Trade Show Design

Trade shows require a lot of planning and hard work, and when the trade show starts in full swing, it becomes hard to track all that is happening everywhere on a large exhibition booth. However, come technology and this daunting task can be simplified to a greater extent. Manage your design at the tips of your fingers with these must-have mobile apps that will give your customers the feel of a modern design and also simplify your work at the exhibition booth:

 Technology has made our work as simple as possible. From meeting our needs to doing our paperwork to communicating, we can be grateful that we are born in this time. Trade shows have always been a great opportunity for any company that wishes to increase its business and create an established place for itself in the industry. However, managing a large trade show booth is quite complicated, especially if you’re the head then it often becomes a headache to keep track of everything. However, technology is here to save us again. Here are some really cool mobile application categories that will make the work easier for you:

1. Card Scanning Application for Trade shows: CamCard

One of the most useful application to have while participating in any trade exhibition is a card scanning application. You would agree that your exhibition booth sees a large number of footfalls every day. A card scanning application like CamCard helps you organise the visitor contacts simply by scanning their cards. It can also link with your CRM and send you reminders, make notes and post show help you determine what query did a particular customer visit your exhibition stand with. You can use the free trial of CamCard first and then opt for a simple paid version if you like it.  

2. Conducting Surveys on your Exhibition Booth: QuickTapSurvey

Trade shows help you determine the pulse of the industry and also aid in understanding market readiness for new products that you wish to develop. QuickTapSurvey is a data collection and survey tool with which you can design quick questionnaires that your visitors on your exhibition stand can take. This app lets you scan signatures, helps you categories data and also conducts a degree of analysis for the data gathered. So the next time you conduct a survey on your exhibition booth consider exploring this application for sure. 

3. Make Money Transactions Safely at your Trade show Booth: Square App

May it be a B-B trade show or a large consumer exhibition like CES, most people do not carry a lot of cash on them at large gatherings like trade exhibitions. If you are a company that sells products on your exhibition booth you know that you will get most payments via card. The square application is one of the best mobile credit card processing applications that can easily be used at your events and trade shows. The app lets you accept NFC transactions and EVM chip cards and also allows for swiping. This app is compatible with both iphone and android devices.

4. Manage Your Trade show Booth & Team Expenses with the Expensify App

Participating at a trade show is an expensive affair. Apart from organiser expenses of electricity, labour, graphic printing, etc. there are team travel, stay and food expenses. It becomes very important to collate all the expenses at one place with the bills and that is exactly what the Expensify app can do for you and your team attending the exhibition. If your company is a large corporation then the application also has features of automatic reconciliation of credit card and next-day reimbursements. As an icing on the cake this app integrates itself with various accounting softwares.

Other Application Categories that You can Explore At Your Next Modern design:

a) The Schedule Management Applications for trade shows

Having a larger company means it’s very difficult to take note of all the scheduled deliveries, transportation and shifts at multiple trade shows. Therefore a mobile app which will take care of all these things is a must-have. There are some apps like ‘When I Work’ which automatically update and notify about the scheduling tasks and allow the staff to communicate about the whole scheduling with the managers.

 b) Messaging Apps for seamless communication at the design

Having a messaging app that includes all your staff, business heads and managers in one group is a great way of keeping in touch with everyone and keeping track of everybody’s work. Apps like WhatsApp, Slack and GroupMe are available in PlayStore or Appstore and can be explored for this purpose.

c) The Lead Capturing App. without Wifi for use at your trade show booth

There are many leads capturing that will be available and you can install them on your iPad. These apps don’t even require Wi-Fi or a stable data connection to work and work well even in offline mode. When you are talking to customers at your next trade show you can just make them enter all their contact details and name. Apps like Leadature also allows you to scan business cards, send emails to customers and analyze metrics.

d) Visitor Engagement Apps to make your Modern Trade show design Come Alive

Now comes one of the most important apps that you will be needing for a trade show. The visitor engagement apps are a great way of engaging and interacting with the visitors and you can do it all just through your iPad. Apps like Prize Wheel and Pixel Snap will do the work for you. Basis your exhibition requirements and level of interaction with customers you can explore a huge variety of app interactions for this purpose.

On a concluding note it is important to remember that today integrating technology at your exhibition stand is not an exception but an expectation. More and more trade show attendees are comfortable with technology integration and many trade shows are known for the kind of innovative engagement strategies that their exhibitors use. So next time, whether you have a small 10×10 booth or a large 30×30 trade show booth, be sure to embrace technology and create an innovative and modern design and experience.

Happy Exhibiting!

WHAT YOU NEED TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT FOR A TRADE SHOW DESIGN ?

With every passing year, trade shows are witnessing rising competition among exhibitors and attracting more visitors than ever.

In such a situation, how do you create an impact in the crowded sea of people and draw the audience’s attention?

