collaborate trade show exhibit design

The best trade show exhibit design and exhibit marketing solutions occur when our clients actively participate in the design process.

Steve Jobs' famous 2005 Stanford University commencement speech talks about how great ideas come from connecting the dots. Jobs used examples from his own life to illustrate how we all pull nuggets from the things we learn and experience along the way—then, when the time is right, ultimately assemble them into something new.

This is certainly the case when it comes to the creation of trade show exhibit design and trade show marketing campaigns. It's almost magical how the interior design of the new caf� up the street from the office—and something a beloved character said last night on TV—spark an idea for an interactive technology experience that is destined to attract and engage your target audience.

The only thing more magical is when we pull from combined group experience—and that group includes you, our client. That's when we really get rocking…

award winning trade show exhibit design

Think about it. You live and breathe the brand every day. You understand it in a deep, emotional, instinctual way. You know the customers and industry. You lived the company's past—and you have a vision of what the future will be.

You possess brand embodiment.

The exhibit we created for Hill's Pet Nutrition in January is an example of the best case scenario. That project kicked off with a brainstorming session that included multiple participants from Hill's and Hill's agencies. We sent the 3D Exhibits AE, a designer and a marketer.

The resulting exhibit was attractive, engaging and interactive. We connected with a couple thousand customers and increased visitor dwell time. We integrated cool technology and a social media experience. We gave it millennial appeal.

award winning trade show exhibit marketing

All of this was possible for one reason: Hill's and its agencies added their dots to ours—which led us all to a new, more inspired destination.

Often we are asked to design without brand collaboration. Sometimes it's because our client is busy and other times we are in a bid situation and the prospect feels that being hands off is the only way to be fair to all bidders.

Yes, we still do a great job in these instances. But we can't help wondering what we might have come up with if the client had been an active participant. Where else might the solution have gone—if they had only shared their dots?

Watch Steve Jobs' entire speech:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1R-jKKp3NA