Get the Right Trade Show Displays for Your Booth

Taking part in any kind of trade exhibition is one of the most fulfilling things anyone can do for themselves and their business. They are spaces where a lot of learning and growth can take place, an exposure to a new world that you may not have imagined excited. However, attending one is never that easy when you consider the logistics that go into it. One area that usually causes the biggest headache is the sourcing of trade show displays.

We are going to explore the many ways that you can use to get the right trade shows, look at the reasons why this is necessary, and dive into the challenges that you should be mentally prepared for. If you are planning to attend a trade show in the near future, then you are in the right place.

Factors to Consider when Setting up Trade Show Displays

To ensure the success of your trade show, you have to make the right selection when it comes to trade show displays. These are the most important part of the entire setup as they hold the product you intend to display. The following are some things you have to keep in mind when you are selecting trade show displays.

Buying vs. Renting

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You have two options when it comes to exhibition stands; buying or renting. You can either choose to come with your own setup, and this includes the booths, the stands, the displays, and any other accessory that you feel will highlight your products the best. The second option would be to hire everything that you need on the ground when you land. The only thing you will be carrying would be the products.

Each of these two options has its own strengths and limitations, and it is up to you to decide the one that will bring you the most success. There’s a significant amount of money to be spent on either, and you should come prepared for anything.

If you choose to go with Buying your own setup, the following are some of the benefits and limitations that you should expect to run into.

Pros

• You have more control over how the displays will look like, from the size, the model, and the resolution. This gives you more range as you are able to tailor the products to form the best presentation.
• You have more time to get ready as you will have the time and access necessary to do rehearsals with your team in preparation for the big day.
• You will be using high-quality and well-maintained displays. Most companies go that extra mile to even buy new displays for the best results.

Cons

• It is a very costly affair to get your own gear for the trade show. You have to handle the transportation, the strange, and the insurance cover; all these can run your budget very high.
• You will be required to hire an expert who is able to operate the trade show displays for you, especially if you have to travel to another country for the trade show.

The other option would be renting trade show displays, and this comes with the following benefits and drawbacks.

Pros

• It is cheaper as you don’t have to worry about the logistics of transporting them around or paying for their storage. All you do is pay the fee for exhibit rentals, and you will find everything set up on the day of the trade show.
• You don’t have to worry about taking the displays down once the show is over. There are teams that handle that on your behalf. You just need to pack your products once you are done, and the rest is cleared by the hiring companies.

Cons

• There’s always the risk of using worn-out and faulty equipment as they have been used by different people for a very long time before. This could give your booth a very bad reputation.
• There’s no uniqueness. Most companies that attend trade shows end up hurting their trade show displays and other equipment from the same companies, and this can have every single trade show booth looking identical with each other, watering down all your efforts to stand out and make an impact.

Know your Booth Size

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Trade show displays are not regular-sized TV screens and monitors. Most are made huge in order to cater to the needs of the trade show for maximum exposure. When selecting a trade show display screen for your booth, you have to pay attention to the size of your tradeshow display design stall. 

A bigger stall will have more room for bigger trade show displays and this, in turn, makes the booth stand out more, attracting potential clients to it. If you are running low on space, you can get creative by setting the displays outside near the entrance of your booth to attract any passersby.

Knowing the size of your booth will help you organize the displays in better angles, and that’s how you are able to stand out. You should know that trade shows are all about the dazzle. You are always in stiff competition with other booths around you, and getting the attention of the visitors is how you do business.

Portability

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Having the displays fixed in one area is good if you are limited on space. You simply need to find the best corner and angle to display your best products in the most engaging manner you can think of. However, having exhibit displays that can be moved around will always add more life to your booth.

Think of screen holders that are equipped with wheels that allow you to move the monitors, banners, or any other display materials that you are using to any part of the booth for a better effect. This will not only attract the attention of anyone passing by, but it will significantly increase your choices when it comes to making use of the space.

But when coming up with portable displays, think of the space you have and the nature of the products. Having displays that move randomly around will not be a good idea if you are dealing with fragile products like glass or smart devices. If you are limited on space, you should also consider laying off wheeled displays as that may cause challenges when it comes to the free movement of the visitors and your staff.

