Whether you’re working with an exhibit house to design and coordinate your booth or you’re standing up to the challenge with your onsite show team, there are lots of things to keep in mind when dreaming up your booth space.
The Expo Group’s Exhibits Senior Account Executive, Bryan Pullin, shares his top tips for exhibitors to elevate their booth and overall exhibiting experience.
Industry reports often indicate that a major challenge for exhibitors is their ability to demonstrate event ROI to senior leadership. Your return on investment is directly tied to your ownership in delivering a successful show based on solid goals and objectives.
Bryan recommends that you meet with your decision makers and designers to get a complete buy in. Including your executive team in the initial design call helps add ownership to the process and reminds them that you get back what you put into the space.
When the entire team feels accountable for the booth, you may get a lot of opinions on what’s important, but this leads to each member doing their part to ensure that exhibiting is worthwhile.
Be honest with your budget when it comes to designing and building a booth. What you may want and what you can afford to spend aren’t always the same. There are lots of costs to consider when it comes to exhibiting. Exhibitor Magazine states that the cost of a booth space has risen to an average of over one-third of an exhibiting budget.
Your booth may require a team to install and dismantle. Furniture, utilities, graphics, and marketing materials also need to be considered. Don’t forget about travel and logistics for your team and the items you’re sending to the event.
Determine where you want to spend your exhibiting dollars based on what matters most for your company.
If you are working with an exhibit provider, it’s important to note what is most valuable to you in your booth’s design. Is branding high on your totem pole? Are meeting spaces needed more than lounge spaces? Your exhibit provider can collaborate with your team to build and design your space with eye-catching upgrades.
Some other ways to elevate the look and feel of your space include upgrading to fabric walls and adding accent lighting or interesting furniture. Like moths to a flame, when your booth stands out on the show floor, attendees will be more likely to visit.
Think outside the box! Hanging signs and even higher walls can put your brand front and center. Take advantage of LED lighting and interactive tech if you’re exhibiting with a smaller booth.
Understanding your audience is crucial in all facets of exhibiting. Especially if you exhibit at multiple events, it may not make sense to use the same booth design for each one.
Your booth’s layout should be structured to capture your customers and allow for relevant conversations with them. Your booth’s look and feel should be designed to resonate with your current customers and attract new ones. Perhaps you can conduct surveys to determine what is most important in the mind of your customer, then tailor your message and show themes to address those topics head on.
Work with an exhibit provider to coordinate your logistics and design your booth with your goals in mind. Exhibit providers specialize in managing budgets, production challenges, and are knowledgeable in exhibiting procedures.
Find a dedicated exhibit team that helps you grow and overcome challenges along the way. For example, if you had to suddenly cut 10% of your budget, where would you start? A reputable exhibit provider will be happy to work with you to make the appropriate changes to your booth’s design that save you money without sacrificing your ultimate goals.
