Booth Design | The Exhibit Company, Inc.

Category: Booth Design

Jan 30, 2023

How a Trade Show Exhibit Could Boost Your Brand

Trade show marketing is an effective way to showcase your business to a target audience and generate leads. Partner with us at The Exhibit Company, Inc for high-quality custom trade show exhibits. We specialize in creating eye-catching, memorable trade show displays to make your business stand out and attract potential customers. With our experience and creativity, we can develop a unique, customized exhibit that perfectly suits your business’s needs.

How Can a Trade Show Exhibit Boost Your Brand?

Increases Brand Awareness

You may offer excellent products or services, but if people don’t know your business exists, they won’t buy from you. A trade show display booth allows you to get your business in front of hundreds or even thousands of potential customers and partners. It’s a great chance to introduce your brand to new people and make a positive, lasting impression. When your display is designed with uniqueness in mind, it can turn heads and make your business stand out from the crowd, helping you get noticed and remembered.

Engages With Potential Customers

An exhibit booth helps you engage with potential customers more personally and directly than traditional marketing methods. Instead of just looking at your company website or seeing an ad on TV, people can talk to someone at your booth and get an up-close look at what you offer. This type of engagement with potential leads can have a powerful effect, as customers are more likely to remember you after having a positive experience speaking with you at the trade show. It’s also a chance to get feedback and make the necessary adjustments.

Develops Your Network

The central goal of trade show marketing is developing relationships and fostering innovation. Setting up a display can help you network with other businesses that could become potential partners or collaborators. You can also stay up-to-date on new industry trends and learn about any upcoming events or activities you can participate in. All this networking helps expand your reach and increases your business’s visibility.

Allows You To Learn From the Competition

A trade show display allows you to better understand what your competition is doing. You can learn more about their strategies and tactics by checking out their display booths. You may even spot any weaknesses or shortcomings in their approach, helping you develop a better strategy for your own business. Competitor evaluation is key to staying ahead of the curve and providing better services or products.

Helps You Reach a Wider Audience

Displaying at a trade show helps expand your reach as people from different regions or industries come together in one place. That makes it the perfect opportunity to reach a larger, more diverse audience. You can also use this platform to launch new products, announce special offers and discounts, or simply build relationships.

Contact The Exhibit Company, Inc for High-Quality Custom Trade Show Exhibits

You don’t need just any trade show exhibit; you need a creatively-designed, custom display that truly reflects your business. Our team of experienced professionals at The Exhibit Company, Inc specializes in creating unique and eye-catching exhibits using top-of-the-line materials. We’ll make your display aesthetically pleasing, functional, and efficient. You’ll love the results, and so will your potential customers. Contact us today to get started!

Nov 11, 2022

large tradeshow kiosk with multiple tills to purchase products

Environments, Exhibits, Events, Graphics: Our Showcase

The Exhibit Company has decades of experience helping businesses create unique branding so that they are remembered by customers and clientele. We provide custom displays for events, conferences, trade shows, and exhibitions. We also design business environments and leverage cutting-edge technology coupled with imagination. If you’re looking for custom trade show exhibits, TEC is your team.

Our Environments

Anyone who walks by your business should instantly recognize what it aims to achieve. This is the goal of marketing. TEC can help you create captivating environments through strategic branding. We specialize in providing tangible displays to engage your target audiences.

Our team will help you build awe-inspiring showrooms, refine your properties’ architectural design and boost the aesthetic of your corporate lobbies. We’re also experts in delivering memorable trade show booths. Environmental branding requires creativity, strategy, and quality fabrications. TEC is well versed in all these aspects, with over 50 years in the industry.

Our priority is your needs— TEC is ready to follow your plan and help you create high-quality displays. You can also employ us to conceptualize, create, and design your work or storefront environments.

Our Exhibits

If you’ve secured space at an upcoming exhibition, captivating your audience should be your primary goal. Hundreds of businesses are all out to invite people to their booths. The Exhibit Company has 50+ years of experience designing custom trade show exhibits. We’ll help you with design, creation, and installation.

Custom exhibits and displays can set you apart from other companies. People are drawn to inviting, professional, promising, and creative signage and design. At TEC, our motto for custom exhibits is “abundant creativity and careful strategy.” We deliver presentations that incentivize your audience to attend your next show.

TEC provides expertise through all aspects of custom exhibits. Our team can help you prep the best conference booth and leverage tech to get you the edge over your competitors. You can also use online tools to manage your schedules, calendars, files, design concepts, and budget.

Our Events

Corporate event management is one of our specialties. We cover planning, production, and management, and strive to create more engaging shows. Each new event is an opportunity to improve on previous experiences. We’re fully focused on understanding the niche market, tailoring to your target audience, and delivering on your needs.

