1. Shell Scheme Stands
These stand types are low-budget, low-effort option. Shell scheme stands are provided by trade show organisers. Its design looks like a basic row stand but with no option to customise in any way. Show organisers provide the wall panels, carpeting and a fascia, usually with the company’s name across the top.
Rented out in 3x3 meter shell spaces, an exhibitor looking for more space can rent more than one shell space to have a 6x3 space. Why 6x3? This is because these shell spaces are attached to a single back wall which connects them, leading to a fixed floor height.
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2. Raw Space/Bare Space Stands
Bare space or raw space simply means that the exhibitor has rented a blank floor space for building their exhibition stand. Bare spaces provide the most options for building bespoke exhibition stands. You can prop up a rental stand or a custom one. Of course, you will need the help of an exhibition stand design company to plan out and build your exhibition stand. But raw spaces offer you the platform to experiment with your stand design ideas.
3. Row Stands
A row of stands stacked one after the other is a row stand. These stand types share a common wall space between each other. They have one-side open which usually faces the hallway. Depending on your stand designer, you can personalise the flooring, wall panelling and exhibition graphics to suit your needs.
4. Corner stands
Corner stands are found at the end of row stands. The benefits of corner stands are that they have two entry points, and are placed at the intersection where there is huge flow of traffic. Corner stands allow exposure to your brand on two sides. Exhibitors often use this feature to their benefit by placing an L-shaped banner and multiple display counters, so that can get more visibility at the trade show.
5. Two Corner stands
Two corner stands are similar to corner stands, except they are open from all the sides with one wall connecting them. Two corner stands offer the same benefits as corner stands but with more creative options to let your stand design be brilliant. You can suspend a large banner or use a U-shaped banner to improve your visibility.
6. Island Stands
Island stands are the most expensive type, but they make up for it by being the most eye-catching compared to all the other stands. Open on all four sides, it has no walls. Island stands offer plenty of room for building sections such as a lounge room and meeting room. The biggest benefit of an island stand is engagement! Your team can reach out to several guests at the same time. You can also draw the high visibility with a ceiling banner or vertical billboard. . Some stand design ideas we suggest to improve engagement would be photo booths and tablet stand displays that users can use at their leisure.
From concept design, through to the build, to exhibiting when the day comes.
Are you considering exhibiting at an event but don’t know where to start when it comes to making sure your stand looks professional and performs its task? Don’t worry – you’re not alone. But if you put in a bit of homework now, you’ll make better decisions regarding your stand that will serve you well into the future, whether you’re re-using the setup over and over again or designing a new layout each time you exhibit.
We’ve put together a helpful guide to assist you in the process, from considerations for choosing an exhibition stand designer that fits with your budget, to deciding on the often overlooked parts of your stand that can make all of the difference.
EXHIBITING YOUR BUSINESS AT AN EVENT FOR THE FIRST TIME CAN BE DAUNTING
Whether you’re looking to sell more products, increase brand awareness or simply connect with like-minded businesses in your industry, trade events and shows offer unparalleled access to the brands and individuals that you would otherwise not have at a regular conference or event.
These exhibitions occur quite regularly around the country and some entrepreneurs and business owners travel far to visit as many as they can throughout the year. As a result, they can put their products or services out there to new customers and can also network with fellow business professionals in their sector.
If you have never been to a trade show or exhibited at an event with your company before, then you might not really believe the benefit of exhibiting until you see it firsthand. High entry fees to events can often put business owners off, that is until they realise the recurring benefit that a bespoke stand and exhibiting can provide. Let’s look at ways to get you started on your path to exhibiting mastery, and provide the answers to any burning questions you may have as a beginner.
WHY YOU SHOULD THINK ABOUT EXHIBITING
First of all, let’s take a closer look at why you should think about exhibiting your company at a relevant business trade show or event. We’ve briefly touched on the fact that it can help you attract new customers and clients, but there are also so many other advantages. Here are the main ones that you need to be aware of.
- Improve Your Relationship With Current Clients
One thing that not many business owners realise is that going to trade shows and exhibitions can actually help to improve and build on their current relationships with clients.
If some of your current clients or customers are there, it’s their chance to meet with you face-to-face. This will be a lot more personable than them contacting you over the or by , and you can definitely use this chance to chat to them to your advantage.
It’s also very common for businesses to work together for years and never actually meet, so what better chance than at your own bespoke stand?
- Meet Other Businesses That Can Help Your Own Company
You won’t only meet with potential customers and clients at the exhibition; it’s also your chance to talk to the other business owners who are exhibiting as well.
This is a great way to get some networking in and to gain more contacts. You never know who you may need to reach out to for help and advice in the future, so it’s always worth networking wherever and whenever you can.
- Connect With Potential New Customers And Clients
Of course, the main reason why so many companies and entrepreneurs head to exhibitions is so they can connect and start to build relationships with new clients. Some exhibitions and trade fairs are open to the public, so there will be lots of people who might be attracted to your stand and be persuaded to do business with you.
You will still have the chance to meet people who might be interested in your business at exhibitions that aren’t open to the public too. It’s also more likely that you will win clients at a closed, industry-specific event too.
