Promotional events can be crowded and loud, which means you need printed marketing materials for trade shows that will effectively cut through the noise and bring traffic to your booth or table. As an exhibitor, it is essential to have a setup that will make a big impact, making a professional printer who provides attention to detail a vital partner for success.
Considerations for Designing Your Trade Show Booth and Materials
Finding an excellent design and setup for your trade show booth is worth the time, because it can be implemented over and over. However, there are some special considerations you may want to take into account before duplicating last month’s trade show set up.
For example, where will your booth be located at the upcoming trade show? Is it in tucked away in the middle of a row of fellow exhibitors or are you on a corner where you might have a little more room to get creative and display some larger signs? Will you be near a high-traffic location such as the information desk, food, or restrooms, and does it matter? In short, yes it does.
If you are blocked in by exhibitors on either side, it may require that you use more vertical signage for your booth to be noticed. If you have a coveted corner spot, you probably will have a little more space to incorporate eye-catching displays. If you will be next to a high-traffic location, you will need an attention getter to switch a person’s attention from where they are going to your booth.
While the above is critical to keep in mind, it is equally important to incorporate the following design tactics for your booth – wherever it is located.
- Tablecloth. Pretend you see two tables side by side. One has a scratched table with a material that keeps its signs from standing up properly. Next to it is a table that is covered with a clean cloth that implies professionalism. Which table are you going to? Bonus points if you have a tablecloth that comes with information about your company, like the logo.
- Signage. A professional looking table may get a patron to your booth, but quality printed marketing materials for trade shows and one-on-one interactions are what will keep them there. So, make your table display count by making it obvious with your signage who you are, what you do, why you are a cut above the rest, and why the patron should choose you. This display should work so well that if your company representatives are engaged with other customers, your signage will do the work for you.
- Primary visual element. This generally takes the form of a banner, poster, or flag that appears above, beside or in front of the booth. It should naturally attract the eye of patrons and make your booth stand out from that of competitors.
Now that you have a better idea of how to execute your trade show booth setup, it’s time to focus on the printed marketing materials you will need.
How to Make a Professional and Impactful Presence with Printed Marketing Materials for Trade Shows
When it really comes down to it, there are two primary things that can determine your success as an exhibitor at a trade show: how much attention patrons give your booth setup and how long they will remember it.
When it comes to attention getting devices for booth setup, some tools we recommend are:
- Wall and Pop-Up Banners
- Table signs
- Point-of-purchase signs
- Cut-out displays
We have already covered how to up your game with the booth setup, so now let’s turn our attention to how to make patrons remember your booth long after the trade show. Typically, some of the best ways to make sure your booth is remembered is by utilizing handouts and freebies that remind people of your business name, logo, and mission. The key is to make sure the swag they take home is something that they want to hold onto.
Here are some of our favorites:
Apparel: unisex t-shirts, polos, fishing shirts, half-zip pullovers, hoodies, jerseys, reflective shirts, sweatshirts, caps, hats, beanies, bucket hats
Bags: tote bags, grocery bags, canvas tote, drawstring bags, backpack, insulated coolers, stadium totes, tech organizer bags, belt bag, toiletry bags, duffel bags- Clocks and watches: alarm clocks, kitchen timer magnets, clocks that charge smart devices, wall clocks, clock radios, desk clocks, wristwatches
- Executive Gifts: journals, pens, padfolios, USB chargers, highlighters, tumbler, first aid kits, golf balls, stylus pens, mugs, microfiber cleaning cloths, headphones, power banks, charging pads
- Healthcare: stress balls, hand sanitizer, popper toys, lip balm, first aid kits, band aids, pill cases, rubber ducks, hot/cold packs
- Travel Items: tote bags, backpacks, umbrellas, speakers, hats, keyrings, crossbody bags, blankets, socks, baggage tags, neck pillows, tumblers, carabiners
- Automotive: key chains, ice scrapers, air fresheners, charging cables, emergency auto kits, tool sets, flashlights
- Computer accessories: USB chargers, mouse pads, tech organizers, ear buds, laptop sleeves, flash drives
- Food and beverage: candies, caramels, chocolate espresso beans, gourmet popcorn, cutting boards, chip clips, coasters, bottle openers
- Sport and outdoor: drink sleeves, water bottles, travel mugs/bottles, canvas totes, umbrellas, frisbees, drawstring backpacks, coolers, wristbands, sunglasses, sunblock, rally towels, fans, magnetic golf ball marker hat clips, microfiber towels, multi-function survival card tools, tape measurers, screwdriver sets
- Fun and games: Pickleball sets, puzzles, playing cards, spinners, poker sets, dominos, bubbles
Why Having a Professional Printing Company Onboard Matters
Companies hand out freebies all the time. The freebie itself isn’t what makes the item a keeper. Instead, it is the usefulness of the item along with the quality of printing and detail. If a trade show giveaway looks top notch, then it gives the recipient the idea that maybe the company that gave it to them is too.
We provide a wide variety of printed marketing materials for trade shows, but we also work hard to ensure your logo looks good on the finished product. This is vital because it may be a person’s first impression of your company.
We also utilize the Pantone Matching System (PMS) in our printing projects to ensure that the color on a company’s logo can be printed on a surface with the colors matching almost exactly. This too is important. It would be a disaster for your credibility and brand recognition if you handed out black ballcaps with a yellow bird on them, when in reality your logo features an orange bird. The Pantone Matching System is an industry standard and should be mandatory for the printing company you select for the best results.
Don’t trust your printed marketing materials for trade shows to just anyone. Take pride in your trade show booth and what you are handing out. Your confidence will be contagious and should convey trust with consumers.