Planning a successful event calls for experience. You need to manage conflicting concepts, vendors, styles, approaches, and capabilities. TEC steps in so you can focus on running your business. Our team can handle program design, event logistics, tent services, and other key aspects. We’ll work with your vision or help you refine, build and execute one.

TEC can help you plan and execute corporate events and trade shows. We prioritize ironclad logistics and have an experienced team ready for all eventualities. Our event management teams can help you run a seamless event to achieve your objectives. TEC covers all permanent and semi-permanent structures, including the following:

Tents
HVAC
Flooring
Generators and power distributors
Lighting and audiovisual equipment
Graphics
Executive restrooms

Our Graphics

Graphics are a core element of design and branding. The challenge is designing graphics that share the core business message without overloading, confounding, or boring. That’s why investing in professional graphic design aid is well worth the cost! The TEC team can review your mission and objectives to design graphics that align with your brand personality. The goal is to grab attention and convert leads to sales. Our designers are talented and experienced in creating brand-oriented graphics.

TEC can help you create powerful graphics, banners, flags, vehicle fleet wraps, advertising signage, and stage graphics. Our team can deliver grand format trade show displays with clear images. We’re also experts in minimalist displays and graphics. TEC leverages the latest technology to provide quality displays that stands out from the crowd. Our teams work with a brand strategy and utilize their creativity and expertise to design graphics that your audience will appreciate.

Custom Trade Show Exhibits

The modern consumer has all the resources easily accessible to find the latest solutions, products, services, and technologies. If you’re exhibiting at a trade show, you’ll be up against the market competition and need the best presentation in order to capture the attention of those modern consumers. Custom trade show exhibits give you the best chance of captivating the audience and creating interest in the business.

Some businesses have in-house teams, while others rely on businesses like ours. The Exhibit Company delivers innovative exhibits and trade show technologies. We’re an experienced group of imaginative graphic designers, savvy engineers, and strategic marketing experts ready to catapult your brand to the next level. Everything we do, we do hand in hand with your business— so that you are totally in control and achieve the look you want at the highest-quality delivery you and your customers will love.

Nov 1, 2018

Why Good Design Makes All the Difference in Marketing

There’s a reason why businesses hire designers to handle their marketing materials. Good design is everything. It attracts attention from prospects, makes a brand memorable and forms positive associations with consumers. A solid design also tells the world who your brand is and what you have to offer customers. If you want to echo passion in your marketing materials, good design is a must.

Whether you’re attending a trade show event, sending out a direct mailer or launching a new website, here are a few reasons why a solid design will make all the difference.

Instill Consumer Trust

Today’s brands don’t have a lot of time to persuade customers. It takes just one negative touchpoint to lose a customer forever. You don’t want that touchpoint to be a bad design choice on your part.

A strong design communicates trust and credibility. It demonstrates that you know who your brand is and what makes you different. It also shows that you’re not afraid to invest in a quality design that resonates with customers. When you’re confident in who you are, people will be confident in you.

Distinguish Your Products

Perhaps your product is truly one-of-a-kind, but it’s more likely that there are similar products out there. While listing out advantages is important, customers have to make it this far first. To distinguish your products from your competitors, you need a compelling design.

When it comes to purchasing products, people judge things by their cover. If a product looks cheap, people assume it is. Once this judgement is made, it’s hard to change people’s opinions. Give your products an edge by introducing a fresh and interesting design that is unique from your competitors.

Make Your Brand Memorable

A good design will make your brand memorable for all the right reasons. A design that is fresh and vibrant triggers positive emotions in the human brain. This makes your brand stand out and forms an instant connection to your products.

Think about some of your favorite products and what draws you to them. Is it the color? The product design? The typography? These simple details show consumes that you “get” them, and therefore, will deliver a product that meets their needs.

Create a Great First Impression

Knowing that you only have mere seconds to capture someone’s attention, you are relying on your design to do the talking for you. What do you want your design to say about you? All good things, we’re sure!

Good design makes a great first impression. It captures a person’s attention and holds it there, signaling to them that your product is worth buying. Consistency is so important for this very reason. When a brand is consistent, it reassures customers that it’s professional, cohesive and trustworthy.

Design matters to your business. A good design can take your marketing to another level and generate more exposure and sales than you believed possible.

Oct 14, 2017

The Winning Combination: An Exhibit Design Firm’s 5 Step Process

Having a custom exhibit built for your brand is an opportunity to perfect every detail. Rather than adjusting your needs to fit the exhibit, the booth is made specifically for your products and services. To ensure that the custom design process is handled with the utmost professionalism, a strategic approach must be applied. This way, each part of the process is given the appropriate attention.

Through years of experience, The Exhibit Company, Inc. has settled on a five-step design process. Let’s look further at what each step entails and how everything comes together for a beautiful result.

