Choosing the right trade shows to exhibit at, determining whether you will purchase or rent your exhibit, and landing on the perfect booth design for your company are important decisions to your overall trade show success. But once you’ve made these choices, have you considered which space on the show floor might get you the most bang for your buck?

After all, no matter what show organizers might tell you, no all exhibit spaces are created equal. Some spaces on the show floor virtually guarantee a busy booth, while others leave you feeling, well… a bit empty.

Here’s a breakdown of what to look for in an exhibit space and a few of the pitfalls you’ll want to avoid.

1. Near the Show Floor Entrance

Consider the entrance to your favorite big-box retailer or department store. Not only are the windows leading up to the store decked out, but just inside you’ll typically find some of the most attractive product displays and specials.

And this is for good reason. Patrons are most fresh when first entering a store – or in this case, the show floor and are most receptive to the exhibits they’ll see (and hopefully remember).

Not only are show attendees fresh and ready to engage, but being located close to the show floor entrance provides lots of foot traffic. The sheer volume of prospects walking past your booth will provide your sales team with lots of opportunities.

Another benefit of being located near the entrance is the sheer visibility of your brand and hanging banners. When trying to attract attention and recognition, there aren’t any better placements, at the show, to have your company be seen.

2. Other High Traffic Areas Near Food & Restrooms

Aside from the main entrance to the show floor, there are other high-traffic areas at trade shows to consider. At some point, just about every attendee will visit either the food/drink area or restrooms – probably both.

Having your booth positioned at the exit to these areas ensures that lots of attendees will pass directly by your exhibit, giving you the exposure you’re looking for.

3. Aisle Intersections and Corners

Busy intersections at trade shows are a great place to position your trade show exhibit. You’ll have opportunities to capture visitors on two different aisles and those that congregate in the intersection itself.

By designing a booth that is open to both aisles, your sales staff will have twice the opportunity afforded by not being on a corner.

4. Close Proximity to Show Sponsors or Other Major Attractions

If you can gain access to seeing where other exhibitors will be located, prior to booking, it may make sense to be located near show sponsors or other major exhibitors, as long as they aren’t direct competitors.

Your exhibit will gain added exposure due to the high-traffic nature of these exhibits.

A Few Areas of the Trade Show Floor to Avoid

Because most show visitors (in the U.S., that is) will move to the right (think natural flow of traffic) – it makes sense that being in the back, left corner of the show floor won’t be very desirable! This may be opposite in countries where folks drive on the other side of the road.

Also, you’ll want to avoid having close proximity to your direct competitors. Keep some distance between your exhibits.

We hope this helps you select your floor location at your next trade show! Have some questions or would like additional recommendations about booth size or design?

Give our team a shout, we’ll know just how to best position your company and brand!

Ever attend a trade show and get the feeling that the majority of exhibitors at the show aren’t selling anything that directly relates to you or your needs? Even if you’ve only been to a handful of shows, you’ve probably had this feeling at some point.

While it’s possible you had attended a show that really didn’t match up with your needs, it’s more likely that most of the exhibitors you encountered weren’t specifically targeting you or a persona based on prospects just like you.

But what exactly do I mean when I say “weren’t targeting you”? (That statement makes you feel kinda left out, huh?)

It’s most likely that a lot of the exhibits that made you feel this way simply weren’t designed in a way that directly “speaks” to you, your demographics, needs, and so on. Many times when a company is having an exhibit designed, it becomes all about that business (who they are, what they sell, etc.) and the audience or prospective customer is an after-thought, at best.

This just isn’t how it should be done. There’s obviously a better way.

Target Specific Personas at Each Show

This article isn’t specifically about developing “personas” (here’s a link to an article we’ve written on that subject) – but it’s worth at least defining what personas are and how they should be used.

Personas are fictional characters that you, as a trade show marketer, should develop to represent key members of your target audience or audiences. Personas would include information such as a physical description, age, gender, motivations, etc. Any information that helps to paint a complete picture of what your best clients or prospects would look and act like.

And these personas should be used to mold your complete trade show marketing plan – from the design, content, and layout of your exhibit, to sharing these personas with your sales team – so the best prospects become easily recognizable.

By developing specific personas, and targeting them individually at each show – you have the best chance of relating your company and products to the right prospect at the most opportune moment!

Present Your Newest, Most Innovative Products to the Right Audience at the Right Time

The shows you choose to exhibit your products and company at are your opportunity to show off your newest and most innovative products. And that is what attendees at those shows expect from you.

