Big Ideas: How to Make the Most of a Small Exhibition Space

 We’ve all heard the oft-quoted “size matters” in relation to any number of things, but with exhibition space it’s particularly important.

It’s easy to believe that larger equals better when it comes to standing out in all those grandly imposing event halls, but you might be surprised to learn that with some exhibitions, good things really do come in smaller packages! 

After all, a compact, well-designed stand staffed by friendly and knowledgeable people will attract many more visitors than an untidy-looking stand that’s staffed by people who believe their spacious event space will do all the work for them (hint: it won’t).

So if you’re fretting about space size this summer, sit back and let our friendly team reassure you with some handy hints about how to really make the most of what you’ve got!

Attend the right events

Whether large or small, your space won’t make an impact if you’re showcasing your company at an event that isn’t really suited to it.  Planning is key here: research visitor demographics and ensure you’re likely to rub shoulders with people who can help move your business forward.

Be different and memorable

Large event spaces can be unimaginative, as companies rely on size alone as the key visitor attraction point.  If you’re occupying a smaller space, being clever and creative with your brand design will pay off.  Oh – and don’t forget to ensure your branding is clear and visible from a distance.

Select your spot wisely

If you can, make sure you’re somewhere visitors can easily see you, no matter how large or small your stand space!  Even the largest exhibition space will be lost if it’s tucked under the stairs, or out of the way of general footfall.  Try to make use of height, too – if you can’t move outwards, move upwards instead!

Make effective use of lighting

When used well, lighting has the potential to dazzle your visitors and completely outshine the competition, packing an unusual punch and adding a friendly and approachable aspect to your stand.  Remember: light tends to make smaller things appear larger, too!

Keep your stand un-cluttered

The trend for minimalism comes into play here.  If your stand space is small, everything you have on it will count.  Don’t include too much equipment on your stand, and perhaps find alternative storage space for excess literature, for example…

Keep staff numbers low

…and make sure there aren’t too many staff members milling around!  Too many people won’t just make your small stand space seem even more cluttered, but visitors may feel intimidated to approach a large group of staff.

Maximise staff proactivity

Of course, with fewer people you’re going to need the ones who do staff your stand to be at the top of their game.  Ensure everybody is equipped with a friendly smile for starters, and that they’re ready and willing to approach visitors as they walk by.

Don’t create barriers

People won’t come and talk to you if it’s going to take too much effort for them to try.  We’ve already mentioned staff proactivity, but make sure there’s a clear route for visitors to come and find out more about you, without having to dodge piles of leaflets and manoeuvre themselves around tables.

Offer visitors a compelling incentive to come and see you at your small stand!

We’ve blogged about gamification before: adding a well-placed piece of tech that visitors can play with often brings highly effective results.  If your budget won’t stretch that far, a goodie bag packed with useful items, or a competition that features a coveted prize, will also do the trick.  We’ve seen free coffee and cake go down very well, too!

Whether your event space is large or small, our professional, friendly and experienced team here at Guardian Exhibition & Display can help you make the most of it.  Simply get in contact to see just what we can achieve together.

Grow your business with a portable display stand!

If you’re an entrepreneur or in charge of a start-up, then you’ll know a great business idea is only the beginning.  To get your venture properly off the ground and primed for growth, you need attention. 

Specifically, you need attention from your target audience.  Potential clients and collaborators, investors, suppliers…the list is endless, and it’s enough to make even the most determined business magnate nervous.

After all, who has the time to sit around cold-calling people all day, trying in vain to explain exactly what your fantastic new business is all about?

Luckily, trade events are far and away the best and most efficient method to promote your venture to your intended audience – all under the one roof!  Event visitors are primed to talk to new and exciting companies, and if you’re an industry innovator armed with a particularly good idea, you’ll have an unmissable opportunity to talk about it with the people who matter.

If you’ve been keeping up with our blog, you’ll know that having a presence at the occasional trade event isn’t enough, particularly when the business world is so fiercely competitive.  Top of your marketing list should be a targeted event strategy, to make sure your brand is properly showcased in all the right places.

However, ensuring your company stands out at these events can be costly, particularly when you’re just starting out with an as-yet-unknown brand.  If you’re in this situation, don’t despair – a portable display stand could be the answer to your prayers!   Here’s how:

Portable stands are cheaper than custom…

…which isn’t just easier on your budget.  They’re also a safer bet if you want to test the market before you commit to anything more permanent.

