In today’s competitive business landscape, one of the essential components of a successful trade show is the strategic use of media. This brief guide to using proper media at trade shows offers valuable insights and tips on utilizing various marketing mediums to your advantage.

Understanding the Role of Media at Trade Shows

Media plays a vital role in connecting exhibitors with potential customers, partners, and industry influencers during trade shows. It helps create a memorable experience and adds value to your booth, ensuring your brand stands out in a sea of exhibitors. The right media mix can empower your brand to capture attention, promote your products and services, engage your audience, and drive your business objectives.

Harnessing the Power of Digital Media

In this fast-paced digital era, electronic media is indispensable in trade show booth strategy. From incorporating interactive elements to projecting social media feeds, digital media can enliven your booth and enhance audience engagement. Consider creating an attention-grabbing digital display to highlight key product features and achievements, or offer a gamified experience to build excitement around your products and services. Remember to keep your digital displays user-friendly and focused on your brand message.

Utilizing Print Media Effectively

Despite the rise of digital media, print materials—such as banners, posters, brochures, and fliers—remain essential to trade show booths. Print materials work wonders in not only giving attendees a tangible reference for your products or services, but also in reinforcing your brand identity. When designing print media, ensure that your brand’s message is well represented. Be sure to use eye-catching visuals, memorable messaging, and easy-to-read fonts to make a lasting impression.

Incorporating Audiovisual Media

Incorporating audiovisual elements in your trade show booth creates a multisensory experience that captivates attendees. From product demos and testimonials to captivating animations, audiovisual media is an excellent tool for delivering information in a digestible and intriguing manner. Think about how you can integrate audiovisual media into your booth to complement your brand’s unique qualities and attributes. Just be mindful of volume, content duration, and booth space to ensure a seamless experience for your visitors.

Devising the perfect media strategy for your trade show exhibition is essential to securing your brand’s success. Remember this brief guide to proper media for trade shows as you design your next booth layout and incorporate various mediums as you see fit. If you’re looking for exhibition design services to guide you through the different marketing options and implementations for your booth, trust West Coast Exhibit. Our team of experienced exhibit designers will help you create an engaging booth with cohesive branding and media usage.

Trade shows are excellent opportunities to promote what your business has to offer. However, without the right information and preparation, your exhibition attempt can turn into a disorganized mess. Here are some key questions to ask before exhibiting at a trade show to provide you with the information and elements you need to fully prepare.

What Are Your Goals for the Show?

One of the first questions to answer when signing up for a trade show event is why you’re attending in the first place. Establishing your goals upfront can help you follow a more organized and thoughtful approach to your trade show booth design and marketing. For example, you might want to attend a trade show to build brand recognition or establish a new audience. Attending a trade show is also an excellent way to engage more with potential customers and develop new leads. Establishing your reasoning and goals will help you record your event more clearly and have a better picture of your success levels after the event ends.

Where Will You Establish Your Booth?

Trade show exhibits are all about location, location, location. Where you set up your booth on the show floor will help influence the amount of traffic it receives, how you should design it, and many other aspects of its performance. Before you start designing your booth’s layout, it’s important to learn your location on the show floor and its dimensions to avoid creating an exhibit that is too large or small for your allotted space.

Who Is Your Target Audience?

Before exhibiting at a trade show, it helps to know your audience so that you can better tailor your marketing and pitches to them. For example, certain trade shows can attract more than just a general audience. Some trade shows are more popular among consumers with higher levels of education and experience in the industry or with the products or services they’re looking for.

Are You Organized for the Show?

Ask this question of yourself and your team at multiple stages of your convention preparation. Being prepared and well-organized for a trade show starts months in advance, so don’t wait until the last minute to put together a booth or design your marketing materials. Waiting until the last minute to gather your materials often leads to unpreparedness and lacking cohesive marketing when you get to the event. If you have a small team and need assistance with your planning or material design, consider working with an exhibit management company, such as West Coast Exhibit.

Remember these four key questions to ask before exhibiting at a trade show as you prepare for your next event. Having these questions prepared can mean the difference between a disorganized event and a successful one. And don’t forget to check out our booth management and design services at West Coast Exhibit if you’re preparing for a future convention or trade show.

