The Complete Beginners Guide To Exhibition Stands

From concept design, through to the build, to exhibiting when the day comes.

Are you considering exhibiting at an event but don’t know where to start when it comes to making sure your stand looks professional and performs its task? Don’t worry – you’re not alone. But if you put in a bit of homework now, you’ll make better decisions regarding your stand that will serve you well into the future, whether you’re re-using the setup over and over again or designing a new layout each time you exhibit.

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We’ve put together a helpful guide to assist you in the process, from considerations for choosing an exhibition stand designer that fits with your budget, to deciding on the often overlooked parts of your stand that can make all of the difference.

EXHIBITING YOUR BUSINESS AT AN EVENT FOR THE FIRST TIME CAN BE DAUNTING

Whether you’re looking to sell more products, increase brand awareness or simply connect with like-minded businesses in your industry, trade events and shows offer unparalleled access to the brands and individuals that you would otherwise not have at a regular conference or event.

These exhibitions occur quite regularly around the country and some entrepreneurs and business owners travel far to visit as many as they can throughout the year. As a result, they can put their products or services out there to new customers and can also network with fellow business professionals in their sector.

If you have never been to a trade show or exhibited at an event with your company before, then you might not really believe the benefit of exhibiting until you see it firsthand. High entry fees to events can often put business owners off, that is until they realise the recurring benefit that a bespoke stand and exhibiting can provide. Let’s look at ways to get you started on your path to exhibiting mastery, and provide the answers to any burning questions you may have as a beginner.

WHY YOU SHOULD THINK ABOUT EXHIBITING

First of all, let’s take a closer look at why you should think about exhibiting your company at a relevant business trade show or event. We’ve briefly touched on the fact that it can help you attract new customers and clients, but there are also so many other advantages. Here are the main ones that you need to be aware of.

• Improve Your Relationship With Current Clients
  One thing that not many business owners realise is that going to trade shows and exhibitions can actually help to improve and build on their current relationships with clients.
  
  If some of your current clients or customers are there, it’s their chance to meet with you face-to-face. This will be a lot more personable than them contacting you over the or by , and you can definitely use this chance to chat to them to your advantage.
  
  It’s also very common for businesses to work together for years and never actually meet, so what better chance than at your own bespoke stand? 
  
• Meet Other Businesses That Can Help Your Own Company
  You won’t only meet with potential customers and clients at the exhibition; it’s also your chance to talk to the other business owners who are exhibiting as well.
  
  This is a great way to get some networking in and to gain more contacts. You never know who you may need to reach out to for help and advice in the future, so it’s always worth networking wherever and whenever you can.
  
• Connect With Potential New Customers And Clients
  Of course, the main reason why so many companies and entrepreneurs head to exhibitions is so they can connect and start to build relationships with new clients. Some exhibitions and trade fairs are open to the public, so there will be lots of people who might be attracted to your stand and be persuaded to do business with you.
  
  You will still have the chance to meet people who might be interested in your business at exhibitions that aren’t open to the public too. It’s also more likely that you will win clients at a closed, industry-specific event too.
  
  A simple conversation with an attendee can have a miraculous effect for your business. It might not just lead to a single sale, it can create a partnership or business relationship that lasts years or decades and generates millions, all from getting that chance to meet a company representative face to face and let them know exactly how your business can benefit theirs. And it doesn’t always have to be someone visiting your stand, either – if it’s an industry gathering, you’re just as likely to meet a potential business partner at the coffee machine or watching a talk. It’s all about being there.
  
• Learn About The Latest Industry Trends And Developments
  Exhibitions, trade fairs, and expos are always the centre of the action. It’s here where you will be able to find out about all of the latest news and developments that are happening in your industry and sector.
  
  It’s always good to try to stay up to date with various developments, as this will help you try to stay one step ahead of all your competitors.
  
  Many exhibitions also have side events like panel discussions, talks, presentations and demonstrations that attendees can visit. There’s always plenty to learn from these events, even if you’re just using the opportunity to have a look at what your competitors are disclosing about what they are working on.
  
