While we very much love our big 20×20 and up island display projects, most of our trade show projects are still 10x10s and 10x20s. We are often talking about how we can create a unique experience with not only a smaller space, but usually a smaller budget. This is where we love to talk about themes!
10x10s and 10x20s even at their most complex still do not venture too far from their budget counterparts in terms of basic elements. You have a backwall and maybe some form of counter(s) and/or furniture. Booth guidelines really don’t allow much more. Being this way makes it very monotonous for attendees as they walk down the aisles. But this attendee experience can be a familiar mall/retail shops experience where they pass by a row of stores. Each offering a different experience that is generated by unique facades, music, decor, layout, lighting and even smells. Each element impacting the shopper in a different way. Trade show booths are far too often a physical, three-dimensional representation of a basic website or brochure. I believe the proper thought would be to have the attendee not step into your website, but to step into your brand.
For example, here are some themes we’ve worked on in the past: a restaurant with a scenic view of the city the show was in, a french coffee shop for a beverage company, a speakeasy for a bourbon brand, an apartment for a developer, a podcast studio for a pod software, nature spaces for an outdoor brand, etc. The idea is to have a space setup to invite an attendee in to experience a brand.
From an execution standpoint, we like to utilize the backwall to deliver a large image of the space we’re starting to generate. Using this big 10×8 or 20×8 space to set the tone for the rest of the space in front of it. From there flooring, furniture and accessories like decor or greenery help to complete the look. The theme also allows for pre-show marketing and giveaways to work cohesively with the space to help generate interest.
Consider your attendees walking down the aisle. Will they be more intrigued by the coffee shop theme serving coffee? Or the live brochure with the 6′ table walling off the front. Making the space fun and inviting will draw people in. And in spaces this size, it is much less to do with budget and more about creativity and planning. We would love to help you come up with the right theme for your next space, and we have all the tools to help you execute it! Contact us today to have your theme ready for your fall shows.