Mastering The Art Of Exhibition Stands: Essential Tips For Success

Creating a memorable, interesting and engaging exhibition stand is one of the most critical tasks when it comes to planning your attendance at an exhibition. But what actually makes a stand design great? With so many choices when it comes to planning out your stand design, here are some top tips from our team of experts to help you be the star of the show.

#1 Be Clear About The Purpose Of Exhibiting

Whether you’re launching a new product, showcasing a new campaign or looking to generate new leads, make sure you’re clear about the goals of your exhibition presence as this will influence everything that follows. From your colour scheme and branding through to the stand furniture you select, every design decision needs to align with your chosen goals.

Having this level of clarity means you can also have some fun with your exhibition stand design. The bold use of colour or signage can help draw visitors into your stand whilst funky lighting or sound can attract the attention of those who may have otherwise walked past. Having well-defined goals will keep your stand design on track, ensuring you are spending your budget in the right places to achieve them.

# 2 Profile Your Target Audience

Exhibitions can attract a whole host of people, from those with buying influence to those looking to understand more about the industry. With your goals clearly defined, you can start to think about the kind of visitor you’d like to attract to your stand. If one-to-one meetings or deeper conversations are important then this can be built into the overall design, as can space for games or tech that may pique the interest of your target demographic. Understanding what will interest your audience will help you make smarter choices about your stand design.

#3 Make Every Inch Count

Buying your exhibition space is one of the biggest costs involved in exhibiting so make sure it’s working as hard as it can for you and your brand. From ceiling installations to break out rooms or chill-out areas, gaming stations to coffee stands, there are lots of things you can do to make sure your space is helping you deliver on your exhibiting goals. However, this comes with a small warning as an overcrowded stand, whether with people, furniture or other ‘stuff’ can be overwhelming for your intended audience so plan carefully.

#4 Play With Dimensions

In a crowded exhibition hall, playing with the shape, size and height of your stand can really help you stand out. Adding extra height, (within the organiser’s maximum height limit) can help you remain front of mind wherever your audience are stood, whilst an unusual layout or shaped stand design can quickly become a focal point amongst more formulaic rectangular stand layouts.

#5 Shine Bright With Your Lighting

Exhibition stand lighting is one of most effective ways to create a feature of your stand. Coloured lighting can help create mood and ambiance whilst spotlights can be great for showcasing products or highlighting specific areas of your stand. Lightboxes, illuminated signage and floor lighting are also interesting ways to add a new dimension to your stand design. Read more about how lighting can elevate your exhibitions stand here.

#6 Be Bold With Design

Building your brand is often a key part of exhibiting so make sure your stand design is supportive of this. The colours you use, features you include and furniture you select should all represent your brand in a positive way and feel familiar to your target audience. Your logo or key marketing messages can be incorporated in lots of interesting ways, such as a branded welcome desk or illuminated sign hanging from the ceiling; it’s a chance to be playful whilst still staying true to your brand. You can read more about how you can elevate your presence with a branded exhibition stand here.

#7 Pictures Paint A Thousand Words

When thinking about your stand design, try and stay away from too much copy. Exhibitions are perfect for engaging in actual conversations with your audience and capturing the imagination with clever design; too much text on display is both overwhelming and off-putting. When it comes to words, less is definitely more.

#8 Put Your Best Foot Forward

The floor of your exhibition stand is a much-overlooked design element that you can really have some fun with. Consider it as much of a blank canvas as the rest of your stand design and you’ll quickly find it can become a key focal point. Whether opting for sustainable wood, recycled rubber or a more unusual texture like artificial grass or fabric, there are lots of options that you can read more about in our blog all about exhibition stand flooring here.

#9 Take Advantage Of Technology

With so much tech now available to support your exhibition presence, it’s an easy way to add an interactive element to your stand. Items like touchscreen technology can help you tell a brand story whilst more innovative technology like virtual reality can offer an immersive way to experience your products whilst having the support of your event staff to continue the conversation. A memorable interaction is a great way to stay in the mind of your audience long after an exhibition has finished.

#10 Create A Lasting Impression With Promotional Items

Promotional goods have stood the test of time for a reason and remain a great way to capture the attention of your audience and ensure your brand stays as they get back to the day job. With lots more budget-friendly sustainable options now available, these giveaways can also be a great way to demonstrate your commitment to the environment.

What ‘great’ looks like will vary depending on lots of different factors, including the venue, your reason for exhibiting and who your target audience is, as well as the budget you have available as part of your exhibition strategy. Focusing on these top ten areas will ensure you stay true to your event goals and deliver a return on your investment, which is a win/win in our book.

Talk to us today about how you can collaborate with us to design and build an exceptional exhibition stand to support your marketing and event strategy. You can reach out to us by emailing here, giving us a call on 01270 848 650 or completing our quick online form and we’ll get straight back to you.