When designing a trade show exhibit booth experience, you must keep the customer's experience in mind. Unfortunately, there are several red flags that companies fall victim to when they designing their booths. Often these are tempting as you try to save money on your design, but they could derail your overall success.
Working with a reputable exhibit house can help you avoid these problems and optimize your booth design for the best possible impact. As you make your plans, here are 10 red flags to avoid.
1. The More Products We Showcase, The Better
Your trade show is a great opportunity to sell products, but you must also keep the guest experience in mind. Putting too many products out can overwhelm your visitors. It will also make your booth look crowded. Choose a few key products that are relevant to the audience at that particular trade show, and you’ll be more successful.
2. We Don’t Need to Plan for Interactive Elements in Our Exhibit Booth
Interactive elements are what keep people at your booth after they arrive. Touch screens, VR experiences, demonstrations, and similar elements will increase engagement and create a lasting impression on site visitors. Don’t overlook these elements.
3. We Need a Flashy, Extravagant Booth to Attract Attention
While interactive elements and eye-catching aesthetics are essential, you don’t want to be too flashy. In fact, too much extravagance can detract from your goals because it looks gimmicky. You want a booth design that conveys a professional image to your trade show visitors.
4. We Don’t Need to Invest in Professional Graphics and Signage for Our Exhibit Booth
To create that professional image, you need high-quality graphics and signage. Professional design elements make your booth look polished and professional. Amateur graphics will cheapen the look of your booth. Low-budget graphics can also make your booth blend in too much with your competitors. This is where you should invest some of your trade show budget for maximum effectiveness.
5. Our Exhibit Booth Should Be All About Selling. Forget All the Extra Stuff
Actually, trade shows aren’t just a time for selling. They’re also a time for marketing. You need to also provide value on the spot, such as a place people can relax or a snack to enjoy. When you have value for your visitors, you have the chance to build relationships, even if they don’t become customers.
Focusing on sales alone makes you look pushy and may drive people away from your booth and your business. Try to strike a balance so your visitors have a positive trade show experience.
6. We Can Skimp on Lighting and Audiovisual Elements in Our Exhibit Booth
Your trade show booth visitors need to be able to see. They also need effective audiovisual equipment so that they can interact with your brand. Invest in high-quality lighting and audiovisual elements to make your booth look professional and improve the visitor experience, so they leave with a lasting impression of your brand.
7. Our Exhibit Booth Should Be a Replica of Our Website and Marketing Materials
Your trade show booth needs to capture the attention and interest of event guests, and replicating your website may not be the best way to do this. Tailor the booth to the venue and the needs of your guests, rather than simply replicating the marketing materials you already have.
8. Our Exhibit Booth Doesn’t Need Any Giveaways or Promotional Items
Promotional items are something trade show guests tend to expect. If you choose them well, they can incentivize people to engage with your booth. If the item is desirable enough, you may even be able to get contact information with it. Giveaways can be a key to making your event successful.
9. We Can Skip Pre-Show Marketing and Promotion
You have no control over the show event management’s marketing efforts. They may do a poor job or target the wrong people. Your pre-show marketing and promotion are the only ways to drive traffic to your own booth. Let people know where you will be and how they can find you.
10. We Don’t Need to Train Our Booth Staff; They’ll Figure It out on the Spot
You only have a few moments to engage with visitors at a trade show. Your staff needs proper training to communicate the key points you want to drive home effectively.
If they aren’t trained, you’ll miss opportunities. Your staff needs to know the products or services you offer well so that they can answer questions on the spot.
In addition to teaching them about your products and your brand’s talking points, they must also have good sales and customer service skills.
Start Planning with an Experienced Exhibit House
Avoiding these red flags is easier when you have the right exhibit house on your side. Exhibit Options will help you design a trade show that keeps the visitor experience in mind while also avoiding these red flags. If you haven't been able to find a design that works for you, give us a call!
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