Creating exhibit graphics that capture attendees’ interest and lure them toward your booth is central to generating leads at a trade show. Since studies show you only have about three seconds to capture the interest of attendees, it’s important to have a firm understanding of the art of exhibit graphic design—from how to craft headlines to the best fonts to use, and more. Understanding these components will help you craft graphics that encourage maximum trade show engagement.
Here are four modern tips for creating eye-catching exhibit graphics:
1) Simplify Your Headline
Your headline should be as simple as possible while still effectively communicating your brand’s focus and strengths. Since attendees often feel overwhelmed by the number of booths on display, a short and catchy headline of six words or fewer (Think Nike’s famous “Just Do It” or Sprite’s “Obey Your Thirst.”) can go a long way to making your brand stand out. What are the benefits of a short headline?
• It’s easier to remember.
• It allows you to use a larger font, which increases your display’s visibility, allowing you to project your headline farther into the tradeshow crowd. And the more people who see your display, the more leads you are likely to generate.
2) Use an Easy-to-Read Font
Like your headline, the font you choose should be simple and clean. You don’t want potential customers to have difficulty reading and/or understanding your intended message. The typeface you choose should be easily visible from long distances. Funky fonts with interesting shadowing effects may be aesthetically pleasing up close, but if they can’t be read from more than a few feet away, they aren’t useful as promotional tools. A better idea: Integrate your brand’s colors, using one standout color for the font and a contrasting color for the graphic’s background. In that way, your font contributes to both your booth’s branding and visibility, creating an instant statement.
3) Set the Mood
Whether you’re in the business of designer jewelry, computer technology, or home furniture, using your graphic to create a mood that complements your brand is essential to differentiating yourself and attracting visitors to your booth. There are a number of methods for creating a strategically advantageous mood, including:
• Implementing a particular color scheme
• Integrating particular photos or images
• Using certain lighting effects that highlight the graphic
Whatever option(s) you choose to pursue, making the effort to ensure they complement the products and/or services you offer can be a great way to attract attention to your booth.
4) Take Advantage of Technology
Trade show attendees are often captivated by impressive feats of technology, and that includes technologically enhanced exhibit graphic designs. Moving-message displays, which allow exhibitors to display their graphic messages electronically, are just one trending form of graphic tech. Whether you use the tech in your main display to highlight your headline or in a separate display with specific product information, moving-message displays are a great way to create some buzz and differentiate your booth from your competitors’ booths.