• Establish Or Strengthen Your Brand
  By attending trade fairs and exhibitions, you will be increasing the visibility of your brand. There will be more people seeing you and taking an interest in what you do. Setting up at an event puts your business right in front of them in living, breathing, three dimensional reality, something a brochure, video or website can never achieve.
  
  You can take questions, explain complex things clearly, perform demonstrations of products and let potential customers inspect and hold your products. And because your stand is a representation of your business, you can use it to demonstrate your commitment to quality, investment and attention to detail.
  
  If you take the time to create a good stand and polish your pitch, you’ll be able to position yourself as a leader within the industry, which can really attract new customers.         

HOW TO ATTRACT VISITORS TO YOUR STAND

So, once you have decided that attending a business exhibition really is in the best interest for you and your business, you need to decide how you are going to design your stand.

We will touch on this point in greater detail within this guide, however as a quick overview here are some common ways that business owners both get a bespoke stand, and utilise current trends or technology to give their stand a greater chance of attracting the right types of visitors at an event:

• Consider Your Stand’s Location
  When you do sign up to exhibiting at a trade show, you might be given the option to reserve a stand location. They are often reserved on a first-come, first-served basis.
  It is highly advisable that you do reserve a spot, though, as you can then try to pick out the best location to showcase your company. Ideally, you need to be somewhere that will get a lot of foot traffic passing it by.
  
  That way, you are maximising the number of potential people who will see your stand. Also, while most stand reservations come in a range of predetermined sizes, sometimes the layout of the event space means that stands of a certain footprint can look out of place in some locations, for example in corners or at unusual angles to the rest of the stands. Knowing exactly where you’ll be in relation to the room and the other exhibitors can influence the layout, graphics and lighting of your stand. 

• Hire A Professional Stand Designer
  You could of course try to design your exhibition stand yourself and with help from your team.
  Hiring a team that are experienced in building custom stands for businesses will give you the best chance at getting the exact type of stand that reflects your brand, and makes your business stand out.
  
  Off-the-peg stands can work, but having one custom-designed around your needs, to incorporate displays, demonstration spaces, face-to-face areas, graphics, interactive sections and so on is much better. Also, getting one professionally made usually means the finishing touches will be of a higher standard, be it graphics printing, surfaces and edges, lighting or sturdiness.
  
• Think About Who Will Be The Hosts At The Stand
  You will need to have at least two hosts on your stand. Some companies send a team of hosts so that they can all take it in turns which ensures everyone gets a break throughout the day.
  It’s certainly good for the business owner to be one of the hosts – after all, you are the company’s main representative!
  
  When it comes to the other hosts, make sure that they are chatty and bubbly people who will make everyone feel very welcome at your stand. If you’re in a particularly technical sector, it’s good to have a mix of salespeople and engineering or R&D team members on hand to explain how things work as well as how the products will benefit potential customers. It all comes down to availability and budgeting, of course, but it’s worth investing some experts’ time if it can bring lucrative benefits.
   
• Offer Promotions And Freebies
  It’s also a really good idea to offer some promotions and freebies to anyone who checks out your stand.
  They can then take home some branded goodies so that they can’t forget your company name too easily.
  Plus, we all love free stuff and it will be a quick and easy way to put your brand in their good books! Branded gifts that are actually useful, such as coasters, corkscrews, flash drives and so on, can actually find their way into places you’d never have imagined, and drive someone to look into your business on the strength of a name and web address.

THE BEST TECHNOLOGY TO INCORPORATE IN YOUR STAND

If you want to really impress people at your exhibition stand, you should think about incorporating a few different tech pieces to the design. These are often really engaging and can also show the public just how much of a modern and forward-thinking company you are.

Not sure which are the best kinds of tech to bring with you to the exhibition? Here are some of our top recommendations:

• Offer Charging Outlets
  Is there anything more annoying than when your mobile runs out of juice? Probably not! So, why not offer some charging outlets that people can use.
  Attendees will really appreciate this, plus it also gives you the chance to talk to them about your company as their charges. 
  
