If you’ve invested in the expense of a trade show booth, you want to take advantage of every opportunity to interact with the most attendees as possible. Whether you have a simple 6-foot table or a custom booth, trade show banners can grab people’s attention and draw them in. To design a trade show banner effectively and efficiently, there are a few recommended rules to follow.

 

Define Your Goals

Before you consider banner size and design aesthetic, you must clearly define your goals for your trade show event. Clarifying what you hope to achieve will help you hone your message. Keep in mind that you don’t want everyone at your trade show booth, you want to speak with a specific audience. This varies depending on what you’re trying to accomplish. Consider these goals:

  • Lead Generation
  • Brand Awareness
  • Sales
  • Product or Service Promotion

 

Hone Your Message

Keep your messaging simple and uncluttered, but make sure you tell people what you do. This will help you weed out those people who don’t need or want what you provide and pull in the people who will meet your trade show goals. This intentionality in your messaging allows you to spend more time with the right audience, make better connections, and start building relationships.

 

Trade Show Banner Dos and Donts

 

Match Your Brand

For the most impact, your banner should match your brand in style and appearance. This will help your audience identify who you are, no matter where you are. Over time, when people see your brand, they’ll think about what you do or the services you offer. In this way, your brand acts as a signpost, pointing people to the experience they get when they engage with your business.

 

Grab Their Attention

Trade show floors are busy places with much vying for people’s attention. Don’t be afraid to use bright colors, captivating imagery, and bold type in this space. An experienced designer can help create the right balance between attention grabbing and appealing. This means some empty space to let the eye rest —  you don’t need to fill every inch of your banner with information. You want to your trade show banner to help you start a conversation.

 

Consider Your Space

Banner design can be creative, but so can the way you display it. Maybe the most effective space to hang your banner is high behind your table. It might be a flag-style or roll-up banner on the corner of your space. Make sure that your banner message is at least waist-high so it won’t get lost in the traffic. Maybe a vertical sign will work much better than the traditional horizontal banner. Consider your space, talk to an experienced designer, and invest in a banner that will captivate and convert.

No matter where you showcase your business, when you’re focused on-brand, and eye-catching, you’ll be more effective. A trade show banner can make a sizeable difference in how many people you interact with and convert.