Trade show appearances are investments and you want the strongest return you can get. Thus the layout and design of your booth/area and the elements you furnish the area with should powerfully showcase your company / organization’s products, services, brand.
Trade show set-ups can include a variety of elements in different shapes and sizes but all have the same goal: to generate interest and convey positive, brand-enhancing messages.
Making your Trade Show Banners Shine!
- Place any must-see content (text, logos, etc.) in a place where they will be readily seen.
It seems obvious, right? But not necessarily because it depends on the type of banner and where it will be placed relative to passing people and their site-lines.
If you have a large horizontal banner that will be visible above everything else, content placement isn’t an issue. But if you have a vertical banner or backdrop, the bottom half (or so) may well be blocked from view at certain angles, so critical information should be at the top. On the other hand, if your vertical banner will be out in front of your booth or area, critical information may be better placed partway down, where people’s eyes can see it without having to crane their necks, etc.
- Keep text content brief and to the point.
Trade shows blast people with information and, with everyone there vying for attention, you need to get your own message through. So decide what you really, really want people to absorb about your company / organization and offer it in as few words as possible on your large display elements. Details can be provided in brochures and hand-outs or in video displays.
- Make sure text is readable.
Make sure your fonts are simple and readable. Use of display or script fonts should be limited or avoided, and all-caps should be used sparingly. Limit yourself to two typefaces, although you can use more than two fonts within the typeface (bold, italic, regular, heavy, etc.)
- Images should be high-resolution.
Low resolution images lose clarity when enlarged, resulting in fuzziness and pixilation. - Images should be interesting, striking, and brand-compatible.
There’s a universe of royalty-free stock photography available these days, or you can take or commission your own photos and graphics. But the key is to make them powerful! - Logos should be vector graphics.
As noted in Why You Should Use Vector Graphics in Your Trade Show Displays, https://www.prime-business.net/why-you-should-use-vector-graphics-on-your-trade-show-displays/ vector graphics can be enlarged indefinitely without loss of clarity. You want your logo to be crisp, clear and prominent. - Color schemes should reflect your organization’s branding.
Branding is built, among other things, on consistency. Trade show banners, along with all other marketing and promotional materials, should reflect and/or complement your brand’s color scheme.
Having said that, make sure your color combinations result in clarity and readability. Avoid light-on-light schemes.
Prime Business Solutions offers trade show banners as well as printing services. Call us at 330-597-8560; we’re here to help you get the most out of your trade show materials.
