Booth Orientation and Exhibit Design
Wednesday, June 10th, 2009
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? (more…)