If you’ve already selected the trade shows you want your business to attend this year, start thinking about your booth materials now. Due to supply and demand issues in the manufacturing market, exhibit parts have become more difficult to acquire in a timely fashion. Keep reading to learn three of the main reasons why you should order your trade show display early this year.

Limited Inventory and Supply Delays

While the world supply chain continues to improve, many manufacturers are still experiencing material shortages. Due to ongoing labor and parts shortages, these companies can’t keep up with supply and demand like they used to. If your business repeatedly faces supply delays for trade show pieces, be sure to order your display as soon as possible after you’ve settled on dimensions and design. Another option that could help you avoid issues with shortages is to get creative with display solutions, such as using mobile displays and trailer exhibits.

Shipping Delays

Another reason you should order your trade show display early is because of shipping delays. Labor shortages are impacting shipping times around the world. To receive your trade show display and materials on time, it’s crucial that you order in advance to allow plenty of time for processing and shipping. After all, it’s better to receive your booth materials earlier than you need them rather than after the trade show takes place. It’s also important to choose a fabrication or rental company that actively communicates with you so you know when to expect your materials to arrive.

Increased Prices

Due to a shortage of parts and the decrease in production volume, many companies have had to raise their prices in recent months and years. Fuel prices have risen drastically as well, which will impact your shipping costs. During exhibition season and parts of the year when conventions are common, these prices are likely to increase even more. This is yet another reason to order your trade show materials early and outside of the usual convention season. Acting now can help your business save money overall.

At West Coast Exhibit, we oversee the entire booth fabrication process, from initial concept and design to construction. Additionally, we offer exhibit management services to help make the installation process quick and easy on trade show setup day. West Coast Exhibit is here to work with you through every step of the trade show display process.

If you’ve ever attended a trade show as a consumer or guest, you may already be familiar with getting lost in a sea of identical booths. Many trade show exhibits use the same combination of banners, posters, and other materials to promote their products or services. If you want your upcoming booth to really stand out, consider using any of these alternatives to banner stand walls for your display.

Truss Display Back Wall

Banner stands can be effective for beginner vendors and displays, but once your trade show booth starts to expand, they can become lost. Truss back walls offer a much larger space for images than a single stand can. This allows your business to get more creative with its marketing and booth designs. You can also incorporate more eye-catching text and colors into your displays. Truss displays utilize industrial materials to provide a unique and eye-catching appearance for any marketing exhibit.

Interactive Displays

Rather than displaying a simple vinyl or fabric banner on your back wall, consider turning this space into an interactive exhibit. Interactive elements provide a unique experience for your visitors and create a longer-lasting impression of your booth and business. For example, when designing your booth’s back wall, consider turning it into a functional space where you can hang and display items for customers to browse through. You can even incorporate technology into the back wall, such as touchscreen kiosks for showcasing and explaining your products or services.

Mobile Exhibits

If you want to take interactive displays to the next level, consider ditching the traditional booth setup altogether. Mobile exhibits are becoming more and more popular for pop-up shops, conventions, and more. For example, AWS, a notable welding foundation, has created a mobile exhibit that allows attendees to watch and test equipment in a hands-on setting. Trailer exhibits like these can tour trade shows and conventions across the country due to their mobile natures. Mobile displays also offer creative solutions to many supply shortages currently affecting the display manufacturing industry.

Remember these three alternatives to traditional banner stand display walls as you design and order your company’s next trade show exhibit. If you’re looking for unique display fabrication or rental options, learn more about our conference booth rentals here at West Coast Exhibit. We’ll help match you with the best design for a successful conference or trade show.

Now that yearly conventions and trade show companies are scheduling events again, many businesses are excited to reserve spots at upcoming 2023 shows. However, if your team requires a new exhibit to showcase its goods and services, you should start planning as soon as possible. Material shortages have made it difficult to ship display parts on time. Keep reading to learn which inventory shortages could impact your trade show display the most.

Shipping and Shipping Cases

Every business has likely experienced issues with shipping times since the pandemic. Did you know that even shipping containers themselves are experiencing delays? Shipping containers require the use of time and resources to produce a durable, sturdy product that will protect all your equipment. Because these containers are so large and bulky, they can be difficult to ship, adding to increased shipping times and costs. Hard shipping cases could be delayed by several months this coming year.

