Setting up an exhibition stand is an intense process. You have massive amounts of equipment that you have to arrange and layout, keeping your space attractive, welcoming, and clutter free. You need some kind of security system to keep prospects out of restricted areas and protect your gear without victimising customers.
You need a clear chain of command so that your team knows the fastest, most efficient way to get help if they need it. You need promotional materials that you can hand out to your prospective customers. If your stand has direct sales, you need adequate inventory and a safe cash or card system to accept and process payments.
A lot of online guides advise you on what to carry, and they give some great tips on how to work efficiently. They say things like get the directions right, carry notebooks and power cables, ensure all team members have name tags and be sure to have multiple pens.
But what about the exhibition itself? What kind of display units do you need to put on a successful event? Well, exhibitions usually have multiple companies all vying for attendees’ attention, so you need something that will really make you stand out. The bigger and brighter the better, so get a large format banner in full colour and build your stand around it.
Media Walls make a good centrepiece for an exhibition stand. They can stretch up to 3 metres and offers printed graphics in high definition. Media Walls are interchangeable, so you can use a single banner with multiple graphic sheets.
Although it’s so large, it’s one of the fastest banners in the market so that you can set it up in minutes. It folds down into a convenient nylon bag with wheels, so you can easily lug it to your stand and install it. It will begin to draw early crowds as you continue to set up.
Its speed also means you can start attracting customers while other exhibitors are still struggling to organise their locations. The Media Wall offers a huge visual canvas, so you should choose the content you display carefully. Strong visuals work best.
The mistake that many brands make is to dazzle prospects with clever ads and brilliant gimmicks that catch and hold attention but don’t convert. A customer might be excited and keen, but if the ad doesn’t clearly tell them what to do or who to talk to, it’s a wasted effort.
You might think that since this is an exhibition, you’ll talk to customers in person and convert them. But exhibitions are pretty busy. A customer might not wait while you talk to someone else. Your whole team might be pre-occupied. Or the prospect might be trying to cram multiple stands in a limited time, so they’ll be rushing to the next one.
For this reason, you need a few prominent free-standing banners that have your basic contact information. Use a retractable banner that is backlit, since its vertical height will draw the eye’s focus. It should have the brand name, phone number, email, and website. It can also have a list of the products or services you offer in clear, direct language.
Place this banner in an apparent, possibly elevated space. Encourage stand visitors to photograph the banner, since they will retain phone photos longer than flyers and business cards. You can even put some selfie bait near the contacts banner for some free social media reach.
Another useful set of banners are flags that you can use to demarcate your stand’s boundary. You can also use directional flags to point the way from the entrance to your stand. Place additional ones in strategic positions all around the hall so that prospects can find their way to you from anywhere in the hall.
This is a smart way to attract customers who might not otherwise have looked you up. They might be standing idle, wondering where to go next when they spot a flag that says ‘this way to great products’. Following that prompt could lead to an impulse purchase.
Your exhibition stand will contain lots of service desks, so in addition to sticky notes, pens, and desktop devices, carry smaller portable banners for your tables. These desktop banners are an attractive way to mark out different service sections and guide customers.
Outside the hall, in the car park, you can lure prospects with massive double-sided banners that they will notice while they secure their cars. Place some near the food stands as well so that you’re visible at several stages of the customer’s exhibition journey.
