Making the Most of your Small Exhibition Stand
For businesses of all sizes, trade shows and exhibitions provide an invaluable opportunity to raise brand awareness and generate new sales. But how can you successfully vie for visitor attention at a crowded show if you only have a small exhibition stand?
The good news is that, in this environment, bigger is not necessarily better. With a little thought and preparation it’s perfectly possible to maximise the potential of a small exhibition stand, making it attractive to potential customers at the show and enabling your business to reap the many benefits of exhibiting.
Here, specialist exhibition stand designers and installers Aspect Exhibitions explain the best ways of making the most of your small exhibition stand.
1. Make sure you’re only exhibiting at appropriate events
The best possible exhibition is one that will be visited exclusively by people who are only interested in purchasing products and services in your business sector. With a little prior research you can find out which shows attract your target market and focus your efforts on these, giving your small exhibition stand a greater chance of making an impact with the right kind of visitor and saving you the time and expense of exhibiting at unsuitable events.
2. Design your small exhibition stand to be different and memorable
A custom-designed and themed small exhibition stand that immediately conveys to visitors exactly what your business is all about in a way that is eye-catching and unique will ensure that it stands out among the larger but potentially ‘blander’ stands of your competitors.
3. Choose your exhibition space with care
It’s vital to locate a small exhibition stand where it will benefit from the greatest visitor footfall in accordance with your budget, but avoid positions beside the entrances or exits of an exhibition venue as these can be often overlooked by visitors.
4. Ensure your branding and message are clear and visible from a distance
To give your small exhibition stand the best opportunity to be seen, keep your graphics and text simple, large and clear and ideally positioned in the upper half of your exhibition stand to minimise visibility being blocked by visitors. Signage positioned above your stand will aid visibility from a distance but must be kept brief and unambiguous.
5. Use lighting effectively
Illuminating your small display stand effectively will make it more eye-catching and attractive to visitors. Appropriate lighting can be used to create a positive mood or to highlight particular aspects of your stand such as a key message or product.
6. Less is more with a small exhibition stand
Where space may be limited it’s essential that your small exhibition stand only features those elements that are necessary to achieve your goals of increased sales leads and closures. Trying to fill every available space and surface with products, literature, giveaways and displays will result in a stand that looks cluttered and is ultimately confusing for potential customers.
7. Use modular display items to maintain a professional image
Any positive impact created by your small exhibition stand will be undermined by the addition of ‘improvised’ or incongruous elements. A trestle-table, for example, is no substitute for a proper counter. Customising your small exhibition stand with matching modular items such as display stands, furniture and counters ensures that it looks professional throughout.
8. Ensure your exhibition stand staff are proactive
No matter how well-designed, eye-catching and attractive your small exhibition stand is it would be foolish to simply stand around and wait for visitors to turn up of their own accord. People prefer to buy from people, so getting staff to take a proactive and friendly approach, chatting to event visitors and inviting them to take a look at your exhibition stand is an essential means of getting the most from it.
9. Take advantage of your surroundings
Depending upon the location of your small exhibition stand there may be features of the venue that you can use to enhance its visibility. It might be possible, for example, to affix an eye-catching backdrop to a rear wall or post additional signage or banners on a nearby pillar, but it’s sensible to check with the exhibition organisers first.
10. Give visitors a compelling incentive to visit your small exhibition stand
Competitions, prize draws, appropriate giveaways and promotional discounts are all tried-and-trusted methods of attracting visitors to an exhibition stand and are suitable for exhibition stands of all sizes. Avoid large-scale attractions such as video or table-top games which take up space. Ensure any attractions are widely publicised to visitors both before and during the show.