How to Plan an Exhibition Stand
Author: The London Display Team | Publish Date: 10/07/2024
Understanding how to plan an exhibition stand is crucial if you’re going to make a big impact and maximise the Returns On Investment at your shows, events and exhibitions. The aim of any stand is to attract visitors, promote your brand and its services and to, ultimately, help your company achieve its pre-show targets.
Here we’ll take you through our exhaustive guide to planning your next exhibition stand.
Step 1: Defining Your Objectives
Before you start looking into the finer details of exhibition stand design, you need to lay down some concise objectives that can be measured and, ideally, achieved. These objectives will invariably change from show to show, and should be used to dictate the entire layout and execution of your exhibition stand.
Step 2: GOAL SETTING
Step 3: SMART Objectives
Step 4: Understanding Your Audience
Be sure to conduct thorough research through the means of visitor surveys, show reports, feedback and analytics from previous shows to get an understanding of who will be visiting.
Step 5: Create visitor profiles
Step 6: Knowing Your Budget
Step 7: Set A Budget
The Stand Design & Success
Step 9: Measuring Success
Aside from the stand, you will have to take into account travel, accomodation, marketing, staffing and more.
You could agree to use soft metrics with your team – i.e how many email addresses you get from a show, but this can sometimes breed a culture of “daylight robbery” if you have a large sales team.
Step 10: The Design
It might seem obvious, but to catch the attention of passers-by, you need to create something that is visually attractive. Among the other stands at an exhibition, this is something easier said than done, but with a professional team and the right materials, it is possible. You could incorporate things like bold colours, uncluttered branding and stand graphics which show off particular products to be placed near the front of the stand. You could even have a digital screen showing content to spark interest.
Functionality: A stand doesn’t just have to be visually appealing – the layout also has to be functional. It is important that people on the stand can move around without trampling over someone, and that any product demonstrators or stand mentors can communicate with potential leads in a comfortable space. Depending on the size of your stand and how many people you will have occupying it during its time at an exhibition, you should also have a good idea of how many people will be needed to comfortably ‘man’ it. Don’t try to cram too many people into a small space as this may intimidate those passing by. Following on from functionality, adding something interactive to the stand can also spark interest.
Brand Consistency: You’ll have taken time and effort to build your company’s brand identity, so you should incorporate it when you’re designing your stand to be showcased at events. It will make you more memorable to visitors and also help build trust with people who have not heard of your brand until visiting your stand. When you speak to a designer and are happy with your proposed stand design, always remember that even if certain aspects of a design can be slightly modified, your stand should mostly adhere to your brand guidelines.
Professional Help: If you don’t have your own exhibition stand designers, we recommend enlisting the expertise of an experienced and professional exhibition stand company such as ourselves. Exhibition stand companies have faced many different design problems and come up with unique solutions; you will have a dedicated account manager to explain what will and will not work on the build.
If you’re looking for inspiration for the perfect stand take a look through our exhibition stand ideas guide.
Before You Go
Step 11:Pre-Event Marketing
Social Media Campaigns
Email Newsletters
Press Releases
Partnerships
Invitations
Step 12: Logistics and Operations
Whether you’re planning on building your stand yourself, or using an exhibition stand contractor like us you’ll need to give consideration to how you’ll transport your stand and where you intend to store your exhibition stand post the event. Many companies decide to leave their stand with the organisers in return for a hefty discount off their next contract.
On-Site Management: An exhibitor would usually designate one person in their company to be onsite. This includes making sure the floor and surrounding areas of the stand are tidy, dealing with any issues to be able to manage a more personal sale if required, and, most importantly, to answer any queries that customers may have. When exhibiting, it is always helpful to have team members that are in charge of setup and packing down of the exhibition stand.
Contingency Planning: Have a contingency plan in place for potential issues such as shipping delays, technical problems, or staffing shortages. Being prepared can help you handle unexpected challenges effectively.
YOu're ready to go
If you’re ready to start planning your exhibition stand, get in touch with The London Display Company – we offer complete bespoke solutions that cater to your specific needs to help you stand out and achieve results.