1. Bold & Bright Colours

A 2017 survey shows that almost 50% of businesses that exhibit at trade shows said that an eye-catching exhibition stand is the best way to attract attendees to visit your stand and learn more about your company. We couldn’t agree more – who’s going to want to talk to a business when their first impression is a drab and boring stand, featuring a range of beiges and greys? Try choosing colours that both fit in with your branding, without falling into the trap of being dull to look at – if a bold blue or electric pink works with your brand, don’t hesitate to use it in your exhibition stand!

2. Try Different Types of Lighting

Fundamentally, lighting is another of the most important elements to get your stand noticed at busy events. If your area is underlit, it’s very likely that your next potential client will walk straight by without looking twice. But before you buy the next display lights you see, consider the impact you want to make with them. Do you have a particular statement you want to highlight, or make some of your graphics stand out from the crowd? Some strategically placed spotlights might do the trick. Equally, a bright stand isn’t always right for every space – if you want to create a more immersive experience, dim and inviting lighting can equally draw attention and get customers feeling like they’re on a special journey. Want something a little bit different, but increases the overall impact of your stand? Talk to your exhibition stand builders about incorporating some backlighting into your displays. Whatever you decide works best for you, make sure you plan out your exhibition stand ideas before jumping in feet first!

3. Experiment With Different Shapes

Gone are the days of flat walls and boring shapes at trade shows and other events. As ideas about what makes a good exhibition stand have progressed, we’re seeing businesses become increasingly creative with their exhibition stand ideas, especially when it comes to experimenting with different shapes. If you were thinking of opting for a classic flat wall design, have another think – why not go for a bespoke stand featuring curves, counters and other impactful features? Not only does it exude modern ideas and creative thinking, but it simply makes for an eye-catching final result in a room full of companies doing the same boring thing.

4. Confident Graphics & Branding

Similarly to our philosophy on colours you should use, getting your graphics and overall branding right is crucial to a successful exhibition display. Before you even contact your exhibition stand contractor of choice, make sure you carefully ponder some clear exhibition stand ideas and produce some relevant and impactful graphics to help you plan your stand before you purchase. We recommend a good mixture of imagery, bold colours and short, (but meaningful), statements or brand slogans to make the perfect stand that stands out! An important top tip – keep long sections of text to a minimum. At the end of the day, one of the big draws of trade shows is being able to talk to exhibitors face to face, not to read about them!

5. Don’t Be Afraid To Tempt People In!

Although we love to talk about getting the exhibition stand itself right, (we admit we’re a little biased), it’s just as important to attract people in other ways. Walking through a busy space filled to the brim with different companies vying for your attention, it’s hard to be different, which is why we think there’s nothing wrong with offering a little incentive. Creating quick games, giveaways, freebies and competitions is a great way to engage potential customers and attract them to your stand. After they’ve shown interest in what you’re offering, it’s plain sailing – they’ll be much more receptive to your brand and the services you offer if you’ve given them some entertainment!

6. Live Demos & Follow Ups Are Key

What better way to help people understand what you’re offering than by showcasing it in realtime? At the end of the day, people who attend trade shows are there to see what new products or services are on the market, and they’re ultimately in a purchasing mindset. By showing off exactly what you’re selling and letting people take part in live demonstrations, they’re much more likely to see the utility and help your brand stick in their mind.

The natural accompaniment to this is taking their details to follow up after the show – the people you want to attract will be exposed to lots of different brands throughout the day, so even if you have some amazing exhibition stand ideas, chances are that even interested people could forget about you after the event. By sending people a quick email after everything’s said and done, you can get your brand back in front of them and encourage further conversations.

7. Have Conversations & Answer Questions

People like trade shows and other events because it’s easier to connect with brands. Potential customers or clients enjoy talking to representatives of brands, especially because it means they can answer any questions on the fly instead of navigating websites and wasting time on emails back and forth. The perfect combination of a casual and welcoming team and a sales driven approach can maximise your chances of your brand being remembered by people who approach you.

If you consider all of these factors when you start to plan and design your display, you’re bound to end up with a winning result. We know how important it is to create a visually stunning and memorable exhibition stand, so hopefully you’ve taken some inspiration from the exhibition stand ideas we’ve listed above. If you want to see some of these tips and tricks in action, take a browse through our gallery page of previous builds and designs we’ve created.