29 Jan Trade Show Display Banners: Dos and Don’ts
There is much more to attending a trade show than standing near your trade show displays, passing out pamphlets and shaking hands. Trade show display materials – freestanding displays, tabletop displays, trade show booth graphics and banners – are basic and vital tools that can mean the difference between a successful trade show and a dismal showing for your company.
While there is a lot for Vancouver, BC companies to know about trade show displays, there are a few basic principles (borrowed from other forms of marketing) that can help your company stand out among exhibitors. Sandbox Signs + Graphics has created trade show and event marketing materials for countless Vancouver businesses. Our experience in sign design and marketing result in trade show materials that help companies stand out at an event and get people to your booth or table.
Trade Show Display Dos
Unify your graphics, branding and everything else.
If you’ve ever wandered into a top selling cellphone store, you’ll notice one thing above all else: unity. From branding, graphics style and brand voice to the branded shirts and pants worn by their sales staff, there is always consistency. Unification helps trade show visitors differentiate your brand from all the other attendee brands at the trade show. This consistency makes you stand out.
Use several forms of trade show displays.
Use three main types of trade show display: a both, tabletop displays, and banners. The booth, of course, is the central feature of your display.
The trade show booth acts as a backdrop or stage and usually employs larger fonts and eye-catching design. Don’t scrimp on the graphic design elements for your booth. Of all the trade show displays you use, it’s the one that people will see the most.
A table top display (or two) displays the same messaging as the booth, though in smaller format. It’s there so that your main marketing message is not lost on people that are standing right at your table.
Trade show banners act as beacons, making your brand visible from across the crowded trade show floor. If the event organizers allow it, hang the banners as high as you can and ensure they are oriented toward foot traffic. If your booth is not on a corner, hang them so they are perpendicular to your table, so they are seen head-on by trade show traffic. If foot traffic is flowing in both directions, consider two banners facing in opposite directions. If you have a corner booth, hang trade show banners perpendicular to both aisles.
Always have a clear “Call to Action” (CTA).
Whether you want attendees to call, email or visit a web page, make sure the CTA is clear and large enough to read from several feet away. Use one CTA, rather than several.
Trade Show Display Don’ts
Don’t do it yourself.
Unless you are an experienced graphic designer who has designed various trade show displays, don’t do it yourself. While you may save some money, you’ll likely make the mistakes made by many would-be, amateur graphic designers. If you are an amateur designer, the end result will look…well…amateur.
Don’t scrimp on graphic design.
As the old saying goes: “You get one chance to make a first impression”. Poor graphic design and cheap, low-quality graphics will leave visitors with a negative impression about your company or brand.
Don’t clutter the design.
It’s often a tendency to include too many elements in trade show displays and banners, resulting in a cluttered design that doesn’t have a focus. A graphical or photographic background, company name and logo, a punchy product tagline, one or two product or service benefits, pricing (if relevant) and a CTA is enough. Consider that the larger the format is, the more can fit in the space, but that doesn’t mean cramming every inch of available space. “White space” – the empty space between graphics and text is important. Too much information overwhelms the senses and makes it difficult for the reader to pull out the main points.
Receive a Free Estimate for Trade Show Displays, Booth Graphics and Banners
If you are considering trade show displays and banners for your next Vancouver area event, receive a free consultation and estimate from Sandbox Signs. We’ll provide feedback, suggestions and offer solutions that help you win the battle of the trade show floor.