A Beginner’s Exhibition Stand Design Guide

Ben Ikin
November 12, 2024
10:17 am

Exhibitions and trade shows have been one of the most reliable ways to generate leads and brand recognition, and they have effectively been around in one form or another for centuries. The playbook to a successful exhibition show is thick, with many differing opinions on how one is done effectively. That being said – there is one dominant piece of advice in this sector – that a good exhibition stand design build is key to success.

But what makes a good exhibition stand design? Showplace, the UK’s leading exhibition stand solutions company, has put together this guide to highlight some of the best practices of designing a good exhibition stand in this highly competitive industry, and reasons why you should always choose a professional trade show company to help you.

1. Define your objective and goals

In 2017, at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, a tech firm named “TechInnovate” showcased its diverse product line that included VR headsets, smart home devices, wearable tech etc. However, as beautiful as their bespoke exhibition stand was, complete with multiple interactive displays and high visual impact graphics, they did poorly due to their lack of messaging, branding and purpose. Their presentation lacked focus, shooting through their diverse lines with little cohesion, resulting in an overstimulated visitor base. Their lack of a goal led to a lack of a strategy, which in turn led to a lack of reason for consumers to become leads – let alone convert. Overall, it was a poor showing.

That’s why the first and most important thing you can do to make your exhibition successful is to define a clear goal for your trade show. By having these set from the start, you can align all of your actions to maximise the potential of your exhibition stand and overall performance.

The benefits are as follows:

Focus resources – Time, money, and materials are prioritised and allocated to ensure all activities that matter most are accounted for. According to the Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR), exhibitors who set specific goals are 68% more likely to achieve a positive return on investment (ROI) compared to those without clear objectives.
Measure results – How do you know how well you’ve done in terms of visitor numbers, leads generated, or product interest, if you haven’t illustrated proper expectations. A study by the Event Marketing Institute found that 87% of companies that set measurable objectives for trade shows were able to effectively quantify their success, leading to better strategic decisions for future events.
Enhance team coordination – When team members understand what the stand aims to achieve, as well as the targets set for them, they can work more cohesively. Research published in the Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing indicates that clear communication of objectives among exhibition staff leads to a 34% increase in team performance and visitor engagement.

How to set a clear objective

The following is a step-by-step guide that should help a project manager create proper objectives:

Purpose – This one is easy. Are you going to raise brand awareness, generate leads, launch a new product etc?
SMART Goals – SMART is a system by which you can create goals that are reliable, used by businesses to set goals for events or otherwise.
- Specific – Lets say you want to generate goals. How many? Get a specific number using historical data for exhibition shows, either your own or similarly sized endeavours.
- Measurable – Industry averages should be used to determine specific metrics. Gather expected visitor numbers, social media mentions or lead conversions.
- Achievable – Set targets that you can actually achieve with the budget that you have.
- Relevant – Objectives must align directly with a company’s broader goal, and the exhibition’s intended outcome. If brand awareness is the goal, for example, focus on metrics such as total impressions and new contacts. Ensure you have the ability to gather these metrics reliably in place.
- Time-bound – Establish timeframes for each goal, such as during, after the event and the post-event follow-up period.
Objectives by Engagement Strategy – Take the goals you have, and create a proper engagement strategy to reach them. For lead generation, this could be product demos and interactive sign up forms, for example.
Set up KPI’s and Metrics – The following are some metrics you should gather, not only to gauge results, but to also see their effectiveness (that will help tweak your exhibition stand and presentation next time):
- Visitor engagement time – Average time visitors spent at the stand, using tracking tools to measure average engagement time. Longer engagement times indicate strong interest, and the means by which the engagement happens should be invested into.
- Number of demos – Total amount of demos conducted, ensuring consistent interaction with visitors and giving insight into how appealing the demo is. The more effective demos given, the better the results.
- Lead collection and follow up – How many qualified leads did you capture? How many convert afterwards? Count and qualify by interest level and categorise them as high, medium or low. Find what makes the high interest leads stick.
- Social media engagement and outreach – Count the media mentions, hashtag usage and impressions generated. This is how you extend your brand beyond the event.
- Visitor footfall and conversion rate – How many visitors are at the stand, and how many convert? Use a manual clicker or counting system to track footfall, and set a conversion rate target. The gap between footfall amount and conversion rate determines how effective your strategy is.

Once you understand what your objectives are, and how you’ll track the factors that determine their success, you will then know what you need to give your exhibition stand designers. If any of our top tips should be adhered to, it’s this one – because this is part of project management services, which, although differ from the initial process of designing and creating a good looking bespoke exhibition stand design, are still of the utmost importance.

2. Create a custom exhibition stand design that reflects your brand

Your bespoke exhibition stand must align with your brand’s identity. It has been proven through research that consistent branding presentation across all platforms can increase revenue by up to 23%, and signature colour can boost brand recognition by 80%.

