Trade Show Displays

Guide to Trade Show Booths and Displays

Put your best face forward with your convention display
By Greg Brown

	Trade Show Booth Basics Trade show exhibit booths are light and easy to customize. Banner and other stands effectively communicate your brand at a trade show booth. Trade show exhibits can be custom-designed.

Trade shows are a zoo, even when they're well run. Hundreds of trade show booths vie for the attention of thousands of potential customers, and the difference between stopping or walking by can be your message on a trade show display.

A trade show exhibit must be clean, inviting and tell the story of your company in a few seconds. Banner stands bring your brand to eye level, while convention display booths and exhibits create an atmosphere of professionalism and welcome.

When choosing displays and exhibit booths:

1. Compare before buying – there’s a wide variety of display booths available
2. Order custom-designed display booths
3. Budget for giveaways and supplies to outfit booths

Action Steps for Buying Trade Show Booths

The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Trade show booths and displays vary widely in type and design Ultralight fabrics and collapsible metal frames (like the kinds used in modern tents) have made display booths lighter and easier to set up than ever.

I recommend:  Learn your choices for trade show booth decorating, including a pop-up display, exhibit booth kit and panel display, at Braingraphix, Smart Exhibits and Impact Displays.

Banner and other stands keep budgets low and impact high Part of the value of a trade show booth is plain and simple signage: Your brand writ large on stands. Light and easy to transport, stands can also be used to point traffic at trade shows around corners and down hallways to your trade show exhibit booths.

I recommend:  Take a look at the variety of trade show exhibit stands at vendors like First Trade Show, Trade Show Shops, Sugarhouse Banners and QuickScreen Displays.

A trade show exhibit can be custom-designed Since the parts are interchangeable and the fabrics printable, a trade show exhibit is easy to custom order. You can make a statement that is professional and serious yet have a trade show display that is easy to break down and transport.

I recommend:  Take a look at custom design options at trade show exhibit vendors such as Godfrey Group, Ace Exhibits and Multimedia Services. See more trade exhibit options at the Business.com categories on table top displays, trade show display services and banner stands.

After convention display booths, shop for trade show supplies A trade show booth helps but there's more of course. Outdoor events have special needs, and you'll want branded goodies to give away to visitors who stop by your trade show booth.

I recommend:  Carrot Top has tents, displays, lecterns and tons of other stuff that might not seem obvious at first but can be adapted to trade shows. PC Name Tag has, yep, things like name tags and other brand-able giveways, as does Branders. You can get stuff like wireless polling devices from ARS Technologies to lend a high-tech air to trade show exhibit booths.

Tips & Tactics for Selecting Trade Show Booths

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• Plan carefully. Make sure your smallest staffer can pack and carry whatever trade show display or display booths you buy. It might come down to that.
• A convention display can be quite a bit larger than what goes into simple display booths, while trade show exhibits are in-between. Consider buying detachable pieces so that, for smaller shows, a portion of your trade show display can be used instead of your full-scale trade-show booth extravaganza.