Step 1: Discovery

For a project to be successful, it needs to be built on a solid foundation. This is why the first stage of the process should always be about getting to know the client. Our design firm takes time gathering information on the client’s brand, products, audience, and business objectives. With this background info, we can develop a custom strategy that is both brilliant and effective.

Step 2: Concept

Once key insights have been gathered, we move onto the next step: developing the concept. This is the fun part, but it’s harder than it looks! A concept begins to come to life through a series of sketches, writings, and collaborations. Eventually, a custom exhibit takes shape. We love stretching the limits, but we also keep your budget and practicality in mind.

Step 3: Creative

A key advantage of working with an exhibit design firm is that you get a whole team of professionals under one roof. With artists, engineers, and multimedia experts, your project receives expert attention from every angle. Our design team recognizes that your exhibit must provide a sensory experience, which is why every detail – light, color, texture, form, technology – is taken into consideration.

Step 4: Production

This is the point where everything starts to come to life; pictures are put into action. With our diverse team of creative professionals, we are able to build anything you want for your exhibit while meeting the needs of your audience. Whether your event is small or large, our goal is to create an exhibit that captures attention and leaves a lasting impact.

Step 5: Delivery

The last thing you want is to start the show without your custom exhibit. This won’t happen when you work with The Exhibit Company, Inc. As part of our five-step process, we offer on-time delivery and even stick around to ensure that everything runs smoothly. From the lighting to the staging and audio sound, we’ll take care of the technical details so you can focus on greeting potential customers.

Our five-step process is one of a kind. It has proven to be reliable time and time again, even for the largest-scale events. Call The Exhibit Company, Inc. today to discover more about our approach to building custom exhibits.

Aug 1, 2017

Major Missed Opportunity: 4 Reasons Small Businesses Should Prioritize Graphic Design

Professional design work is commonly undervalued among small businesses. It’s not that small companies don’t see a need for professional design, but rather because they run on limited resources. To get the website, logo and marketing materials they need at a price they can afford, small businesses usually hire a freelancer or ask a current employee to do the work for them.

If you are running a small business on a small budget, don’t miss out on opportunities that could be yours. By prioritizing graphic design, you will enjoy more traffic, leads and sales that will quickly offset the cost of hiring a professional. Below are four reasons to put graphic design first.

First impressions make all the difference.

Today’s consumers have so many brands demanding their attention, they make assumptions quickly. Let’s say a prospect attends a trade show for hair care products to carry in their salon. They visit dozens of booths and talk with the brand representatives. When the customer returns home, they go through the brands and quickly narrow down their search.

Much of the narrow down process is based on first impressions. How professional does the website look? How easy is it to find information on the site? Does the logo at the trade show match the online marketing materials? If you don’t put graphic design first, you could be missing out on opportunities to grow your business.

Design tells a story about your brand.

Storytelling is an excellent way to bring your brand to life. The best parts about storytelling are that it involves your customers, brings forth emotions and is more likely to be shared with others. A hair care company that has local roots and uses essential oils in their products has a story to tell, making their brand relatable and genuine.

Branding makes small businesses memorable.

Small businesses have it twice as difficult at times. Not only do they have to compete with big brands, but also other small businesses. To be successful, small companies must always be thinking ahead with their marketing budget.

Luckily, a professional design helps brands stand out against the competition. The hair care company that adds essential oils to their products can use a professional design to highlight the oils and their benefits. After a trade show, a salon owner might say, “I liked that brand that uses oils in their products.”

Professional design saves money in the long run.

If your small brand doesn’t take graphic design seriously now, chances are, you will have to go through a design overhaul in the near future. Why pay for mediocre design today, knowing that you will have to do it again? A quality design has a long shelf life. You can enjoy using the design in all of your marketing materials and know that it will look great at your next exhibit.

Small businesses must be smart about where they put every dollar. In this case, it’s worth it to invest in quality graphic design. You pay for it once, and you can enjoy it for years to come!

Jan 25, 2017

Should I Rent or Buy A Trade Booth?

As a trade show marketer, you have two main options when it comes to trade show booths: you can rent one or buy one. There is no one-fits-all solution, as it all depends on your company’s needs.

How many exhibits are you in each year? Does your company attend multiple events at one time? Would you be happy with the same booth each time, or do you want the flexibility of something different?

Let’s go over the pros to renting and buying a trade show booth, and why a third option – a Custom Rental – might be the best of both worlds.

What are the Pros to Renting a Trade Booth?

Less Capital. Since you are just renting the booth, you don’t have to actually buy anything, which reduces the need to account for a large capital expense.

No Storage Fees. When the event is over, you are not responsible for covering storage costs.

No Maintenance. In most cases, you are not required to complete repairs or maintenance on the booth. This frees up your resources and time.

