A striking trade show booth is your gateway to new clients. While preparing to attend a trade show, you need to know how to design an eye-catching booth that will stand out on the show floor. An appealing exhibit display will allow your team to convert sales, generate leads and raise brand awareness in the industry.
Custom displays can draw traffic to your booth – but it’s up to you to keep them there. Follow these trade show booth tips that will attract visitors and keep your business in mind after the event.
If you’re wondering how to prepare for a trade show, make sure you know what type of space you have:
Larger displays like perimeter booths and island booths also allow for the possibility of double-deck, or two-level, booths. While expensive, double-deck booths can be useful for accommodating private meeting areas for clients.
You will also need to decide whether to rent or purchase your booth. Rental is more budget-friendly in the short term, but if you plan to attend frequent conventions purchasing a booth may prove more cost effective over time. Either way, exhibit solutions companies offer booths that can fit 10 x 10, 8 x 10, 10 x 12, 10 x 20, 20 x 20 and even larger foot trade show spaces.
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The necessities for your custom trade show exhibit will depend on your space size, budget and priorities. Some people want manageable, portable trade shows displays, while others want a more elaborate booth. No matter your needs, consider these recommended trade show display products:
These products are just the basics for building a convention booth. When it comes to creating an eye-catching design, you’ll need to think more creatively.
Think of a well-designed trade show booth as an investment. Attending a trade show is expensive, and that cost will only pay off if you take your exhibit display seriously. You only have a second to grab a potential client’s attention before they risk passing right by you. Use these eye-catching and creative trade show booth ideas to make sure that doesn’t happen.
Simple messaging: Because your booth needs to make an instant impression, your display on the show floor should send a clear, immediate message to anyone who sees it. Think of one main idea you want prospective clients and visitors to remember, and write a powerful, concise headline that expresses it. Pair it with imagery that matches the tone of the headline.
Consistent tone: Visually, your show floor design should be consistent — don’t use too many different colors or fonts. A few bold, striking colors and well-chosen fonts will make a stronger statement than a visually overwhelming hodgepodge of different ideas. You don’t want to confuse potential clients with an unclear tone.
Eye-level imagery: Remember to keep messaging at eye-level so that those scanning the room are likely to see what you’re offering. And be sure to arrange larger items behind smaller items to maintain sightlines, especially if you’re in an inline booth space. If you need more help conceptualizing your booth, exhibit designers are available at companies that sell trade show display products.
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Trade shows are work, but at your booth, it shouldn’t feel like it. Engage trade show visitors by giving them an opportunity to have fun as they learn about your business. These tried-and-true ideas will make for an interactive exhibit display:
When it comes to trade show booth ideas, you can always count on raffles, contests and branded giveaways to generate enthusiasm. People like to win things, and you want to associate your brand with the anticipation and excitement that comes with a prize. A spinning prize wheel can add visual flair on the show floor and lets people know that something exciting is going on at your booth.
Trivia games can also be a good way to get people working their brains at your booth. Make it familiar by following formats of popular shows like “Jeopardy.” Design questions that relate to your business, but don’t make them so specific that they alienate those who aren’t intimately aware of its ins and outs. Give out company-branded prizes to the winners.
Arcade games, carnival games and yard games can also make your booth a destination on the trade show floor. But make sure you incorporate elements that educate visitors about your business or adds brand recognition. All that fun ultimately needs to be in service of gaining a new client.
And don’t forget: No matter how much cool stuff you pack into your booth, it’s ultimately up to your trade show booth staff to attract visitors and engage them. Your team will be tasked with welcoming trade show attendees fee and explaining how to interact with your games and gadgets.
Old-school fun and games can only go so far these days. New technology is changing the expectations for trade show booths, and you don’t want to be left behind. Attendees want to be wowed by advanced gadgets. And you want to send the message that your business is on the cutting edge of the industry. Try these creative ways to incorporate technology into your trade show booth:
One of the most exciting ways to engage trade show visitors is augmented reality. Here’s how it works: The technology overlays reality with images and messaging that can be seen either on your visitor’s smartphone or on display screen at your booth. Think Pokemon Go.
Augmented reality provides an opportunity to have visitors see more of your branding on the environment around them. You can also use augmented reality for virtual product demonstrations, games, announcements and more.
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Technology can be practical, as well. After spending hours at a trade show, many visitors will be desperate to charge their phones. Providing a charging station at your booth is a reliable way to attract people to your booth.
