Exhibition Tip of the Week #3: Designing the perfect stand

Once you’ve determined the best stand space, now you can start designing the perfect stand to fit those dimensions.

When designing the stand, keep in mind the objectives and target audience you defined at the beginning of the process, as this will dictate the stand layout.  A stand with the objective of generating product sales will be designed and configured differently to a stand designed to build client relationships. For example, a stand intended to generate product sales will require more area for shelving and display units while the stand intended to build client relationships will require a larger allocated area for meetings and potential conferences. Perhaps your stand will require a blend of both.

Remember that first impressions always count.  An exhibition visitor will base their decision to visit a stand based on first impressions on size and design. This means making the exterior stand out with your company name, logo, slogan and any other relevant graphics that will jump out at the audience and draw them on to your stand.

Once you are able to draw the audience on to your stand with that first impression, it’s all about getting them to stick around and maintain a lasting interest in what you have to offer. The accessibility of the stand will largely determine the length of time a visitor stays on your stand and whether there is enough space allocated for what you intend to present. 

Audience engagement is also a key element to consider in the design of a stand, with interactive technology such as tablet devices now a common feature on exhibition stands. It is important to consider this interactive element but keep within your allocated budget and only include it if necessary.

Finally, in designing a stand it is important to determine what will work best for you at an exhibition, whether it is a small custom stand or a large island exhibit. If you’ve planned to exhibit at many shows throughout the year, think about one stand that can be reconfigured and reused for multiple purposes which ensures brand consistency across shows.