When you step out onto the trade show floor, one of the things that jumps out at you immediately is how dizzying the array of visuals are. There are so many elements of various displays that jump out at you in your line of sight. This can include hanging signs, light boxes, props, you name it. Yet, the things that jump out the most for an individual trade show booth are the design basics- color, light, and motion.
Many brands struggle with the one thing that is the most noticeable on the trade show floor- color. Their branding and style guide may not be as colorful and therefore, they may be unaware of the ways in which they can brighten up their booth. Consider the following places you can integrate more color into your trade show booth:
Brighten Up Your Trade Show Booth Graphics
The backwall of your trade show booth is often the largest real estate to show off your branding and messaging. It’s also the perfect place to inject a little color into your trade show booth. Whether that’s with the images you choose to accent your branding and messaging or the backdrop the messaging is set against, this is the perfect place to inject color. Think hard whether your logo and branding can be brightened up, if they could use some accent colors that might draw more attention to your brand.
Also consider the emotions you want people to walk away with when they view your trade show display. Some colors have strong associated emotions and subconscious assumptions. For example, blue is often associated with both the sky and the sea, which is why it’s often chosen for a calming effect. However, it also represents trust and dependability. If you’re struggling with the colors you’d like to feature, ask your designer for some recommendations.
Introduce Color in Accent Bridges of Your Trade Show Booth
Some exhibitors have rather simple color schemes in their branding guidelines and want to keep those in place. Even where their exhibit may be a clean white, they can introduce pops of color in unexpected places such as their accent bridges. These are often great places to feature color because of their location in visitors’ line of sight. Depending on the way your bridge is structured, you can have this as graphics along the side, introduce it at the top of your bridges, or even paint your bridges that color in your trade show booth.
Make Your Overhead Hanging Sign Pop with Color
An overhead hanging sign is the perfect place to introduce more color into your trade show booth. As a very prominent visual in show attendees’ line of sight, it’s the perfect place for a bright color. This can be inside the overhead hanging sign or on the outside. Unexpected elements such as hanging elements from your overhead hanging sign can also be great places to inject some color into your signage. Another great idea is to add lighting inside to further accentuate the color and your branding. When your overhead hanging sign is bright, it stands out among the bland hanging signs that are all white or beige. Being distinctive with bright colors will help your brand to stand out on the trade show floor’s potentially hundreds or thousands of other exhibitors.
Make Your Accent Lighting Glow
Many exhibitors are fans of accent lighting such as the toe kick lighting beneath a reception counter or demonstration stations. This is another great place to introduce some unexpected color that will light up your trade show booth. Whether your exhibit space is 10×20 or 100×100, accent lighting with some color will help draw even more attention to your brand and pique the interest of trade show visitors. Accent lighting that complements your brand’s colors can also pull the entire trade show booth together and make it feel more complete and sophisticated looking.
Choose Colorful Overhead Lighting
Colorful overhead lighting can be a big draw to attract trade show attendees from across the exhibition hall. If people are naturally attracted to color, light, and motion on the trade show floor, this can be a powerful way to combine two of those design elements in your trade show booth. When everyone else has canned or recessed lighting, big colorful lighting can stand out as really special and interesting. People will make a beeline across the exhibition hall to view the trade show booth that has that kind of interesting colorful lighting.
Feature a Bold and Colorful Prop in Your Trade Show Booth
We often advocate for the inclusion of props in displays because they are not only visually interesting, they can help communicate your brand in seconds. When that prop is also a bright and bold color, it is a conversation starter that can help your team approach prospects easier in your trade show booth. Imagine being able to have more in depth conversations because of a bright and colorful prop.
These are just a few ideas that you may be interested in as you approach your next trade show display design. There are many ways to introduce color into your trade show booth that don’t necessarily have to cost you the proverbial arm and a leg. For more great ideas, consult with your exhibit house partner. Their decades of experience can help guide you to stand out in your industry and at your specific trade show.