Always Exclusive. By giving your booth a new look and feel for each event, you can stand out from the crowd. Rented booths offer the flexibility to make constant updates, including size and layout.

How About the Pros to Buying a Booth?

More Control. When you make the investment in a booth, you have more control in the long run. You don’t have to worry about an exhibit not being available, and you can have your booth built specifically for you.

Long Term Investment. If you attend a lot of shows and use your booth regularly, the cost of buying it upfront will be less than renting.

Consistent Brand Recognition. With your own booth, you have complete control over how your brand is represented. The consistency will make your brand recognizable, building trust and credibility.

Are There Any Other Options to Consider?

It’s clear that there are benefits to renting and buying a trade show booth, which is why it’s difficult for businesses to make a decision! As a company that creates highly engaging custom trade show booths, we feel that our customers can benefit from another option known as the Custom Rental.

A Custom Rental is very similar to a standard lease or rental, but there are variances among clients. Essentially, you can build whatever booth you want for your event without being committed to buying it outright. It’s the best of both worlds. You get a highly specialized exhibit that represents your brand without having to own and maintain it.

The cost of a Custom Rental is based on several factors and influenced by our multi-use agreement. Some of these factors include the total cost of construction, the number of times the exhibit will be used and options to terminate the booth or buy it from us.

If a Custom Rental sounds like something you might be interested in, give The Exhibit Company, Inc. a call. We’ll be happy to discuss your options and determine if a Custom Rental will accommodate your needs and budget.

Dec 1, 2016

3 Exhibit Designs from 2016 that Blew Us Away

Every exhibit should tell a story that draws event-goers to a company and keeps them interested and wanting to learn more at the same time. We believe that trade show exhibit companies should create inviting designs that reflect the brands and goals of their clients. A major trend that took off at trade events this year was the ”un-booth” style, aiming to make attendees feel welcome to roam and interact with the entire scope of the exhibit. Here are 3 recent exhibits that truly stood out to us by creating unique, memorable and interactive experiences for attendees.

The U.S. Postal Service

The United States Postal Service went in a different direction at CES than what we would normally expect. The well branded exhibit welcomed visitors with gigantic shipping boxes in signature patriotic red, white and blue colors, a white cash-wrap style information area and a giant “Priority: You” sign. The designers of this exhibit also used movement and interactive designs to attract and engage visitors. For example, they offered a shipping competition game on a large vertical LED screen that had elements similar to the popular game “Tetris.”

Zimmer Biomet

Zimmer Biomet’s focus on the previous year’s fusion of Zimmer and Biomet was the perfect choice for the 2016 American Academy for Orthopaedic Surgeons Annual Meeting as the exhibit greatly reflected a merger. The exhibit highlighted both companies as one through layered elements and points of conversation throughout the space. A large “Z” sign hung over a two-story area that featured product contributions by both companies displayed on futuristic, cutting-edge laboratory-style surfaces designed with clean modern lines and white and blue-green neon colors. Poster-style screens overhead also supplied information individually and linked together at times as one large curved screen.

Klipsch Group Inc.

What we absolutely love about the Klipsch Group’s 2016 Consumer Electronics Show exhibit is the creativity and care that went into every part of it. Instead of focusing only on Klipsch audio products, the exhibit offered up a non-traditional booth that used an entertainment room theme to celebrate Klipsch’s 70th anniversary of sharing music and sound. The artistic space featured lots of personality with humanized elements in a mixed retro and modern design that was comforting. Furniture and accessories in shades of brown and relaxing styles created a warm and welcoming home-like atmosphere.

These amazing designs prove that custom trade show displays that feature a wide range of engaging elements and a clear understanding of target markets are critical for success. To learn more, contact our design team at the The Exhibit Company, Inc. today.

Aug 16, 2016

Increase Your Marketing ROI With Trade Shows

Trade shows have long established themselves as top marketing opportunities and continue to be popular in recent years. In fact, a study by B2B Magazine found that events are second to digital in the amount of money businesses spend on media and marketing. Typically, about a third of a company’s total marketing budget is allocated for activities like events and exhibiting. Businesses are able to reach potential customers and other businesses in just about every corner of the United States.

Exhibit design firms take attendee metrics and event logistics into consideration when planning a custom exhibit display. What will grab an attendee’s attention? What will make another business look to this particular business to solve their problem? Strategy is essential in trade show marketing and choosing a firm with experience is key to maximize results from your exhibit house investment.

Business-to-business buyers are on average a little more difficult to sell to than consumers. For one thing, they tend to be more rational with their decision-making process, because the effects of the purchase can have an effect on the business and sometimes its employees. Consumers, on the other hand, are more likely to make an impulsive purchase or indulge simply because they can. If a consumer sees something of interest to them and is given the right pitch, they are likely to make a purchase right away without much time to decide. Businesses are usually looking to make a purchase for a long term product that are more complex and require additional support after the purchase. For this reason, the decision must be thought out carefully for choosing the right vendor.

