How To Decorate A Tradeshow Booth

Tradeshow Booth Decoration Tips

Lengthy travel. Hauling products and merch. Paying exhibit and attendance fees. If your company participates in trade shows and expos, then you know all the work and costs that go along with these events. If you’re making the effort to design and set up a trade show booth, then you likely also know that the potential ROI is well worth it. Trade shows are the best way to get your latest products in front of the very people who are seeking them out.

According to ColorCraft, a company that designs trade show exhibit booths, there are many benefits to expos:

• 92% of trade show attendees say the reason they are attending is to see new products.
• About 4 out of 5 people attending an expo have buying authority in their company.
• Although the cost of trade shows is high, the per-lead cost is much lower than visiting potential clients individually ($142 vs. $259).

As you can see, the benefits are great, but because of the high ROI, so is the competition. You should always be looking for ideas to make your trade show booth stand out. Below, we’ll talk about how to decorate and style a trade show booth to attract the attention of potential clients, and we’ll discuss ideas for corporate swag that will make visitors remember your company long after the event is over.

How to Make Your Trade Show Booth Stand Out

At the average expo event, you are sharing the floor with dozens of other companies in your industry. Many of them probably offer similar products and services, so it’s imperative to make your booth eye-catching and engaging. Get an early start by reviewing our info guide on expo booths. It provides an overview of different types of booth setups to consider.

Stay on Trend 

Trade shows focus on recent advancements and the future of your industry. The last thing you want is to look like you’re stuck in the past. As we outline in this year's trend report, today’s businesses and consumers are focused on sustainability, as well as physical and mental health and wellness. 

You can incorporate these trends into your trade show booth design by putting your corporate responsibility efforts front and center. For instance, you could display a banner that highlights your company’s eco-conscious policies or your good work in the community.

Stick to Your Branding

One of the most important decoration tips for your expo booth is the simplest: be consistent with your branding. You want your booth visitors to get a clear idea not only of your visual brand, but of the overall vibe of your company. Your logo should be prominent, and everything in your booth should use colors and design concepts that fit with your brand.

Avoiding mixing and matching styles, as this will confuse attendees and make your company less memorable. For instance, if your logo is a vibrant color and your company has a cutting-edge focus, you wouldn’t want to have dull, traditional giveaway merch at your booth. We’ll talk more about memorable merch a bit later.

Use Your Space Well

A well-designed booth requires planning. Make sure you know the size and layout of your exhibit space in advance. Whether your trade show space is a small table or a large corner booth, there are plenty of great ideas for using your setup well. These include tablecloths and runners to cover plain tables, retractable banners, and hands-on product displays.

BTWN Exhibits suggests laying out your booth the same way you would design a website: using plenty of “white space” so your banners, products, and merch pop. They suggest reserving 40% of your booth area for empty space.

Create an Interactive Space

Hands-on experiences, exhibits, and activities are excellent ways to get people to spend more time at trade show booths. Audiovisual display company DGI  suggests that companies “offer a way for attendees to see and feel your products and services” through demos and interactive digital signage. Raffles and games are more ways to boost engagement and give you more time to talk to people about your company. 

Bring Memorable Swag

Not everyone who visits your booth will need your product or service right away. But you want them to remember your brand down the road when they are ready to make a purchase. Enter logo-branded giveaways! When you give useful, distinctive, and high-quality products for your corporate merch, your company will stay front and center in the minds of your potential clients.

Merchology is here to help you find the perfect giveaway ideas for your trade show booth:

• Browse our Top 10 Guide to Trade Show Giveaways! It provides an overview of logo-branded products ranging from drinkware to portable chargers.
  
• Set up drawings for higher-end items like electronics or gift boxes. These larger prizes will attract attention to your booth (and help you collect client information).
  
• Check out our Gifts Page to browse unique products that will help you stand out. It includes plenty of ideas for small and large giveaways that will improve your trade show booth.

   

Contact Us 

Now that you know the basics of how to decorate a trade show booth, contact us at Merchology! We can give you more tips to find the best custom merch and decoration items for your expo booth.