Trade Show Booth Designs That Sell

September 5th, 2018

Design is the most important part of your trade show presence. Learn how design impacts trade show floor traffic, and why a professional trade show designer can help you to get more people into your booth. This article gives insight into creating an eye-catching display. From the practical application of color theory to designing interesting shapes and configurations, design matters.

Design of a trade show display is often not given enough thought. Quite often it’s viewed as a simple frame or backdrop for marketing photos and placards. The truth is, long before show attendees have a chance to see photos or read advertising, they are judging your booth from afar. Over the years you have gained valuable experience and knowledge from participating in convention trade shows, and you are now a bona fide trade show ace. With your knowledge and experience, how would you rate the visual appeal of your trade show booth?

In the same manner that you update and tweak your products and/or services to keep things fresh and relevant, you also need to maintain a crisp and sharp booth design. You need to make sure it is appealing to potential buyers at every event you attend. After all: trade show marketing is constantly evolving and you surely want to keep up with shifting trends and new ideas!

Whether you want to design a new custom trade show display, or simply overhaul your trusted but somewhat dated trade show presence, you need to understand design principles.

First Impressions Matter

An exhibitor has just a few seconds to catch passing eyes and make an impression that draws in floor traffic. Because your attendance is all about meeting prospects and getting leads, it makes sense to use a graphic design company that specializes in trade show displays.

As previously stated, the most fundamental and important aspect of a display is the visual design. You could try to do it yourself, but do consider the input of a professional design service. A graphic design service that specializes in convention trade shows will work with you to create a bespoke booth design that skillfully showcases your products and services, captures attention and creates a lasting and favorable impression.

What Goes Into Creating the Best Display Design

A professionally designed display is a harmonious marriage of creativity and a process of deliberation. Every design should utilize known and proven psychological factors. Your display booth should engage attendees in a positive and impactful manner. You want your booth graphics to lure, not repel, your visitors, so a professional design service is vitally important in the creation of your booth.

Their creative skills aside, graphic designers also incorporate the psychology of colors and of fonts when producing graphics for their clients. You would be amazed by the different meanings attached to colors and font styles, and the impact that they have on people’s emotions. Not only that, a person’s emotional response changes according to the context in which a particular color is used.

Display graphic designers are schooled and experienced in the essential elements of graphic design. This includes the basics of color theory, font selections, sizing, spacing and easy readability. In addition, professional design services have well-honed skills that are specific to trades show designs. For example, they know how to create designs that stand out from a distance, and how to create designs for close range viewing and for display floor spaces.

Whatever your exhibit needs, trade show booth design companies know exactly how to get it right. You should always rely on a trade show display design specialist to create an image that blends creativity and psychology to maximize your brand and reinforce your marketing message.

To get you started on your design overhaul, continue reading for proven ideas and tips that will take your exhibit from ho-hum to utterly compelling.

Trade Show Booth Design Ideas

These trade show booth design ideas are based on best practices used in the design of trade convention booths:

If a picture is indeed worth a thousand words, then your chosen graphics will speak volumes. Invest in high-quality graphics that express the heart and soul of your brand and its ideals.
Make your exhibit specific to your target audience. There is no point having graphics that attract younger visitors if your brand caters to an older age-range, or vice-versa.
Use a graphics designer to give your brand an audience-specific personality via the use of typefaces, fonts, colors, and logo. Does your current logo need updating: You do not have to change it completely, just bring it up-to-date.
Make sure your display booth graphics support your message. You do not want your brand message to differ from the message that the graphics send out.
Consider the tone of your message. Is it specific to your target audience? Should it be masculine, feminine or gender-neutral?
Make sure your booth has sufficient and proper lighting. A well-lit booth will enhance the message and imagery that you wish to convey to your visitors.

Trade Show Booth Design Tips

The following tried and tested trade show booth design tips have worked for other exhibitors at trade shows, and they will work for you, too. Incorporate one or two of the tips in your design, or use them all. They will help you create an engaging, striking and enticing booth:

Make your booth welcoming. If space allows, include a table and chairs for visitors to sit as they look at graphics, watch demp videos, or talk with you.
Make the style eye-catching. Be bold and be sharp: that means you should go beyond a simple black and white display, and you should avoid clutter. Use fonts and color creatively: stand out — but do not over-stimulate the senses.
Be strategic with colors. To maximize the impact of your display design, use a well-balanced color scheme that reflects your brand and conveys the intended message. Use brighter colors for long-range viewing and to draw attendees to your booth, then soften the palette for close range viewing at the booth itself.
Usa a clear and compelling message. Reel visitors in with one compelling and clear message. Make more detailed information available for them once they arrive at your booth. Rather than use a variety of messages, use the same trade show marketing message repeatedly and place the signs in strategic places in, on and above the booth.
Avoid clutter. The judicious use of space at trade shows gives the brain time to consolidate the messages it receives. Visitors to your booth can more easily process the information and you are more likely to generate sales lead rather than having visitors move away because they are overwhelmed.
Go above and beyond what is expected. Can your budget run to small bottles of water with your brand on the label? How about other small but usable freebies? Little touches can make a huge impact at trade shows.

Finally, the success of your trade shows marketing depends largely on the appeal of your booth display. Of course, you can try to overhaul your current display design yourself but, for optimal appeal and sales lead generation, nothing compares to the trade show display booth graphics provided by a professional design service.