The best exhibit design firms recognize the difference between the two audiences and tailor their exhibit graphics around this. Full-service exhibit design companies have the resources to create custom exhibit booths for companies who understand that trade shows allow them to connect with not just consumers but other businesses that may need their products or services as well. For this reason firms, like The Exhibit Company, Inc., produce multi-dimensional brand experiences to influence audiences to act fast. Not only do they produce stunning custom exhibit graphics and interactive booths, but they also provide on-site support to manage these booths as well.

Product demonstrations using custom exhibit booths give prospective buyers the chance to ask questions, see exactly how the product can benefit them and, in many cases, get feedback from other customers. These things greatly increase the chance of making a sale and establish a trusting and confident business relationship that will result in great future profits.

Trade shows are a vital part of the marketing plan of any business. They are a great way to let potential customers truly experience the product where they may not be able to otherwise. Proper planning and hiring the right exhibit design firm can help marketers take advantage of the benefits that come with trade shows and achieve the ultimate goal of increasing profits. So view our exhibit showcase and get in touch with The Exhibit Company, Inc. to discuss your next event, today.

Jul 13, 2016

Does Your Trade Show Exhibit Company Do These 4 Things?

A good trade show exhibit company should be your one-stop-shop for custom exhibit designs that will maximize your trade show exposure. Hiring trade show booth builders may seem like a minor task on your to-do list, but it’s important to make sure you’re working with someone who will take the time to get to know your company, understand your goals, and believe in your brand as much as you do.

Booth exhibitions are the first line of encounter for many trade show attendees, which means they can really make or break your chances for drumming up new business with vital clients. Here are four qualities you should look for when considering a custom exhibit design firm:

They Work With Your Brand.

Your trade show exhibit company is the silent partner behind your trade show display. They’re there to help you look good. They’ll make sure to understand your company brand from the inside out, and they’ll work with you to make sure that the message conveyed through your display is consistent with your goals in everyday business.

They Understand the Power of Graphic Design.

A good exhibit design takes into account the buzzing dynamics of the trade show floor and gives careful attention to long-range, medium-range, and short-range details so attendees from anywhere in the exhibit hall can see and get to know your business from all angles.

They’re Flexible to Your Needs.

Every trade show floor is different, and your flexibility in terms of your both size and set-up is key to ensuring a smooth and effortless presentation every time. A quality exhibit design can be modified for designs of different sizes — 10X10, 10×20, 20×20, and so on — in order to accommodate every trade show scenario while still maintaining the energy of your brand through visual enhancement.

They Draw People In.

The typical trade show attendee spends hours walking around the show floor and taking in all of the booths on display. A good design should draw in that weary visitor, even in the ninth hour. You want your design to be engaging and memorable without being gimmicky or tacky.

When you’re looking to outsource the design of your trade show exhibition booth, don’t let just anyone throw something together for you. Your exhibition is the primary representation of your business, after all, so working with a one-stop-shop exhibit house company, like The Exhibit Company, Inc., to capture your brand and invigorate your audience is well worth it.

Jun 9, 2016

China Proves Trade Shows Aren’t Just Popular in the U.S.

Marketing events are more than just a sale sign in front of a store. Trade show display companies from all over the U.S. are cashing in on trade shows and expos happening mostly in Chicago, Las Vegas, and Orlando. About 50% of the nation’s 200 largest shows occur in those three cities. According to B2B Magazine, these events make up the second largest area of growth in a marketing spending budget, digital being first.

Trade shows are not just popular in the U.S., they are also held and attended by people all over the world. China, for example, is home to the Meat Expo China, which is in its 12th year. The three-day expo allows businesses to showcase innovative technology and machinery, meat and meat-based products, and total solutions for the meat-processing industry.

In 2015, the event was held in Shanghai and hosted more than 5,000 visitors from 10 different countries. Trade show exhibit companies are well aware of the benefits of such international marketing events and design custom exhibit booths and custom exhibit displays for other businesses to stand out from the rest.

An experienced trade show display company knows the guidelines for display graphics and the importance of space at these events. Space is limited and although there are many things to do, audiences do not spend much time on content that isn’t attention-grabbing. Exhibit graphics are very important to getting consumers to connect with businesses. This is the purpose of attending a trade show and if the consumers are not responding, there lies a problem within itself.

A good trade show display company understands that less is more and has an understanding of how to balance creating visuals that are exciting, yet not too distracting from the company’s message. This is not something most marketing departments are able to do in an environment like a trade show. For this reason, they connect with exhibit design firms and, in return, see an increase in product sales and a significant return on investment.

If your business is looking to expose the benefits of their product to the general public internationally or simply test consumer responses domestically, trade shows are the best way to do so. Once you’ve decided to attend an event like this, contact The Exhibit Company, Inc. and make your product the next big thing.

