Everything You Need To Know About Trade Show Booth Design

Make your show booth an ultimate hit by designing it like how people will love it. Incorporating these design tips can make the whole trade show event memorable for your audience.

When was the last time you had a super fun day at a trade show? The kind of day where you enjoyed being tired because it was all worth it. Trade shows are mostly boring with the same kind of booths put up by businesses to promote their products and services. It is usually held in huge convention halls and would consist of 100-500 stalls depending on how major the occasion is. If you would want to explore the whole trade show, it would at least take a complete day. But, most people run through it because of the lethargic setup that could bore people.

So, if you are a marketer and are about to set up your trade show booth, you need to know the A-Z before proceeding further. You have to incorporate unique trade show booth design strategies to stand out from the crowd. In this blog, we will cover everything you need to know before setting up your stall. This will be useful to come up with the most effective trade show booth design, which not only promotes your business’s goals but also would be the winning design that has stolen the hearts of your visitors. Sometimes it would also bring you leads that might turn into conversions.

The first step is to ideate your design ideas for the trade show booth. You can play with your creativity here or look up for inspiration, but whatever you do, keep in mind that it should be attractive and engaging. People should get mesmerized on the first look and want to check it out to see what you have for them. Make sure you have a flamboyant design plan for your booth.

Before brainstorming some top trade show booth ideas, let’s get the brief of what a trade show is and why should you exhibit your business in one?

What does it mean?

Trade shows are events that bring people of the industry together to discuss, demonstrate, and display their latest products. Usually, these events are hosted in large spaces like convention halls and take place for several days. But one day, trade shows too exist!

Trade shows, also known as Expos or trade fairs, have attendees depending on the trade show rules. For instance, some trade shows like the Consumer Electronics show would want only the industry professionals to attend. In contrast, others such as South by Southwest, admit everyone to walk in.

Why should you exhibit at one?

Exhibiting at a trade show can bring some major benefits for your business. It acts as a platform to communicate with your target audience in person and demonstrate your products. Trade shows can fetch you high-quality lead and new customers.

They give you a chance to judge your competition. Like what are they working on? How do they interact with their customers? And can you learn anything from them? There are plenty of benefits to keeping an eye on the competition, and there is no better way to do so other than the trade show.

Exhibiting in a trade show will also help you and your team to maze the major players in your industry. From new vendors and distributors to new talents looking to change companies, you will meet them all in one place. You will also meet fresh faces and present your brand as a professional and worthy of working with.

Now you would have got a clear cut understanding of what trade shows are and why exhibiting them is worth it. Let’s get deeper into some ideas to make your booth stand out from the thousands of others. Here are a few tips to get you started:

Pop-up tent

The pop-up tent is one of the classic ideas that work wonders. This design guarantees a large footfall and is also easy to carry and set up. Pop up tents offer an intimate environment than the open-aired kiosks. If this style can match your brand, try renting a pop-up tent for your next trade show event.

Create a calm and soothing atmosphere

Though attending trade shows can be fun, it is, at the same time, hot, sweaty, and exhausting. To keep your visitors chilled up, offer them a hospitable environment and a ‘homey’ feel that they want to come in and relax a bit. This design from Dyson gives a comfy feel and gives a better sense of their products work. This is what you call a blend of marketing and sales.

Teach them something

Many visitors who come for trade shows would want to learn about new products and services in their field and the companies making them. Moreover, they would also want to learn more about the latest findings and discoveries in a specific field. Lean into this fact and offer your visitors a real educational experience when they visit your booth. But when you are planning to take the route of education, make sure it is engaging too!

The bigger, the brighter, the better

The one company known for its fun and uniqueness is Google. So, you could imagine how creative they could get with their trade show booth design. They always have highly exciting elements like a huge gumball machine or whatever that attracts people. Though this might cause budget issues for many, simple principles like this can still be employed. Think about some newer ways where you can emerge bigger with your trade show booth. It can be anything from giant pictures to huge stuffed animals or even enormous TV screens. All these big things are what catch the eye and inspire the hidden photographer in us.