A simple conversation with an attendee can have a miraculous effect for your business. It might not just lead to a single sale, it can create a partnership or business relationship that lasts years or decades and generates millions, all from getting that chance to meet a company representative face to face and let them know exactly how your business can benefit theirs. And it doesn’t always have to be someone visiting your stand, either – if it’s an industry gathering, you’re just as likely to meet a potential business partner at the coffee machine or watching a talk. It’s all about being there.
- Learn About The Latest Industry Trends And Developments
Exhibitions, trade fairs, and expos are always the centre of the action. It’s here where you will be able to find out about all of the latest news and developments that are happening in your industry and sector.
It’s always good to try to stay up to date with various developments, as this will help you try to stay one step ahead of all your competitors.
Many exhibitions also have side events like panel discussions, talks, presentations and demonstrations that attendees can visit. There’s always plenty to learn from these events, even if you’re just using the opportunity to have a look at what your competitors are disclosing about what they are working on.
- Establish Or Strengthen Your Brand
By attending trade fairs and exhibitions, you will be increasing the visibility of your brand. There will be more people seeing you and taking an interest in what you do. Setting up at an event puts your business right in front of them in living, breathing, three dimensional reality, something a brochure, video or website can never achieve.
You can take questions, explain complex things clearly, perform demonstrations of products and let potential customers inspect and hold your products. And because your stand is a representation of your business, you can use it to demonstrate your commitment to quality, investment and attention to detail.
If you take the time to create a good stand and polish your pitch, you’ll be able to position yourself as a leader within the industry, which can really attract new customers.
HOW TO ATTRACT VISITORS TO YOUR STAND
So, once you have decided that attending a business exhibition really is in the best interest for you and your business, you need to decide how you are going to design your stand.
We will touch on this point in greater detail within this guide, however as a quick overview here are some common ways that business owners both get a bespoke stand, and utilise current trends or technology to give their stand a greater chance of attracting the right types of visitors at an event:
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- Consider Your Stand’s Location
When you do sign up to exhibiting at a trade show, you might be given the option to reserve a stand location. They are often reserved on a first-come, first-served basis.
It is highly advisable that you do reserve a spot, though, as you can then try to pick out the best location to showcase your company. Ideally, you need to be somewhere that will get a lot of foot traffic passing it by.
That way, you are maximising the number of potential people who will see your stand. Also, while most stand reservations come in a range of predetermined sizes, sometimes the layout of the event space means that stands of a certain footprint can look out of place in some locations, for example in corners or at unusual angles to the rest of the stands. Knowing exactly where you’ll be in relation to the room and the other exhibitors can influence the layout, graphics and lighting of your stand.
- Hire A Professional Stand Designer
You could of course try to design your exhibition stand yourself and with help from your team.
Hiring a team that are experienced in building custom stands for businesses will give you the best chance at getting the exact type of stand that reflects your brand, and makes your business stand out.
Off-the-peg stands can work, but having one custom-designed around your needs, to incorporate displays, demonstration spaces, face-to-face areas, graphics, interactive sections and so on is much better. Also, getting one professionally made usually means the finishing touches will be of a higher standard, be it graphics printing, surfaces and edges, lighting or sturdiness.
- Think About Who Will Be The Hosts At The Stand
You will need to have at least two hosts on your stand. Some companies send a team of hosts so that they can all take it in turns which ensures everyone gets a break throughout the day.
It’s certainly good for the business owner to be one of the hosts – after all, you are the company’s main representative!
When it comes to the other hosts, make sure that they are chatty and bubbly people who will make everyone feel very welcome at your stand. If you’re in a particularly technical sector, it’s good to have a mix of salespeople and engineering or R&D team members on hand to explain how things work as well as how the products will benefit potential customers. It all comes down to availability and budgeting, of course, but it’s worth investing some experts’ time if it can bring lucrative benefits.
- Offer Promotions And Freebies
It’s also a really good idea to offer some promotions and freebies to anyone who checks out your stand.
They can then take home some branded goodies so that they can’t forget your company name too easily.
Plus, we all love free stuff and it will be a quick and easy way to put your brand in their good books! Branded gifts that are actually useful, such as coasters, corkscrews, flash drives and so on, can actually find their way into places you’d never have imagined, and drive someone to look into your business on the strength of a name and web address.
THE BEST TECHNOLOGY TO INCORPORATE IN YOUR STAND
If you want to really impress people at your exhibition stand, you should think about incorporating a few different tech pieces to the design. These are often really engaging and can also show the public just how much of a modern and forward-thinking company you are.
Not sure which are the best kinds of tech to bring with you to the exhibition? Here are some of our top recommendations:
- Offer Charging Outlets
Is there anything more annoying than when your mobile runs out of juice? Probably not! So, why not offer some charging outlets that people can use.
Attendees will really appreciate this, plus it also gives you the chance to talk to them about your company as their charges.
- Use Social Media
Don’t forget that social media is a tech that you should always be using. Even when you are exhibiting!
Some companies find that it is really beneficial for them to tweet along while at the exhibition so that people who weren’t able to attend can get a slice of the action.
