Marketing is one of the most important elements of any business as it allows a company to get the word out on the latest products, services, and features to consumers. Considering the place the internet occupies in our everyday lives, it is easy to think that the ideal marketing strategy is to focus solely on social media, blogging, SEO, and pay-per-click advertising the net. To do so would be to overlook the wealth of opportunities available to businesses through the many trade shows that take place across the nation every year.
Trade Show Opportunities
Summer is quickly approaching and with it comes hundreds of trade shows across the nation. Around half of the largest 200 trade shows in the nation take place in just three cities: Las Vegas, Chicago, and Orlando. It is estimated that the average company allocates nearly a third of its total marketing budget specifically towards events and exhibitions; this represents over $24 billion spent annually by exhibitors on trade shows. The “2014 Marketing Outlook” study by B2B Magazine cites events as the second largest area of growth in media spending just behind digital media. Trade show participants in the United States spend an average of 9.5 hours viewing exhibits — ensuring that your business develops an engaging and eye-catching exhibit design means that you’ll be able to leave a stronger impression on viewers which can directly contribute to sales.
Claiming the Center of Attention
Anyone who has ever gone to a trade show can tell you how overwhelming it can be. The atmosphere is abuzz with activity as excited visitors and exhibitionists alike swarm the event grounds. It quickly becomes apparent which booths are prepared to impress and which end up getting lost in the crowd. To ensure that your booth stands out, experts suggest having three main types of graphics that are suited to draw attention to attendees of varying distances from your booth. A long-range graphic ought to be placed as high as possible within trade show regulation limits; medium graphics ought to go around eye-level around six to eight feet above the floor; a short range graphic should be around five to six feet above the floor. With three graphics to draw attention to attendees, your booth has successfully tripled its marketing power and place of prominence at any event.
Winning Trade Show Exhibit Designs
Developing a custom exhibit design is easy; developing on that engages the individual on the other hand is more difficult. Interactive exhibit designs often attract the most visitors; unfortunately the interactivity of an exhibit may be dependent on what your company is offering, so results can vary wildly. When it comes to presenting information on your custom exhibits, as a rule of thumb plan for around 40% empty space; experts suggest that what your message does not say is every bit as important as what it actually does say. To this end, account for the distance that onlookers will see your exhibit signs and add an inch to the height of your font size for every foot away that viewers will stand. A professional, yet easy-to-read font like Helvetica is the best choice for your sign; always be sure to not use more than two or three different fonts at the same time as viewers may see it as a sign of unprofessionalism. By following these tips, any company is poised to impress consumers and the competition alike with their own custom exhibit designs.