It’s quite challenging to stand out in an exhibit hall that spans thousands of square feet.It can be surprisingly easy to blow an entire trade show budget on booth designs that fail to attract or engage attendees. While off-the-shelf designs may cost less, they often fail to provide a return on investment (ROI).
Organizations often see custom trade show booths as too costly. However, a well-designed exhibit can produce a more substantial ROI if it attracts and engages your target audience. Before deciding whether to use a custom trade show booth, consider the following pros and cons.
Why Choose a Custom Trade Show Booth?
Consistency builds trust and brand recognition. It establishes who you are as a company. Custom trade show booths can carry your brand into an exhibit hall. Because you control the process, you can ensure that a booth reflects your messaging. Here are a few ways custom trade show exhibits can help build trust and brand recognition.
Maintain Branding Elements
Details matter when it comes to branding. For example, Amazon’s logo first appeared in the year 2000, with two, distinct elements that have remained consistent ever since. The yellow arrow is always curved to resemble a smile, and it begins with the first A and ends at the Z, pointing to the company’s goal to sell anything on Earth. That attention to detail on a trade show booth is only possible with customization.
Create a Flexible Design
Booth designs change, but replacing an exhibit every three to five years can be costly. Instead, design a reconfigurable, custom booth with architectural elements. Today’s trend may be to create a natural oasis in an exhibit hall, but tomorrow’s may be high-tech minimalism. With a modular design, a living wall can become an augmented reality (AR) display.
Engage Audiences
Custom exhibits let you integrate engagement into the design. For example, turn a living wall into a match game. Have visitors match plant names to the plants to win prizes. Custom trade show booths can incorporate lights and sound to attract attendees to your booth. Blending engagement strategies with architectural design can deliver a seamless experience for anyone visiting your exhibit.
Support Marketing Strategies
Marketing strategies change. Different trade shows may have different marketing goals. Custom trade show booths can be designed to showcase products as works of art in one venue and adjust the layout to highlight sustainability in product development at the next. With new graphics and some strategic reconfiguration, no one will know it is the same booth.
Why Custom Trade Show Booths May Not Work
Designing and building a custom exhibit takes time. If you have a short lead time, customizations may not work. Designs require collaboration as you and your designer work to find the perfect design. Other factors that can impact your decision include the following:
Expense
The initial investment needed to build a custom exhibit is higher than purchasing an off-the-shelf solution. There are maintenance and storage costs to consider that could be eliminated by renting a prefabricated booth that hasn’t been customized. Some companies opt for this low-cost alternative for their first trade shows to gain experience before investing in a custom booth.
Time
Organizations may need more resources to oversee a design project. There are internal and external design meetings. There’s communicating with multiple stakeholders and ensuring that project milestones are met. Coordinating suppliers and designers can take up hours in a workday. If companies need more staff to manage a design project may need to reconsider a custom exhibit.
Adaptability
Custom designs may not adapt to different booth sizes. Only some venues will have a 10×10 booth. Depending on the design, a custom trade show booth may not work in certain locations. Some exhibit halls have height limitations, while others may have power restrictions. A lack of flexibility can place constraints on reusability.
What to Consider When Choosing Custom Trade Show Booths
Although budget and marketing strategies are crucial when looking at custom trade show booths, locating the right design company for your business is perhaps the most important decision of all. With the right designers and fabricators, you can use a custom design while minimizing the hurtles. Experienced professionals can help identify trends to help future-proof your design as well.
Finding a Custom Trade Show Exhibit Designer
If you’re considering ordering a custom trade show booth, list the business needs that you need to meet. Keep the list handy as you explore options to ensure your choices match your needs. Working with experienced professionals at Blazer Exhibits is one way to ensure that all of your priorities are addressed. With 35 years of experience, Blazer Exhibits and Events offers turn-key solutions for a variety of different venue types. Whether you need portable exhibits or custom trade show booths, contact us to discuss new ideas for your next event.