subject: Building A Trade Show Booth When You're Not A Big Business [print this page] In the past, small businesses and individual proprietorships struggled to compete with larger corporations at conventions and other events. It was difficult to match the large purses of big companies, and smaller trade show booths ended up being outclassed. Although today's conventions may still be hard if you're stationed next to the largest exhibit of the biggest company, there are still many ways that individuals running small businesses can compete at the exhibition hall.
Never Put More Into Trade Show Booths Than You Can Afford
One of the easiest ways to make a convention unprofitable is by spending more money than you can easily recoup. Your small business doesn't have the multi-million dollar budget that larger businesses can field. You can't out-purchase their marketing department for a bigger presence simply by force of finances. If you're trying to buy trade show booths that cost as much as their large custom design, then you're already undermining your success.
Instead, start by considering what you can comfortably afford. If that means the most basic of table top displays, then that's what you should buy. In many ways, convention exhibits are like real estate: buy a starter exhibit now, and it's easy to trade up later.
Utilize Every Inch Of Trade Show Booth Space
You will almost certainly have a smaller exhibit than your large competitors. That's not a problem, and you shouldn't think of it as one. Instead, focus on maximizing the space you have. If anything, larger trade show booths can become overwhelming and lead visitors to be unable to focus. With table top displays or other smaller styles, it's easy to draw attention right where you want it. If you focus on highlighting your product and do it well, then the size really doesn't matter. What's important is the way you design the exhibit.
Avoid Overcrowding A Small Table Top Display
Part of using a small space to its maximum effect is knowing when to stop adding text and images. Too much going on in an exhibit will simply detract from the overall impression, stopping visitors from knowing what they should focus on. Instead of overcrowding your display, create distinctive focus groups within each panel. Have clusters of text highlighted by relevant images, which work together to communicate your main points. These images may be of your product itself, or they could be diagrams illustrating some element of your product's function. They should be clearly printed and eye catching. Avoid small text, which may strike visitors as difficult to read.
High Energy Staff Is Key
When you don't have the funding to create an overly fancy display, you need to rely on other ways of gaining visitor attention. Gimmicks can work, but the thing that matters most is that you represent your business well. If you can't spend money on an extensive display, then make up for it with personality. When you believe in your product, it shows, and that's what will push your company into true success regardless of how big your exhibit is.
Building A Trade Show Booth When You're Not A Big Business