Also Read =>> Trade show marketing ideas

Get your branding done right

It’s imperative to keep ‘branding’ in mind while coming up with your trade show strategy. While some of them may work for some companies, they might not work for others. The colors, logo, and aesthetics should match your brand. Make sure this accurately reflects on your booth design.

Bring the interaction element

Alienware, a subsidiary of Dell, focused on the gaming industry, came up with a simple yet compelling booth design. It did the job of encouraging a great engagement. The folks visiting the stall were asked to click pictures and post them on social media with their hashtags. In return, the participants were featured in their booth. This is the most effective way which you can implement in your kiosk to increase footfall and brand awareness.

Excite your visitors

Car manufacturer Mazda gave their visitors an engaging and immersive experience. They offered a virtual driving experience to the folks who showed up in their trade show booth. How can you do a similar thing for your attendees in the next trade show? This is the best way to increase your high-quality leads. After all, people would be more inclined to buy something when they have a chance to try it before spending on it.

Blow their minds

If you have a good budget, the best thing you can do is to blow the minds of every visitor that walks by your stall. Look at this kiosk from Dell. All big, sleek, and eye-catching! You should consider investing in stellar booth designs in your next trade show. You are sure to notice an increased footfall, qualified leads, and brand recognition, which will all be worth the money you invest.

Get help from a pro

Even if you have no design skills, it’s not a problem. There are many companies out there that will create stunning designs for you. Skyline company, after so much imagination, came up with the above display for Polaroid. You can see how sleek and stylish the booth looks. These are some features that would be difficult to replicate without external help. If you aren’t able to come up with one, remember there are folks to help you find the right one.

Rent a larger space

Another way you can stand out from the rest of your competitors is simply to rent more space. With a secure and bigger area, you can offer more interactive features and invite many visitors. If you plan to incorporate this feature, make sure you fill the extra space with enticing elements. Just the space for the sake of it won’t bring you any benefits.

Get Virtual

Virtual Reality has already taken the world to the next level over the last few years. It’s your time to jump on that bandwagon and incorporate it into your booth. It’s absolutely a phenomenal way to increase your footfall. According to a study, consumers are 53% more inclined to buy from a brand that does good use of VR. If you are worried about the cost, no need to! Google Cardboard can be bought for as little as $10.

Keep the SWAG going

Swag means “stuff we all get” and is a trick used in every industry. This is similar to how your accountants give you a free pen or your dentist, giving you free toothbrushes, or the local band offering you free CDs. Use the same strategy in your B2B event marketing. Swag works wonders for a few reasons. First of all, who doesn’t love free stuff? Secondly, when you offer a branded swag, they shoot your brand awareness.

Lastly, when you offer your customers these kinds of stuff, they get an opportunity to connect with your brand, and this is going to eventually build trust and relationship. So incorporate humorous versions of your logos on t-shirts, bags, or caps to attract your attendees and spark a conversation.

Now that you have the essential tips, it’s time to get inspired with some top trade show booth ideas.

Recommended Reading=>> Trade show booth design inspiration

Here are top trade show booth ideas that can inspire you

Living wall

It is called a living wall because of its ability to lighten up the place that would otherwise be just a simple trade show booth. The idea is pretty simple, and in it lies the genius. Implement a vibrant blend of colors and textures to your booth’s main wall. They are visually fascinating yet economical when it comes to setting up, dismantling, and space conservation.

Oversized Gigantic objects

Humans always have the fascination with oversized objects, right from banners to cutouts on the street. We always get attracted to the perspective of gigantic objects and distorted proportions. You can fire up your booth set up by applying this idea into your booth and excite your guests. When your booth is gigantic, it will want your guest to hop in and explore.

Another way is having your products large, which will magnify the attractiveness of the design. This way, all the details will be supersized so that your minute specs will be visible to your customers. Even if your object is something like software, this idea can still be a massive hit.

Dynamic Seating

The three things attendees are constantly looking out for are snacks, giveaways, and a place to sit. If your seating is alluring and comfortable, it’s the best way to bring people to your trade show booth. If you offer your attendees a place to sit and rest, it can work wonders for a few reasons. The first one is, ofcourse, your guests would understand your message if they are seated and comfortable.

