Maximize Your Trade Show Profile!

Devise ways to get attendees to pre-select your trade show displays, such as sponsorship. Lightweight banner stands are a great way to attain affordable convention visibility, which is the main thing to strive for in your trade show booths.

A large trade show features hundreds of booths, and an average person only has time to visit about 20. That means that the Average Joe walks into a convention with a list in hand of what he wants to see, before ever seeing your booth!

Studies show that exhibitors who spend the time and budget on pre-show promotions can increase the amount of leads they collect by one-third. Some companies create a mail campaign, either to conference attendees or to their current clients (adding a thank you gift for visiting). Trade shows are a great place to get referrals from current customers, just by treating them like VIPs.

Banner stands look like a streamlined version of the old audiovisual screen. They offer a wide variety of customizable configurations. At a telescoping height of 79 inches and weighing only 15 pounds, shipping them ahead to the convention is easy. Or carry them right onto the plane!

Other features of banner stands are:

* An included carrying case
* Tool-free set up
* Can be fitted with lighting fixtures

Trade show displays create a tangible visual presence for your company. So be sure that your company name and logo are prominent throughout. The first thing to do is to drape the tables in an aesthetically pleasing manner.

When arranging your trade show booths, sight lines are of crucial importance. With a little ingenuity, you can set them up to capture maximum foot traffic.

To maximize their effectiveness, position your banner stands front and center, or atop bookshelves at the back. If convention goers seem to be walking primarily in one direction, try a sequential set up with several banner stands.

If you have a more generous budget, rent an island or corner booth, which has high visibility from many directions. The information display or multimedia presentation should stand out as the highlight of your trade show booths, and all sight lines that you create should end there. Do not clutter the booth with too many objects.

To lure prospects into your booth, place general (and compelling!) company information near the top of your trade show displays in eight inch lettering and one of these three color combinations:

* Yellow on black
* Black on yellow
* Yellow on navy blue

Don't be too quick to use red, as it is generally overused, making viewers "OD" on it. And black on white is a definite no-no. As a potential customer reads down the page, the information should become more specific.

Once you are set up, view your finished booth both from 20 feet away, and as you are walking by. Does it capture your attention? If not, rearrange key elements. The concepts of readability and contrast should always be uppermost in your mind.

If you have the space, provide seating for tired conference attendees. For your giveaways, consider something that people will actually use, like water, rather than a tchotchke. Staff your booth with likeable, chatty representatives, and display free literature prominently.

If you are running a demo, keep it under ten minutes. The demo should reveal enough about your product or service to make a sale for you on the spot.

Try a Pop Up Display, which is basically a prefabricated high-grade aluminum booth kit on wheels that weighs less than 100 pounds. Its walls are backed with Velcro, and all tools needed for set up are included. You can even use its case as an impromptu podium!

If you need more ideas on booth set up, borrow from the big box stores, which have millions to spend on in-store promotion. Stroll through the store, snapping digital shots of the displays.
Find out more about trade show displays. Get more information on trade show booths and banner stands.