• Use Social Media
  Don’t forget that social media is a tech that you should always be using. Even when you are exhibiting!
  Some companies find that it is really beneficial for them to tweet along while at the exhibition so that people who weren’t able to attend can get a slice of the action.
  
• Produce Video Content
  One of the most engaging forms of content has to be video. It’s perfectly fine to have plenty of written content for visitors to your stand to read, but they are likely to get bored of too much writing. That won’t be the case with video, and people are likely to watch a video right through to the end.
  You can spend some time making the video with your team, and you might also want to hire a videographer to help you ensure that it is very professional. You can then play this video on a large 80” screen on the stand space or even go the full mile and play this on a large LED video wall!
  
• Give Your Visitors The Chance To Experience Virtual Reality
  This might not be a suitable option for every business, but it could be worth creating a virtual reality experience for all of your exhibition visitors.
  For instance, if you are a gaming company, then this is the perfect chance to give everyone a taster of the new game you have been working on.
  Alternatively, other companies could use virtual reality to give stand visitors the chance to experience working for them, experience their product or even fully immerse themselves in a virtual brand experience.

FROM DESIGN TO BUILD – HOW DOES IT ALL COME TOGETHER?

Ensuring that the final build result is exactly what you envisioned for your business starts with the initial concept stage. With the initial build phase of any bespoke project, it is important to understand and appreciate both the possibilities and the limitations that relate to the exact stand you envision.

• Conception – Reputable exhibition stand designers will make it their mission to ensure you and your team understand exactly what can be achieved based on your ideas and initial designs. At Focal Exhibitions, we work with our clients from day one to outline a realistic and fully bespoke outcome, prior to any design or build process.
  You should expect this from any team of exhibition stand designers, and regardless of the price you pay it is of paramount importance that goals and a finalised vision of your stand is benchmarked from the outset. Anything less can lead to unhappy business owners who are left underwhelmed with the final result.
• Design – Once you’ve achieved a stand concept, you can expect to receive a detailed design of the stand based on the features you require, sizing and customisation, set against the budget of the project.
• Build – The build phase is naturally the most exciting, as the designs are finalised and you will start to see your stand come to life. At this stage it can be incredibly difficult to update and amend any signed-off designs, so keep in mind that you must pour out and critique all of your ideas and requests at the concept stage to ensure nothing is missed at the build phase.

The above points may seem obvious, but if you’re new to the process it can be overwhelming and aspects are easily missed. Be sure to also consider the following points, and ask the questions to your team and chosen exhibition stand designers to ensure all areas of stand success are covered:

• Logistics – Does your stand need to be lightweight, compact or portable? How many shows will you be taking the stand to? What kind of transportation will be needed for the stand and how will this affect the build?
• Storage – Will you need to keep the stand close to your business for pop-up events and ease of access?
• Integrations – Have you considered any technical integrations into the stand? Have these been noted at the conception stage?

THE PROS AND CONS OF EXHIBITING

Some business owners think that going to an exhibition with their company is a lot of unnecessary hassle, and they opt for more traditional forms of marketing instead. It’s true that other offline ways to market your company are great, but it will really pay off if you do them while also going to exhibitions.

There are, of course, always two sides to every story and here are just a few of the pros and cons of exhibiting versus other offline marketing options.

Pro: Gives You The Chance To Speak Directly To Clients
One of the biggest benefits that comes with exhibiting your company is that you will be meeting up with clients and customers face-to-face. This will be a lot more personable than simply sending them an or calling them on the .
It gives all of your clients and customers the chance to see exactly who the people behind the business are!

Con: Extensive Planning & Preparation
Whilst an exhibition stand design company will naturally look after the design and build of a stand, there are plenty of hidden tasks and actions that need to be considered when either being involved in the design and build of an exhibition stand, and when taking your stand to an event.
This is not necessarily a ‘con’ in the strictest sense, however it can be if either you or your team do not factor in enough adequate time and meticulously planned resources to ensure the below factors are well looked after.
Factors to consider when it comes to effective time management throughout the process include:

• Booking Travel & Accommodation
• Staff Allocation (to factor time away from the office)
• Production of External Marketing Material (Flyers, Graphics, Incentives)
• Stand Logistics (if you opt against a team of designers that office stand logistics services)

Pro: It Gives Customers The Chance To Try Before They Buy
If you take some of your products with you, then you can showcase them on your stand.

