Exhibition Stand Ideas
Everyone knows that bespoke exhibition stands are a great way to make an impression at trade shows and events; but how do you really stand out amongst a hundred other companies doing the same thing? We’ve compiled a list of the best exhibition stand ideas to consider when planning for your next event, giving you everything you need to inform your planning decisions and much more!
PLANNING YOUR EXHIBITION STANDS
The most important thing to do before you even start is to come up with a few good ideas on how you want your stand to look – your exhibition stand design is the first thing your potential customers or clients are going to see, so it’s not a bad idea to get it right! Businesses often underestimate the importance of visual impact when it comes to a good stand, so take a look at some of our simple exhibition stand ideas which can make a big difference. You don’t need to spend hours staring at a blank piece of paper to start planning your exhibition stand design inspiration – start with our amazing ideas, tips and tricks!
MODULAR EXHIBITION STAND IDEAS
One of the first things to consider when you’re coming up with the best exhibition stand ideas for your business is the lifetime value of your display. Modular exhibition stands are the go-to option for companies who regularly exhibit at events and shows around the country, giving you a reusable stand to serve as the foundation for updated graphics, products and other visual display elements! This can help to save you time and money you would’ve spent designing your next stand – though choosing fully bespoke can help your business ‘wow’ at a crowded event!
BE BRAVE – CREATIVE & UNIQUE CREATIVE IDEAS FOR EXHIBITION STANDS
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, greys and off the shelf design choices? 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! Don’t be afraid to add other elements too; plants, themed storytelling and abstract ways of displaying products all go down a treat in a crowded exhibition space.
POP UP & FOLDABLE EXHIBITION STAND IDEAS
It doesn’t matter what name you call them by – take ease of installation to the next level with a foldable, collapsible or pop up display, perfect when you’re struggling for exhibition stand ideas! Characterised by their compact nature, all of these exhibition stand ideas can easily be transported using a fraction of the space, installed in a fraction of the time and collapsed when the day is done – saving you valuable time when you should be exhibiting. Say goodbye to the days of multi-person specialist installation teams and enjoy the freedom that these pop up exhibition stands offer to your business!
THINK SPACE-SAVING WITH SMALL EXHIBITION STAND IDEAS…
We have first hand experience with the hassle of small exhibition spaces – and we don’t want you to have to fork out mega money for a slightly bigger space just because you don’t think you can pack enough punch! The opposite is true; small exhibition stands are a versatile solution to smaller spaces, incorporating just as much eye-catching appeal and intelligent design as exhibition stand ideas that need twice as much space. Thinking up 2m x 2m, 3m x 2m and 3m x 3m exhibition stand ideas has never been easier!
OR SPLASH OUT WITH LARGE EXHIBITION STAND IDEAS
If you’re lucky enough to not have to think about how to cram everything into your design without wasting so much as a metre, you may as well splash out and enjoy the extra room with large exhibition stands! Think multi-functional when coming up with your exhibition stand ideas, separating different areas for different uses to capitalise the opportunity you have; you could display different products or different features of your service, or turn one section into an interactive area to encourage participation and engage potential customers or clients. Take a look at the below exhibition stand images to see how this could work for your brand, whether you’re looking for 6m x 6m, 8m x 4m or 10m x 10m exhibition stand ideas!
HOW TO USE LIGHTING – EXHIBITION STAND INSPIRATION
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 exhibition stand ideas with backlighting or lightbox elements. Whatever you decide works best for you, make sure you plan out your exhibition stand ideas before jumping in feet first!
INTERACTIVITY IS KEY
One of the most underused but crucial elements of a successful display is its interactivity – if there’s nothing engaging for a prospective client or customer to engage with, then you’re setting yourself up to lose-out to your competitor. In our opinion, your exhibition stand design inspiration should always revolve around how people experience it, and making sure it’s interactive is the key to being the ‘stand-not-to-be-missed’ at whatever exhibition or trade show you’re exhibiting at. We’ve seen time and time again the benefits of including games, touchscreen displays, augmented reality and more into your display – if you can include more than just a product showcase, your interactive exhibition stand ideas are bound to be winners! 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!
Rolec EV interactive exhibition stand featuring electric scooters & wall mounted chargers
TURN HEADS WITH MODERN EXHIBITION STAND IDEAS
There’s much to be said for including modern elements when thinking about your exhibition stand ideas; people are much more likely to engage with your display stand if it features a sleek, modern design and intriguing visual elements. You can also start experimenting with shape, too. 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 design inspiration, 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.
SPARE A THOUGHT FOR THE ENVIRONMENT
In an age where the environment is an ever-growing concern, trying to make your design as eco-friendly as possible helps you do your bit to protect our planet, whilst showing future customers and clients that you’re committed to sustainability – a win-win for your brand! Staying eco conscious is easier than you might think; consider using sustainable materials like cardboard to double up on eco-friendly and cost-efficiency, energy efficient lighting, environmentally friendly printing methods for your graphics and an overall more minimalist design to keep your carbon footprint low. You can even incorporate some of these principles into your existing exhibition stand ideas without compromising on how your stand looks!
OUTDOOR EXHIBITION STAND INSPIRATION
Taking your exhibition stand ideas to the great outdoors is something that needs a little more thought and planning to make sure you don’t have any problems when you come to set it up! The first thing to consider is the ground you’re going to have to deal with at the event; depending on your design, you might need to incorporate some flooring into your stand to make a solid base for other elements, or if not, consider how people will be moving around your display. Make sure you take the availability of electricity into consideration, how you can make your outdoor exhibition stand resistant to the elements and the best additional lights to work with the sun (if you’re lucky enough to see it)!
DIFFERENT MATERIALS FOR FORM AND FUNCTION
Choosing the materials you want is an important part of the exhibition stand design inspiration process, and there’s plenty to consider! If you’re looking for a great combination of natural appeal and flexibility of design, wood is perfect for the main components of your display, whereas a material like metal will outperform on its sleek look and heavy duty resistance to wear and tear. For a low weight combination, try acrylic for a visually stunning look to your furniture and shelving, and use fabric for tensioned displays, graphics and other banners. Affecting both the visual qualities and functionality of your stand, the materials you choose isn’t something to overlook in your exhibition stand ideas – check out the below exhibition stand images to see what would be best for your brand.
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 your 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!
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.
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.