Advertising

Advice on Planning an Exhibition Display

exhibition-display-standsExhibition displays provide an invaluable opportunity for business organizations in any industry, enabling them to create a retail experience that effectively brings the customers to them. What’s more, it’s a retail experience that makes the customer or potential client feel as if they are in the driving seat, without all the pressure that usually comes with a direct sales pitch or business meeting.

However, it’s important that you know exactly what you intend to achieve through an exhibition display, and that you plan the display accordingly. Possible objectives include:

Promoting a Product: Naturally, launching a new product or promoting a specific line of products is one of the primary benefits of an exhibition display. In this case, your main target audience will be customers and the media, and your PR people will need to play an active role.

Networking: Exhibitions also provide an opportunity to form valuable contacts in the industry, especially since you’ll be meeting lots of influential people face-to-face. In this case, the prime target audience of the exhibition will be business types and fellow professionals. You’ll want to ensure that the event makes a good impression on them.

Industry Research: Since exhibitions will likely draw a large number of people with vested interest in your industry, including competitors and suppliers, it’s a chance to gain some important insight into the inner workings of the business. At the same time, interaction with potential customers grants the opportunity to perform some valuable market research.

Exhibition Execution

It’s clear that there’s much to be gained from an well executed exhibition display. According to marketingdonut.co.uk, if you want to get the most out of the event, you should ensure that:

-You are seen at the right events

-You plan thoroughly

-You promote your display

-You follow up on the event

Being seen at the right exhibitions: Thorough research should be undertaken to ensure that the exhibition event you plan to attend will draw the crowds you hope to engage with.

Careful planning: The positioning of the display, the clarity of the message and the estimated costs should all be taken into account.

-Stands that are positioned in corners or on islands are more likely to be seen. Either way, you should ensure there are no obstacles obstructing the view of your stand.

-Stands should pass the "30 second" test, in that they should have a message that can be clearly grasped by viewers within the space of 30 seconds.

Naturally, when it comes to planning, the design of the display is one of the most important things to get right. One should definitely consider enlisting the services of professional display designers who are well-versed in the arts of visual communication.

According to design-shop.co.uk, potential costs that should be factored into the planning include:

  • Space rental
  • Furniture hire
  • Staff hire
  • Catering
  • Clean-up (ie. waste collection)
  • Electricity
  • Transport
  • Event promotion

modular trade show display

Promotion: The exhibition display needs to be advertised for its own promotional potential to be fully utilized.. Social media, websites and emails all provide a means to raise awareness and build momentum for an event.

Follow-up: Mechanisms should be in place to ensure that any data collected during the event can be put to effective use, especially if the primary goal of your display is networking or industry research. If promotion is the goal, further promotional efforts should be undertaken in the aftermath to ensure that the brand stays in people’s minds. Contacts established during the event should also be followed up.

There’s no doubt that exhibition displays provide an invaluable opportunity, and organizations should do all they can to ensure that such opportunities do not go to waste.

writes about exhibition displays and how they can help bring people together. Preferably people with money.

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