Three Simple Ways to Improve Your Trade Show Booth

Trade show booths are not just places to meet and greet your visitors and prospects. No, they are far more important than that. A good trade show booth delivers a message while serving as a temporary home for you and your staff – and if done correctly, a booth can deliver the message with impact.

Of course, that last part – doing it correctly – is what throws a lot of exhibitors off when trade shows roll around.

Truth be told, trade show design doesn’t have to be overly difficult. All you need are a few tips and methods that can help you hone a message, incorporate it into your booth, and make your booth stand out positively. Here are three easy ways you can improve your booth for your upcoming trade show.

Define and Focus On Your Message

The first major piece of advice is to find your message and focus on it.

Your message consists of several parts. The first, underlying part is the foundation for your message: what you actually offer your customers. Apple sells electronic devices. TEKSystems sells IT staffing solutions.  Hershey’s sells candy. (Okay, you probably won’t see that last one at many trade shows.) Each of these companies has something that they offer. Your booth needs to reflect that simply and visibly.

Another part of the message is your brand. This is the identity and reputation of your company. From a visual perspective, it is the look and feel of your company. Logos, color schemes, images, and even the design of the booth itself should reflect your brand. FedEx wouldn’t dream of having a trade show booth decked out in brown and yellow (and if they did, someone would be fired.)

Put the Product First

If you are showcasing a product, put it first and make sure the product display is the essential part of your booth. When a potential customer is walking by, he or she should notice the product first. If you can create an authentic environment for it, even better. A computer, for example, would look great as the centerpiece of an office setting. A line of inviting office chairs lined up, ready for people to sit in them, would be great for an office supply seller.

Whatever you are selling, that should be the focal point of your presentation. Even Apple, a company with one of the most visible logos and brands ever, makes their iPhones and iPads and other iGadgets the centerpiece. They are the first things you notice – and for good reason.

Use Your Space – Go Deep

‘Going deep’ is a phrase I like to use when describing how to make use of your floor space. Many trade show booths have the traditional ‘storefront’ orientation, like something out of the Wild West. I think this is a mistake, by and large. You want to present what you have to offer, but you want a display that:

Looks distinct;
Grabs attention; and
Invites your customers into the display

Therefore, manipulating your space so that your prospects can walk into your display and talk with your team is preferable. Not only is it distinctive, but it also keeps them away from the walkway. The more time your prospects spend in the aisles, the more likely they are to move to something else.

Think of a trade show booth as a three-dimensional display instead of a flat (and boring) one and you will be better equipped to broadcast your message and your brand with the space you have.