May 18, 2016

Drive Your Technology Launch With A Custom Exhibit

What’s one of the best ways to connect consumers with a product? A marketing event. Trade shows connect businesses with other businesses as well as consumers giving them a firsthand experience of what a product can really do. Las Vegas, Chicago and Orlando are home to about 50% of the largest 200 trade shows in the United States. With the average trade show visitor spending 9.5 hours simply viewing the many exhibits, it is no wonder why events like trade shows are the second largest area of growth within a company’s marketing budget.

By now, most people have accepted the fact that technology makes life easier. New programs and technologies are produced each day in order to make our lives more efficient. From apps to remind you of an upcoming appointment or event, to programs that allow you to communicate and share information in real-time with people on the other side of the world, technology just keeps getting better.

For those who suffer from disabilities, innovative technology can be even more helpful. Many people with disabilities rely on technology to live independently. For this reason, many trade show exhibit companies participate in creating custom exhibit displays to show people how technology can really help them. For businesses that want to create the best platform for consumers to experience their product first hand and want to benefit from the proven success of trade shows, hiring an exhibit design company is how to do it.

These companies have the resources to design and produce exhibit graphics for custom exhibit booths and custom exhibit displays. They are already aware of the strict regulations placed on trade show display companies and can help make any business’ dream a reality.

In order to market to people with disabilities, businesses may participate in events like an independent living expo to show consumers their new products or to get feedback on a product once it has been tested. Expos like this are a great way for people to see and gain an understanding of both the technology and services that can help them live and work within their communities.

Technology is ever changing. Events like trade shows give both businesses and trade show display companies a chance to show what they are really made of.

May 3, 2016

How Should Businesses Use Social Media at Trade Shows?

You can find anything on the Internet, and there’s no shortage of How-to guides explaining exactly how to use social media to your advantage at trade shows. Unfortunately for anyone that doesn’t like totally wasting their time, most of these guides aren’t worth the pixels they’re printed on.

We aren’t Luddites with a contrarian streak, so we won’t tell you that social media isn’t worth your time. It is. That being said, think of social media marketing as a way to support your trade show exhibits, not as a magic tool that can solve all your problems. That might seem obvious, but many marketers talk about social media as a cure that will solve any problem.

So how do you use social media the right way?

Manage Expectations

Managing your expectations is the first key to successfully incorporating social media into your trade show strategy. Some brands, products and industries will perform better on social media platforms. Video game companies, household name brands, and movie studios won’t have much trouble gaining traction on social media platforms while a trenchless plumbing company will face an uphill battle getting their hashtag to trend.

Include Social Media in Your Custom Exhibit Displays

Increasingly, trade show exhibit design firms like ours are finding that companies want social media handles or hashtags included in their trade show exhibit design. Additionally, if companies print out fliers or business cards to support their custom exhibits, then it’s wise to include Twitter, Instagram or Linkedin profiles in those graphics as well. If the event has a custom hashtag associated with it, then be sure to use that tag as you use social media during the event.

Use Photos To Your Advantage

Visuals and graphics are key to standing out on social media platforms, and the best custom exhibit design firms know it. By creating attractive, eye-grabbing custom exhibit designs, your company’s space is more likely to appear in photos of the event. But that’s not the only way to use visuals to your advantage.

Increasingly, custom exhibit displays include an area specifically designed so attendees can take photos. Some trade show booth builders create giant Instagram-style frame cutouts for people to pose with. If your trade show exhibit has an interactive or participatory element, then encourage visitors to take photos and tag your company in their social media posts.

Get off the Phone!

Yes, social media is important, just like an inviting custom exhibit design is important. But most business still occurs face to face, with a handshake, smile, and conversation. Don’t become so preoccupied with curating your social media feeds that you have less time to spend interacting with visitors.

Remember: social media can be a great way to support your exhibit and trade show strategy, but it’s only one small part of a winning exhibition.

Apr 6, 2016

Struggling To Find Trade Show Booth Ideas? Inspiration Can Be Anywhere

Preparing the perfect trade show exhibit can feel a little like playing the Oregon Trail video game.

What do you take?
Who do you take?
What do you leave behind?
How do you condense everything you need into custom trade show displays?

Unfortunately, in the real world, the stakes are too high to get lost along the way. Trade shows can be a tremendous opportunity to promote your brand and gain new leads, but if executed poorly, a total waste of time. If you’re struggling to create compelling trade show booth ideas, then take these tips from our exhibit experts. Trust us, you don’t want to learn these lessons the hard way, on a crowded trade show floor full of your colleagues and competition.