The history of Trade Shows has shown that creative designs are normally the ones that generate an impact not only on the visitors at the trade show but also on social media.

Are you ready to stand out and create hysteria at the trade show?

If so, then do so with an impactful design. 

WHAT YOU NEED TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT?

Getting your design right is no easy task. Before you go ahead with a design, you need to have a proper plan in place to achieve a successful design.Here are some tips that will help you to achieve a successful design.

BE CLEAR ABOUT YOUR OBJECTIVES 

Before working out your plan for a design, you need to have a clear idea of what you want to achieve with the design and what kind of audience you want to reach out to with your design. 

When planning your trade show strategy, you need to ask self – what is the purpose of attending the trade show and what do you intend to achieve? To make it clear, you need to define your goals and objectives. This will reveal what you are trying to achieve with your design.

Are you looking to generate new leads, or increase brand awareness, or drive sales and achieve a targeted set of sales, or introduce your new product stable to the audience?

Ultimately, whatever be your objectives, make sure that they are manageable and measurable.

By clarifying your objectives and setting your goals, you will be better positioned to develop a plan to achieve them; and keep your team on track throughout the planning process. 

KNOW YOUR TARGET-AUDIENCE

Just setting your objectives will not help you to achieve them. You also need to know your target-audience as not everyone that walks by your exhibit at the trade show is a target-demographic.

Therefore you need to research and identify your target-audience in order to determine what kind of audience you will be targeting at the trade show. 

Are you looking to target existing customers? Or also looking to target potential customers and industry peers?

• What are their wants and needs?

• What kind of trade show will they be attending usually?

• What is the best process to reach out to them?

Aside from knowing your target-audience, you also need to know their desires, needs, and preferences as they can help you pick the right trade shows to attend. This will also allow you to create a trade show strategy that is tailored to their preferences and develop marketing materials that resonates with the aspirations of your target-audience. If done appropriately, you can stay assured of a successful trade show experience.

Also, keep in mind that your research should be an ongoing process as your target-audience can change overtime and their desires too will undergo a change.

SELECT THE RIGHT TRADE SHOW

If you have been in the industry for a while, you will experience a feel for which trade shows are worth your time and money to take part in. Over a period of time, you also tend to forge relationships with the trade show organizers and other attendees. 

On the other hand, if you are new to the trade show scene, you will be confronted with the question on which trade shows to attend and how to choose them?

When making your decision on which trade shows to take part in, there are a few aspects you should bear in mind. 

Like,

SIZE OF THE TRADE SHOW: Most trade shows tend to be huge ones. In such a scenario, you would not want your design to be lost in a sea of people. So, choose a trade show that is right size for your company needs. Like for instance, if you are a large company, a national or global show would be more appropriate, and likewise, if you are a small company, a regional show would be a better option.

LOCATION OF THE TRADE SHOW: Choose a trade show with a location that is convenient for your company and team to attend. In case, you have to travel far, then make sure to calculate the cost of accommodation and travel in your budget.

FOCUS OF THE TRADE SHOW: Choose a trade show that is relevant to your business as that will help you to attract the right audience.

COST OF EXHIBITING: Trade show participation can be expensive as you will need to factor in the cost of the booth space, travel and accommodation, and marketing materials in your budget. So, make sure that the trade show you intend to take part in will entail reasonable cost of exhibiting well within your budget.

EXHIBITORS/ORGANIZERS AT THE TRADE SHOW: Have a look at the list of exhibitors intending to take part in the trade show to make sure that they are enough companies that are relevant to your business; else the very purpose of taking part will get defeated. SIMILARLY, know who the organizers of the trade show are. Make sure that they are respectable people with a clean, professional reputation else you will get stuck dealing with fly-by-night operators.

REVIEW OF THE TRADE SHOW: Check out the online and offline reviews of the trade show and see what the attendees have to say about it. On most occasions, you can find honest reviews on online trade show directories and forums.

SET A BUDGET

Now that you know which trade shows to attend, what your objectives are, and who your target-audience is, next up you need to know how much you are willing to spend on your trade show participation including design.

Your budget will need to take into account everything from the size and location of your trade show booth to design, promotional materials and giveaways, and more.

SELECT THE RIGHT BOOTH SIZE & LOCATION

If you want your design to be the talk of the trade show, then the size and location of your trade show booth is critical. They affect your design, and design visibility.

Depending on the type of trade show you intend to take part in, you may have different options for booth types like island, inline, corner, or peninsula; each of which have their own merits and demerits with regard to your objectives, audience, and competitors. An island booth for instance may offer you more space and exposure but they also cost more and are complex in nature. On the other hand, a corner booth may attract more attendee traffic and visibility but at the same time, also attract more competition and noise.