Your employees can give demos of how to use them and all of the benefits that they will bring to customers. You’ll also be able to let stand visitors have a go themselves so that they can try before they buy.

Con: It Involves You And Some Employees Leaving The Office For The Day
You will need to spend the whole day at the exhibition, as well as those employees who attend with you. Unfortunately, this means one day away from the office for all involved. And that means one day of not getting through important work!
The more exhibitions that you attend throughout the year, also means more working days lost. This won’t be a worry with other offline marketing methods, though, as you can carry them out from the office.

However, most employers think that taking an away day to exhibit their company is often worth it thanks to all the benefits it brings them!

There are many points to consider when it comes to both getting your first stand built and attending your first trade show or business event.

Having a plan in place at each step of the way will mitigate any mistakes, primarily the mistake of forgetting important stand aspects or design considerations until after the build has been completed (an all too common issue that meticulous planning will certainly help to avoid).

Whether you already have a stand, are looking for advice around attending an event, or if you’ve been looking for reputable providers and want to get in touch with a team that truly cares, we’d love to speak to you.

Good news: The average attendee spends 8.3 hours viewing trade show booths at a single exhibition. That’s more than enough time for you to communicate with prospects, introduce them to your products, and gather the contact information you need to turn them into marketing-qualified leads.

But before you can start establishing relationships with your visitors, you have to first attract them to your booth. In the crowded sea of flashy displays, gimmicks, and one-upmanship, we know it can be hard to stand out from the competition.

That’s why we’ve assembled this list of 12 tactics you can take to create a unique trade show booth that sets you apart from your competitors.

1. Use 3 bright colors to draw attention to your booth.

Bright colors can set your exhibit’s mood. They can make your brand instantly recognizable to visitors, and you can apply high-contrasting colors to your design to accentuate certain display elements and highlight important messaging.

Too few colors can be boring, but too many colors can confuse and overwhelm attendees. When choosing colors to make your trade show display stand out, a good rule of thumb is to start with 3 and follow the 60% - 30% - 10% design rule.

What does the 60% - 30% - 10% rule mean in practice?

• Apply your primary color to 60% of your space. This color will unify the various elements of your design.
• Apply your secondary color to 30% of your space. This color will create contrast and help you establish visual interest.
• Apply your accent color to the last 10% of your design. This color will help you emphasize important elements, graphics, and text.

When choosing which three colors to start with, follow these tips:

• Consider the age, gender, and culture of your target audience. For example, most adults prefer cooler colors such as blue or green, according to the user experience gurus over at UX Planet. Men specifically tend to be drawn to achromatic colors like black, white, and gray.
• Consider what the colors you choose signify. Different colors convey different feelings and emotions. While yellow exudes optimism and positivity, blue symbolizes dependability and strength.
• Stay on brand. Don’t choose trade show colors that don’t follow your brand colors and aesthetic. This can be confusing for your visitors.

2. Incorporate empty space into your trade show layout.

When designing your unique trade show display, you want to consider how to maximize your space to your advantage. However, this doesn’t mean cluttering every inch of your exhibit with graphics, furniture, and displays.

Like with the content on your website, whitespace is vital. It helps balance your exhibit, create a more visually appealing display, and draw your visitors’ attention to your most important messages.

That’s why it’s important to think hard about the proportions of your booth. A good rule of thumb is to ensure about 40% of your booth is empty space.

When we were tasked with designing a booth for Navien for a heating and cooling trade show, we knew we wanted to showcase multiple demonstration zones without overwhelming visitors.

So we created a unique two-story exhibit that brought the company’s residential and commercial product lines to life. We also incorporated plenty of whitespace into Navien’s displays as to avoid the appearance of clutter.

3. Weave one clear theme throughout all your messaging.

One way to create a cohesive display is to weave a single consistent message throughout all your messaging. Many exhibitors will be tempted to highlight all of their product’s features, resulting in confusing and conflicting messages for prospects.

