Design Strategies That Help Brands Stand Out at Large Industry Exhibitions

Huge industry fairs are noisy, busy, and fierce. There are hundreds of businesses that are competing with the same visitor. Enter any large hall and you will find the bright screens, product displays and the groups of people chatting with the visitors. However, there are a lot of brands, which sink into the shadow. Why? Since a good design is a long process before the event opens.

Clear Brand Message Before Event Planning

Designing booth is the initial step of many companies. Such a method is likely to be confusing. The existing event teams do otherwise: they set the brand message and then work on the design.

There is only one question to ask, and that is what you want visitors to remember when they move out of your place? The response should be concise and direct. A brand attempting to describe five concepts simultaneously will tend to describe none.

There are three points that are typically contained in a strong message:

• the main product or service
• the greatest advantage to customers.
• a single piece of proof like a result, figure, or case study.

As an illustration, a software company can introduce one claim: cut the losses associated with slowing down production by 25 percent. It is that thought that makes the center of all visuals, demos, and discussions at the event.

When the message is clear as the starting point of the planning, the design team will be able to synchronize all the signs, screens, lighting, and communication between the staff. Customers learn about the brand in a few seconds. And it is that clearance that usually makes or breaks, and the pass.

Smart Use of Space for Visitor Attention

Exhibition halls are spacious and crowded places. Tourists are on the go and they hardly pause unless there is a sight that is of interest. In this process, smart spatial planning can be considered one of the most significant design choices.

Businesses investing in 20×20 trade show booth value are able to benefit: they have sufficient space to take visitors through a controlled experience rather than present them with products at random. But size is not sufficient to be successful. Layout matters more.

Planners of the event tend to sub-divide the area into functional areas:

• Entry zone– open space that welcomes visitors in.
• Demo zone – where the product is to be shown or talked over briefly.
• Conversation zone – little noisier and more intensive conversation.
• Brand display area – area where logo and message can be seen.

Open layouts are more successful than closed walls. In a study of CEIR, booths that have two open sides attract more visitors by approximately 30 percent.

Height also plays a key role. Hanging or raised elements enable visitors to see a brand even within the other half of the hall. Visitors are more likely to come on purpose not by accident when they can recognize a booth at a distance.

Visual Design That Supports Brand Recognition

The consistency of visual aids will assist visitors to identify and recall a brand. In exhibitions, the recognition should occur in a short period of time. Tourists do not take much time before glancing at a booth and making their decision.

Design teams are thus based on three fundamental visual elements:

• color
• typography
• scale

Colour must be in line with the brand name. When one firm incorporates blue in marketing, the same color should be used in the walls, screen, and printed materials. Familiarity is acquired through consistency. Marketing research has found that a brand image remains present and can boost the revenue by as much as 23%.

Typography also matters. Big fonts enable guests to comprehend an announcement even when one is miles away. Small text makes people move closer and majority of the visitors will not do so.

Scale is not given much consideration. A small logo on a wall will be lost in a crowded exhibition hall. Expert designers make essential visual images huge so that they are seen above the crowds.

When used selectively, screens and digital displays also are helpful in the recognition. Successful booths have use of short visual loops that take 10-20 seconds to explain a product instead of long presentations. Tourists get the message within no time.

Product Presentation That Encourages Visitor Interaction

Tourists do not spend time on permanent exhibitions. They halt when participation is invited in something. Presentation of products in big exhibitions should not be based on information alone but also experience.

One of the feasible ways is to break down the presentation into small points of interaction. Rather than a lengthy explanation, brands tend to adopt brief demonstrations, brief tests or walkthroughs. These are the moments where the visitors are able to view the product in action.

A definite structure is usually the best:

• Live demonstration space where employees demonstrate the product in actual use.
• Experimental area where the visitors can use it personally.
• Little explanation panels consisting of plain facts or performance statistics.

The presentation quality is also enhanced through visual systems. One such example is that most of the modern exhibitions are designed using a SEG Solution (Silicone Edge Graphic system). With this system, it is possible to install large fabric graphics within the frames to make smooth walls with vivid graphics. The effect is the creation of clean background that does not distract attention on the structure but rather the product.

Visitors will also be longer when presentation is still simple and engaging. The more time spend in a booth, the further talking and getting business leads are experienced.

Staff Role in Visitor Experience

The design of the booth cannot work without staff prepared. Individuals recall dialogues better than exhibits. An informed and welcoming staff can transform a casual visit to an opportunity.

Organizers of the events usually separate the staff members to ensure the interactions are smooth. 

Common roles include:

• Greeter- greets the visitors and puts a basic opening question.
• Product specialist- describes features and shows the product.
• Sales representative- negotiates on the pricing, partnerships or deals.

It is necessary to train prior to the event. Employees are expected to rehearse brief explanations that last not more than 20-30 seconds. According to the studies of the Event Marketing institute, it is common that visitors make a decision in a half a minute whether to continue the conversation or not.

Body language is another significant detail. Being close to the aisle, looking in the eyes, and smiling, of course, will make visitors want to stop. Employees at tables tend to discourage communication.

Technology Tools That Improve Visitor Interest

Modern exhibition space is highly depended upon technology. Nevertheless, the aim is not complexity. The purpose is being clear and involved.

These tools are always effective in increasing the attention of visitors:

• Touch screens displaying product features one by one.
• QR codes that redirect a visitor to a product page or case study.
• Video loops of less than 15 seconds explaining a product.
• Lead capture applications which capture visitor contact details in real-time.

This practice is supported with statistics. The CEIR data shows that the booths with interactive digital features will have up to 40% more visitors interaction in comparison to the non-interactive displays.