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Quirky Staff Uniforms
It’s time to bring the cool factor to exhibition stands and do away with the boring table top and un-enticing shell scheme setups. We need to look for engaging designs and ideas that don’t create a barrier between us and the attendees. We’ve found some amazing ideas, big and small, to help us do this.
Exhibitions are a place to show creativity and in a highly competitive environment, we all know quirky and cool is king – as long as you have the content to back it up. So, here are some amazing exhibition stands that you will want to see, as well as some key tips to get your exhibition strategy on par.
##abovethefold##
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Sample Living
Create an “at home” atmosphere to bring comfort to your attendees and immediately put them at ease when showcasing products. This concept for Dyson’s exhibition stand helps guests really imagine the brand in their home as well as seeing products live in action. Creating realistic event spaces such as this immediately appeals and can be incorporated into booth experiences too.
Credit: Pixel Wave Designs
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Smoothie Bikes
Creating unique experiences such as this at a booth can help when you don’t have the budget for a big, fancy stand build. It’s a fairly simple idea, having attendees cycle to create their own fruit smoothie or cocktail and they can walk away with a handy drink for their efforts. But it also creates a memorable connection between brand and attendee and everyone is having fun doing it! An excellent use of minimal space.
Credit: Inception
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Cinematic Stands
For video content at your exhibition, these scenography cones are an excellent idea. They use the cone shape to shield attendees and immerse them while watching from the slanted platforms as well as using floor signage to outline each experience. They are weirdly futuristic and definitely pique interest.
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Meeting Room
This is an awesome way to hold your attendees’ attention once you’ve got it and take that connection one step further. A designated meeting room attached to your booth means that you can strike while the iron is hot and cement those important relationships that you make at exhibitions and it could also be opened up for lounge space too. Add in some colorful backdrops and plants and it’s an office away from the office.
Credit: ioanddesign
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Fashion Frenzy
Pamper stations are becoming an increasing popular event trend so amalgamate this into your exhibition booth. Perfect for brand collaboration and trade show sponsorship as well as drawing a crowd with samples, consultations and sign-ups for free stuff. It’s also the holy grail for product placement and demonstration as well as workshops.
Best booth on the show #tradeshow #longwalks #tiredfeet #iecsc #cosmetics #makeup #spa #pretty
Credit: FashionGal
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Digital Walls
Enticing attendees to visit your booth when they approach from all angles is a good idea because it creates interest from the outset. This booth for Ivanhoe Cambridge has a variety of external media to attract guests, for example, touch screens for more information. These large external screens showcase and stream video plus transparent windows help others to peek inside and get a feel for the atmosphere.
Credit: Maverick Exhibits
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Jellyfish Displays
I think we can all agree these are pretty cool! These jellyfish inspired stands are used to showcase products and clearly make an impact with their mini pavilion creations. They are temporary fixtures that are fairly simple to recreate and add an air of mystique to what is shrouded.
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Sustainable Modular
What makes this exhibition booth so cool is that it can be disassembled and reassembled differently. This means that at different shows you can create unique layouts to tailor to your attendees and target demographic. It has enough flair to be noticed and with the 3D walls and protruding shapes it can be a dynamic stand to visit with the added benefit of being sustainable.
Credit: MAST
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Brand Box
Creating immersion like this is a cool way to integrate your brand and avoid having it diluted by others. The exclusivity created by this box makes curious minds want to peer inside and walk through. Daikin has made themselves easily recognizable using their main brand colors and product concepts as part of the design and cleverly this stands out more than a multi-colored booth. When inside, attendees can wear headphones and experience different elements in the powerfully lit interior.
Credit: Jgrubben
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Live Band
Adding live music to your booth can help to create a different atmosphere as well as a “performance” that attendees will stop and watch. This is an excellent example where these string artists are transforming the space with their instruments and aesthetics, drawing the eye of those watching as they help to showcase brand and products.