Remember: Great Artists Liberate

If you ever notice particularly awesome trade show booth designs when wandering the showroom floor, don’t hesitate to snap a picture for your own future designs. As they say, a good artist copies, but a great artist re-purposes the idea as their own. If an element of a previous exhibit was a hit, then it’s okay to update it and use it again. If you’re still coming up short on inspiration, check out our exhibit company’s portfolio of unique trade show booth ideas.

Remember: Less Is More and More Is Less

The latest market research indicates design graphics should be 40% empty space.

Perhaps because we live in a world that is overwhelming, crowded, and constantly moving, consumers are attracted to simpler designs. Think of a television news program. Between graphics in the top corners and one or two running headlines across the bottom of the screen, it is difficult to focus on the news anchor in the middle. Often, minimalist trade show booth ideas that incorporate the less is more approach help potential customers focus on the message, not the distractions.

Take, for example, the simple billboards along an interstate. While many billboards fill space with offers of cheap gas, snack prices, and clean restrooms, they often have so many colors that the visual clutter is overwhelming. Often, it’s the simple white billboard that attracts attention.

Remember: Have a Strategy for Sticking Out

A major part of trade show booth displays is making sure that you are visible from multiple angles. For example:

Long-range graphics, those that can be seen from across the trade show venue, should be as high as possible within the regulations of the trade show.

Medium range graphics need to be above eye level. These six to eight feet high items will attract potential visitors from two or three booths away.

Short range graphics are only five to six feet high and are for the purposes of keeping the attention of people at your booth.

Flexible Spaces Work Best

Just as website designers know that any visuals they create have to move from the laptop platform to the handheld device platform, the best trade show exhibit companies understand how important it is to have a booth that is flexible for a variety of physical spaces. While an island booth accessible from all sides may be a company’s dream location, these spaces may not be available at all trade shows. As a result, exhibit house companies must provide materials that can be configured in different space sizes and different locations, be it a perimeter booth or a linear booth.

Taken together, all these current trade show booth ideas and trends point to a simple yet modern approach. Are you following these trends in your design?

Feb 16, 2016

The Who, What, Where, When, Why and How of Custom Trade Show Exhibits

When promoting your brand and business, you’ll likely find yourself attending a number of trade shows and conferences to network and drum up new business. Unfortunately, at the biggest trade shows, it’s easy to be completely overshadowed by a competitor with a bigger budget, a small army of “booth babes,” and all the bells and whistles money can buy.

So how do you maximize your budget when you design custom trade show exhibits? Unlike most trade show exhibit companies, we understand that the best custom exhibits come from companies who attend events with a clear strategy, design, and execution in mind.

Strategy: What, Where, When and Why?

A winning custom exhibit design and the ability of custom exhibit builders to make it a reality is largely dependent on your overall strategy. Too many exhibitors go to a trade show without clear goals in mind.

When you know which trade shows you’re attending, it’s crucial to work with your team on specific goals for the event. Once you’ve outlined objectives, then it’s time to start working out a strategy and agenda for meeting those goals. Finally, it’s important to ask what sets your company apart from your competition.

Why should anyone stop and give your trade show displays their attention?

Design: How

The design of your custom exhibit booths makes a huge difference in how well received it is. For a successful custom exhibit design, you must be able to deliver the flashier, attention-grabbing techniques that draw people in without trying so hard you seem desperate for visitors.

Remember: it’s not enough for your trade show displays to look visually appealing. It’s not enough to have the most original interactive element of the show. The design and layout of your custom exhibit design also needs to support your goals.

If your main objective is to gather new leads, then ask yourself, how do your trade show booth ideas support that mission?

Execution: Who

Our custom exhibit builders take pride in designing the best custom exhibits anyone has ever seen, and we think our work speaks for itself. Even so, when the event finally arrives, one of the most important decisions you’ll make is who exactly from your team you choose to work the event. Do you send young, ambitious team members bursting with enthusiasm, or seasoned executives capable of closing deals? Ultimately, who you send, and who you ask to stay behind at the office, can make or break your trade show experience.

Jan 18, 2016

Report: What’s the Top Global Destination for Trade Shows?

According to an independent report released this January, Copenhagen, Denmark, ranks as the #1 international destination for flight punctuality, making it one of the top cities for trade shows, meetings and conventions in the world. Scandinavian countries have long had a stellar reputation for efficiency, and Denmark is no exception.

Copenhagen also gains points for easy accessibility. Because it is a smaller city, it is possible to get from the airport to the city center in fewer than 15 minutes by metro, and it only costs five euros to do so.

Of course, your next big conference will likely be held somewhere closer to home. Of the 200 largest annual trade shows in the United States, 50% take place in Las Vegas, Chicago, or Orlando. But no matter the destination, you still need to ensure that your trade show exhibit is managed well and flows smoothly, showing your company in the best possible light. And while you can’t control where the trade show is held, you can make sure you design custom exhibits for your company that really make it shine.

