A great looking and functioning trade show booth is essential to your success in trade show marketing. Different types of businesses require different styles, so be careful in the look you choose. Design a trade show booth that reflects your company’s image and gets the response that you desire. Be sure to plan ahead to give yourself plenty of time to complete the design and gather all the materials that you will need for your trade show display.

When you arrive at your design meeting or web-meeting be prepared with answers as well as questions. Know the purpose of your booth. What is your main goal in showing at the trade show? You may want to capture customer leads or increase the buzz about upcoming projects. The purpose of your trade show design will affect what type trade show booth design you require.

Then think about how you want to showcase your product or company. In some cases, large posters with information work well to get the point across. In others, you may want display cases to show your product, or LCD screens to show videos. You may need a meeting room, and if you do how many you need to seat. Plan for the size. When you sign up to participate in the trade show, you’ll receive the booth dimensions from the trade show organizers. This will let you know what your limitations are, bring all of that information to your design meeting. How many times have we met with a prospective client that wants a hanging sign but have purchased an inline exhibit space? Only to find out that in 99% of all shows they must be in an island or peninsula space to have anything hanging over their exhibit?

What image do you want to portray? Light colors convey a professional appearance while bright colors attract attention. Choose colors that fit your company’s personality. Display information in a memorable way. Think about how your booth visitors will get information. Takeaway pamphlets, short videos or PowerPoint presentations can quickly show off your main points. Tell your designer everything – come with a must list and a wish list. Most importantly come with a realistic budget – we do not want to design a Rolls Royce when a client has a Volkswagen budget. We know more about smoke and mirrors than you can shake a stick at – but there is nothing worse than designing a masterpiece based on a high budget only to be told we will need to cut out half of everything to keep you in-budget. No one is ever happy with the end result. So be a good scout and be prepared!