The perfect exhibition stand

This is how the perfect trade fair stand should be.

Large, a gigantic counter, a catering area, lots of LED video walls, bright colours. The main thing is that it stands out and the trade fair visitors take notice of my stand! But interaction is also a must. Interested parties need to be kept busy! Eye-catching, large and all the marketing resources that stand construction has at its disposal must be integrated.

Many companies invest a lot of time and money in preparing and designing their exhibition stand in order to successfully present their products and services at trade fairs. However, success often fails to materialise. Visitors do not stay at the stand for long, interest is low and no or only a few business contacts are made.

Attempts are often made to integrate the entire range of marketing activities into an exhibition stand. This may work for large trade fair stands, even if it only makes limited sense. This strategy definitely does not make sense for smaller exhibition stands.

Some companies have understood this and rely on a well thought-out and strategically planned exhibition stand design that is tailored to the needs of their target group. Such an exhibition stand not only contains visually appealing elements, but also interactive components and a clear message.

These companies have recognised that a perfect exhibition stand can be the key to success at trade fairs.

What must an exhibition stand have? (Comparison between the past and today)

In the past, exhibition stands were primarily functional in design. They primarily served as a presentation area for products and as a place for business meetings. Visually appealing elements were rare and interactive elements were almost non-existent. The main purpose of trade fair stands was to present the company's products and attract potential customers.

Today, the picture has changed fundamentally. Trade fair stands are no longer just designed to be functional, but have become an important marketing tool. They should not only represent the company, but also arouse emotions and offer a special experience. The focus is no longer purely on product presentation, but on holistic brand staging.

Visually appealing and individualised designs have become indispensable today. Trade fair stands should stand out, be memorable and inspire visitors. Interactive elements such as virtual realities, interactive displays or live demonstrations are often an important part of trade fair presentations today.

Technology has also developed considerably in recent years. Modern trade fair stands are often equipped with cutting-edge technologies such as augmented reality, virtual reality or 3D printers, which offer visitors an unforgettable experience.

All in all, a lot has changed in the world of exhibition stands. Today, they are no longer just functional, but have developed into an important marketing tool designed to bring the brand to life. Today, the interplay of stand design, technology and interactivity is essential to attract the attention of visitors and leave a lasting impression.

How big should an exhibition stand be?

The size of your exhibition stand depends on many factors. Factors may include the specifications of the trade fair organiser or your budget. The exhibition space provided by the trade fair organiser is predetermined. Of course, you will find a mix of different stand sizes, but this is where the second factor comes into play: your budget. The larger the stand space, the higher the costs. That's why it often makes more sense to make the stand smaller and invest more budget in the stand design. There is no such thing as the perfect size. A 25m² stand can be just as successful as a 100m² stand. It is not the size of the stand that is decisive, but rather what is ‘inside’ it.

A successful strategy can be to expand a small exhibition stand with a virtual world. You can promote the virtual world at the live trade fair and show it on TV screens or LED video walls. This gives you an (additional) eye-catcher and will most likely also appeal to a new target group. The advantage of a virtual world is that people who cannot be on site can still visit your stand. A virtual world as an extension to your trade fair presence can take many different forms. From a virtual showroom to a corporate metaverse, anything is possible.

How do you prepare an exhibition stand?

But before you think about setting up your exhibition stand, you first need to prepare. You go through several steps to ensure that your exhibition stand is a success.

Firstly, you need to think about what you want to achieve at the trade fair. Do you want to attract new customers, retain existing customers or raise your company's profile? Once you have defined your goals, you can start planning your exhibition stand.

The next step is to formulate a clear message to be conveyed at the trade fair stand. What do you want to convey to visitors? What values and characteristics should be associated with your company? The message should be simple, concise and unmistakable.

The next step is to create the design of the exhibition stand. Here it is important that the design matches the message and is visually appealing. This does not mean that the exhibition stand has to be expensive, but that it should reflect the values and personality of your company.

Once the design is finalised, it's time for the technical details. What equipment and technologies are needed? How will the stand be illuminated? Here, too, it is important that everything matches the message and creates a coherent overall picture.

Another important step is the training of the employees who will give your trade fair appearance a face. They not only need to know about the company and the products, but also internalise the message and values and be able to convey them authentically.

Finally, it is time for the actual construction of the trade fair stand. Here it is important that the despatch runs smoothly and that the exhibition stand is set up professionally and on time.

Once everything is in place, it's time to bring the stand to life. This is where interactive elements, activities and events come into play to encourage visitors to linger and interact. All these steps are important for a successful exhibition stand. A perfectly prepared exhibition stand can help your company to attract attention, gain new customers and establish itself as a brand.You can find detailed instructions on how to prepare a trade fair appearance and therefore also a trade fair stand here: Trade fair planning - 10 steps to a successful trade fair stand

What should not be missing on an exhibition stand?

As already mentioned, there is a huge variety of elements and features to equip an exhibition stand with in order to offer or show as much as possible. In the past, you didn't have so much choice, so you could “grab” generously and pack your stand full. This is definitely no longer the case today. Everything here is based on your corporate identity, your objective and your target group.

Therefore, there is only one element that should always be integrated into your trade fair stand and should therefore not be missing: the possibility of measuring success. The sensors from Event-Metrics, for example, are ideal for this. The sensors make it possible to precisely track the flow of visitors to and around your stand. This includes the number of visitors in defined radii, visit times and when most visitors were at your stand.

In the future, it will also be important to keep an eye on sustainability when designing your trade fair stand. Of course, sustainability is not an element that can be integrated into your trade fair stand, but you can show that you are acting sustainably as a company. After all, the aspect of sustainability will also become increasingly important for your target group. Therefore, pay attention to resource-conserving consumption of services and goods.

What does the perfect trade fair stand look like?

The perfect trade fair stand that always “works” is unlikely to exist, as the factors are simply too different. Every company is different, has its own corporate identity and its own philosophy. And it is important to emphasize these in the exhibition stand at a trade fair or other event. There is no point in incorporating all the marketing elements that stand construction has to offer into a stand. It looks too cluttered and tends to be off-putting. The only thing that should always be included now and in the future and should never be missing from an exhibition stand is success measurement. Sensors for measuring success can be installed at any trade fair stand and provide you with important data for your future trade fair success.