Hybrid Trade Show Displays

When you have a restricted budget and restricted space you have to look at how much bang for your buck you can extract from the resources available.

Necessity is the Mother of Invention so exercise your mind and imagination because if you have a space of any dimension, a hybrid design will be able to use it to the best effect per dollar you spend.

Hybrid trade show displays provide great eye-catching displays because they utilize space in such a different way than what the eye is accustomed to. Curved panels forming a backdrop provide the illusion of greater depth; minimalism provides the feeling of space when in fact you are not occupying much of an area – even better, a hybrid display is easily the best option when you are using an odd shaped space!

The bulk of the cost of a trade show is in the rental of the space – the capital cost of the booth itself is actually spread out over time as you attend show after show and in fact is a minor part of the operating overhead. Using a hybrid display you can take advantage of the offcuts of trade show space – in fact, while most exhibitors are looking to avoid these misshapes you can actually monopolize them and drive down the cost of attending the trade show.

Hybrid displays are also very easy to assemble and disassemble and the designs usually are lightweight in construction. You will also be very surprised at the amount of space and shipping weight that these displays take up – most of these displays are in fact made up of empty space which is created by the design. I also find hybrid displays useful when we are looking to scale up or down – they are eminently flexible so we can add to them when we need “more” or take up the smallest booth space without detracting too much from our overall impact on the trade show floor.

Display Graphics – 5 Basic Elements

Every trade show display should contain five basic elements in order to deliver an effective and attractive display.

The five basic elements are:

1. Visual Impact;
2. Your headline;
3. Description;
4. Company name and Logo; and
5. Website.

How you combine these five elements will directly impact upon how your display stands out and how user friendly it will be considered by your attendee audience.

Creating your own tradeshow graphics is easily accomplished but you must remember not to lose sight of your overall aim; to produce an effective tradeshow display.

Look for a clean and uncluttered look that is neat and tidy so it stands out when read and also amongst the competing displays that you will encounter on the arena floor.

Looking at these five basic elements you may wish to reconsider your initial approach to designing your display.  Have you selected a simple and bold image for your display?  How about your tag headline; is it easy to remember?  What about the typeface you have chosen; a good headline is frequently obscured by a typeface which is difficult to read or indeed, some funky design which may appeal aesthetically but in fact can’t be immediately read 100 feet away across a crowded tradeshow floor.

Use bullet points for your description and keep your language short and to the point without getting technical; apply the maxim “Less is More” in this instance and if you can lose a word without losing the meaning then do so.

Your company name should feature prominently and I constantly am amazed at how many displays require you to hunt around for the company name; do they have something to hide or are they embarrassed?  Front and center is where it ought to be so no-one is in any doubt as to who you are.

Finally, your website is probably the most single important piece of contact information you can provide.  A sign of the times that the website address has overtaken the telephone number but the reality is an attendee can take your site address down from a distance and look you up at leisure after researching your company over the web.

How do I render my trade exhibition presence before writing a large check?

Investing in trade shows and exhibitions is a time consuming and costly affair which represents a significant investment for any business.Like any investment you must ensure you spend your budget wisely and get the most out of your marketing dollars and it makes a great deal of business sense to see what you are buying!

Using a supplier with experience in manufacturing and delivering trade show exhibition booths and peripherals is a starting point, but even then, how are you going to be sure that what you are promised is what you will eventually receive?

This is where using a booth manufacturer and supplier who is able to provide a rendering of your finished product will stand you in good stead.Make certain that you select a supplier who takes the time to run out a mock-up either using digital technology or a physical set to show you how your booth will look and what features and benefits you choose to add on will actually look and serve to enhance your trade show presence.

A good supplier will be able to provide, at no cost, a rendering of your trade show display within a short timescale and supply you with the visual files in a very short period of time.If a supplier is unable to provide a rendering, then it is good advice to pass them by and look somewhere else to provide your requirements.

The initial rendering should be accompanied by a quote and also highlight what features you can add as well as the additional cost.This should start giving you a good idea of what you can achieve using your budget and remember, you should have set a budget to begin with so stick to it, however, your investment will be used for years into the future so make sure you have the right kit to start off with, even if it means you will be purchasing additional extras down the line and not with the initial order.

Once you have a good grasp of the look

Trade Show Graphic Design: Make an Impact

Avoid Headaches & Time When Submitting Graphics for Your Exhibit

So, you’ve decided on the trade show display you think will best represent your company. And after deciding on the model, the trade show graphics you select are the next most important element to help you really stand out at a trade show – your graphics.

Just as you want your trade show display materials to be as professional as possible, you want your trade show display graphic images to be as bold, clean and powerful as possible. The steps to achieving this are quite simple, but require a good marketing foundation, some creativity to develop eye-catching graphics and a thorough understanding of how to prepare those graphics for use in your trade show display.

Here, we are going to focus on the last step – gathering information and preparing your trade show graphic for submission to the trade show display company’s production department. Each company has a different procedure which makes it essential you work directly with the company from which you purchased your display. Make sure you learn the specifics of each step of the design process, from submitting your graphics files to receiving a proof/sample of how the final product will look.

Below are some details to keep in mind before you call, so you can help make the process as seamless as possible.

• Minimum size – The files must be appropriately sized in order for the trade show graphics to work. If your image is too small, or the resolution of your photography is too low, blowing it up to a size that will fit your trade show display and accessories will result in a distorted or blurry image. Ask for the smallest and largest acceptable dimensions for your graphic images to avoid needless design steps with the design department.
• Lambda or Ink Jet – Lambda graphics produce higher resolution than ink jet graphics, but at a higher price. If you furnish graphics files that are a minimum of 400 dpi, you may be able to get finished graphics that are more than four times that size. If your budget is limited, you an ink jet graphics may be a better option.
• Color Match – Your version of royal blue may not be the same as the trade show graphic designers’ version of royal blue. And asking to see an electronic sample can be tricky, because the different settings on different computer monitors can distort the color’s appearance – and the same goes for printouts as well. Because of this, many designers use CMYK or RGB color models as standardized guidelines for choosing universal colors. Find out which ones your design team follow and choose a color that best represents your company from there.
• Fonts – It is recommended you include the font files for the different types of fonts used in your trade show display graphic images – especially if your graphic combines actual text files with graphic files to create one graphical element or file.
• Format – Should your trade show graphic be submitted as an Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, Quark Xpress or InDesign file? Does the design department prefer a .tif, .pdf, .eps file or some other file format? Also, should you submit your materials on a CD, DVD, ZIP disc or upload it to a FTP site?
• Production Time – Begin your submission timeline by backtracking from the time you expect to receive the completed trade show display. Ask your customer service rep how long it will take the company to complete the trade show graphic production to determine when you should expect delivery. Don’t make the schedule too tight – you want to leave some wiggle room for yourself and the designers in case there are any obstacles or last minute details to be worked out.

Your trade show display introduces your company to trade show visitors and prospective clients before they ever meet anyone from your company. Your trade show graphics are the most important part of creating that first impression, and can make or break your image.

By discussing your graphics concept(s) with your customer service rep at the very beginning of the design process you can streamline the process to ensure your trade show graphic images will be the most compelling they can be. Follow these preliminary guidelines to save yourself and the graphic design team time and frustration.