Type of Display

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The options available for people looking to use trade show displays is unlimited; it all comes down to how creative you are and the type of products you are dealing with. You can choose to go with TV screens which are ideal for animated presentations or quick short videos that explain how the products you are displaying operate. This is a very effective and time-saving technique that also spares your staff from having to answer the same questions from visitors the whole day. Being plug and play also gives you the freedom to change the content as many times as you want. Banners are another good option that makes use of colors and beautiful imagery to draw the attention of the visitors. Banners can be set up in all styles; they can be hung from the walls, the entrance, or simply set up as roll-up banners. You can add all manner of information on a banner, from your logo, company colors, details of the products you are dealing with, and the services you are offering. By having them near the entrance, any visitor is able to read and know exactly what they are walking into.

The Budget

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Trade shows are costly affairs, but the returns are massive and worth every pain. However, you could still come out with nothing at the end of the trade show if you don’t invest your funds wisely. When it comes to getting trade show displays, don’t be stingy. You have to go all out because this would be a nerve-wracking competition against other businesses that will set their booths to drown you. 

You have to pull out all your guns, and this comes in the form of hiring and buying the best displays money can buy. If you are using screens, then go for the ones that have very clear resolutions and are big enough to be seen from a distance. If you go with banners and other print materials, then make sure that you acquire the services of a qualified graphic designer who will bring all your concepts to life in the best way possible. 

At the same time, you don’t have to dig yourself into debt, all for the sake of two days of the exhibition that may not work out as you expect. You should try to minimize your spending and only splash on the most necessary display options. The rest can be budget purchases. Just ensure that they all work together seamlessly to bring your booth to life and give you an edge over your direct competitors.

The Manufacturer and Hiring Company

Quality is always tied to a brand, and it would be a bad idea to avoid some renowned brand when you are looking to make a name for yourself in a trade show. If you choose to buy your own displays for the trade show, then ensure that you purchase the materials from a well-known brand that poem vouch for. 

There are a good number of trade show display manufacturers that are well known in the trade show circles. If this is your first rodeo at a trade show, then ask around and talk with people who have been doing this for a long, and they will direct you to the right manufacturers.

The same applies to any hiring company that you chose to work with if you decide to go with the hiring option. You have to make sure that the gear you are hiring is of sound quality and doesn’t show any signs of aging, and can be able to handle heavy tasks. These two are very important factors that should not be overlooked as they can spring surprises on you on the day of the event if you are not careful.

Storage and Shipping

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Most trade shows take between 2 days and a whole week. This means that there will be a lot of shuttling between the venue and your hotel as you try to get the most of the vent. This translates to storage and transportation fees for your products, equipment, and every single thing you will need for the trade show.

At this point, you have to think of the money you have injected into the whole event; it is a lot. When it comes to handling storage and transportation, try to go with the most affordable company you can find. Just ensure they know how to handle their stuff.

Fortunately for those that choose to go with the hiring option, you don’t have to worry about storage and transportation. These companies usually set everything up in advance then take down everything when you are done. In between, they not only provide storage services for your items but also security, at a fee. So think through the options that you have and try to save as much money as you can.

Types of Trade Show Displays

Having looked at the factors, you have to consider when choosing trade show displays; it is now important that we take you through the type of trade show displays that exist to help you understand the range of choices at your disposal. They include the following.

Pop-Up Displays

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These are portable types of trade show displays that are very easy to set up and use. Most actually come pre-fabricated and all you have to do is unfold them, and they are ready to display anything you want in full detail.

Pop-up displays work best when they are used as a background accessory. Setting them back behind everything and setting up lights inside them can add a very authentic feeling to the entire booth and that’s one of the things that attracts visitors faster than anything else. They work the same way as an accordion and can be unfolded in any direction to provide mounting space for graphic materials and printed fabric. They also come with space for holding lights and the addition of monitors. They are the most versatile trade show display options you will ever come across.

