#1 Always keep your audience in mind
Use Buyer Personas to gauge attendee response to your new design. A buyer persona is a semi-fictional representation of your ideal customer based on market research and real data about your existing customers.
When creating your buyer persona(s), consider including customer demographics, behavior patterns, motivations, and goals. The more detailed you are, the better.
Buyer personas provide tremendous structure and insight for your company. Download HubSpot's free template to build your own detailed buyer persona. After completing the template you can very easily determine where to focus your time when making design decisions. As a result, you will be able to attract the most valuable visitors, leads, and customers to your booth.
#2 Focus on "What's New"
Tell attendees what’s new because 50% of all attendees want to see new products and services, not your same old song and dance. Remember to be prepared with a list of the benefits not only the features of your new product line.
#3 Grab Attention in 3 seconds
You have only 3 – 7 seconds to attract a visitors by telling them #1 who you are #2 what you do #3 what you offer. Make them want to stop and check you out! And never underestimate the power of promo items.
Top 5 Promotional Products:
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Promotional products should:
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#4 Theme
To help keep your message consistent it may behoove your company to develop a theme for signs, brochures, table colors, decorations, business cards, trade show crate color, etc. This will not only help to keep your booth visually cohesive, but will look more professional. After all - if your company can create a great trade show booth, then prospects are more inclined to think your company can provide a great product or service.
#5 Less is more
- Keep the exhibit focused and not crowded with too many items.
- Arrange products and materials at different heights, rather just flat on tables.
- Focus on making the display memorable.
- Any physical papers or brochures should be in clear plastic holders – not stacked flat on table.
- Reduce print collateral by using USB drives to distribute content!
#6 Graphics
Graphic Tips
- Make graphics look like a billboard, NOT a messy office bulletin board.
- Make sure graphics can easily be read from a 10 foot distance.
- Tablecloths should be in a solid theme color, patterns can distract from your display.
- Make sure your company sign is shown prominently at highest possible point in your exhibit. Signs on lower section of tables get hidden when people are in front of it.
- Most locations do not allow you to fasten signs to their walls or materials, so be prepared to display large signs on easels.
There's perceived power in color |
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Black = Portrays power. Gray = Encourages creativity but can be perceived as dirty. Brown = Interpreted as informal. White = Signals purity and honesty. Red = Attracts the eye, and is high energy Orange = Attracts the eye but conveys “cheap.” Blue = Has a calming effect and encourages fantasy Silver & Gold = Indicate top-dollar products Yellow = Brightens but if used too much can cause attendees to become cranky Green = Helps surroundings become more familiar, and is associated with the environment and money. |
#7 Education
Consider offering semi-formal educational events to attendees. Think about the most frequently asked questions your company receives and present them in a low pressure educational style setting.
#8 Get professional help
If there are certain aspects of booth design that aren't your cup of tea, then consider hiring a professional. You'll probably outsource your printing and give-away needs, why not so the same for graphics, booth displays and trade show crate?