Aside from booth size, you should also consider the layout of the trade show floor; the direction of the attendee traffic-flow; and the proximity to other amenities and attractions.

CREATE A COMPELLING TRADE SHOW DESIGN

The look and feel of your design gives an opportunity to generate a positive first impression on potential customers and industry peers.

So, make sure that your design is impressive, well-designed in a way that catches the eye-balls of the attendees instantly.

To create memorable design,

Firstly ensure you have the right trade show objectives in place as they will help to generate design ideas. Herein, brainstorm with your team to decide what and how you want your design to communicate to the attendees; and the actions you want the attendees to take.

Decide your budget for design. Generally, design cost around 10 percent of a company’s entire trade show budget. However, this should not include the fee for the actual exhibit space which accounts for about 30 percent of the budget.

Plan potential ideas for a design that attracts attendees and communicates your brand message.

Study what worked well earlier with your design and what could be improved on; what kind of design elements have you seen that could be tried out in the new design; and what is the main thing you want to promote and communicate to the attendees. Some common design elements to consider include Back Walls, Counters & Tables, Meeting Spaces, Product Displays, Storage Spaces, and Towers.

ENSURE TRADE SHOW DESIGN WITH FUNCTIONALITY & IMPACT

Your design should reflect your brand identity; communicate your brand message; and engage your target-audience.

Use your design to 

Tell your brand story that will let the attendees know about the journey of your company over the years, what your company offers and how it can benefit them, and why they need to do business with your company. Although they can get a lot of information about your company from marketing materials, true understanding of your company USP starts with design.

Reflect your brand and company’s vision visually. Make sure that the visual effect uses colors related to your brand and includes your logo and tagline or slogan.

VISUAL IMPACT

If you’re looking to create a visual impact with your design that attracts attendee-attention and a functional space that facilitates attendee interaction, then consider your graphics and signage; include high-quality images, colors, fonts, and logos that match your brand and theme; and use clear and concise messages that highlight your brand’s benefits and differentiates it from others.

Also, try out 

Different sizes and shapes of banners and signs as they will help to create contrast and hierarchy. 

Varied Lighting and Sound options. The right selection will help to create the right focus, mood, and interest among the audience. Bright and warm lights help to highlight your products or displays while cool lights help to create a cozy atmosphere within your booth. Similarly, right sound selection will help to reinforce your brand message or provide information; at the same time avoid loud noise or glare that can otherwise annoy or distract your booth visitors.

Displays and demos as they are great for showcasing your offerings and demonstrating their value. Use interactive or tactile elements like touch-screens, samples or games to engage the attendees.

In addition to the above, make sure your design uses

PROFESSIONAL GRAPHICS

Printed graphics are considered as a main component of a design. Therefore, you need to ensure that the graphics are of high quality and includes high resolution images, and is well-supplemented by the right banners, signs, and professionally printed marketing materials 

To ensure that the right graphics are selected, get a spec sheet containing details of the dimensions of each booth element from the trade show organizers. Then, take the measurements of your booth and later get your design company designer to design and print graphics to spec.

RIGHT COLORS

Color psychology is extremely complex. People tend to get drawn to different colors for different reasons.

Hence the colors and tones you select for your design should ideally complement the design theme and brand profile. Colors like Blue, Green, and White provide a professional touch to the design while warmer colors like Red, Orange and Yellow are engaging and help to engage the audience better. Ultimately, the colors you choose should promote your brand message and make your design stand out from the crowd.

CREATIVE VISUALS 

Choose visuals that catch the audience’s eye instantly and also reflect your brand image suitably. If done appropriately, they will help your design to make a lasting impression on the attendees.

TRADE SHOW DESIGN ELEMENTS

Use the right design elements to inform attendees what your company does and what it offers them. 

When deciding on the main message, focus on what you want the attendees to remember. Like for instance, your USP or a new product about to be launched.

CONCISE & POWERFUL MESSAGING

When competing with so many other designs at the show, make sure that the design elements and key messaging are clear and to the point; visible; and in legible font. 

To make your messaging more impactful, keep key messaging large in legible font; and place banners with messaging high-up as they are easily visible from far-off distance.

BRANDING THAT IS CONSISTENT WITH YOUR TRADE SHOW DESIGN

To make the right impression and avoid confusing the attendees at the show, everything from banners to samples, marketing materials, and more including staff members, need to sport the same branding and color theme.

ENGAGIING MARKETING MATERIALS

Aside from your design, you also need to have engaging marketing materials to promote your brand at the trade show. These can include business cards, brochures, catalogues, flyers, etc, all branded with your company logo and colors.

CONCLUSION

For a successful design that takes into consideration all aspects of your brand, hire a professional local exhibit rentals company. This will also help you out with your trade show booth rental requirements.

Additionally, you will be left free to plan ahead for your trade show, bring your visions to life and help make your trade show participation a success.