As with games and contests, you’ll rely on your trade show booth staff to show people how to use the eye-catching technology you have on display. From there, they’ll hopefully turn that initial interest into sales.
What’s the best way to get attendees to your trade show booth? Have people already there. It’s a positive feedback loop: A booth that has drawn a crowd will pique the curiosity of others. They won’t want to miss out. So it’s important to be consistent throughout the day, giving people continuous reasons to stop by your booth.
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Don’t forget that the goal of a trade show booth is not ultimately to entertain people. If someone walks away from your booth with nothing but a good time, all the effort you put into your custom exhibit display hasn’t paid off. In the end, you need a good return on investment to make a trade show experience worthwhile. And that means securing new clients and customers.
You’ll need to back up your style with substance. Send your most informed and knowledgeable team members as your booth staff. Have them prepared with a script of key points to hit upon with clients. Teach them good body language — smile, stand up straight, keep arms uncrossed and out of pockets, avoid fidgeting — and make sure they listen actively to potential customers.
When a sale can’t be closed during the event, your team should be ready to hand out literature, business cards and custom-branded promotional items to keep your company’s name in a prospective client’s mind after the event.
Keep an email list that visitors can sign up for, allowing you to follow up with high-quality leads after the trade show ends. Don’t wait — the faster you check in, the fresher in their mind you will be.
Much of the work that makes for a successful trade show experience happens before you even get to the booth. There several ways to lay the groundwork for a good return on investment.
Before the event, identify trade show attendees who strike you as potential clients. Work to set up meetings in advance to guarantee time with them — you can’t count on them stopping by on their own. You can also encourage clients you already have to come to the show. It’s usually easier to increase your business with an existing client than it is to secure a brand new one.
Take time to scout out your competition at the trade show. You don’t want to dedicate too much time to this since your resources should be committed to bringing business. But it doesn’t hurt to get a sense of the competitive landscape. You might just learn something.
Your exhibit is equipped with eye-catching visuals, interactive technology and a crack team. But don’t lose sight of the basics. These trade show booth essentials:
Now that you know how to set up your trade show booth, learn how to ship your display to the event with ease. R+L Global Logistics is ready to be your partner for trade show booth shipping and more. To learn about trade show shipping services, chat, email or call R+L Global at 866-415-8986.
Get ready to have some fun! The IAAPA Conference is your chance to let your amusement business shine. This annual trade show and conference, held in Orlando, FL, brings leaders from the business of fun together to share ideas, show off their latest products and services, and learn. You’ll also find a trade show floor full of representatives from theme parks, water parks, attractions and other amusements. If you’re a first-timer or even an experienced exhibitor, riding the roller coaster of running a booth at the IAAPA trade show can put you on the edge of your seat. But before you get there, you’re going to need to utilize freight services to the IAAPA in order to transport everything you need.
In order to transport your booth, you’re going to need to utilize freight services to IAAPA. In most cases, a 3PL is the easiest way to manage that. 3PL services include shipping the booth, collateral, and other trade show essentials, along with loading and unloading at the site. You could also take advantage of warehouse storage for trade show materials, freight insurance, and even shipping to international trade shows.
IAAPA stands for the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions. Their mission is to encourage the growth of the amusement industry, and educate individual companies on industry best practices, safety regulations, and customer service.
The IAAPA imposes high standards for safety and compliance on their members, but provide all the resources needed to meet those expectations. This is all in an effort to best serve the customers, to ensure safe, fun experiences for guests interacting with the attractions.
The organization has over 6,000 members in 100 different countries, representing businesses like:
Other IAAPA members include those who support the amusement industry. Representatives from distributors, industry suppliers, operators, equipment manufacturers, and service providers can all benefit from membership.
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The IAAPA Expo in Orlando is widely recognized as the largest attractions expo in the world. It takes place annually in the fall, and attracts over 40,000 attendees to learn about the details of the attraction industry. It consists of a 4-day trade show and a 5-day conference. In the trade show, attendees can move about the trade show floor to learn about advances in technology and recent innovations, while the conference allows industry members a chance to network and grow professionally.
Attendees to the IAAPA trade show can find resources to learn about every aspect of running an amusement business. This includes strategies for predicting customer needs, safety standards, ride maintenance requirements, industry news, best practices, and any laws and regulations that apply to the amusement industry. The expo also provides an opportunity for members to interact and exchange ideas with some of the brightest minds in the business.
