There is no denying the presence that a well-designed custom exhibit imposes in the exhibit hall. According to the Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR), roughly 97% of attendees go to shows to see what’s new in the industry. Purchasing or renting a custom exhibit can greatly satisfy their curiosity and interest them in your products and services.
There are at least ten reasons you should consider building a custom exhibit for your next show.
10 Reasons to Build a Custom Exhibit
1. Brings to life the ideal manifestation of your brand
Trade shows are one of the few places–if not the only place–a prospect will experience all your branding components come together, such as staffing, images, messaging, physical structures, products, and services.
Manifesting your brand at shows is particularly useful for non-retail companies with limited advertising, primarily through field sales, since your clients and prospects have minimal interaction with your brand.
2. Creates a memorable experience for your client
Your brand is the physical and emotional manifestation of the personality and character of your business. In other words, it communicates what you do, your values, and why you exist.
Creating a memorable experience with your brand at the center creates an emotional connection between your client and your business, deepening loyalty and associating positive emotions with your business.
3. You gain greater control over presentation elements
One of the most important reasons for attending trade shows is to put the product into the hands of the prospect. The tactile experience is one of the key ways people validate and vet products before buying.
Attending shows allows the products or services to sell themselves, and designing a custom exhibit gives you greater control over how your products and services are presented.
4. Delivers the ideal environment for demonstrations
When you exhibit at a trade show, you have a live audience of buyers. Bringing your brand’s natural environment with you can give you the confidence of a home-field advantage. Custom exhibits provide ample space for product demonstrations, demos, and mock-ups.
5. Sets you apart from your competition
All exhibitors share a couple of common goals: differentiate their business from their competitors and attract the right audience. Accomplishing these two things at the same time is not an easy task.
However, with experienced designers who know your brand message, you can build an exhibit with precise messaging to help leads qualify, setting you apart as a leader in your industry.
6. Maximizes face-to-face interaction
One exhibit design trend that has the ability to be incorporated within a custom build is conference rooms and lounges. The extensive exhibit hall and walking the floor can be tiring for attendees.
Offering a space that gives seclusion from the noise and foot traffic creates the ideal place to conduct business, even if you are occupying a high-traffic booth location.
7. Helps Leads to Qualify Themselves
We call this selective attraction. It’s a design-driven solution that attracts the kind of leads you’re targeting. Instead of drawing a crowd and qualifying which leads are potential prospects and which ones are not, the leads qualify themselves by reading your exhibit’s brand messaging.
If your messaging is not cohesive and straightforward and your design is not specific to that message, don’t be surprised when visitors ask what you do and leave because they thought it was something else.
8. Allows you to leverage social media to your advantage
Because a custom is the ideal manifestation of your brand, it often functions similarly to a brand activation. The design can encourage visitors to interact with your exhibit and post on social media.
9. Boost booth staff morale
Selling is hard. It requires putting pants on (most of the time). Going to the show with a great exhibit can be a great confidence boost to your employees, like sending in the heavy cavalry to aid them on their mission. When you go custom, you’re not just investing in eye candy. You’re investing in people.
10. Secures you a greater return on investment
While many more factors go into getting the high ROI you want at a trade show, the custom exhibit can significantly boost you in the right direction.
Preparing to go custom
If you plan to build a custom design to make a high impact at any event, contacting reputable exhibit houses should be a top priority. This ensures you get your materials on time and in one piece.
Labor shortages, material shortages, and shipping delays are increasing exhibit construction time by up to 6 months and more. This is a trend that nearly every exhibit house is experiencing.
Thankfully, almost everything The Trade Group builds happens in-house in our 185,000 SF facility in Grapevine, TX. We have significant control over the entirety of the exhibit design process from ideation to execution while, at the same time, allowing us to cut time and costs for our clients.
This is a great time to get started on design solutions for your booth space.
The Trade Group is a full-service trade show and event marketing company. We will work with you to create an exhibit or an event that brings in leads and helps you achieve your business goals. Contact us here or give us a call at (800) 343-2005.
