There are some new trends in trade show booth designs that are getting more traction in 2019. These are focused on visitor’s perceptions and experience with a brand, going beyond simple product displays and demonstrations. In order to get to the forefront of these trends, you’ll need to see how your company’s presentation can affect them in positive and productive ways, which starts with being customer focused.

More Individual and Personalized Experiences

Knowing your audience, that’s the key to personalized experiences. Then, ask yourself what are these potential customers looking for? Bold colors and unique signage may grab their attention, but what makes them feel comfortable in your booth is what really matters.

Your trade show booth should represent different levels of engagement, so visitors have a choice. These levels of interactions allow them the freedom to explore what they are comfortable with. It respects their need to be in charge. A customer-centric booth keeps the customer in mind every step of the way.

Rising Above All Others

Multistory signage gives you an advantage to rise above the crowd. There are many creative ways to raise your signage far above the others, just remember that there are height restrictions at most shows. So, think about scalability and materials to really standout the right way.

Engaging visitors through all five senses can quickly build emotional connections. Touch is one of the best ways to have them interact more with your booth. Incorporating taste, smell, and sound will require some creativity and thoughtful design.

Nostalgia

A customer’s first impression is everything, so an intuitive design should appeal to their imagination and emotions. A lot of technology has filled that need for quite a while now, but much of the excitement built around it is waning.

Nostalgia can bring up strong memories from the past. It connects with people on an emotional level. Plus, it encourages more interaction, because these things from the past are familiar and feel comfortable to use. These experiences are real and authentic. It ignites the spark you need to really connect with your visitors.

Virtual Reality

Yes, virtual reality continues to disrupt with the most innovative way to give immersive experiences. It has a two-fold purpose to attract customers and capture their attention. Designing your booth for VR requires a lot of safe space for viewing, as well as easy-to-use stands for resting headsets. Customized stands and displays will protect your investments, while allowing visitors the freedom to give VR a try.

If you need help updating your trade show booth to adapt to these trends, the ADM Two staff are experts on display design and fabrication, so give us a call at (813) 887-1960. No matter where your event takes place, one of our knowledgeable staff can assist you with your trade show needs. Also, check out some of our other articles to get more information on trade show booth layout and trade show graphics.

Blog (Exhibit Insight), Museum Exhibit, Trade Show

Does Your Museum Exhibit or Trade Show Booth Tell a Story?

2019-11-10 Tony Ricci

Whether it’s for a trade show or museum exhibit, your displays need to be part of the story, just as much as the content. And, getting more people interested in learning more all depends upon how you want to tell your story.

Telling a good story lets you stand out—to be more memorable. And that’s exactly what you want, so your audience will take their experience with your brand and organization back home, and hopefully tell your story to more people. This begins with the content that you want to present.

How Do You Tell a Good Story?

A good story provides important details to immerse the visitor and make the experience feel genuine. Your story is based on a theme that focuses on your brand and the customer journey. Here are some common themes:
– Overcoming an Obstacle
– Fun / Entertaining
– Strength and Empowerment
– Safety / Security
– Nostalgia
Once you’ve decided on a theme, then it’s time to incorporate all of the elements of the story within the design of your exhibit.

Customized Trade Show Booth

Not only does the story content need to be embedded into your booth design, but you’ll also need to incorporate most of the senses to attract a larger audience. If you choose a tabletop or inline display, you’ll need to add some extras, such as audio-visuals, and even scent, to fit in these important details. The goal is to be memorable to your audience.

Customization is the way to go to stand out in a crowded exhibit hall. A customized booth engages all of your visitors’ senses. Colorful and unique visual designs will capture their attention and draw them in. Interactivity allows them to touch and feel products or get a better idea of your services. Also, having a good sound system delivers a more professional presentation, as well as provides ambient music to make visitors feel comfortable and relaxed.

Immersive Museum Exhibits

Museums have the advantage of telling a story in a linear fashion. Your story can be displayed in chronological order, so visitors can see the important details as they unfold through time.

