Why a Professional Trade Show Exhibit Design Is a Must for Event Marketing

trade show exhibit design

trade show exhibit design

This CEP America exhibit, designed by ProExhibits, makes a striking brand impression.

Think about the last trade show you attended. Which exhibits grabbed your attention? Did they actually engage you enough to check out the exhibitor’s booth? Were you interested enough to speak to the exhibitor and learn about their services?

Do you even remember most of the exhibits, or are many of them a blur?

A lot rides on your exhibit’s reception and ROI, including your brand image and sales pipeline. Your presence at trade shows and other events should make a great impression and produce new sales leads and customers. A professional trade show exhibit design is a great place to start.

Professional trade show exhibit designers keep up on the latest trends in event marketing, graphics, materials, and the like, so your exhibit will be fresh and engaging, rather than just another cookie-cutter display with piles of unread brochures. Your brand should look to hire experienced professional designers who understand how to use limited exhibition space creatively. This includes considering factors like:

  • What can fit in the space?
  • Do you need a demonstration area?
  • How about a private meeting room for sales negotiations?

These are questions that should be answered even before considerations like technical and networking requirements, signage, or mobility (as in the case of an exhibit mounted on a vehicle). All of these elements need to result in an exhibit that’s approachable and inviting. A design that checks off a list of requirements yet fails to attract attendees has failed to accomplish its main goal.

Let’s explore the top three reasons why a professional trade show exhibit design is a must for successful event marketing.

Reason #1: Professional Trade Show Exhibit Designs Get Attention

If you want show attendees to become clients, you first need to catch their eye and entice them to take a closer look. Many elements go into making that happen. While highly visible and engaging graphics are an ideal way to hook an audience, they require thought and purposeful composition. Even if a design looks fantastic on-screen, it can fade into the background or otherwise fall short unless certain factors are taken into consideration: the entirety of the display, the space or venue in which it will be displayed, the materials on which it will be printed, and so on. Unless your team is filled with pros who deal with these issues regularly, your graphics could fail to draw in and engage the people you want to reach most.

a trade show exhibit design for CEP America
ProExhibits created both a large exhibit for CEP America and a smaller exhibit for their subsidiary, MedAmerica.

Reason #2: Professional Trade Show Exhibit Are Uniquely Designed for Your Event

You may have a perfectly fine set of logos and designs handy for use in presentations and reports, but will they read clearly across several rows of booths at the trade show site? Will they stand out against those of your competitors? Working with a team of professionals to create your brand’s trade show exhibit designs for the specific types of event marketing you’re planning will help improve your chances of answering “yes” to these questions. Besides custom original designs, professional designers can also take your existing graphics and optimize them for different environments, from sun-drenched festivals to LED-heavy convention halls.

A trade shoe exhibit design should be welcoming
ProExhibits designed the CEP America exhibit to be an inviting and welcoming space for trade show attendees.

Reason #3: Professional Trade Show Designers Work Within Your Timeframe

Handling your trade show exhibit design in-house can be a valid choice if you have an experienced team with the talent and lead time required for top-notch results. However, if your team lacks experience in any part of the design process, you could be in for unforeseen problems. If they need time to study and train in preparation for the job, that could slow things down, as could outsourcing a particular portion of the job. Moreover, unless they’re working closely with the fabricators, logistics workers, and other folks who bring trade show exhibits to life, they can make mistakes that could derail your schedule. As an example, you’ll want to know which types of materials, printing processes, technical connections, installation equipment, and other aspects of your exhibit will work best for your design. You can create the world’s most engaging design on screen, but if it can’t be realized physically for your exhibit, its merits will remain theoretical.

Your Part in Designing a Branded Exhibit

Professional trade show exhibit designers can help you create a standout booth, but you’re still the expert when it comes to your brand’s story. This is a crucial aspect of designing a branded exhibit. You’ll want to be prepared to tell that story to the design team, so that they can weave it into the display. This will include your brand’s goal and purpose, plus an overview of other marketing efforts for possible tie-ins. Branding elements like color schemes and logos should also be easily shared in a range of standard formats.

Professional trade show exhibit designs help tell your brand’s story mindfully, using visual strategy to shape the way event attendees will encounter and interact with the exhibit. The most effective designs use visuals that scan easily from a distance and are intriguing enough to invite visitors to take a closer look. They take their intended venue into account, be it a convention hall or an outdoor festival. Professional designers also work within your timeframe, ensuring that all necessary fabrication, transportation, installation, and associated work can be executed in time to meet milestones and deadlines.

The exhibits you remember after a trade show is over do not happen by accident. They are designed to make the right impression—and to make it stick. With your brand’s image and future sales at stake, you’ll want attendees to remember your exhibit long after the close of your event. That’s why a professional trade show exhibit design is a must.

ProExhibits’ award-winning trade show exhibit designs have been making lasting impressions on event attendees for more than 30 years. We have our own exhibit fabrication and storage facilities and can handle the logistics involved with shipping exhibits worldwide. Whatever your event, our designers are ready to put their skills to work for you. Tell us about your upcoming event, and we’ll get started. Contact us today.

Take the first step towards next-level exhibits

Contact ProExhibits today for innovative and impactful exhibits and installations.

Take the first step towards next-level exhibits

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ProExhibits HQ
48571 Milmont Drive
Fremont, CA 94538

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Phone: 855-907-2982