The trade show isn’t all business, however. A live DJ playing on the trade show floor gives the expo a fun, upbeat vibe, as attendees socialize and move about the exhibitions. Local food trucks line up outside, offering up tastes from around Central Florida. To add to the excitement, many members take the expo as an opportunity to make long-awaited big announcements!
The expo in Orlando is one of three world-wide IAAPA shows. Other shows and expos are held in Europe and Asia.
Freeman is the official contractor for the IAAPA Expo. This means that they oversee all on-site freight and materials handling at the show, and manage the loading dock and marshaling yard during move-in and move-out periods. The move-in/move-out dock has a tight schedule to give everyone the chance to get their freight inside and set up in a timely manner, so it is important that your trade show materials arrive on time.
According to information from the IAAPA exhibitor guide, Freeman crews will be on-site to help unload all “for hire” carriers. This means that you don’t need to do any of the heavy lifting to get your freight onto the trade show floor for assembly.
Interested participants can register with Freeman prior to the expo with the Freeman Online service. After creating an account or logging in, you can easily register and request specific services from the contractor for before, during, and after the event.
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Exhibiting at a trade show like the IAAPA Expo is a big job, and it can be quite stressful if you’ve never done it before. As an exhibitor, you are responsible for showing off your company’s products and services while representing the business. Your booth is what grabs your customers’ attention. This means it is important to have the right set up and swag to show it all off.
In order to get your booth and materials to the IAAPA Expo, you’re going to need to utilize some method of shipping. By far, the most cost-effective and headache-free option is to work with a Third-Party Logistics (3PL) company, which can also come with many additional benefits.
One of the most important things to get right is the way the trade show supplies are packed for shipment. The last thing you’d need is to get everything delivered before you realize your primary display was damaged due to improper packaging. Whether it’s not protecting your freight from the elements or not securing it for a bumpy trip, poor packaging can ruin your trade show display.
If you aren’t sure how to pack your supplies for shipment, this kind of thing is best left to professionals. A 3PL that handles trade show logistics on a regular basis is going to be much more qualified to pack your supplies safely. If you want the peace of knowing your freight is in good hands, it’s worth the extra investment.
Utilizing a 3PL to ship your trade show freight comes with the added benefit of having a place to store your booth and materials when you aren’t actively attending shows. 3PL warehouses are often the most secure and convenient option, especially if you plan on going to many shows throughout the year.
There are two common ways to ship your booth and materials to IAAPA: Advance warehouse shipping and direct to show site shipping. The option you chose might be based on time, your trade show schedule, and the size of your booth.
Advance warehouse shipping means that your freight is sent to a warehouse if it isn’t already there before the show, then moved to the trade show location before the show starts. This method works best if you are already utilizing the warehouse space from your 3PL.
Direct to show site shipping means that your freight is moved directly from the pick-up location to the site of the show. This gives you time to assemble your booth and materials. This means you can take your time in assembling the products, booth graphics, and other essentials, to make sure everything is perfect.
Need help shipping your trade show booth and materials?
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The only thing more stressful than a trade show is a trade show in a different country. On top of all the planning and paperwork of a domestic trade show, you would need to worry about international laws, customs compliance, and transportation across huge distances. If you want to come to the IAAPA Expo from a different country, you need to make sure you do everything right.
There’s a lot that could go wrong with international shipping, and you definitely don’t want to be stuck at the border while the expo goes on without you. Working with a 3PL means you have the opportunity to talk to some of the most seasoned experts on the topic. If the 3PL provides logistics brokers, you could get even more personalized assistance for your specific situation.
R+L Global Logistics is a leader in trade show freight services to IAAPA. With over 50 years of combined experience, our team can assist you no matter what your circumstances are. Trade show booth shipping is easy with R+L Global Logistics. We offer a range of value-added services from international and domestic shipping, white-glove services, and packaging, to 24-hour customer service and live tracking. If you need to store your booth, we can offer warehouse solutions all across the U.S. R+L Global Logistics is an all-in-one logistics service that can help you before and after any trade show. If you’re ready to ship to the IAAPA Expo, call us today for a quote!
Shipping your trade show booth to SEMA Las Vegas, one of the world’s largest automobile trade shows, can be an extremely difficult task. Mechanical products can be bulky and heavy making transportation troublesome. Although these items are oversized they can be delicate, special handling procedures need to be enforced when moving your products to SEMA.