Power and Lighting

Technology shortages are still extremely common in the manufacturing industry. Due to technical builds and complex part requirements, some companies are having difficulty stocking their usual products. Many modern trade show booth designs utilize technology such as lighting and power supplies to keep various elements powered and charged. Power supplies, transformers, and lighting elements have all become difficult to keep in stock, so be sure to prepare based on your booth’s design needs.

Staff

While not directly part of inventory shortages, staff shortages have also impacted events and businesses. If your business is still struggling to find suitable team members to help run your exhibit, consider investing in management services. For example, at West Coast Exhibit, we offer both booth design and management services. An exhibit manager can help run your booth during events by directing customers, answering questions, collecting customer information, and more. This helps relieve the burden of being understaffed during convention season.

When conceptualizing your ideal convention exhibit, remember to consider these three inventory shortages and how they can impact your display. If you’re planning to attend a trade show in 2023 and need exhibition design services, be prompt and put in your orders as soon as possible. At West Coast Exhibit, our knowledgeable team keeps our clients informed and updated every step of the way during the fabrication process. We also work with steel and aluminum welders on two-story booth fabrication to promote faster turn-around times and less reliance on manufacturing materials that are facing shortages.

There’s no question that attending trade shows can be an amazing growth opportunity for your business. However, designing and managing an exhibit on your own can be quite an undertaking for any company. If you’re considering investing in a company for trade show assistance, make sure you know the questions to ask before hiring a trade show exhibit house.

What Services Do They Offer?

Some trade show exhibit houses have different specialties and services that they offer. To ensure that you understand what the exhibit house in question can provide, start by asking for their list of services. Some companies will specialize exclusively in booth customization and fabrication. On the other hand, some companies only manage and design booths. Some exhibit houses will offer a mix of both, such as what we do here at West Coast Exhibit. These companies can help you with every step of the trade show planning and management processes, from booth design to overseeing your booth on the showroom floor.

How Trade Show Design Can Grow Your Brand

You want to work with a trade show exhibit house that believes in the importance of good trade show design and understands how it can impact a business. Any trade show exhibit firm worth its salt will be able to tell you how attending a trade show with an effective booth design can grow and promote your brand. For example, here at West Coast Exhibit, we know that an effective trade show booth design leads to increased engagement from attendees, so we channel that goal into our design process by creating engaging exhibits.

Ask To See Design Examples

The best way to gauge an exhibit house’s experience and whether they offer the types of designs you’re looking for is to view their previous design examples. See if the company provides a gallery of its previous works on its website. Requesting examples of the company’s most recent designs and photos of booths will help you visualize their design strengths and provide inspiration for your own booth.

You can also ask to see a company’s references and reviews from previous clients. This not only helps you get a better idea of their experience level, but it also helps you understand where the exhibit house excels from real accounts and previous examples of their work.

Asking these questions before hiring a trade show exhibit house can help you sort through mediocre services and find the company that best accommodates your business’s needs. Fortunately, you don’t need to look far to find an exhibition management company that offers top-quality booth design and management. Contact our team at West Coast Exhibit today to learn more about our services and experiences designing and managing trade show booths.

When planning and designing a booth for your business’s next trade show appearance, be sure to consider all your options. Experiential trade show booths are a specific type of design that can generate more engagement with potential customers. Learn more about experiential trade show booths and what you need to know before designing one.

What Are Experiential Trade Show Booths?

Experiential trade show booths are exhibits that showcase your brand through interactive displays, demonstrations, and more. If you’ve ever visited a trade show or convention and walked past a booth that was demonstrating their products, this is a good example of an experiential booth. Rather than pitch your product through words alone, experiential setups allow you to take a more hands-on approach and create a first impression that potential customers are more likely to remember.

Pros and Cons of Experiential Booths

Setting up an experiential trade booth can have many benefits for your business at a trade show. Utilizing an interactive booth design can help your business promote its products or services without pitching and preaching too much to potential customers, which can be a turn-off for some. Creating an interactive space can also lead to more engagements from consumers passing by on the trade show floor. Just make sure that your experiential booth fits within the guidelines for the convention and follows all booth requirements. Some trade shows have stricter guidelines than others, so always check the venue’s unique requirements.