Truss

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A truss is an extended metal structure that is used to create a perimeter around the booth, providing ample space for all kinds of displays to be printed on. Depending on their sizes, they are best suited for banners and other forms of printed display materials. They are very strong as they are made with reinforcements, and this means they can handle heavy loads, allowing all kinds of displays to be added even on top of them for maximum effect.

Truss structures can also be repurposed into display tables and benches where staff and visitors can interact freely with each other without having to worry about causing any damage in the process. Another big advantage of using trusses is that they are lightweight, and even if they do fall, the chances of injuring anyone are very minimal.

Hanging Displays

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One of the biggest challenges that participants in trade shows are through is the lack of space. The booths are usually stacked so close together in the expansive venue, allowing enough room for movement and the setting up of product displays. This leaves the roof as the only unused space in all trade shows. You can take advantage of this by using the ceiling.

Hanging displays come in many forms. They could be glass boxes that can accommodate banners or even products or simply lined with LED lights that emit different colors that attract people to your booth. They are lightweight, colorful, versatile, and come in all kinds of shapes and patterns; it all comes down to your personal preferences and the nature of the products that you are displaying.

Graphic Tents

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These are tents that double up as the cover for the products on display, and at the same time, their surfaces are used as displays. You could have your company logo and colors displayed on the sides of the tent and have it face away from the booth so that visitors can read and understand what your booth is all about. Graphic tents are a very innovative way of getting the word out about your booth without spending too much. At the same time, they provide the booth with shelter, and that can be very handy if the event is being held outdoors. There’s no limit to the amount of information you can display on the inside and outside of the graphic tents, so make sure you take full advantage of them to push the popularity of your booth higher.

Banner Stands

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These are special banners that make use of standing curved pipes to create a very stylish and curvy display that can stand on its own anywhere with a flat surface. These displays are also retractable and this means you can save on the space significantly. Since they are for static images, you can choose to have the images of the products you are dealing with or the services you are offering displayed on all of them and strategically position each in angles that make it easy for people who may be passing by to know what you are up to, attracting them in. You can make them more attractive by using colors that can catch the eye from a very long distance away. Tradeshow banner design stands can be used as single units or can be combined to create a single large wall of graphic material that you can use as the backdrop of your entire booth.

Pipe and Drape

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This is a type of setup that resembles the curtains in a performance theater. It consists of pipes that create support for a number of drapes that are placed over them, touching the ground, providing the perfect surface for all kinds of displays to be added. They work well with indoor booths that have ample space. All you have to do is print anything you want on a number of drapes and hang them up to display the information to the visitors who may be passing by.

It is a very innovative and convenient way of ensuring that your trade show is well covered in terms of publicity. You can print several drapes to display different things and change them up after every 30 minutes to keep the flow of information fresh and flowing. They also add some color to the entire studio booth, and this makes them an ideal aesthetic option for people who love to create dazzling atmospheres at trade shows.

Monitors

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If you are looking to get the best out of your trade show booth, then going with TV units is the most efficient method. The one advantage it holds over most of the other options is that it can display all data formats. If you want stills, audio, or audio-visuals, screen monitors have that covered.

The best part of having them in your booth is that they don’t occupy much space, and you have the freedom to change the content as much as you want. You just have to prepare the content well in advance to ensure that everything is in chronological order. You simply plug a flash disk into the TV, and you let it run things on its own until you feel the need to switch things up.

The only drawback to them is that they need a special structure to support them. This means tables or mounting cabinets that have to be wheeled in. This may cost you extra and take up much of the space that would otherwise have been used for more important things. Therefore, if you do choose to go with monitors for your trade show display needs, make sure you get a size that works with the space you have. You don’t have to go all out to buy a lot of screens. One or two are more than sufficient.

Conclusion

If you have never taken part in a trade show, then prepare yourself sufficiently as it will not be a walk in the park. Organizing for one usually takes months of preparation, and that sometimes is never enough. When it comes to ensuring that you gain as much as you can, simply make sure that you carry the right tools with you, and that includes the trade show displays. For more information on how you can set up a successful booth, check out our website and have your questions answered by our team of experts.