You can set yourself apart by highlighting your unique selling proposition, or USP. Your USP is the one thing that makes your brand unique. It’s the one thing you can do better than all of your competitors.

To establish your USP (if you haven’t already), ask yourself the following questions:

• What problem does your product solve?
• How do you solve that problem better than anyone else?
• What makes your product unique?

Then make sure all your most important graphics and visuals communicate this message.

4. Tell your brand’s unique story.

One way to stand out at a trade show is to successfully tell your brand’s story. Almost every booth you see will feature a large header, company logo, and branded graphics, but many will fail at explaining their story in a compelling manner that incites prospects to take action.

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Customers will never buy from you unless they feel they can trust you. And they’ll never feel they can trust you until they get to know you.

So dig into your company story. Ask yourself:

• Why did our founder create our company in the first place? What problem did he or she aim to solve?
• Why should customers trust us? What expertise or authority do we contribute to our industry?
• Why do we do what we do? What drives our work?
• Why should our customers choose our product or service over a competitor’s?

Once you have your "why," brainstorm unique ways to conceptualize this idea within your booth. Consider how you can incorporate your story into your layouts, graphics, messaging, brochures, and design.

Need more branding help? Check out these 19 resources for trade show exhibitors.

5. Incorporate your own products into your display in an original way.

If you’re like 88% of trade show exhibitors, you participate in trade shows to raise awareness of your company and products. One of the best ways to do this is to incorporate your own products into your display. In doing so, you can also ensure that no one else will have a booth quite like yours!

This is the strategy we took for the AWFS Fair in Las Vegas, where we constructed a booth for wood product company Masisa made entirely out of their own products.

We created three sample rooms to strategically showcase their wood products in a real-to-life environment: a bedroom walk-in closet, kitchen counter, and even a partial living room.

We also created a side wall to show off Masisa’s full range of laminate finishes. This way, visitors didn’t just get to hear what the company had to offer. They got to see and experience their finishes up close and personal.

6. Don’t be afraid to invest in your trade show booth design.

When it comes to your trade show booth design, don’t be afraid of going custom-made. There are numerous benefits to hiring a custom trade show exhibit company to design your display from scratch.

A trade show exhibit design firm will collaborate with you to take your initial idea to high-end concept, ensuring they maintain your brand messaging and aesthetic throughout. They’ll contribute their years of trade show experience and expertise to design a one-of-a-kind layout that attracts attention and delivers your message in a unique way.

But you don’t have to relinquish full control of your project. Your hired design team will keep you fully informed throughout each stage of the process, giving you plenty of room to make important decisions.

Some companies, like BTWN Exhibits, will even stay with you throughout the show, ready to troubleshoot any issues that may arise.

See more pros of custom trade show displays or learn why you need one for your next event.

7. Use various types of trade show exhibit lighting to illuminate your display.

There are endless ways to use lighting to make your exhibit more exciting and unique. The right lighting can be subtle or show-stopping. It can make your booth more appealing by showcasing the intricate detail you poured into your display. It can also enhance the visibility of your products and graphics and underscore important messaging.

Here are a few different types of lights to consider:

• Spotlights – You can use spotlights in various colors to create a dramatic effect while highlighting a particular product, like a bestseller. Spotlights can be incandescent, fluorescent, or halogen.
• Strobe Lights and Gobo Lights – Strobe lights and gobo lights can help you create interesting visual effects. You can use them to project your company name, logo, or slogan onto your booth floor or wall.
• Hanging Lights – Hanging lights will illuminate your booth while attracting the attention of passersby.
• Accent Lighting – Use accent lighting to add texture to your graphics.
• Ambient Lighting – Add dimension to your display with ambient lighting. Lamps, for example, can help you create your desired mood or set a specific ambiance.

8. Design your meeting area to reflect your brand’s image and stimulate lively conversation.

When it comes to designing your booth’s meeting area, you have plenty of unique options for furniture. A few fun choices include:

• Portable counters, tables, and display cases
• Illuminated LED furniture
• Inflatable furniture (you can even have it printed with your company name and logo!)

