Tim Eunice
Trade shows can be an excellent way to market your product or services to a new audience. The downside is that they require a great deal of time and money to do right. Because of the cost involved, it’s important to choose your display type and graphics carefully. A good trade show display will help increase your revenue, while a poor quality display will almost guarantee no return on investment.
The most budget friendly display option, these are typically lightweight and easy to travel with. Pieces of the display sit directly on a tabletop and offer a great option for small local shows without much space. Table top units typically have graphics that attach by velcro, which makes them easy to change as needed.
These units are best described as window shades designed for marketing. The banner has an aluminum base and the banner pulls up and can be secured upright to be displayed. Pull up banners are lightweight while also being more substantial than a table top display. The displays can be used individually or as sets to create a larger display and they can be configured differently based on the space available or the desired impact.
Fabric panels are connected to create a wall. These are often used as backdrops for larger displays but can also be used on their own. Since the panels can be printed on different types of fabric these displays can be budget friendly or expensive and very high quality.
Somewhere between tabletop displays and pull up banners, pop up displays are very light and easy to travel with. These fold easily and can be made out of vinyl or plastic panels. Curved or angled effects can often be achieved with pop up display units.
Once you’ve decided on a type or combination of display types for your booth you can begin thinking about the graphics and content to include on the display. The main points to consider are:
● Graphics
● Headline
● Logo & Company Name
● Website & Social Media Information
When designing a trade show display it's important to keep things simple and avoid clutter. Images should be bold, clean and easy to see from a distance. Intricate designs may look neat, but they can leave people unsure of what they are looking at. It’s important to work with the printer to make sure the images they are provided are high quality and an appropriate resolution for the printing process.
Visitors at the show should be able to glance at the display and immediately understand what is being promoted. A really good display will make them venture over to find out more. Displays that are printed from low quality image files can make an otherwise well made display look cheap and people are less likely to be interested. Sharp, bright images attract more attention.
Carefully selecting a quality trade show display and design will provide your company an excellent marketing tool that will last for several years, if properly cared for, and will require little or no repair or replacement costs. If the display is only going to be used once or twice, there’s no need to pay for top of the line materials, but the material being used to print will have a significant impact on the visual effect of the display.
At the Visual Edge Signs & Design, Inc. our staff has a combined 25 years of experience in the sign, graphics and large format printing industries.
