The future-proofing of a business is not a crystal ball exercise. Instead, it requires adaptability and the ability to respond quickly to new trends and opportunities. Recruiting trade show graphics professionals helps ensure that the colors that look perfect on a monitor will turn out just as beautiful when emblazoned on banners, signs, and displays.
Visual Impact
As a visual medium, trade show booth graphics can leave an impression that’s hard to shake. Whether your display’s design is striking, whimsical, or even shocking, it will make you stand out and attract more attention to your brand.
Large overhead signs and hanging banners are the visual equivalent of shouting into a crowded room, so they’re best used for snappy messaging that can quickly grab attention. Custom lighting can also help your booth’s signage and graphics pop and draw more attention.
Color is another factor that can affect the way your booth graphics look. Graphics that look great on a computer monitor can have drastically different results when printed, so working with an experienced designer who understands color theory and printing processes is essential. They can ensure that the colors you see on your screen translate accurately to your exhibit’s banners, signs, and displays. This will prevent any confusion or frustration when it comes time for changes.
Convenience
A good trade show graphic will convey smart brand messaging bolstered by careful font selection. The best displays use a mix of easy-to-read fonts that reflect the company’s tone of voice while remaining on-brand. For instance, whimsical fonts aren’t an excellent choice for a brand that wants to project sophistication or solid professionalism.
Another consideration is size and placement. Large overhead signs and hanging fabric banners are the visual equivalent of shouting into a crowded room, so they’re perfect for big slogans and snappy messaging designed to get attention.
Similarly, smaller banners and table toppers allow you to share more detailed information about your business and products. They can also be used to promote any special deals or giveaways you have planned for the event.
It’s essential to remember that trade show graphics are meant to be viewed up close, so you’ll want to ensure that any bitmap or raster images are of sufficient resolution. Otherwise, they’ll look blurry or pixelated when reproduced at full scale. Additionally, color fidelity is critical. The colors on your booth graphics should match the color of your logo and other marketing materials to avoid confusion.
Functionality
Graphics must communicate something about your brand, so their composition is essential. Composition includes color, contrast, and visual hierarchy. For long-range graphics (viewed from a distance), you want to use strong contrasts of hue and value, where hue refers to a color’s identity and value measures its brightness or darkness.
Your messaging hierarchy should also be well thought out. Effectively conveying your message in a booth can help you generate leads and sales. Rather than bombarding attendees with information, you can draw them in by giving them a big picture of your company.
You’ve likely seen bad trade show graphics – maybe a digitally zoomed image that looks like a pixilated mess or a logo so soft you’re convinced someone smeared petroleum jelly on it. These mistakes waste your exhibit’s potential and give attendees a negative impression of your brand. You can make intelligent design choices to ensure your graphics are clear, concise, and practical.
Flexibility
Graphics are powerful for conveying brand messaging in the trade show booth. They are visual, meaning they communicate messages without text and can capture attention with bold images alone. For example, a big image on the back wall of your booth can captivate and draw attention and heighten the display’s overall look.
You can use color for graphics designed to be seen from a distance, such as long or hanging fabric banners. Using colors with strong contrast in hue and value (the latter being the brightness or darkness of a color) can create an eye-catching banner or sign that draws attendees to your booth.
For customer engagement, you can use graphics that offer a fun activity, such as a photo booth. This will allow you to collect remarketing data, as attendees will have their picture taken and can provide you with their contact information. Using graphics such as this will help increase your booth’s engagement and boost lead generation for your brand after the event.
Versatility
Purchasing high-quality, durable trade show graphics from the start is more cost-effective in the long run than continually buying new ones for each event. It also ensures that all events present a consistent, professional image, even in different venues and with varying lighting.
Using bright, crisp images and graphics draws people into your booth and keeps them engaged. Fuzzy or pixilated images are a turnoff and poorly reflect your company’s quality. Ensure your photos and designs are high-resolution to avoid these effects.
Many attendees are visual learners, so charts, graphs, and infographics can make complex information more digestible. It would help if you were concise with your messaging. On average, you have only three seconds to communicate your brand’s message to attendees.
Invest in custom lighting options to highlight your graphics and create a striking effect. This is an inexpensive way to improve your trade show display and boost engagement with your brand. It will also help your booth stand out from others on the floor.
