January 6th, 2011
When an attendee walks by your booth, do you want them to pass by your booth because your graphics are boring, drab, and the same as the last 10 shows? Attendees will decide within seconds if they are interested in your company, and dynamic and creative graphics will wow them and drawn them in!
Trade show graphics can be tricky because they are unlike other graphic spreads you may have put together for ads or your web site. A few key notes:
- Make sure it isn’t too wordy! Attendees spend around 3.5 seconds reading, so stick to a clear, concise, and bold message. Your booth staff should be ready to elaborate on everything else.
- Make sure everything is legible from a distance. Consider that attendees will be at least 10 feet away from your graphics, so make sure your text is a good size and in clear fonts. And be aware of what colors you use. For example, light blue on navy will not stand out as well as a true white on navy. Consider the color choices and test several to see what really stands out.
- When you hang a picture in your home, you put it at eye level, so make sure you do the same with your trade show graphics. No one is going to read them if they are in the bottom two feet of the exhibit; this text will go unnoticed and therefore unread.
- Pictures add some effective qualities to a graphic. Keep it simple because too many images can crowd the graphic and the messaging. Look for high resolution images, as lower resolutions images will show up grainy or blurry and lessen your professional image.
Your graphics are your first impression with your prospects, so spend the time to design and create an outstanding graphic! Remember to freshen your look with new graphics regularly so you reflect the innovation and forward thinking your company is striving to achieve.