So what can you do to ensure that your custom exhibit displays stand out from the crowd, whether you’re in Copenhagen, Denmark or Sheboygan, Wisconsin?

Here are three tried and true techniques for producing professional custom exhibits.

1. Come up with a Coherent Theme

Ideally, everyone would stop and talk to you in order to find out more about your products and services. In reality, people will be walking by and getting first impressions of your booth within mere seconds. That’s why it’s crucial for your entire space to have a cohesive theme and identity, both in terms of your visuals and messaging. Having a six-word tagline describing your brand that people can interpret within three seconds is key. Experts recommend using sans serif fonts like Helvetica (a serif font would be something like Times New Roman). Just make sure, of course, that any font you use matches your brand vision.

2. Adapt To Your Environment

A good rule of thumb for sizing your text is that there should be an additional inch of height for every foot away an audience is. If the average person walking by will be four feet from your booth, for example, you’ll want text that is at least four inches in height for unstrained reading. Before designing custom exhibit booths, always check the physical specifications of the host site. For instance, high ceilings can be used to your advantage, letting you literally rise above the crowd.

3. Work With an Expert: Trade Show Exhibit Companies

Remember: you only have one chance at creating a stellar trade show booth design. A company that specializes in unforgettable custom exhibits can be your best chance for making the right impression. Ultimately, a strong exhibit with clear messaging ensures that the people entering your custom exhibits are actually interested in your specific product and not just confused about what you’re selling.

Careful custom exhibit design is the way to go for showcasing your brand. Use these tips so that your next trade show runs smoothly!

Dec 17, 2015

Trade Shows 101: 7 Proven Pieces of Advice For Designing Your First Exhibit

Custom exhibits can be incredibly fun to design, but ultimately trade shows are about business. Although you want to have fun and show off your company’s personality, there are certain guidelines you need to follow to actually attract new leads. Otherwise, attending a trade show is just a company-sponsored vacation, only instead of hanging out poolside, you’re handing out business cards. So to make sure you aren’t wasting any time, or money, when designing your first custom exhibits, here are seven proven pieces of advice you can run with:

Know Your Audience

Custom exhibit booths should be tailored to reach specific audiences. While much of your audience is determined by your company or products, you may also want to tailor it for the different shows you plan to attend. This means that your custom exhibits may have multiple elements you can choose from depending on the show. Ask the exhibit house you work with what kind of options are available for your budget. You just might be surprised at what you can do.

Show Regulations

Different trade shows have different rules, and it’s an amateur mistake to skip over the fine print. For instance, some shows may limit the size of your custom exhibit displays, so you need to strategically plan how to best use that space. If you need electrical outlets or other services, plan in advance to make sure they will be available at the site.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

If you plan on reusing elements of your trade show displays from event to event, then versatility should be a major priority when making a custom exhibit design. Different venues will require you to obey specific dimensions, and your designs need to abide by those rules. This allows you to maintain the visually stimulating elements of your design and stay true to your brand, while also increasing or decreasing your trade show footprint. Even better, you can reduce costs.

Use Graphics, Not Clip Art

If you want to attract more consumers and get your point across, your custom exhibits are going to need some graphics. And while there are plenty of free clip art libraries online, it’s worth the money to invest in graphic designers to create original, attractive visuals for your space. Additionally, some of the best custom exhibit displays have three different types of graphics to draw in visitors from different areas of the venue: longrange, mediumrange, and shortrange. These will help grab the attention of consumers, whether they are on the opposite side of the exhibit hall or just on the other side of the aisle.

Create Taglines and Attention-Grabbers

Your exhibit booth design needs to make its point in the time it takes someone to walk past your space. Our exhibit experts recommend a sixword tagline that consumers can interpret in three seconds. It shouldn’t be too abstract, and it should of course be honest. With this type of preparation, the people entering your booth are more likely to actually be interested in your brand or product, helping avoid timewasting, lowquality leads.

Stick To Easy-to-Read Fonts

Strange or unreadable fonts can quickly turn consumers off, even if they look sophisticated on your computer screen. You need something that can be easily read from a distance. When creating your custom exhibit designs, you also need to take into account how big the font needs to be. Experts recommend adding about an inch to the font’s height for every foot away your consumers will be. So if they’re standing 10 feet away, you should add 10 inches to your font size to allow them to be read comfortably.

Don’t Go Overboard!

Finally, we’ve mentioned this before in previous blog posts, but it bears repeating: sometimes less is more. Don’t give into the temptation to crowd as many different graphics, slogans, product samples, interactive displays, and other elements into a single space. Even when it comes to something basic like your graphics, experts say that at least 40% of your design graphics should contain empty space.

If you have any more questions about your first trade show exhibit, don’t hesitate to contact our team of experts for professional help.

May 18, 2015

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