This can be done through signs, placards or banners hung on a wall, but these lack the emotional impact you want. You’ll have more impact when you reconstruct the main characters of your story to bring them to life using unique materials such as fabric, metal, and glass – whatever the story demands!

A customized exhibit will be more colorful and unique, bringing the story that you want to convey to life. These can be durable enough to handle the daily stress of visitor interactions. A customized exhibit is more immersive and memorable. Plus, it can be built to fit a particular space, giving smaller museums the advantage of utilizing more available space.

At ADM Two, we are experts on display design and fabrication. Whether it’s prefabricated, modular or custom, we can design and build any display to fit your needs. So, if your company or museum requires a customized exhibit, please give us a call at (813) 887-1960. No matter where you’re located, one of our knowledgeable staff can assist you with all of your exhibiting needs.

Blog (Exhibit Insight), Displays

Harold Mintz “Walking the Produce Marketing Association Show”

2019-10-31 Tony Ricci

“Let me start by stating something obvious… If it grabs your attention from an overcrowded aisle, it’s probably a good thing. Every time I found myself stopping to notice a particular booth it was bright yellow (thank you, Chiquita), a backlit booth (yes, Katina, lightboxes are still a thing), or a graphic that made use of high contrast graphics (colorful fruits and vegetables against a white background was quite the popular look).”

Oh boy, Harold! I would expect nothing less than this key observation and so many more from a guy who wears the most stylish shoes in the industry. I have had the pleasure of working along side Harold in a previous industry position and always welcome his unique insights and perspectives. His recent re-cap of the Produce Marketing Association Show:

Truly acts as a reminder to us close to these projects of the challenges faced with being an effective exhibitor
Offers helpful insight for companies looking to participate in trade shows for the first time or organizations that may need a new direction for existing properties

Have a look at the rest of Harold’s insights and let us know what you think.

Tony

Large, colorful, high contrast backdrops like this one draw attention!

Backlit booths get you noticed! Take it from Harold, it worked on him!

Blog (Exhibit Insight)

Fabric Displays Make a Great Impression

2019-06-18 Tony Ricci

Fabric displays have all the versatility you’ve been looking for to grab more attention. They provide a lightweight and flexible option for anyone looking to display the best their company has to offer. Whether it’s an inline display for a trade show or signage for your corporate headquarters, fabric displays are one of the most cost-effective ways to make a great impression.

Benefits of Fabric

Today, digital color images are transferred end-to-end on modern fabrics that produce an amazing visual effect. This process creates vibrant and long-lasting images that don’t smear or peel. That’s just the beginning of the benefits that fabric has to offer.

Let’s start with how you can save money with fabric. If your company exhibits at a lot of trade shows, fabric will save you money in several different ways. How?

Lower Shipping Costs
Drayage
Labor Costs (for set up and tear down)
Less Storage Space

When presenting at a trade show or an event, inline fabric displays are easy to transport and set up. Some are small enough to travel with employees on the plane. This comes in handy for small companies that can only send one person to the show.

And, for those of us who are environmentally conscious, custom, printed fabrics are versatile and can be repurposed. Your inline trade show display, when not in use, can be turned into a front lobby wall hanging. With fabric displays, you can repurpose them to fill corporate and retail spaces, making these areas more vibrant and full of color. There are also eco-friendly materials that hold the same continuous, colorful tones—just as vivid as a photograph.

Fabric may seem like a more fragile material than vinyl or wood, but they tend to last much longer because they require less handling. Plus, some materials can be washed using a mild detergent. The aluminum frames holding your display never rust and are easy to care for. Each component is study and durable in order to ensure that your display looks great show after show.

Customization

Fabric displays are flexible and can be modular, which makes them easy to customize in order to create the visual appeal that you want. The sky is the limit when in comes to creatively designing your display.

Some of the most popular inline trade show booth displays are made from fabric hung on aluminum frames. Today’s printing technology allows end-to-end graphics with an unbelievable range of colors for eye-popping appeal. The quality looks modern and professional. Exactly what you want to grab the attention of show attendees. Inline displays are simple, yet elegant.