However, it’s important to use furniture sparingly and design a space that is unique to your product, service, and aesthetic.

Exhibitor Online conference faculty member Candy Adams urges trade show exhibitors to think about the environment they want to establish with their booth furniture.

“An exhibit geared toward conducting business meetings might feature furnishings similar to those swanky options found in a corporate boardroom,” writes Adams.

“Conversely, if the goal is to stimulate casual conversation among attendees and staffers, laid-back furnishings such as overstuffed loveseats and plush armchairs paired with low tables will do the trick.”

9. Host an interactive product demonstration.

Lots of trade show exhibitors incorporate demos into their exhibits, but many fail to include an “it” factor that will draw–and keep–their visitors’ attention. Your job as an exhibitor is to create a trade show display that sets your booth apart from your competitors’. The more people who stop to view your demonstration, the more chances you have to convert interested prospects into leads.

Remember that exhibits lose their impact when they’re all tell and no show. Visitors want to be engaged. They want to interact with you and your product.

When we created a booth for Coway, a maker of home wellness products and appliances, we knew we wanted to show off their Juicepresso blender. So we created a fresh fruit bar to host live product demonstrations. Not only did Coway get to show off their fantastic product, but they were able to provide a healthy and delicious treat to unsuspecting visitors.

10. Draw attention to your booth with unique interactive activities.

Interactive touchscreens, games, and activities are a great way to add a unique dimension to your trade show exhibit. They can help you draw attendees to your booth and kickstart the interaction between you and your prospects. Once you open the door for that initial conversation, you can start learning about your audience (and maybe collect their contact information, too!).

When we created a custom trade show display for aviation company Airbus in , we knew we needed to attract business executives to view its latest fleet of private corporate jets. So we made it easy for executives to learn about Airbus’ onboard experience by incorporating interactive kiosks alongside scaled models of their jets.

Here are a few other ideas for interactive booth technology and activities:

• Surveys and quizzes
• Educational seminars
• Interactive video walls
• Carnival-style games or trivia
• Scavenger hunt
• Photo booth
• Virtual reality

Make sure you follow these best practices for successfully incorporating interactive games and technology into your exhibit:

• Ensure all activities are consistent with your brand
• Ensure all activities will help you achieve your trade show goals
• Add a unique spin that could only come from you
• Reward visitors for the time they spend at your booth

Explore 15 ideas for attracting a crowd to your trade show exhibit.

11. Think outside the box when it comes to promotional items and giveaway prizes.

It’s easy to mass produce items like lanyards and pens that showcase your company name and logo, but you can set yourself apart by handing out promotional items and offering giveaway prizes that your prospects actually want.

If your promo items and prizes are useful, your leads will use them frequently. They’ll see your brand name and logo often, and they may even tell others about you. So don’t simply choose the cheapest item you can produce in large quantities.

Make sure your promo items and prizes are high quality. They shouldn’t look or feel cheap or break easily. Make sure there’s a clear connection from the items to your product or service.

Lastly, make sure they maintain your brand’s image and beliefs. For example, if your company is all about reducing waste, don’t hand out water bottles that are unnecessarily wrapped in plastic.

12. Grab attendees’ attention with one-of-a-kind displays and creative stunts.

When you create a custom exhibit, you can design a truly unique display that entices attendees to stop and visit and leaves a lasting impression.

YUDO, a leader in the plastic injection molding industry, came to us ahead of a plastics trade show with a request to design a show-stopping exhibit. We decided to build them a one-of-a-kind, 3,200 square foot exhibit anchored by a huge branded honeycomb header.

Once inside the booth, a unique multimedia presentation tunnel compelled visitors to walk through and learn about the value of YUDO products.

We also came up with a unique creative stunt; a live demonstration of YUDO’s automated machinery. We hid the base under 20,000 plastic balls as a playful reference to the company’s business line.

So don’t limit yourself to what you’ve seen before. Don’t be afraid to think outside the box and try something new. You’ll be glad you did.

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