- Produce Video Content
One of the most engaging forms of content has to be video. It’s perfectly fine to have plenty of written content for visitors to your stand to read, but they are likely to get bored of too much writing. That won’t be the case with video, and people are likely to watch a video right through to the end.
You can spend some time making the video with your team, and you might also want to hire a videographer to help you ensure that it is very professional. You can then play this video on a large 80” screen on the stand space or even go the full mile and play this on a large LED video wall!
- Give Your Visitors The Chance To Experience Virtual Reality
This might not be a suitable option for every business, but it could be worth creating a virtual reality experience for all of your exhibition visitors.
For instance, if you are a gaming company, then this is the perfect chance to give everyone a taster of the new game you have been working on.
Alternatively, other companies could use virtual reality to give stand visitors the chance to experience working for them, experience their product or even fully immerse themselves in a virtual brand experience.
FROM DESIGN TO BUILD – HOW DOES IT ALL COME TOGETHER?
Ensuring that the final build result is exactly what you envisioned for your business starts with the initial concept stage. With the initial build phase of any bespoke project, it is important to understand and appreciate both the possibilities and the limitations that relate to the exact stand you envision.
- Conception – Reputable exhibition stand designers will make it their mission to ensure you and your team understand exactly what can be achieved based on your ideas and initial designs. At Focal Exhibitions, we work with our clients from day one to outline a realistic and fully bespoke outcome, prior to any design or build process.
You should expect this from any team of exhibition stand designers, and regardless of the price you pay it is of paramount importance that goals and a finalised vision of your stand is benchmarked from the outset. Anything less can lead to unhappy business owners who are left underwhelmed with the final result. - Design – Once you’ve achieved a stand concept, you can expect to receive a detailed design of the stand based on the features you require, sizing and customisation, set against the budget of the project.
- Build – The build phase is naturally the most exciting, as the designs are finalised and you will start to see your stand come to life. At this stage it can be incredibly difficult to update and amend any signed-off designs, so keep in mind that you must pour out and critique all of your ideas and requests at the concept stage to ensure nothing is missed at the build phase.
The above points may seem obvious, but if you’re new to the process it can be overwhelming and aspects are easily missed. Be sure to also consider the following points, and ask the questions to your team and chosen exhibition stand designers to ensure all areas of stand success are covered:
- Logistics – Does your stand need to be lightweight, compact or portable? How many shows will you be taking the stand to? What kind of transportation will be needed for the stand and how will this affect the build?
- Storage – Will you need to keep the stand close to your business for pop-up events and ease of access?
- Integrations – Have you considered any technical integrations into the stand? Have these been noted at the conception stage?
THE PROS AND CONS OF EXHIBITING
Some business owners think that going to an exhibition with their company is a lot of unnecessary hassle, and they opt for more traditional forms of marketing instead. It’s true that other offline ways to market your company are great, but it will really pay off if you do them while also going to exhibitions.
There are, of course, always two sides to every story and here are just a few of the pros and cons of exhibiting versus other offline marketing options.
Pro: Gives You The Chance To Speak Directly To Clients
One of the biggest benefits that comes with exhibiting your company is that you will be meeting up with clients and customers face-to-face. This will be a lot more personable than simply sending them an or calling them on the .
It gives all of your clients and customers the chance to see exactly who the people behind the business are!
Con: Extensive Planning & Preparation
Whilst an exhibition stand design company will naturally look after the design and build of a stand, there are plenty of hidden tasks and actions that need to be considered when either being involved in the design and build of an exhibition stand, and when taking your stand to an event.
This is not necessarily a ‘con’ in the strictest sense, however it can be if either you or your team do not factor in enough adequate time and meticulously planned resources to ensure the below factors are well looked after.
Factors to consider when it comes to effective time management throughout the process include:
- Booking Travel & Accommodation
- Staff Allocation (to factor time away from the office)
- Production of External Marketing Material (Flyers, Graphics, Incentives)
- Stand Logistics (if you opt against a team of designers that office stand logistics services)
Pro: It Gives Customers The Chance To Try Before They Buy
If you take some of your products with you, then you can showcase them on your stand.
Your employees can give demos of how to use them and all of the benefits that they will bring to customers. You’ll also be able to let stand visitors have a go themselves so that they can try before they buy.
Con: It Involves You And Some Employees Leaving The Office For The Day
You will need to spend the whole day at the exhibition, as well as those employees who attend with you. Unfortunately, this means one day away from the office for all involved. And that means one day of not getting through important work!
The more exhibitions that you attend throughout the year, also means more working days lost. This won’t be a worry with other offline marketing methods, though, as you can carry them out from the office.
However, most employers think that taking an away day to exhibit their company is often worth it thanks to all the benefits it brings them!
There are many points to consider when it comes to both getting your first stand built and attending your first trade show or business event.
Having a plan in place at each step of the way will mitigate any mistakes, primarily the mistake of forgetting important stand aspects or design considerations until after the build has been completed (an all too common issue that meticulous planning will certainly help to avoid).
Whether you already have a stand, are looking for advice around attending an event, or if you’ve been looking for reputable providers and want to get in touch with a team that truly cares, we’d love to speak to you.
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