Credit: Euphoria Ladies Band
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Blue Highlights
Using lighting to your advantage to create cool effects is a clever idea and this Total stand at the 2017 Astana Expo highlights this well. With a view on sustainable living, their statement involved the earth and sustainability and they used their available technology to project ideas and proposals to attendees. Creating a darkened environment with blue lighting makes attendees concentrate and engage more with content in a cinematic experience. Perfect if you are trying to get important messages across.
Credit: Krafthaus MENA
12. Falcon’s Nest
Take inspiration for your brand from nature like this exhibition stand inspired by a falcon’s nest that creates a welcoming environment for visitors. The different levels or elements that have been included add to it’s dynamic, like the steps that facilitate discussion and networking are more interesting and innovative than merely a table. But, there is also a private meeting area to have more in-depth discussion too. With the natural themes running throughout like the greenery wall alongside elements like LED brand signs and digital screens, this is the perfect combination of nature and technology to show your attendees you mean business.
Credit: TAMM Abu Dhabi Government Services, Y-Solutions, Viola Communications
8 Other Ways To Add The Cool Factor To Your Booth
Stray away from the traditional polo and see your staff as a fun way to be trendsetters. As they will be spending the most time with your attendees you also need to make them happy and ensure they are comfortable. Tailor your uniforms to your brand, theme or concept, for example if you offer bespoke, high-quality items, have staff dress in tuxedos and ball gowns or if you are incorporating aviation in your theme, think pilot and stewardess.
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Photo Booths/Backdrops
Attendees want Insta-worthy content from their exhibitions and trade shows as well as easy ways to share on social media. If you can’t fit a whole photo booth, add giant branded props that guests can hold up with your brand as the backdrop. You could also give out mini, handheld props for attendees to take around with them at the event and create a competition for best photo with the prop! Alternatively, if you have an outside wall of your booth free you could convert this into an exciting setting for photos with a cool scene that relates to your brand.
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DJ Station/MC
Create something that people can gravitate towards. An MC or DJ will create a stream of music for people to follow so you can draw a crowd and interact with attendees in fun and exciting ways. Plus, music is a great way to entertain and add a light-hearted element to, often, long days at an exhibition or trade show.
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VR Product Walkthroughs
If you’re limited for space, or your product is particularly difficult to properly showcase in your booth, VR or augmented reality could be an excellent option. It’s still new enough tech that it adds the cool factor and can be more engaging to show what your products can really do, even in limited spaces. You could use large screens for augmented reality so all attendees can see the experience if they don’t want to feel it themselves or create that exclusivity with the VR headset.
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Lounges
If you have the space, providing lounges which aid in networking can be excellent sponsorship options for your booth. They are particularly welcoming during a long event day and you’ll notice they start to become a congregation point which makes your booth look busier and offers more opportunity to interact with attendees. When we say lounges, you don’t have to have an entire mezzanine floor dedicated to sit-down space (but if you can, go for it). Simple bean bags, benches, a single sofa or even a meeting lounge with table and chairs can all provide the same benefits to your attendees.
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Living Walls
They look awesome, you can do so many things with them and the injection of nature into, what is usually, a very man-made setting adds something to the aesthetic. It doesn’t have to be big and fancy and in many cases, living walls can be home-made at the venue if you have time, or get a local florist involved. Beautiful displays are very eye-catching to attendees who often stop, ask about them or take photos.
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Charging Opportunities
When your battery is about to die at an exhibition, finding any outlet is a relief. Although charging lockers are quite popular for encouraging attendees to return by allowing them to drop off and lock up their phone, use an open charging station that encourages them to stay. While they are there you can create opportunities to interact while they wait, whether that’s lounges, gamification or simply excellent staff that can keep them chatting.
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Beacons
Perfect for more introvert attendees at an event, beacons feed data to passing guests when they get within a certain range, without needing to interact with them. This technology can provide marketing information and update them on products, give them an event map with your booth on it (or a map of your booth if it’s big enough and has different sections to navigate.) You could also give them relevant information such as the WiFi password or that your content session is about to begin.
In Conclusion
Considering flair in your booth design and activities needs to be in line with your brand or message so that it is remembered rather than a gimmick you used. That being said, these cool ideas can get you noticed in an attendee’s mind and help leave an impression that overshadows the competition.
