the event as Nomadic was able to offer a full dry run of the trade show booth at their showroom in Isleworth. Nomadic Display’s professional and friendly team expertly took care of all our requirements from brief to breakdown and also managed the stand storage. This enabled our team to keep our resources focused on delivering the business end of the event.  We look forward to working with the Nomadic team on future events.”

Paul Freeman, Marketing Director, Douwe Egberts Coffee Systems.

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Our Client SATCO (above) strategically uses carpet inlays and highlights to showcase their products and complement their open booth design

Exhibition flooring is commonly overlooked and at times is compromised in an effort to meet smaller exhibiting budgets. Something as seemingly average as exhibition flooring can actually impact buying behavior and leverage your show performance. Below are some Show Smart trends in exhibition flooring that will expand your stand footprint in Stand Apart Style.

1) Don’t Cause A Traffic Pile Up
Keep your carpet design clean and simple; platforms, multiple tiers and added height can make set up difficult, cause traffic jams and make your display appear less open and inviting.

2) Count Your Pennies – Watch Your Dollar
Keep in mind that exhibition flooring will increase the overall weight of your exhibition display meaning that shipping will surge as well.

3) Consider Your Options
Carpet inlays and highlights are strategic ways to showcase certain areas of your exhibition stand without putting a dent your budget. Your carpet can also function as a one dimensional brand stand because you can have your logo embedded in your flooring so as attendees approach your stand and your brand is reinforced from top to bottom.

4) Comfort Your Prospects Every Step of The Way
If you decide to purchase less elaborate carpet, adding luxuriously double padded flooring will make booth attendees more inclined to linger on your stand. 

5) Tell a story …
Depending on how your exhibition stand is set up, you can use flooring to communicate the many functional aspects of your display. Incorporate fun and bright coloured carpet on the stand activity area and in the VIP section have a more elegant and formal choice such as dark wood . Flooring coupled with a dynamic display can work with or against your overall brand experience. Make sure that both play off one another.

6) Raise your roof
Raised flooring is a contemporary way to take your competitive edge up a notch and stand apart at your next show.  Just keep in mind, it will cost more.  

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