Exhibitions are the original “pop up shop” – a one
or two-day shot at displaying your company and services to an audience that’s
specifically interested in your sector.
Exhibiting is all about capturing the attention of
the audience.
The trouble is, that you’re not the only pop up
shop in town, and the exhibition centre is full of your rivals, all vying for
the attention (and wallets) of a discerning clientele. So how can you make your
stand… well, stand out from the rest?
One Word – Design.
Exhibiting is all about capturing the attention of
the audience. Once you’ve done that you can go into overdrive and keep them
entertained with your patter, woo them with freebies or dazzle them with
technology.
But the exhibition chum in the water that gets the
sharks circling around your stand rather than your rivals is visual – how your
stand looks will be the key factor to drawing in the crowds.
The Goldfish effect
The reason that most stands have only a mediocre level
of success at an exhibition is that they focus purely on bombarding the visitor
with information. While that’s great, you do need to think about the logistics
of the situation.
Your visitor will spend an average of between 30
seconds to three minutes at your stand before wandering off. This “goldfish”
attention span is typical of the average exhibition visitor, so you’ve got to
give them a reason to shoot for the three minutes limit, rather than getting
distracted after 30 seconds by that big, shiny stand that’s further down aisle
four. The aim with good exhibition design is to make your stand that big, shiny
stand everyone gravitates towards.
Don’t be afraid to go bold. A banner that’s dull
won’t bring in the crowds – it’ll repel them. Be innovative – who says that
your display has to be two dimensional? Curved display surfaces featuring
moving pictures and clever use of lighting is a great way to bring the curious
to your doorstep.
Your visitor will spend an average of between 30
seconds to three minutes at your stand before wandering off.
Get interactive
Get interactive, too. Visitors don’t want to just
stand there while you ply them with leaflets, coffee and Danishes, or rattle on
about app designs or how your amazing product has transformed your industry.
They want to feel involved – so give them something that will engage all their
senses, not just the visual. Avoid pounding dance music or strobe lighting,
though, as this can send them running into the arms of your competitors, as
well as annoying the heck out of your neighbours!
Incorporate the latest technology and social media
into your stand to really give your design that wow factor. Why not have live
tweets scrolling along a display board, and get your visitors to join in using
their smartphones? (People love seeing their name up in lights!) Or use iPads
to collect people’s information?
Whatever your industry, exhibitions are often the
kick-start to a year that your business needs to generate warm leads, reinforce
your brand within a marketplace or launch that brand new product. Your stand
design concepts should focus on a core strategy, and use as many tools at your
disposal as possible to get your message across. If you’re still struggling
about how to make your concept a reality, talk to one of our event planners
about hiring one of our attention grabbing, fully brandable & functional
mobile bars, we can work with you to make sure you get the maximum return on
your time spent standing around in draughty arenas. Visit us at www.mobilebarcompany.co.za or by
clicking here.
