You’ve decided on the exhibition, chosen your space, so now you need to think about how you are going to fill it. The design of your exhibition stand is the most important aspect of planning an exhibition.
Having a good exhibition stand that attracts visitors’ attention and enables you to stand out from the crowd is paramount to achieving a good ROI from a trade show. So, what makes a good exhibition stand?
WHAT MAKES A GOOD TRADE STAND?
The following 10 elements are what makes a good trade stand:
- Set goals
- Consider a target audience
- Maximise space
- Maximise height
- Consider the lighting
- Think about the design
- Don’t include too much text
- Don’t forget about flooring
- Make your stand interactive
- Use promotional items to enhance a stand
1. SET GOALS
What makes a good exhibition stand? Firstly, you need to establish what your motivations are for attending the exhibition? Are you launching a new product? Or wanting to generate leads? Maybe it’s just brand awareness. Being conscious of what you hope to achieve at the show will help focus the design of your stand.
For instance, if you are launching a new product, reflect this in the graphics and allow space to demonstrate it if possible. A good exhibition stand will feature your chosen call to action on the graphics, indicating what you want people to do.
2. CONSIDER YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE
It is important to think about who your typical customer is. What are they looking for? What are their motivations for attending a show? What features on the stand will grab their attention? Focusing on this will help you create a good exhibition stand that appeals to your target audience and encourages them to visit you.
3. MAXIMISE SPACE
It is important to fully use the space you have booked – confirm the dimensions with the show organiser and make sure your stand fills it but doesn’t overcrowd it. Think about the flow of the stand, where do you want visitors to go? A good exhibition stand will allow enough room for visitors to move around.
If you are including seating areas for visitors, keep them to the back of the stand. Avoid having any barriers to entry – physical or psychological, which will deter visitors. Don’t over-fill your stand with staff members, because if it looks too busy, this might put visitors off.
4. MAXIMISE HEIGHT
Having a stand that is taller than others can be a good way to draw attention. A good exhibition stand can tower over its neighbours. Check with the organisers the maximum height allowed. Having high-level branding, hanging signs or rotating upper elements can add visual attractions to your stand.
5. CONSIDER THE LIGHTING
Don’t rely on the lighting provided by the organiser, a bright, individually lit stand adds another design element. Lights enhance aesthetic appeal and, if used correctly, can create different moods and ambience. Consider using coloured LEDs to create a certain atmosphere or brighten up your stand.
Add features like light boxes or under-lit plinths to display products. Use spotlights and up-lights to highlight certain areas of your stand. Have your branding highlighted with back-lit acrylics.
6. THINK ABOUT THE DESIGN
Large format graphics look good on an exhibition stand – you want them to be noticeable from across the hall. Images are a great way of getting a message across quickly. Ensure that the graphics won’t be blocked by furniture or staff, so keep them to the top of your stand.
Make sure your brand name is prominently displayed at the top of the stand and include a call-to-action. Contact details like phone number and website will give visitors a way to contact you after the exhibition. Always go for a reusable exhibition stand.
7. DON’T INCLUDE TOO MUCH TEXT
Don’t use the panels of your exhibition stand to convey reams of text, no-one will bother to read it and it will look too busy. It’s better to have the information in a brochure that a visitor can take away with them. Use a slogan to reflect your brand that people will notice and remember, and make sure the text is big enough to be read from a distance.
8. DON’T FORGET THE FLOORING
Another key aspect that makes a good trade stand is the flooring. This element of an exhibition stand is often overlooked by stand owners, so ensure that you consider it when preparing for your next trade show.
Don’t rely on the standard carpet tiles provided by the show organiser, when including the flooring in your stand design can really make an impact. Our stands include the option of a photo floor, helping you to enhance your design.
9. MAKE YOUR STAND INTERACTIVE
Consider having TV screens or iPads to promote your products or services. These really draw attention to your stand. Giving visitors something to interact with other than just sales staff can be an effective way to entice people to your exhibition stand.
If appropriate, give demonstrations of your product, these will hopefully draw in a crowd. If your product is too bulky to demonstrate, consider using virtual reality to showcase it. Research shows that the more people can interact with a product, the more likely they are to buy it.
10. USE PROMOTIONAL ITEMS TO ENHANCE YOUR STAND
Our final top tip that makes a good exhibition stand is making the most of promotional items during a trade show. Everyone loves a freebie, so having branded merchandise on display can add aesthetic appeal to your stand, as well as promoting your brand.
Think about supplying something useful that visitors will keep on their desk, like a mouse mat or memory stick. These will keep your brand alive in their memory for months or even years to come. Keep personal items hidden – having keys, phones and bags on the stand furniture will make it look cluttered.
CONCLUSION
Having invested in booking stand space at an exhibition, it is important to source the best flexible exhibition stand possible to maximise your ROI for the show. Errors such as poor design, too much text and bad lighting will reflect badly on your brand and put visitors off.
For help with your exhibition stand design, or a free design in our modular solution, speak to one of our experts on 01202 723 500 or email designteam@quadrant2design.com