Shipping your trade show booths to SEMA Las Vegas can consume time and a large portion of money. Your company will need to resource a reliable, professional way to get your booth and materials to the show. Partnering with a logistics company can allow you to focus on your strategizing marketing techniques for your booth, while they take care of delivery.
SEMA once stood for Speed Equipment Manufacturing Association but was changed stands in the 1970’s to Specialty Equipment Market Association. The organization came after car gurus were looking to trade with others with similar products. The first-ever SEMA Show was held in 1967 at the Los Angeles Dodger’s baseball stadium. The industry has had substantial growth since then, the capacity of smaller locations became too limiting and the event was moved to the Las Vegas Convention Center where more than 2,400 companies participate.
This trade show brings tuners and motorheads from across the country together to learn about the latest and greatest in aftermarket components and products. The destination for tools, parts and other components for cars, trucks, SUVs and other vehicles. When combing the SEMA trade show floor, you’ll find exhibitors like equipment manufacturers, distributors, dealers, retailers, installers, restoration specialists and more.
New cars and special models are debuted at the SEMA Show annually, giving attendees a chance to see the latest and greatest in the auto industry. Many major auto manufacturers including Ford, Honda, Chevrolet, Honda, Mazda, Acura, Toyota, and Lexus display the latest models and prototypes to 70,000 motorheads. However, this event is not open to the general public, only to the professionals within the industry.
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Companies pay quite a chunk of money to be present at this event — If you are a SEMA member you get a discounted rate at roughly $22 per net square foot of your booth. All others pay about $15 more at $37 per net square foot. The minimum amount of square feet purchased must be equal to 100 or more. An island booth costs an additional $4,000 and peninsulas cost an additional $1,000.
Show attendees have big buying power, according to figures from the association, 57 percent of attendees make buying decisions for their companies, while 30 percent make buying recommendations.
Why ship your trade show freight to SEMA:
The show doesn’t end for consumers once the event concludes, 87 percent of individuals who attend the convention plan to order products after the show. There are a plethora of reasons it’s beneficial for your company to participate in SEMA. Regardless of the reason, you plan to exhibit at the SEMA Show, it will likely be a rewarding experience.
SEMA fills the halls with people looking to purchase products but, with booths that have cars on display, how do you stand out? Aim for a stand surrounded by aisles like peninsulas or islands. The location of these booths have openings on all sides allowing you to communicate with individuals walking the floor.
Need help shipping your trade show booth and materials?
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With such a large venue and bulky products, how do participants ship their exhibits to SEMA? Having booths assembled prior to the show is vital for each business involved but, you can’t demo your company’s products and services to buyers if they don’t show up on time.
To increase the complications of getting your products to the show, SEMA has only one handling contractor, Freeman. They organize the Marshaling Yard and Loading Docks during the move-in and move-out periods and oversee the handling of freight and moving of materials for the show. Partnering with an experienced logistics provider who has a relationship with this contractor could make the process of getting your products in slightly easier.
There are two main ways to ship to the show, through direct shipment from your location to SEMA or warehousing. You can select to ship your freight directly from your location to the show site. The other option is to ship your booth and materials directly to a Freeman warehouse, then Freeman will deliver your items to the site. The SEMA Exhibitors guide, mentions Freeman can construct your booth before the show and dismantle it when you’re done.
Need help shipping your trade show booth and materials?
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Trusting a logistics company can help ease the pain and stress behind trade show planning. R+L Global Logistics provides advanced warehousing for your trade show materials and direct shipping to the location. R+L Global Logistics’ trade show services team has nearly 50 years of combined experience, we’ve gotten our trucks in and out of the Las Vegas Convention Center many times and are prepared to offer you the best solutions for shipping to SEMA.
R+L Global Logistics can also help with your other trade show shipping needs. From shipping to a pet expo to shipping to CES, we have you covered.
Take advantage of R+L Global’s Logistics’ services and contractor partnerships to get your booth and materials to the SEMA Show safely and on time. We ensure the materials will be delivered in the same condition they were received in. Chat, email or call R+L Global today to get started with our trade show shipping services.
R+L Global Logistics can make shipping your trade show booth to SEMA, Las Vegas less stressful. We are prepared to be your shipping and logistics partner under all circumstances. Our experienced trade show booth shipping team works with providers like Freeman to navigate you through transporting your products using the best system possible.
