Exhibit design is all about standing out in a crowd, or more accurately, a crowded trade show floor. But, doing this doesn’t always mean that you display stand needs to be the brightest, the loudest, or have the most ‘booth babes’. These tactics can work in the right situation, but the problem is that at some trade shows they are employed by most everybody. So, in these situations standing out means not doing what everyone else is. It could mean simply projecting confidence and foregoing all of the flash and excess.
So, what does this look like from an exhibit design standpoint? Do you just stand outside your exhibit display with a smug look on your face? No, that’s not what we mean. More specifically, confidence in exhibit design can mean not needing to look like you are always screaming for attention. It can mean valuing simplicity and strong colors that don’t seem like they are shouting. It might mean toning down your display graphics to make them just intriguing, rather than loading them up to seem like they are yelling at everyone.
Consider creating a lounge space or a welcoming area that can become an oasis of calm and sanity in the midst of everyone else’s display stand crying for attention. Or, perhaps you do a low-key demonstration of one of your products. Simply have one on display and being used normally by the staff at the booth, or find a way to lure people into trying out your product by piquing their curiosity, rather than shining bright lights on it and using confetti and air horns (this is an exaggeration, hopefully nobody actually does that.)
It’s hard to get out of the realm of vagueness without a specific product or company in mind, but suffice it to say that your display stand may benefit from exhibit design that is aware of the fundamental attraction inherent in a calm confidence that says, “We don’t need all the flair and excess, our products and services stand on their own”. This isn’t something that will integrate into the marketing for every company, but it can work wonders for some.