Tension fabric displays can also feature unique style elements, taking your graphics beyond a 2-dimensional, flat panel. Consider more 3-dimensional displays, such as:

Towers,
Top-Down Funnels,
Arches,
Waves,
Kiosks,
Curved Conference Walls.

Your graphics become a versatile sculpture, more sophisticated and able to set the stage for any event. Curved edges are softer, less aggressive than sharp corners. Layering can also give that 3-D look by simply using flat panels. These can be double sided or backlit to attract more attention. Whichever you choose, these designs will truly separate you from your competition.

Corporate spaces also benefit from these lightweight and easy-to-move, popup displays. Hanging displays offer a more long-term, permanent solution to high traffic spaces. Want to go beyond simple panels? Kiosks are great for checking in clients and towers can offer directions to where they’re going.

Fabric Displays That Pop!

You have on average about three seconds to communicate with trade show attendees. You want to convey your brand and look bigger and more invested than your competition. This is where the graphics you choose matter.

Attention grabbing starts with color, because color has the ability to convey emotions, mood and dimension. Start with a color palette that fits your brand, then expand upon it to achieve a harmony that’s pleasing to the eye. Your brand style guide should have your brand colors plus complimentary colors for accents.

Next, you’ll need to look at composition and placement. These are terms you’re probably familiar with already through your other marketing materials. Displays are entirely about the viewer, where they are standing and what they can see. For people standing far away, a strong contrast in colors can catch their eye quickly, so trade show graphics are very specialized and you should work with a graphic designer who has experience in this specific type of design.

Define your focal points to direct the viewers eyes naturally, so they will always be looking at the most important messages. This means that you’ll need to think about a visual hierarchy. Your logo should be bigger, more prominent than other less important elements. These work together to send a bold, clear message that’s easy to understand.

Graphics should also tell your story. People are visual learners, so the images you choose, combined with the colors, will quickly convey your story, going beyond the mood and into your brand’s vision. Using images of people, rather than scenery, will add to the emotion and relatability of your brand. Images of products and services should be in action, again, making it easier for your audience to see it—and believe!

Going Beyond the Panel

When designing with fabric, start with the panel, as if it were your canvas, then try to think beyond it and get more creative with your brand messaging. Simple alterations to the structure may provide you with a more visually appealing display. Unique structures will show off your attention to detail, your level of sophistication and willingness to go the extra mile to attract more attention. These aren’t gimmicks or tricks. They are proven design elements that work.

Check out our wide selection of fabric displays or give us a call at (813) 887-1960 to discuss your needs. No matter where your event takes place or corporate location, one of our knowledgeable staff can assist you with all of your trade show needs. Also, check out some of our other articles to get more information on trade show booth layout and trade show graphics.

Blog (Exhibit Insight)

ADM Two Rental Exhibit Designs

2019-04-19 Tony Ricci

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Blog (Exhibit Insight), Portable Display

Planning Your Portable Trade Show Experience

2019-03-25 Tony Ricci

Portable trade show booths are easy to transport and cost effective. But they don’t have to look and feel cheap. Even if you’re planning your trade show booth on a budget, get creative with your booth and the accessories within it to amplify your visitors’ experience. Make sure to create a detailed master plan to ensure maximum use of your budget, staff and time.

First of all, let’s talk about the master plan. Begin this document well ahead of the trade show you will be attending. You will most likely start with a budget that has been allocated to this trade show. The budget will need to cover:

Trade show entry fees
Marketing before and during the show
Portable trade show booth purchase
Trade show booth shipping and material handling fees
Staffing costs, to include travel, lodging and food expenses
Giveaways
Technology
Show site services (flooring, electrical, rigging and labor, if applicable)

Your exhibit marketing strategy should include your purpose, goals, and final objective. Draft this before you are influenced by budget parameters. Your exhibit strategy should be consistent with your general marketing strategy. Creating an exhibit marketing strategy may reveal what type of exhibit or exhibits are best suited for your company. If your company plans to attend numerous shows back-to-back using a 10 x 10 space, you may want to evaluate portable or modular exhibits. If your company does a number of smaller inline booths along with a few major shows, then you’ll want to consider portable/modular or hybrid exhibits. When the strategy is to make a huge impact at a major industry show, you’ll want to evaluate modular, hybrid, and custom exhibits.

