Exhibitions and trade shows are wonderful ways of engaging with customers and clients but also to get a flavour of what’s going on in the marketplace. However, making your presence felt and standing out from the crowd isn’t always easy. With thousands of visitors moving round in the hustle and bustle, hundreds of competing stands and with a limited time in front of your prospects, your space must stand out from the rest!

So, how do you get results?

The Stand Design

It’s not a size competition. Smaller stands can still have a huge impact, but it all depends on the design. This could be a day of first impressions. Make it count. Ensure that the stand is consistent with your brand and showcases the identity of your business. Is the colour palette welcoming and warm? Does the messaging draw people into your stand? Good layout, messaging and use of colour can all lead to a successful exhibition.

Design doesn’t just stop at colour choice and messaging, think about lighting. Lighting can be used to emphasise messaging, highlight call to actions and illuminate your stand against the backdrop of your competition.

What about furniture? As potential customers browse the aisles, give them the opportunity to come and sit comfortably at your stand to find out more about your business. Don’t just rely on the basic provided furniture. The options are endless. Stylish stools or bespoke benches, thinking outside of the box is what can set your stand apart.

Leaflets And Brochures

Printed literature that reflects your stand and your message is a great way of extending your reach outside of the show. These leaflets could be read again and again. They should deliver a strong and consistent brand message with bespoke customisation for individual shows. Again, think outside of the box. Don’t make run of the mill leaflets that will be thrown away. Think about design, colour, layout and most importantly call to action.

Visitor Interaction

Interacting with guests extends outside of the stand. Two focuses that I’m going to look at are people and experience. Firstly then, people. Engaging, knowledgeable and friendly people on your stand that represent your business and live your brand are vital. We have all visited stand with people on who don’t want to be there, are counting down the hours and know very little. Make sure that they are engaged and focused on delivering a successful event. Are they smartly dressed? Customised clothing for events is another great way to showcase your brand pride and be the finishing touch.

Secondly, experience. As a full service marketing agency, we know all about UX but what about the real life journey? It’s so important. You don’t need to give away thousands of pounds or lavish prizes. Think about ways to truly engage visitors with your stand and make it an enjoyable experience. Think about games, product interactions, samples, event based experiences (is there a particular theme at the show? Is it a seasonal time of year? etc) Most of all, keep it simple. Most of all, make the interaction an accessible experience, everyone should be able to get involved and enjoy!

At ib3, we understand that there is a lot of organising that goes into attending shows. Why not take the hassle out of the design process by getting us involved? From superb stands to brilliant brochures and everything in between ib3 can help!

Thanks for reading.

Adam

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adam@ib3.uk
07794 492587