Getting ready for a trade show is never a cut and dry process. Whether you have attended a show before, or you will be exhibiting at your first in the near future, it is worth noting that there are literally dozens of different things that need organising. Some of these are obvious - organise marketing collateral, have staff ready to attend, run a competition, and so forth - yet, others are less obvious, but still equally as important.
From our vantage point, we have noted that time after time, one of the big ticket items that seems to be too often overlooked is display signage. Many businesses incorrectly believe that preparing a banner display involves nothing more than a photo or two and some text. The error of this may seem obvious now, but with the pressure of meeting tight deadlines, many people who overlooked the requirements of the show, believe this is all it takes. This is far from true.
Thus, ahead of organising your next conference or exhibition, we recommend that you review our below list of tips, which will help prepare your banner stands and other collateral for your event, well ahead of time.
It's all about quality
It may be stating the obvious but if you are using photographs, the clearer and higher quality the image, the better the result. Remember, that the photo you use for your in-house powerpoint presentation will not necessarily translate well when blown up to 5 times its intended size. Try to ensure you have a good range of photos ready to use.
Another important aspect to consider is that you need to ensure that your stand can be viewed clearly from anywhere in the room. If someone can see it, then your main messages should stand out clearly enough to be read. The more that they read, the more chance you have of engaging them.
Stay true to brand
Whether you are attending a trade show, or going to a new business meeting, the way you portray your brand needs to be consistent. Remember to consider your tone of voice, image quality, brand colours, logo alignment, repetition of message, proximity and balance. If you are unsure and do not have an in-house designer, contact a professional who can help you. Always remember that your brand should be visible, this is the workhorse of your display.
Another important aspect is to think about your message - what are you trying to say? You only have a couple of seconds to convey your message and capture the readers attention. As much as it can be tempting to be clever and use buzzwords or play-on-words , these often have no definitive message and don't really say anything.
Create Buzz
Whilst staying within the guidelines of your brand is essential, no exhibition space, nor display stand will draw the attention of the crowd without a bit of wow factor. It is of vital importance that you design objects to "pop".
Keep it Simple
It is an old acronym, but one which still holds true today; KISS - Keep it simple! The easier it is for a viewer of your stand to understand what you are talking about, and the better it draws them in, the closer you are to engaging them in a chat. This is where conversions start; justifying the reason you are at the exhibition.
Prepare early
It sounds obvious, but you would be surprised just how many people fail to prepare with enough time. The later you leave it the more pressure you will be under, costs inflate as you expedite production and there is the inevitable production of sub-standard goods as a result.
At the end of the day, whether your next tradeshow event is a few weeks away, or even months, the truth is this; preparation is key just as much as understanding your market and what they want to read is important. Get these aspects right and you stand a much better chance of boosting your ROI for the event.