Choosing a Portable Trade Show Booth

There are varying levels of portable trade show booth prices. Fortunately, Sourcing a budget friendly and quality display is becoming easier today as manufactures strive to improve the end user experience. Make sure not to max out your budget on the display, as you’ll want to make sure to offer really creative giveaways and have your best staff working the booth.

Chances are you’ll purchase your exhibit from a local exhibit company. Exhibit companies have been around for decades and understand exhibits and trade shows. Originally, exhibits were custom-crafted. Then, exhibit systems evolved as an alternative to the high cost of custom craftsmanship. Now, there are multiple exhibit categories. Exhibit systems, which includes portable, modular, and hybrid exhibits, are evolving towards custom-crafted exhibits, and custom-crafted exhibits are evolving towards exhibit systems. Both have distinct advantages and exhibit companies work hard to carve out distinct niches along the custom to portable spectrum. The exhibit (or exhibits) that best fits your company’s exhibit marketing strategy will slot in somewhere along this spectrum. This is where an exhibit consultant can be very useful. Ultimately, an exhibit consultant wants to help you maximize your exhibit marketing potential.

Staffing Your Booth

Staffing your booth with personable people who have a proven track record of building relationships is equally as important as the look of the booth itself. Make sure to spend time considering who will help your company to shine, and offer them some training that is specific to communicating with trade show attendees. A few tips are:

If an attendee says they’re just looking, don’t push. Welcome them to browse your display, point out some items that you are featuring, and then leave them be. If they need something, they’ll come to you.
Try a unique greeting, something more creative than “May I help you?” or “How are you?”
Be available. Make sure that no one has to wait in line – this means your booth is understaffed. If someone has a question, a staff member should always be moments away from answering it
Be approachable. Don’t cross your arms or fidget and don’t sit there and talk to just your colleagues. Be enthusiastic about your product. Smile and be polite.
No eating and keep that booth clean and clutter free!

Giveaways

There are thousands of options for trade show giveaways, and remember that everyone else in the room will have some too. For this reason, think of something unique that your attendees will actually use. What are some of the items that you would use, and actually like? Pens and sticky notes are boring – yes, people use them, but let’s think outside the box, here. In addition to considering what people may actually use, consider the specific clients you are serving. Are they creative? Perhaps a sketch book with inspirational quotes could be a nice giveaway. Are they in their 20s and 30s? Cell phone accessories like PopSockets and pockets that adhere to the back of the phone are useful and can be beautiful. Is your audience earth-friendly? Metal drinking straws in a case or pouch with your logo will be useful for years to come. Do some research and come up with some creative giveaways specifically geared toward your audience.

Technology

The technology you choose will probably be partially related to your products and partially related to the design of your portable booth. For example, you may have iPads available to place orders, show product demos, or showcase new software. There are even tables with touch screens that allow you to showcase your product line on the surface. You may want portable roll up LED screens incorporated into the booth to screen a promotional video about a new product line or introducing your company. Do some research or reach out to a portable trade show booth seller (like ADM Two), to see what some options are for spicing up your portable display.

ADM trade show staff are experts at envisioning and helping to create outstanding portable trade show environments. They would be happy to forward additional in depth resource guides to any of these topics, so get in touch with us to discuss your next portable trade show booth.

Blog (Exhibit Insight), Design, Displays, Portable Display, Trade Show

Creating Value with Portable Booths

2018-11-14 Tony Ricci

Portable inline booths can be incredibly effective. If you are strategic about the way you lay out and staff your booth, you can enjoy the savings and ease of setup that comes with having a modern inline exhibit with the return on investment of a much larger booth.