Colour scheme – All brands have primary and secondary colours. When you have this scheme, stick to it, and use it prominently in your stand’s layout and displays.
Logo placement – Position your logo strategically – it has to be visible from several angles at once. This ensures that visitors recognise the brand immediately when approaching the stand.
Typography and font consistency – Your custom exhibition stand design should have uniform typography for all signage and messaging, with the intention of creating familiarity over time.
Core messaging – Create key slogans, taglines or messages that convey both brand values and main selling points. Incorporate them into your design and contact points.
Thematic design – What is the overall theme of your brand’s style and value? A tech company, for example, may adopt sleek and minimalist designs to evoke trends of technology becoming more condensed and convenient.
Branded visuals and media – Videos, banners and images, all of these highlight your products and services, and when done consistently, it reinforces brand messaging and keeps the experience cohesive.

As you may be able to tell from this section, a bespoke exhibition stand is all well and good, but the design elements should be left to professionals. Knowing the effects that your designs should evoke is all well and good, but there is also the art in actually presenting them.

Exhibition stand designers are key for ensuring this is done properly. They have a professional understanding of colour psychology, knowing what colours influence what emotions and perceptions, all whilst ensuring the colour scheme aligns with your brand’s message in the most seamless way possible.

3. Utilise high-quality graphics and visuals

When you create exhibition stands, one of the biggest pieces of advice levied at you by stand designers is to use high-quality graphics and/or visuals. Sure, it draws attention and communicates your brand’s message effectively, but it also ensures that you have an attractive exhibition display with eye-catching graphics/visuals.

High-resolution images – Sharp and professional images enhance the stand’s appeal. Low quality visuals detract from the brand’s professionalism, whereas the opposite is considered to be a sign of integrity.
Engaging videos and animations – Your exhibition stand designers should plan for elements that allow for video content and animations to be displayed, and this content should be engaging, made by people who know what they’re doing.
Clear, concise signage – Create easy-to-read signage with concise messaging. Ensure they capture your brand’s key offerings in large, legible fonts. In this, prioritise simplicity.
Strategic use of space and layout – Your exhibition stand design should display graphics at eye level, and in high-traffic areas, to maximise visibility. Key messages and visuals are then noticed by visitors passing by, increasing engagement likelihood.

There is also the question of what images you should use, where, how large – etc. But this requires an in-depth understanding of visual hierarchies and layout design. You must work closely with an exhibition stand company to ensure that your choices are the most effective, and how best to unlock their potential.

4. Incorporate interactive elements to engage visitors

Having interactive elements within your exhibition stand makes them more engaging. A study by the Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR) found that 81% of trade show attendees engage more with interactive displays, leading to increased interest and retention. Additionally, research from the Event Marketing Institute indicates that 74% of consumers have a more positive perception of brands that offer engaging experiences at events.

This is because active participation is much more memorable than passive participation, and interactive elements play on your senses of sight, touch, and sometimes sound – making it a multi-sensory experience.

Kinds of interactive elements are as follows:

Touchscreens and interactive displays – Touchscreen kiosks or tablets allow a visitor to explore the products, browse the catalogues or learn more about your brand at their own pace. It also allows them to target information they are already interested in, instead of being slowed down.
Product demonstrations – If a person tries a demo of a product and is impressed, the likelihood of them buying that product goes up dramatically. This is definitely the case for tech, or more complex products.
Virtual reality and augmented reality – VR and AR can transport visitors into immersive experiences, each one having its own unique effect.
Gamification elements – Interactive games or quizzes can add a fun, engaging layer to the stand, so long as they’re not too intrusive. Rewards and prizes that encourage participation also make a great incentive for further engagement.
Interactive product demos with analytics – Incorporating devices and displays within your exhibition stands that capture visitor data during interaction is an easy, seamless way to gather it.

Even with modular exhibition stands, you should know from the start how many displays or devices you’ll need in your finished exhibition stand.

5. Plan pre-event promotion

Your project manager should put together a strategy to promote the event before and after the exhibition. Your exhibition stand plays a big role in ensuring this is effective.

Pre-event:

Leverage social media campaigns – Announce your participation across all platforms that are relevant, such as LinkedIn, Instagram or Twitter, to build excitement and awareness of the events beforehand. Ensure you use branded event hashtags, and make sure to display the fruits of your efforts, such as your bespoke exhibition stand, prominently.
Engage with email marketing – Send emails that are targeted toward existing and prospective clients, inviting them to your stand with exclusive product reveals, interactive elements, and opportunities to meet with experts. Consider a sort of incentive to those who schedule meetings in advance, although, if you’re expecting high engagement, pure fomo may be enough to engage them.
Collaborate with event organisers for maximum visibility – Many organisers offer promotional opportunities, such as being featured in an attendee newsletter, on event websites etc. Partner with these organisers to promote your stand.
Create a dedicated landing page – Developing your landing page is an art much different from exhibition stand design. It’s a place where they can register, schedule meetings, and generally learn more about your stand. Furthermore, it’s a place where they can capture simple information from those who show high interest, becoming valuable leads.

Conclusion

In order to unlock the full potential of your exhibition stand, you need an exhibition design that is second to none. Showplace are expert providers of exhibition stands and graphic designers. Our team can create a great exhibition stand design for use at your next exhibition and future ones to come.