Taking Your Brand On the Road — Trade show and event displays that make an impact
There comes a time in nearly every business’ life when you need to take your brand on the road to a trade show, event or industry convention. With so many choices when it comes to booth designs and elements, it can be overwhelming to decide how to best describe what you do to new audiences and to determine what elements fit into your budget.
As you wade into the sea of trade show banners, backdrops, tablecloths, and takeaways, here are a few things to keep in mind in order to ensure that what you take on the road makes a big impact.
Find An Experienced Partner
Working with an experienced design and production team will give you an immediate leg up. Having worked with a range of vendors in the business, they are an invaluable resource when it comes to selecting the best products to suit your needs. These professionals can advise you about what’s trending now, help you select the most effective or appropriate materials for your budget, and train you on how to set up and break down your display. In addition to collaborating with you on the look and functionality of your trade show booth, they’ll make sure logistical considerations, such as whether you are exhibiting indoors or out or whether you are arriving by car, truck or airplane (or some combination of the three), are part of the decision-making process.
Simplify Your Message
It’s likely that your business makes more than one product or offers more than one service, but keep in mind that the most effective booth displays provide your audience with a clear and singular first impression. You want to capture the attention of someone walking by with one powerful word, phrase or image that conveys who you are and what you offer. If you have more details to share, capture them in a succinct printed handout, postcard, or brochure that you can pass out to interested customers. Keeping your visual landscape clean makes your booth more approachable.
Invest In Images
Whether you are creating retractable banners on stands, tablecloths or a tension fabric backdrop display there is no way to get around needing high quality, high-resolution images. If you plan to use imagery at a life-size scale, plan ahead and make sure you have either purchased high-quality stock images or have contracted a professional photographer to generate the necessary images before you start the design process.
Select Your Giveaways Carefully
If your budget (and your booth vision) includes a promotional giveaway, carefully consider the message your branded pen, stress ball, key chain or box of mints is sending. The relevance, materials and the durability of a giveaway suggest your level of investment not only in the product itself but in your future customers.
Design, Produce, Then Refresh
When planning your trade show booth, expect to refresh or add elements as time goes on. This could mean changing your signature image each year or adding elements to reflect new products or refined messaging. If you already have a trade show booth, your experienced design and production team can work with you to help identify ways to build off the investment you’ve already made.
Plan Ahead
Last, but perhaps most importantly of all: leave enough time to design and produce your trade show display. At a minimum, allow six weeks for the design and production process from start to finish. It’s possible your trade show booth can be created in less time but why chance it? The time to get rolling on your booth design and production is when you register to participate in the show, not when you start packing for it.
Ready to take your show on the road? Contact us today and turn your project into reality.