We recently ran into an article in one of our favorite trade show publications, Exhibitor Magazine, about ways to maximize small exhibits. Read more in the article, Strategic Small-Booth Designs. This is an incredibly useful guide for those wishing to exhibit on a smaller scale. Below you will find an info-graphic that provides a quick checklist of features to include in your booth, depending on your goals.

It so happens that we are having a sale on our portable exhibits as well. Please visit our IDEA GALLERY for 10% off our portable inline exhibits.

Blog (Exhibit Insight), Displays, Interactive Displays, Museum Exhibit

Museum Exhibit Updates Reflect the Audience

2018-10-31 Tony Ricci

It’s easy enough to spot the daily wear and tear on interactive museum exhibits. Display units will also show some wear over time or simply go out of fashion, which means that they’ll need to be updated as well. However, it’s harder to know when exhibits are no longer engaging with patrons. Over time, identifying and providing engagement becomes an even bigger enigma for museums because exhibit updates need to appeal to an increasingly informed and demanding contemporary audience, while also recouping the expense of those often expensive updates.

The important thing to keep in mind is that the exhibits themselves can help museum directors expand their reach into the communities they serve. Diversifying the mix of people visiting the museum increases the percentage of the community members supporting the mission. And, when each visitor can say they had a good experience, the museum will establish an even stronger relationship with the greater community.

The Star Wars exhibit at the Museum of Fine Arts St. Petersburg appealed to a wide variety of people of all ages. Plus it was such a pleasure to help design and build.

Strategies to Capture More Visitors

There are four different exhibit orientations that provide opportunities for capturing a visitors attention:

Exhibit as artifact on display
An exhibit that communicates ideas
Interactive exhibits
An immersive environment

Any updates to an exhibit should follow these closely and fulfill the participant’s expectations. If an exhibit is not well matched with the audience, then they may not be enthusiastic for another visit. So, it’s in the museum’s best interest to provide the widest range of exhibit orientations without straying from their mission. Performing some research into the audience and opting to create ever-green, lasting exhibits can help create a strong foundation.

Audience, First

When reaching out to new audiences, it will be easier to place them into segments, rather than large ethnic or socio-economic groups. Understanding the target segment provides a greater opportunity for connection. Focusing on only one exhibit orientation may have a negative effect with these new segments. Do some research into your community and use your local Chamber of Commerce as a resource to access data about the community. Consider focus groups as a way to assess your community’s mindset and specific needs. We’ve actually participated in a focus group for a local St. Petersburg museum. It was quite interesting and we noticed that the programming and special exhibits have become more and more spectacular since they started the focus groups. It’s definitely worth the investment, as long as you use the resulting data to take action.

This exhibit appeals to a particular audience segment – children. Being that it is the Suncoast Youth Conservation Center, it is only appropriate that the content and style are geared towards kids.

Quality Does Matter

Quality design of exhibits and space will capture more interactions with visitors. According to the Smithsonian, the quality of a museum is largely based on the exhibit’s:

Use of authoritative presentations
Easy-to-use technology
Easy-to-do interactions
Graphic design
Educational focus

There is also a greater expectation that museums provide a more quality experience over other community attractions, even though they are not necessarily in the same category.

Exhibit to Promote Learning

Engaging museum exhibits can facilitate personal and group learning. A good exhibit links to past experiences and everyday events. Any updates to interactivity can promote more identification with the exhibits, as well as the proper interpretation of the exhibit. This will integrate a broader range of audiences and create deeper, developmental experiences.

ADM Two custom designs museum exhibits. We are experts on design, fabrication, and exhibit technology, so give us a call at (813) 887-1960 and one of our knowledgeable staff can assist you with your museum exhibit design and planning. Also, check out some of our other articles to get more information on museum displays.

Blog (Exhibit Insight), Custom Corporate Environment, Design, Staff

Trends in Corporate Interiors

2018-04-25 Tony Ricci

For 2018, changes in workplace environments will focus on how to attract employees during a tight labor market. And, research has shown that poor workplace design negatively impacts productivity. There are a wide-range of possibilities for new designs to capture the attention of new talent and keep current employees happy. We are thus seeing trends in 2018 go beyond functional workspaces to embrace collaboration in fun and unique environments.

