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10 Trends in Trade
Show Exhibit Design for 2009
1. Most exhibitors
take a 10 foot space, and almost all of these small-space
exhibitors use a portable display. The crown prince of portable
displays used to be the pop-up. No more. Lighter, faster
banner stands have changed the expectations of how lightweight
and easy to set up a portable display should be. Thanks to
their improved graphics, exhibitors are more willing to use
three banner stands to define their ten foot backwall display.
Bonus: banner stands offer more flexibility; three can be used
as a backwall and exhibitors can use each individual unit on its
own.
2. For exhibitors who want a more impressive look than pop ups
and banner stands provide, there are a growing number of
extrusion and fabric systems. These systems offer eye-catching
shapes and can integrate trendier materials.
3. Exhibitors now rely almost universally on the stopping power
of mural graphics. There are fewer "rug on the wall" portable
backwall displays on the trade show floor.
4. Graphics are updated at an ever-faster rate to match the
accelerated speed of new product introductions and the shrinking
of product life cycles. And with the greater use of vertical
marketing, exhibitors change their graphics more often to target
specific audiences with exacting messages.
5. In the era of YouTube there is a greater use of large screen
video monitors, even in ten foot displays, to get attention and
tell a story.
6. As marketing staff get squeezed to do more with less, even
smaller-scale exhibitors are looking for more turnkey solutions
for logistics such as online asset management, exhibit storage,
and at-show set up and dismantle.
7. As drayage charges continue to increase by double digits year
after year, and shipping charges become harder to justify,
custom modular exhibits continue to gain ground. Custom modular
exhibits have replaced traditional custom designs for virtually
all inline exhibits, most small island exhibits, and an
ever-growing number of large island exhibits.
8. Driven by faster product life cycles and branding revisions,
and accelerated by economic uncertainty, there is a greater use
of modular rental exhibits for exhibitor’s largest booth sizes.
Flexible exhibit rentals help clients better manage their
ever-changing floor space and show changes.
9. In the search for more environmentally responsible exhibits
there has been a greater recognition of the value of modular
exhibits as compared to traditional custom exhibits. Custom
modular exhibits are, on average, approximately 60% lighter and
thus require fewer materials to make, and require much fewer
carbon emissions for transport. Plus, by nature of the
components they are made of, custom modular exhibits are easier
to separate into recyclable components at the end of their
useful life.
10. The entire interaction at shows has evolved. Because buyers
study your company on the internet before the show, they are
further down the sales cycle when they arrive at your booth.
Much of the emphasis has shifted from looking for new contacts
at trade shows to hosting meetings with known contacts. As an
example one of our clients recently built a 50 x 50 booth
attendees couldn’t get into unless they already had an
appointment. A meeting-focused exhibit tends to be more closed
off and have more spaces for private discussions.
Consider these 10 exhibit
design trends as you prepare for your next year’s show schedule.
Perhaps you’ll see things differently as you consider your next display
design.
Our next tip also speaks to how your booth looks – and how you can keep
it looking as good as it does when the show opens.
Keep Your Booth Uncluttered All Through the Show
Ever notice how after a
week of living in a hotel room, that when you return you see your home
in a whole new light? Things you usually take for granted suddenly look
like clutter. But then, after a few more days at home, you start to
take it for granted again.
This same cycle gets compressed into just hours in your trade show
booth. You start the show with cleaned-off counters, tables, and
workstations, uncluttered except for perhaps a pen and a few brochures.
You expect to keep the booth clean through the show so it’s inviting for
attendees – but then the action starts.
You get caught up in the frenzy of talking to prospects and gathering
leads. Within a few minutes someone leaves a half-full water bottle,
and then another leaves a lipstick-stained paper cup. Pens and
brochures get scattered across your tables. Soon a mess has accumulated
… and you’re too busy to notice.
Pre-warned is pre-armed. Keep reminding yourself to clear the
countertops every hour, just like you did at the start of the show. You
can delegate this, too. Got a neat freak in the booth staff? (You can
tell – look at their desk at work.) Enlist their help – they may gripe,
but secretly they’ll like bringing order to disorder.
Keep the clutter down to a minimum, and you’ll make it more inviting for
attendees to enter your booth, and make a better impression on the ones
who do stop by.
©
Copyright 2008 Skyline Exhibits
St. Paul, MN 55121 - Phone:
800-328-2725
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