Here are some ways to make trade shows an investment instead of an expense:
Design
We are seeing more straight-line architecture in trade show booths, which is easier and less expensive to set up than designs with shapes and curves. Colors are cooler, and clients are starting to incorporate light wood tones. Lounge spaces within the trade show booth, with phone charging areas and comfortable seating, are becoming more popular: whether clients want to foster brand awareness, build advocacy, or close sales on the exhibit floor, it’s important to have a comfortable, well-equipped space for meetings that provides an appropriate amount of privacy. As for materials, fabric, plywood, and laminate are increasingly being replaced with more textural and “real world” materials that provide a comfortable, familiar, and authentic experience.
Budgets
The economy has imposed leaner budgets on many exhibitors. The result is smaller, more efficient exhibits and an increased focus on R.O.I.. Simpler booth designs from aluminum frames with lightweight fabric graphics are more common. Exhibitors benefit from smaller, lighter packaging that results in reduced shipping and labor costs. Several businesses have ‘scaled back’ in order to ‘scale up’. They are really looking at the shows they attend to see if they are actually good shows for them or if they were just going because they’ve always gone or because their competitors go. They have also looked at their booth space sizes and gone smaller when possible. This has allowed them to cut back on the number of shows they attend and the amount of money they spend on booth space, allowing them to spend more money on cool booth designs for the shows they do go to.
Technology
Some businesses have been leaning towards electronic picture frames as a way to display product information, rather than a static graphic. It saves money in the long run and it’s green. As the cost of LEDs and digital signage continues to drop, more exhibitors will make use of these products since they can be updated easily and reused from one event to the next.
For more information on what is trending in trade show booths, contact The Exhibit Source.
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