How To Create an Experiential Booth

There are many ways to turn your traditional marketing booth into an interactive experience. Some popular examples of experiential booths include product demonstration tables, photo-taking setups, virtual reality stages, and more. You can use state-of-the-art technology like virtual and augmented reality, touchscreen displays, and more to attract consumers passing by your booth. Even setting up a small display where consumers can watch your product or service at work can leave a more lasting impression than traditional media.

Now that you understand everything you need to know about experiential trade show booths, you can start designing one for your next show. If these booths sound like the perfect fit for your business, but you’re not sure where to start, consider looking into our services here at West Coast Exhibit. We offer trade show exhibit rentals and management services for businesses who want to get the most out of their next convention appearance.

Over time, marketing trends change. The methods once used years ago have become obsolete in today’s world. Therefore, keeping on top of things and monitoring these shifts is vital to your success in the industry. Knowing popular trends can help you appeal to your target market. Discover the trade show trends to incorporate into your next exhibit to ensure your booth is the best one there.

Comfort Zones

As you design your booth, think about the ways you can prioritize comfort for all potential customers and partners who approach. Many thriving businesses include tables and chairs so attendees have a place to get comfortable, which creates the perfect space for you to talk to them about your brand. By simplifying your booth’s attraction, you can provide the opportunity to open a conversation about your business and start off your relationship with potential clients on the right foot.

Pro Tip

In addition to keeping attendees comfortable with great furniture, many recommend offering food or drinks at your booth. When people approach and ask about your business, you can offer them both a seat and a snack.

Intermix Technology

We live in the age of technology, and no matter what industry you work in, it helps enhance your exhibit and draws in additional people. Over the years, utilizing technology has become more common as tablets and QR codes grow in popularity. Consider incorporating technology to your exhibit by having:

• Touchscreen displays
• AI data trackers
• Virtual reality headsets

Technology such as these allow attendees to get hands-on with your brand and have a one-of-a-kind experience. This, in turn, is more memorable and helps ensure you stick out in their mind as they reflect on the many exhibits at the trade show. For instance, AI data trackers enable you to optimize the experience for each buyer based off data trends.

Individuality

Your company is unique, and a trade show is a time to show everyone why you’re the best option on the market. Include brand colors, logos, and other key components to make your exhibit stand out.

For instance, if soft pink and burnt orange are your brand colors, include them on banners and customer giveaways. This way, attendees familiar with your brand will have an easier time finding your exhibit. The more people you draw in, the better.

Pro Tip

You can also make your brand stand out by including fun aspects to your exhibit, like a photobook. We recommend having your logo as—or integrated into—a backdrop. Doing so not only encourages attendees to have fun at your exhibit, having your logo clearly visible helps you further market yourself as attendees share their photos on social media.

Collaborate with Us

West Coast Exhibit creates 3D marketing exhibits to help ensure your brand stands out at the next trade show you attend. With our in-depth understanding of the marketing climate, we know all the trade show trends to incorporate into your next exhibit so you can thrive.

We also offer certified exhibition management so you can enjoy the trade show while a pro tends to the finer details of managing your exhibit. By working with West Coast Exhibit—a company dedicated to offering all its customers turkey solutions—you choose an innovative booth display as unique as your brand.

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In the past few months, West Coast Exhibit has been staying quite busy. One of the booths that we have had showcased in the past months would be for Medicom Toy at designer con 2019. This trade show booth showcased some of the most expensive toys that money can buy. For those of you who are not familiar with this company, they make toys called Bearbricks and some can sell for over tens of thousands of dollars. There is plenty of hype built up around these toys to the point where when people heard they were going to be at Designer Con, they just had to be there. Custom shelving, custom display cases, and custom artwork was featured in this booth built by West Coast. Attention to detail was crucial when it came to building this booth. Most importantly, we wanted to make sure that these Bearbricks were able to be showcased while also minimizing the potential damage from customers wanting to touch these products. West Coast Exhibit was able to custom build latches that were attached to these toys so that they would not tip over when touched. Overall, it is always a pleasure to build something amazing for Medicom Toy and this booth was definitely one for the books. If you are ever in the area when one of their booths are being featured, go. Not only can you see our superior craftsmanship but you can also take a look at the awesome collectibles they are displaying.

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