In my tradeshow tip this week I mentioned the importance of having your logo predominantly displayed on your exhibit. 

To enhance your brand not only should your logo be noticeable, but your brand message and corporate colors should also stand out. 

Studies repeatedly find that you have 3 to 5 seconds to do two things:

1. Catch the attention of a passing prospect

2. Communicate an effective brand message

A passing attendee is not going to spend energy on figuring out who you are, or what you are trying to tell them.  That is why it is critical to make sure it is crystal clear who you are and why they need you.  The only chance you have is to make sure your exhibit is prospect friendly.

Five things to consider:

1.   Your graphics should clearly identify WHO you are and WHAT you do. Your brand and message needs to be clear. Sounds simple enough however look around at the next show and be prepared to be surprised. 

2.   Don’t be afraid of color.

Examine the important role color plays in exhibit design. Color is an attention-getting tool, and is the first thing the eye sees when it looks at an object.  Color is a critical way to reinforce your brand.  We all know Home Depot’s orange or Starbuck’s green.  When it comes to non-verbal communication, color is the most immediate way to communicate messages and meanings.

3.   A picture is worth a thousand words.

A great image that highlights your message and helps tell your story allows the prospect to quickly identify with your solution.  Add your logo and tag line to any image you utilize in your exhibit.  Always reinforce your brand message.

4.   Bullets vs. Paragraphs

Bullet points are far more “prospect friendly” than paragraphs or even complete sentences. Keep information to a minimum. Website Address is good.  Physical Address is bad.  Exhibit graphics should create questions. Use your collateral handouts to answer questions or give additional information.

5.   Is the exhibit open and inviting?

The desired flow of your booth should be obvious to the prospect.  How to enter your space, engage with your staff, or where to get additional information should be very clear.  Display design is key in getting your product or service noticed on the show floor.

Not every company has a dedicated tradeshow coordinator.  Typically tradeshow planning falls on the sales manager or another employee who may not be fully aware of everything that goes into coordinating a tradeshow.  I wanted to go over some planning tips for first time exhibitors. 

Tradeshow terminology

Tradeshows have a language all of their own!  We use terms like drayage, EAC, COI, I&D, and material handling.  To be helpful we have a full glossarythat you can view at any time on our website, take a quick view to get all of the terms down.

What is a general services contractor?

Every show has a show provider and a general services contractor, who partner together to put on a tradeshow.  Within that partnership, the general services contractor provides products and services that could include electrical for the booth, material handling (drayage), and carpet, to name a few.  In addition to the general services contractor, the trade show offers services from other contractors, called official specialty contractors.  These contractors provide services that may include transportation, audio visual, cleaning, floral, photography, and security.

The general services contractor typically employs “behind the scenes” staff who provide labor (installation and dismantle of exhibit booth), transportation services (transport your exhibit to and from show site or warehouse) and material handling. Material handling includes the unloading and delivery of exhibit materials to your rented booth space, storage of empty containers during the show, and the loading of exhibit materials at the end of the show.  Every exhibitor is responsible to pay for material handling.

Establish a show budget

You’ll need to think about a budget. Fortunately, for those who plan right and set a detailed budget, a trade show can be a very worthwhile investment with a return.  There are many elements that go into the cost of an exhibition. Some of the major expenses that all exhibitors face include:

• Trade show participation fees

• Exhibit space rental

• Exhibit design – Which can be a rented or purchased exhibit

• Show services including material handling, installation, carpeting, furniture and lead retrieval systems

• Transportation (shipping to and from show site, customs)

• Travel costs including airfare, lodging, entertainment and food

• Marketing activation such as advertising, sponsorships, giveaways, press releases and web site customization

• Sales training

Work hard to meet early deadlines

After you have selected, registered and purchased booth space for the show through show management, the general services contractor should give you an exhibitor show service kit filled with important information. This

kit can be provided as a printed binder of information or more commonly, can be found online. This packet is essential so you don’t miss order deadline dates. Each kit contains the instructions and order forms from the

general services contractor as well as the other EACs (exhibitor Appointed Contractors – outside Exhibit Houses).  Ordering show services and furniture before deadline dates can be critical as the general services contractor often offers a discount on advance orders. It may be helpful to write these deadlines down on a large, visible calendar or log them into your email calendar to ensure that you do not miss anything.

Services may include:

• Carpet for your exhibit space

• Furniture

• Lead retrieval system

• Electrical

• Material handling

• EAC form (submit to show management for use of outside installation and dismantle labor)

• Graphic signs

• Forklift labor

• Hanging sign labor

• Booth cleaning

• Transportation- be sure to arrange inbound and outbound in advance

Tradeshows offer branding and marketing opportunities, potentially allowing your company to significantly increase sales in a short amount of time.  Because of the major impact these events can provide, it is important to do everything necessary to make your experience as successful and beneficial as possible.  Tradeshows take major planning, but one thing to emphasize is the trade show exhibit.

In planning your trade show booth design, you will want to put the time and effort into making a significant display with a powerful message.  To make the most of your booth, use the following tips:

• Recognize the significant impact a display can have. Carefully consider what message you want to convey, how you want your brand to be portrayed, what purpose you want the display to serve, who you want to market to, and other objectives you may have for the convention.
• As you start to plan your exhibit analyze costs, and examine benefits to determine how to get the most impact while still staying on budget. One alternative for funding such a setup is to look for a sponsor, which can give you a bigger budget for your design.
• When you are designing a tradeshow display it can be a complicated process. Take advantage of consulting services available from the company providing your exhibit and let them help you plan, strategize, and execute your trade show booth design ideas in order to optimize the potential impact.
• Consider the value of promotion, before and during and after the event, in order to help maximize the publicity and attention your company is able to get.
• Once you have determined conceptual requirements, consider which physical elements will best achieve your event goals. Will you need a large exhibit or a small one?  How will graphics, presentation components, and structure work together? How will your elements attract potential customers and then keep them interested after their approach?
• Once you know what your specific event goals are and have your booth worked out, consider what you want to actually happen during the event and who will get the job done. An effective appealing design is not enough - make sure your staff is trained and motivated to be the driving force that makes your layout rise to the top.
• With larger scale exhibits consider renting instead of purchasing, especially if a display of this size is not one you will use on a continual basis.

Your tradeshow display needs to stand out from the crowd in order for you to be noticed.  With the tips presented here, you can make sure your trade show booth not only makes a statement but that really steals the show.