Did you know that over $24 billion is spent by U.S. exhibitors each year for trade show displays? Despite that, 70% of these exhibitors poll as not having a specific objective for their exhibit: that?s their first mistake.
Don?t be misled, though: trade show rental booths can be an amazing asset to your overall marketing campaign, depending on what industry you?re in. The key, really, is successfully identifying what makes great booth designs — and making it a part of your display.
So: what should you be doing with your trade show exhibit display this year? Here are a few common mistakes, and how you can avoid them.
No Specific Objective
We covered this up top, but to explain: if your marketing materials are all over the place, you?re not going to get the same response (and leads!) as you would with a specific message that addresses the need you?re trying to fill (whether it?s to attract new clients, potential employees, etc). You only have a few seconds to catch people?s attention, so don?t let that opportunity go to waste. Also keep in mind: one of the biggest issues with trade shows is companies failing to follow up on leads. After packing up your trade show display exhibits, you should be contacting your leads within 48 hours to keep the conversation going/open.
Poorly Trained Staff
Hiring a temp or getting an intern to handle your trade show rental booths is an obvious mistake. You?re going to be dealing with a wide range of questions about your company by those potentially interested in it — anyone signed up for the job should be informed backwards and forwards about what they?re talking about. You don?t want them to have to put a client on hold so they can make a phone call and ask for more specifics from their manager!
Small Graphics and Words
Did you know that the rule of thumb for font height is to add an inch for every foot away that the viewer is? If the average passerby is going to be 15 inches away, for example, then your trade show booth designs font size should be a good foot in height. In general, sans-serif fonts are easier to read (such as Helvetica or Arial, rather than Times New Roman). You?ll also want graphics that are clean, simple, and convey the authenticity of your company?s message. Don?t opt for photos that are overly detailed and hard for people to interpret from a passing glance.
In short, there’s a lot that goes into designing great trade show rental booths. You don’t want to show up to an event and just wing it — careful preparation is definitely going to pay off in the long run.