This should be communicated through the design of your exhibit graphics, the collateral you hand out, and of course the display of the actual products themselves. Consider who will attend each show and tailor your offering and booth graphics to present the products and services you offer, which best relate to and solve the needs of that audience at that time.

By narrowing your offerings and creating graphics and collateral which present those great products to a specific audience, you’ll be creating a more clear and effective marketing message.

In fact, by keeping your booth graphics clean and your graphics text short and sweet, you’ll be able to more effectively communicate what is great about your products and your company!

Like to learn more about how to effectively promote your best products through trade show marketing? Give us a shout.

ColorCraft has an experienced team of seasoned trade show professionals and designers that would love to show your prospects what is GREAT about your company!

There’s a reason that businesses keep exhibiting at trade shows and expos despite the cost. When done right, trade show exhibits are a great way to build brand awareness and drive sales. If you’re an exhibitor (or planning to become one), you’ve probably wondered about having your own custom trade show display. But while creating your marketing budget, you’ve probably been tempted to go with a generic, pre-designed booth. It comes down to your unique business’s goals and needs. To help you make your decision, we’re here to tell you the main reasons that custom trade show exhibits are worth the investment (and when they’re not).

Before we delve into custom trade show exhibits, let’s quickly talk about the basic advantages of exhibiting. After all, that’s the question that comes first. Are trade shows worth it? It breaks down into four main benefits.

Why trade shows are worth it:

Trade show exhibits are great for displaying new products.

According to CEIR, that’s what 92% of trade show attendees say they are at an expo to see. If you sell products, having your own trade show booth gives you the perfect opportunity to demo your product to new people.

They offer face-to-face time with prospects.

We all know in-person sales meetings are powerful. They’re also difficult to get. Exhibiting at a trade show allows you to build relationships and address concerns immediately.

Trade show attendees having purchasing power.

The trickiest part of marketing can be getting in front of the decision maker. But about 4 out of every 5 people attending a trade show having buying authority. You’ll meet tons of leads and create valuable contacts.

The leads are less expensive to convert.

If you’re a first time exhibitor, trade shows can seem expensive. The upside is that trade show leads actually cost less to close. The cost of a face-to-face meeting with a prospect at a trade show is $142. That’s well below the average $259 it takes to get a face-to-face meeting at a prospect’s office.

If you’ve decided trade show exhibiting will benefit your business, the next step is to plan your exhibit. Should you rent from the general show contractor, or bring your own? Should you buy a generic booth, or design a custom display? To sort through the options, let’s talk about the merits of custom trade show exhibits.

Why custom trade show exhibits are worth it:

Custom trade show exhibits can be cost-effective.

We know your first concern will be cost. That’s why you should consider how often your business attends trade shows and expos. If you’re a first time exhibitor, you probably want to rent. But even generic exhibits that you rent from the general show contractor can be pricey when you factor in all the fees. If you attend a few shows a year, owning a custom trade show exhibit is the more cost-effective option that will pay for itself.

Customized displays enhance brand positioning.

You only get one chance at a first impression. Designing a custom trade show display will allow you to visually define your brand. With creative trade show exhibit ideas, you can create a branded experience that connects with your target customer. It also sends a message to your industry. You can use your custom trade show exhibit to position yourself as a niche provider, established brand or major industry player.

They draw attention and increase ROI.

To get a return on your trade show booth, you need to draw audiences in. Can you do that with a rental from the general show contractor? Consider what your competitors will be doing, and what it will take to stand out. Having an eye-catching custom exhibit will allow you to attract visitors, leave with more leads, and skyrocket your trade show ROI.

They attract highly targeted leads.

You can draw your ideal visitor into your trade show exhibit by designing it specifically for them. Partnering with a full-service exhibit agency makes a difference. When working with an exhibit designer to build your own custom trade show display, they should use your target customers’ needs as inspiration. By focusing on customer-centric design, you and your designers will come up with innovative ways to capture the attention of motivated prospects.

Custom trade show exhibits can be rented.

Not all trade show rentals are the same. It’s important for your business to do comparative research when deciding on an exhibit. Some exhibit companies offer custom trade show exhibit rentals like ours, and others offer generic options. Wanting a rental doesn’t have to put custom trade show exhibits out of reach.

When you weigh the benefits, custom trade show exhibits are worth the investment for most businesses. For more ideas, check out the custom trade show exhibits and custom trade show exhibit rentals we’ve designed for our clients. Or contact our team to discuss your brand’s unique trade show needs.