Booth Orientation and Exhibit Design
I have a checklist that I go through before I’ll ever bring an exhibitor into a dialogue with one of our trade show exhibit designers. The checklist isn’t without exceptions - sometimes special situations merit special treatment of prospective clients - but the checklist is not intended to preserve the schedules of our designers, but to improve the effectiveness of the booths they create. One of the most important questions I ask is where the booth is located on the tradeshow hall floor.
Booth orientation has serious implications for the success of your trade show. Factors to consider include the location of entrances, internet stations, concessions, main aisles, competitors, partners, large exhibitors, and pop-up/portable “mazes.” Ceilings heights, the character of a particular hall’s “scale” of exhibits, and the presence of any natural light (versus harsh show-hall lights). All of these factors play a distinct role in how your exhibit should be designed. Is your designer weighting these issues, or are they merely interested in how many widgets they need to fit into your space, versus how many you can afford? If the focus is on the widgets, do you think you exhibit will be a success?
Exhibit designs are a highly fluid and dynamic creations - with measure required for a myriad of different particular items. Does anyone have horror stories of multiple bids that came back unanimously awry?
A recent client extolled to me how she had gotten two 40×60 exhibit designs that maxed out at 8 feet tall. Albeit she had a hanging sign for added visibility - but 8 feet tall for a 40×60? She didn’t have any conference rooms, and specifically needed to be seen over the nearby 30×30 and 20×30 booths that she recalled featuring 16 foot tall exhibits at prior shows. The construction styles for the other exhibit houses apparently lacked the capabilities to go higher than 8 feet without some very significant costs - but how you can remain in the exhibit business with such diminutive designs?
How have designers understood your unique needs in the past? Do you often get the idea that your needs are not unique? With the factors involved, it seems peculiar to think that any exhibit could not be unique.