Clean and Simple

When seeking new design elements, go geometric. It’s called Mid-Century Modern and is famous for its fashion-forward look and feel through clean lines, asymmetrical angles, and fun shapes and patterns. This motif has been catching on in the commercial property interior design industry for years.

There are many simple ways to bring this look into your offices. Start with area rugs, window treatments, light fixtures, and artwork. You can expand it to furniture, wall coverings, and room dividers that are more substantial ways of building upon this theme.

Activity-Based Working

Wireless and digital environments have changed how people work, and this has changed how we design workplace environments. Employees need different types of areas to complete tasks or have impromptu meetings. Large booths with high backs offer semi-private areas that encourage collaboration in smaller groups, while furniture arranged in circular patterns can promote community workspaces.

There is also a need for quiet zones to offset the added noise. These don’t have to be rooms with closed doors. The best places are in the corners of a large room. Anything that’s away from foot traffic and casual conversations.

Eco-Design

Natural materials for commercial designs have beautifully warm finishes. They bring the natural world inside. Even though these are simple and have a great look, we need to be conscious of how these materials are produced and sourced. For example, bamboo flooring is durable, beautiful, plus it is a renewable resource.

When considering interior lighting, natural light is best, but not always an option. To cut your monthly lighting expenses in half, consider migrating all of your lighting to LED bulbs. There are more LED lighting designs on the market today than ever before and many of them mimic natural light.

The goal of corporate interior design is to stand out and offer comfort away from home. ADM Two is a designer you can trust to reflect the true nature and personality of your business. We are experts on design and fabrication, so give us a call at (813) 887-1960 and one of our knowledgeable staff can assist you with your display, no matter where your event takes place. Also, check out some of our other articles to get more information on corporate interiors.

Blog (Exhibit Insight), Museum Exhibit

Furniture to Fit the Museum Exhibit

2018-04-11 Tony Ricci

Furniture in a museum exhibit is often hidden in plain sight. The ubiquitous museum bench usually sits near the front entrance or along a corridor. It’s backless and thoughtfully misplaced—off to one side, or in the middle of an exhibit hall—to preserve the environment and not inhibit the flow of traffic.

Adaptable Utility

Museum furniture often goes unnoticed. For most patrons, they walk around it almost unthinkingly, as if it were in the background. Yet, its presence can also be very rewarding. There is something very powerful about its comfort for anyone weary after long periods of standing. What’s most interesting is that furniture offers a rare opportunity for patrons to encounter an exhibit or museum both visually and physically.

The options for seating in a museum should reflect the design of the building and adapt with special exhibits, because gallery space is not neutral ground. The space has been designed to align thematically without interrupting the patron’s experience. Furniture can also help people get oriented quickly when entering unfamiliar places.

Make It Accessible

One thing to remember about custom furniture is that it needs to be accessible. There are appropriate height and width requirements that accommodate people with mobility impairments. Color is also important, because it needs to be visually separated from the floor and wall to help people with visual impairments navigate the area.

These requirements don’t hinder the many possibilities of quality and design. There is an abundance of different materials to choose from, such as simple pine or sculpted aluminum. And, there are different styles, especially through custom designs.

Modular furniture has the advantage of functionality and adaptability. It can grow to offer more seating options or shrink to provide room for large floor exhibits. This type of furniture may free up warehouse space and save on costs. Something to remember about any museum furniture is to keep it simple – you don’t want it to end up competing with the art or seem as if it’s a piece of art – unless it actually is!

ADM Two can custom design museum exhibits and furniture. We are experts on design and fabrication, so give us a call at (813) 887-1960 and one of our knowledgeable staff can assist you with your display, no matter where your event takes place. Also, check out some of our other articles to get more information on museum displays.

Author: Tony Ricci

Trade Show Booth Design Trends for 2020