Next, when there is an amazing seating arrangement, it creates an opportunity for pictures. And the last reason is when you provide them with comfy seating, you can make your visitors stay much longer at your booth.

Repeating Product Wall

Ask a marketing expert, and he will tell you that it is often ‘repetition’ that can seal the deal. Having repetition in your product wall can play off well according to human psychology in plenty of ways. This can be absolutely beneficial for your trade show booth. A bountiful is what that might make your guests gravitate towards it. Also, if you have stacked them beautifully, that’s another plus for you.

The slight variance in color and flavors can be more enthralling if they are arranged alongside one another. Though these distinctions are for pure aesthetics, it gives people the feeling of having a wide range of options. Suppose you can arrange the products at eye level, which gives a chance for browsing and interaction. It can also eventually lead to a purchase.

Repurpose Vintage Vehicles

Want your brand to be an old school cool? Then a vintage vehicle is what you can use as your next trade show booth, which will give your brand some good vibrations. It can be an old camper, a VW bus, an Italian car, or just a vintage pick-up. These can give a nostalgic feel to your attendees, making them long for an open road. The imagery that is portrayed through these vintage cars can be a powerful message for your branding.

Vintage vehicles are also a versatile option for coming up with trade show booth design. You can either use them for the purely decorative purpose by simply parking it in your booth or as functional space. If you work on renovating your interior, you can transform the vintage vehicle into your booth’s dynamic part.

Overhead hangings

Suppose you are offered a smaller are than you anticipated. In that case, it’s your responsibility to implement a few optical tricks that give your visitors an impression of maximized space. Keep your visitors away from the thought of feeling cramped. One of the best methods to make you both look larger is by drawing attention towards the wall hangings.

They can do a lot more to your booth than making it look and feel bigger. It makes your booth visible from a long distance, which is a big advantage in crowded trade shows. Moreover, if you make your hangings colorful and brightly lit, they induce a sense of wonder in visitors.

Enclosed set-up

Take your customers to a calm and soothing environment from the noise and bustle of a busy trade show. By providing an enclosed set up, it also induces curiosity and captures their attention. It creates an immersive experience for your attendees. You need to compete with your competitors for attendees’ attention, so secluding your booth from others can minimize the distraction. But make sure not to make the experience claustrophobic and suffocating.

Long Panels and Lines

Long flowing lines can easily grab anyone’s attention. By stacking and swooping lines to create your trade show booth’s structure, you can create a dynamic yet simple booth experience. One of the advantages of using line structures as a trade show booth idea is its aesthetic versatility. An otherwise boring booth will look classy after utilizing some dynamic panels and simple structures that become infinitely more interesting when arranged.

Constructing aesthetics using fabrics

If you want to bring some practicality that can be effective is using fabrics for aesthetics. They are not only lightweight and durable but are also easy to set up and dismantle. Moreover, the fabric can construct complex and elaborate architectural structures, which is not possible with rigid materials. Another great advantage is the lighting possibilities it enables. It gives you a chance for you to explore creative lighting opportunities.

Fabric can illuminate with a softer glow, which cannot be achieved with rigid items. From ethereal to modern, trade show booth ideas constructed out of fabric structures allow for out of this world designs.

Now that you have got the idea of design let’s see where to get these done. If your business is planning to exhibit now, you have to tap into this creative energy and partner with the best show booth design-builder. That is the only way to grab the attention of the attendees in the increasingly competitive landscape. Here is the list of a few top trade show stand builders and booth design companies in the world to make your process easier. You can check out their samples and portfolios before choosing the one for yours.

Marketing Genome

They provide great brand experiences that help you connect with your customers. Marketing Genome are the leading designers and producers of exhibits and experiential marketing campaigns. With 30 years of expertise, the very core of marketing is embedded in their DNA. They show the utmost passion and curate innovative ideas that could fetch you real results. They have a unique full-service option, which means they will handle everything literally!

