For most organisations or brands, achieving success in exhibition and trade show marketing requires the ability to draw plenty of passers-by over to the exhibition stand in the first place. For this reason, the exhibition stand design itself has the potential to make or break an entire campaign.
With various different stand types to choose from and an almost limitless number of potential designs, it can be difficult to settle on one. To help out, this blog post takes a look at the design features that attract the most visitors.
1. Custom Exhibition Stands
When working with exhibition stand builders to actually create the stand, exhibition event planners tend to have the option of pop-up, custom built or modular stands. Although more expensive than the alternatives, custom stands are the most effective for drawing visitors, because they are completely original, allowing them to stand out.
"When getting noticed is important, custom is the way to go," says Lewis Thompson from Elm UK Limited. "In an environment like a busy exhibition when competition is fierce, something that's eye-catching and distinct can go a long way. Custom stands are totally flexible in design so you can make something that's truly unique."
2. Stands With Technology
Aside from the construction of the stand itself, one of the features that is most effective for drawing attention is intelligent use of technology. In particular, visitors like technology they can interact with live and the benefits really start to mount up when it is able to provide a positive, memorable, brand experience.
According to statistics compiled by Certain, Inc., 30 percent of all technology created for events is live interaction technology. Among the most popular types are photo booths, which are used by 45 percent of event planners, and live streaming tools, used by 44 percent of event planners.
3. Clearly Branded Displays
Research shows that during the average trade show, most attendees visit less than 10 percent of the total number of exhibitions. When visitors are pressed for time, they will not waste any of it at exhibition stands that fail to convey a sense of which companies are behind them and what they have to offer.
Graphics are, therefore, one of the most important aspects of exhibition stand design and it is vital that stands are clearly branded. This means using the company name, the company logo and established brand colours and slogans. It should also be possible to ascertain what the organisation sells from a casual passing glance.
4. Open and Inviting Stands
Finally, exhibitors should work with exhibition stand builders to design a stand which is both open and inviting. Designs that put clear distance between staff and visitors should be avoided, as should designs that are so over-loaded, or technology-heavy that they restrict moving space and feel overly cramped.
If at all possible, stands should allow attendees to step away from the main exhibition floor, so that they feel less rushed. Small lounge areas are ideal, because they encourage visitors to stay at the exhibition, relax and chat to staff. It is also worth considering offering refreshments or mobile phone charging facilities.
Author Bio:
Reno is a founder and director of a leading event and exhibition company Enigma Visual Solutions, specialising in exhibition stand design, graphic productions, office refurbishment, interiors, signage systems, event branding, custom built exhibition stands and much more. He specialises in experiential marketing and event productions. He enjoys sharing his thoughts on upcoming marketing ideas and design trends. Feel free to follow him on twitter.