In the past, small businesses and individual proprietorships struggled to compete with larger corporations at conventions and other events. It was difficult to match the large purses of big companies, and smaller trade show booths ended up being outclassed. Although today’s conventions may still be hard if you’re stationed next to the largest exhibit of the biggest company, there are still many ways that individuals running small businesses can compete at the exhibition hall.

Never Put More Into Trade Show Booths Than You Can Afford

One of the easiest ways to make a convention unprofitable is by spending more money than you can easily recoup. Your small business doesn’t have the multi-million dollar budget that larger businesses can field. You can’t out-purchase their marketing department for a bigger presence simply by force of finances. If you’re trying to buy trade show booths that cost as much as their large custom design, then you’re already undermining your success.

Instead, start by considering what you can comfortably afford. If that means the most basic of table top displays, then that’s what you should buy. In many ways, convention exhibits are like real estate: buy a starter exhibit now, and it’s easy to trade up later.

Utilize Every Inch Of Trade Show Booth Space

You will almost certainly have a smaller exhibit than your large competitors. That’s not a problem, and you shouldn’t think of it as one. Instead, focus on maximizing the space you have. If anything, larger trade show booths can become overwhelming and lead visitors to be unable to focus. With table top displays or other smaller styles, it’s easy to draw attention right where you want it. If you focus on highlighting your product and do it well, then the size really doesn’t matter. What’s important is the way you design the exhibit.

Avoid Overcrowding A Small Table Top Display

Part of using a small space to its maximum effect is knowing when to stop adding text and images. Too much going on in an exhibit will simply detract from the overall impression, stopping visitors from knowing what they should focus on. Instead of overcrowding your display, create distinctive focus groups within each panel. Have clusters of text highlighted by relevant images, which work together to communicate your main points. These images may be of your product itself, or they could be diagrams illustrating some element of your product’s function. They should be clearly printed and eye catching. Avoid small text, which may strike visitors as difficult to read.

High Energy Staff Is Key

When you don’t have the funding to create an overly fancy display, you need to rely on other ways of gaining visitor attention. Gimmicks can work, but the thing that matters most is that you represent your business well. If you can’t spend money on an extensive display, then make up for it with personality. When you believe in your product, it shows, and that’s what will push your company into true success regardless of how big your exhibit is.

Table Top Exhibits are generally used in a 6 to 8 foot booth space, a table is provided by the trade show organizer.  The table provided will fit a 3 to 5 foot tall table top display.  Tradetec Skyline offers a full range of tabletop display systems that are easy to transport, with quick  set up and are durable  to last for years.

Backwall Exhibits or Inline Trade Show Displays are the most common booth spaces, ten-foot deep by ten-foot wide or wider booth space.   Backwall trade show displays are limited to 8 foot high, but if it is on the perimeter of the show hall you may be able to go 12 feet tall.

Island Exhibits & Displays – This is an exhibit that is exposed to all sides of the trade show isle.  These spaces primarly start out at 20 x 20 and can go up to thousands of square feet.  Exhibitors can go up to 16 feet or taller depending on the show or with permission from the show.

Peninsula Exhibits – These are fairly rare and are similar to an island booth space, but with aisles on only three sides, with one side shared with another exhibitor or a wall.

There are several choices of which type of trade show display that will best fit into the selected booth space.

Portable Exhibits, Modular Exhibits or Custom Exhibits.

Portable Exhibits – These displays are designed to be lightweight and be easily transported, portable displays can often be carried or rolled in by the exhibitor.  The smaller the booth space, the more likely this is the best solution for you.  Portable Displays can be pop-up displays, banner stands and some panel systems.

Modular Trade Show Exhibits & Displays are constructed with pre-engineered, integrated components that create a tailored trade show solution.  More sophisticated architecturally and stronger structurally than portable displays,these components are still designed to be lighter weight than a traditional custom exhibit, they can ship in crates rather than cases.   The most common types of modular exhibits are called, truss systems and larger sized panel systems.

Custom Trade Show Displays are made from scratch to the exhibitors requirements and specifications, they are constructed out of metal, wood, plexiglass or any other material.

Most of the trade shows will give past exhibitors the top pick of exhibit space, the long time exhibitors often times choose front and center on the trade show floor.  When it comes to deciding on your exhibit space, location and design of your trade show display , there are four varieties of exhibit booth space that are offered on the trade show floor.

The size of your trade show booth space is a very important decision, where you must weigh the need to stand out from your competitors with a small, medium or large trade show display, and yet having enough budget to exhibit at all the worthwhile shows for your company.

Establishing an open line of communication early on with a team of professional trade show display designers that will help you achieve your goals, no matter the size of your exhibit space and and will guide you with creative solutions for the best design and layout for your exhibit space no matter what venue you will be exhibiting at.