Approached correctly, your custom trade show displays—or custom exhibit rentals—can accomplish a great deal for your company. Exhibit design can reinforce brand positioning, build credibility, and communicate industry leadership.
Likewise, failing to pay attention to design can hurt you—in ways you may not even be aware of.
I recently implemented an exhibit audit for one of our 3D Exhibits customers who provides resources to the accounting industry. As I surveyed our customers' competitors one stood out. But unfortunately, not in a good way.
I'd been prepped to believe this company was savvy—a fierce competitor. The company's exhibit painted the opposite picture. I saw mis-matched exhibitry (presumably from multiple different sets of exhibit properties) crammed so tightly together that visitors had to shimmy sideways to traverse between displays. The graphics came in a variety of sizes and shapes—printed in four or five different fonts. The counter tops were hidden under messy piles of literature and tchotchkes. The company appeared more like a flea market than a respected publisher.
Based on what I witnessed on the show floor, my perception was that this company was unorganized, unprofessional—and probably facing funding or cash flow issues.
At another show, a company which I knew was struggling represented itself with a small, but very organized and uncluttered exhibit. This exhibit, which communicated, "We have our act together," helped the company attract a couple of key employees and a couple of new corporate customers. A year later, they had grown 20%.
What exhibitors and marketers sometimes forget is that seeing really is believing—especially on the trade show floor. The subliminal messages communicated by your trade show exhibit really will inform prospects' perception of your company. In other words, you can tell people your company is innovative and cutting edge over and over. Or that you're all about streamlined operations and dependability. But if what they see in your exhibit tells a different story, you will have undermined your own hard work.
This isn't to say that every exhibit design has to be flashy or futuristic—or look expensive. Sometimes, those traits are exactly the wrong way to go. In many markets, gaining buyers' trust is better accomplished with a more straight-forward design. But there is a difference between appearing together-but-frugal and channeling a pawn shop.
If your exhibit fails to demonstrate an image that parallels your prospects' predetermined expectations for a supplier, they may perceive that you just aren't quite up to the job of delivering what they need. This judgment happens instantly and somewhat subconsciously. The prospect will just keep moving down the aisle—right by your exhibit—and you'll never even know that you've blown what could have been an opportunity.
The bottom line is that successful exhibits must convey the qualities your customers are looking for. Regardless of your industry, product or price point, your target audience wants to buy from someone who is:
- Professional
- Organized
- Credible
- Dependable
- Streamlined in terms of operations and delivery
- Meets their commitments
The solution to creating an exhibit that reinforces this image is twofold:
- Partner with an exhibit designer you trust, one that really understands what your company is all about.
- Listen to his or her advice. Don't overload your exhibit with product, properties, clutter and messages—and make sure that the various parts of the exhibit all share the same cohesive look and feel.
If you do, you just might find your exhibit a bit busier than it's been in the past.
