As part of the vast wedding industry, your bridal trade show exhibit has to be eye-catching, inviting and informative to attract buyers at conventions and shows. Whether you’re marketing formalwear, accessories or wedding day goods and services, a booth with an organized and attractive layout is the key to showcasing all your wedding day wares.

When developing a plan for your bridal trade show setup, consider a few design and equipment options to further your brand and get the most for your budget. Research what's worked for other bridal industry professionals and try to bring your own unique style into your bridal trade show design. Plus, try to:

1. View displays of past bridal trade show exhibits to see what worked for others in the industry.

2. Learn more about typical features of a bridal trade show booth, such as size, fees and any special features included.

3. Secure wedding trade show rentals like live models or mannequins to highlight key products to stand out in the crowd.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Research previous bridal trade show exhibits to emulate what's worked before

If you're designing your own bridal trade show exhibit, especially if it's your first, seeing current or past exhibits can be a great asset in learning what others in the industry are doing. You can see current exhibits by attending trade shows prior to signing up to display at event yourself or if you're pressed for time, find pictures or videos online of past events that feature past exhibits.

I recommend: Consider attending a ShowEvent Trade Show Management & Marketing Company event. This company specializes in industry specific events including bridal shows, thus you can see first hand how its vendors design their exhibits. If you can't attend an event, view its bridal show video to see exhibits from past events. You can also view the slide show from Forever Bridal Productions for a gallery of bridal show photos including past wedding show exhibits.

Find out what a bridal trade show booth includes

Visit websites of popular, annual bridal trade shows to learn the typical requirements for exhibitors and what kind of booth space you'll have to work with. This will help you better design your booth to fit specific items, such as a bridal trade show display board. You'll also be more prepared for the fees involved and it lets you know if these fees normally include convenient features, such as electrical outlets or lighting.

I recommend: Look over the booth features outlined at The Merchandise Mart's National Bridal Market Chicago website to learn about upscale booth features. You can also download the master floor plan to see how the booths are arranged and view a photo gallery of previous bridal trade show displays. Watch the video about becoming a vendor at an Elite Events Bridal Show to learn more about what it takes to set up a trade show exhibit in this industry. SMI Bridal Expo also provides information about the benefits of setting up a wedding trade show exhibit and gives another viewpoint on the features you can expect when renting booth space.

Consider wedding trade show rentals like models or mannequins to model your fashions

Incorporate models or mannequins into your bridal trade show exhibit to showcase your products in an attention-grabbing way. A pair of models walking the show floor in your new formalwear designs, for example, can draw more attention to your booth than basic product photos. If you've done your homework, such as looking at past wedding show displays, you'll see this is a popular way to drive more traffic to your trade show exhibit.

I recommend: Promo Models features trade show models to wear your key bridal products, especially gowns. Click on the location near you for a price quote. Allen Display provides mannequins in a variety of sizes and poses to highlight your wedding accessories and ensembles. Click on the version that best suits your bridal trade show display for additional details.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  If you plan to attend several local bridal shows, consider purchasing a wedding portable trade show exhibit. You can set up and disassemble portable displays with minimal help while still professionally showcasing your exhibit.