Top 5 Important Things To Consider When Creating A Trade Show Booth

As a new business owner, you know that you need to get noticed. After all, how else will you bring in new business partners or leads? Trade shows are an excellent way for many types of startups to put their names on the national or even global maps. Attending a trade show helps to raise awareness about your brand, allows you to network and create new business relationships, and teaches you more about trends in your industry. If you want the best results, though, it is important for you to create trade show displays that stand out from the rest.

1. Stand Out From the Other Participants

Most of the small business owners who attend trade shows will come with display board information in "professional" colors of black, white, gray, or other neutral tones. While professionalism is important, a lack of creativity on their parts means a big opportunity for you. When you use different colors for your own display, you make it more noticeable. Consider how well your logo can be seen from across the room, whether your main attention-grabbing point (known as a value proposition) is readable form far away, and how well people will see your most important media if others are standing near the booth. Don't be afraid to try bold color schemes like shades of orange and purple or even neon colors. The more contrast between you and everyone using the natural hues, the better.

2. Choose the Right Floor Space

Plan your floor space carefully when you're designing your display for the trade show. If your spread is too large for the space, you'll be too crowded in with other participants, creating a high-traffic area that people may try to avoid. On the other hand, if your display is too small for the space you have, it may look like you're missing part of your presentation, causing people to become disinterested or consider coming back "later" when you look more prepared. Check in advance to see exactly how much floor space you have so that you can plan your board accordingly.

3. Know the Cost

Trade show design is a huge leap from the science fair boards you made in high school, and that leap shows in the costs. Trade show design comes with a variety of costs that goes beyond the initial design. Consider how much it will cost to keep it safe during storage between shows or transporting it between locations. You will also need to consider the hours and labor put into installing and dismantling it at each show and the costs incurred should you decide to replace custom graphics or otherwise change the board's campaign. Keep these costs in mind as you estimate what you can afford to build and display.

4. Tell Your Story Well

An excellent trade show display is about much more than the colors and design put into it. A trade show design that draws in business partners and clients is one that tells the right story. People want to know about your company as a whole, not just that you have an excellent design department. As you decide how to tell your story, consider the most transformative moments your company has had, both the positive and negative. When you speak of the positive never brag. Instead, work on connecting to your audience by evoking an emotional response, showing you understand their needs, and proving how your product or service can meet those needs.

5. Stay on a Solid Time Schedule

Remember when your high school science teacher told you that you couldn't start your project the week of the fair? That is truer than ever when it comes to trade show display boards. Whether you own a company that can create the board itself or you're outsourcing the job to another small business, keep in mind that it can take six weeks or longer for a proper trade show display to be manufactured. By starting several months before the show, you'll have time to design the board, have it manufactured, and ensure everything is to your liking. Extra time also means you'll have time to fix mistakes, so start well before the six-week-out mark.

Above all else, start with your end goal in mind and work your way backwards. You want your environment and vibe to match that of the show and its projected participants, so consider looking up similar shows held in the past to see what kind of displays were hits and go from there. In addition, your goal should not only be to create sales leads but to build true relationships as well. For this reason, it's important to go beyond startup trade show ideas. Focus on your own booth, yes, but don't forget to walk around the show to see other people's work, make new connections, and probably even find some inspiration.