How to Create an Engaging Trade Show Booth

Creating an Engaging Booth Setup

Engagement is the key to any successful trade show display. You don’t want people to just glance at your booth and walk past — you want them to come in and stay a little while. That means having ways to spark interest, start conversations and make attendees want to know about what you offer. If you’ve been wondering how to set up your trade show booth for more engagement, consider these ideas from the experts at Monster Displays.

1. Make it Interactive

Getting attendees directly involved with your booth is a great way to increase engagement. Instead of relying on passive elements, use product demonstrations, touchscreen presentations, augmented reality and other experiences to draw people in. You might consider fun activities as well like prize wheels, games and photo booths. Getting people to participate in something enjoyable will make them more receptive when it’s time to talk business.

2. Use Giveaways

If there’s someone out there that doesn’t like free stuff, we haven’t met them yet. Offering some promotional swag and giveaways is a surefire way to get people to stop by and start a conversation. It can be as simple as car air fresheners or something like hats, mugs and snacks. Put some thought into the item so it connects to your brand’s message in some way — and make sure to get your logo printed on this promo swag.

3. Use Proper Formatting and Resolution for Images

Engagement starts with quality graphics that put your best foot forward. This means starting with high-resolution images — we recommend a minimum of 300 DPI (dots per inch), and possibly more for 10-foot and 20-foot backwalls. Anything less and the result will look blurry or pixelated. You also need correct formatting. For example, using a tall, narrow image for a wide-format banner will result in lots of white space or stretched graphics. Many businesses turn to professional graphic designers to get the best results.

4. Use Creative Visuals and the Best Colors

A graphic banner or back wall is like a canvas for your brand — so don’t settle for stock images and clip art. Add photos of your products and services, a company logo or a message with a call to action. You’ll also want to think about what colors to use. They should be brand-appropriate while inspiring the right emotions in viewers. Bold, bright colors such as red and yellow are most likely to grab attention. They can be overbearing in large amounts, so be selective about where to place them.

5. Keep Messaging Viewable and to the Point

In baseball, you want to hit the ball where people aren’t. Doing that with your trade show display messaging, though, will end engagement before it starts. Your logo and slogans should be large and above waist height so people can easily see them even from a distance. Also, stick to short headlines rather than drawn-out paragraphs. These brief messages will be more impactful and more likely to spur follow-up questions and conversations.