Marketing Genome provides you everything from preliminary designs to 3D renders to customized fabrication, and they also do the pre-quality checks, on-site installation, and the dismantling process. If the company wishes, they can even take care of your paperwork and forms, shipping, and paperwork. All that the client has to do is show up and exhibit. They specialize in customized fabrication and have made replicas of Jurassic world gates and Spiderman experience in the past.

Nimlok NYC

With over 40 years of experience, Nimlok NYC has been recognized among the top 40 exhibit producers by exhibitor magazine. Their team comprises designers, strategists, and managers who are known for creating unique exhibit solutions with a competitive edge. They are truly remarkable in all aspects of creating a successful face to face marketing programs. They also work with clients all across industries to help them come up with the best trade show booth.

Every relationship with a client begins with in-depth knowledge about their goals, and from there, you need to utilize the latest tools and techniques to create a brand experience. Because of this flexibility, they are able to offer one-of-a-kind exhibits of all shapes, sizes, and budgets. Wherever is your location, Nimlok NYC is ready to serve you as your event partner. They also belong to the largest network of exhibit and display manufacturers with a connection in more than 50 countries. They are a valuable network that are ready to offer services, which include fabrication, logistics, shipping, and storage wherever the show is.

Truss Genius

Truss Genius offers a comprehensive lineup of customized truss solutions for trade show exhibits, aerospace, motion capture, night clubs, reality shows, and more. An intimate outdoor gathering or an exhibition-there is a solution to all your problems. Their clients enjoy superior service, expert advice, high-quality products, and tailor-made solutions.

Best Displays and Graphics

With over 30 years of expertise in the trade show display industry, they are proud to be deemed as “The display experts” and provide their customers with the best display solutions. No matter how huge your project is or how small a budget is, their team has the required knowledge and experience to offer you the best display solution.

Best displays and graphics have become a top specialist in a broad range of display needs. They also continue to add on these services to serve across North America. They meet current custom trade show requirements such as rendering graphic design, installation, dismantling, displays and furniture, rental exhibit, booth repair, and shipping.

Boothster

They specialize in custom-built trade show booths and are also a leader in eco-friendly booth design. Boothster has extensive experience in design, fabrication and has the logistics of building attractive and effective custom trade show booths for various industries and even government organizations. From the animal industry to the natural food industry to Government and NGOs, the boothster team will collaborate with you to come up with compelling booth designs. Also, embracing your individual brand requirements and design aesthetics.

Flatwork Displays

They are known for transforming the trade show experiences with customizable booths that can be set up in a few minutes- without any equipment. Just pack down to your compact crate that also becomes your kiosk—no more waiting for the pallet. They have created this strategy due to the frustrations experienced while exhibiting at trade shows. They were the ones who came up with a no-tool assembly with a lot of thinking in mind.

Their systems are usually just a fraction of the weight and shipping footprint compared to others, which saves a lot on freight and storage. There are so many pain points while getting to and from the convention halls, and they have solved most of them. Flatwork Displays are also keen on trying upcycled materials, but for now, their system is durable and reusable, which lowers the carbon footprint substantially.

Exhibit Options

Exhibit Options is an award-winning full service, custom design, and fabrication exhibit builder that does outstanding trade show exhibits and event solutions. Their extensive A to Z capabilities is graphic design and production, complete trade show program management, trade show service management. They are a brilliant source for a comprehensive rental program. Exhibit Options also have a complete catalog of custom and modular exhibit rental components. They also offer a full-time custom package that is designed to fit precise requirements.

Conclusion

Trade shows put forth a great opportunity for businesses to interact with their audience. For such interaction to go to the next level, it is absolutely essential to create a welcoming environment. That’s the one and only reason for you to come up with creative yet engaging trade show booth ideas. A killer trade show booth set-up presents you with an opportunity to interact with the kingpins of industry and exhibit your products and services.

Remember, your aim is to construct a memorable booth for conveying your brand’s message. If your trade show booth design is a hit, it can make purchases instantly. But don’t forget to evaluate your audience before ideating the design.