They’re easy to set up

Our professional team will happily and easily install your stand at any event, but in some cases nothing beats the convenience of being able to simply get on with it yourself!  A further benefit of portable display stands is that they’re so simple to construct, you won’t need an expensive crew of people to help you out.

They’re built to last

Look after your portable display stand, and your portable display stand will look after you!  Most portable stands will last your company at least a year, which is a great amount of time for you to check what works and what doesn’t at a number of different events.

Portable display stands are…easily portable!

Designed to be easily transported, most will fit into the boot of your car (whilst still leaving enough room for that rarely used gym kit!).  They’re lightweight, too, meaning they can be carried or wheeled into the exhibition venue by one person.

Versatility is key

Portable display stands can often be shaped and re-shaped for a range of stand options, so you can be a display chameleon and note what styles attract the most attention.  You’ll also have the option of changing your graphics quickly and easily.

You’ll get a great ROI

When it comes to investment return trade events are highly effective in themselves, but with a portable display stand you’ll can expect an even better return on that hard-earned outlay, as you start finding your feet with exhibiting your company. 

With no set-up costs, an easily transportable stand you can set up and take down yourself at a variety of different events will get you and your business perfectly positioned in front of an audience that matters. 

Just give it a try, and watch all that new business come flooding in!

Here at Guardian Exhibition & Display, our years of professional experience helping companies showcase themselves successfully at events means we know exactly what works.  Whether you’re just starting out with exhibiting your company, or you’ve been around for years and feel it’s time for a change, get in touch with our friendly team and see how we can help you shine! 

Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Exhibition Stand Graphics (but were afraid to ask!)

As you might expect, here at Guardian Exhibition & Display we’ve seen more than a few display stands in our time.  This means we understand completely how graphics can make or break a stand, with the potential to create a truly high impact impression on event visitors.

Yet getting it right can be tricky, especially when businesses can feel tempted to save money on graphics and concentrate on other display aspects instead.  However, the potential low impact impression you’ll create by using weak, poor-quality graphics is one you won’t want to risk at your next event.

So grab yourself a coffee, and read on for everything you ever wanted to know about exhibition stand graphics.

Size matters…and placement is important

There’s no point commissioning a graphic designer to come up with something that boldly represents your brand in all its glory, only for nobody to be able to see it!   Try testing out your display before the event.

(Don’t forget to check for any typos, too – there isn’t much worse than a mistake in two-feet high lettering that you only discover on exhibition day itself!)

Go big with your logo

“People already know who we are,” some companies tell us, preferring to get on with engaging potential customers at their stand rather than showcase their logo.  But they’re missing a trick.  If people remember your logo, they’ll remember you…so display it big, high, and with as much emphasis as you can.

Colour and quality are king

Unless you have all the professional resources to hand, don’t try and print your own images.  You’ll simply stand out amongst your competitors for all the wrong reasons.  The high quality definition that professional design and printing brings will impress your visitors, conveying the image that your company is just as high quality!

Colour-wise, choose hues that work well with each-other, avoid using different shades of the same colour, and avoid anything too abrasive or mismatched.

Be clear with your messaging

Don’t be half-hearted, or give in to the temptation of trying to appeal to anyone and everyone with your brand message.  Keep it light-hearted and playful, or serious and meaningful.  You can’t have both…or at least we haven’t seen any successful attempts!

If you can get away with it, try a clever tagline or catchphrase (this could be a good excuse for some team brainstorming in the pub!) and remember to use a clear typeface, so all your hard work isn’t wasted on the day.

Remember that graphics tell a story…

…and people tend to prefer new, compelling tales than old ones they’ve already heard many times before.  Don’t be afraid to update your graphics if you feel they’re starting to look tired.

Also remember that your stand isn’t a brochure

Brochures are luxurious and aspirational (well, at least they should be!).  You hand your brochure to a visitor, with the hopeful intention that they’ll pore over it later on with their drink of choice. 

By contrast, your event stand needs to capture immediate attention, so make sure yours has a strong focal point, with clear and friendly images that support your chosen message.

Put your graphics in the spotlight

After all that effort, it would be a shame not to really, wouldn’t it?  Imagine the dazzling impact your company could make if your stand had the right kind of lighting…seen from across the room and completely obliterating your competitors’ attempts to shine in the process?

Our friendly and professional team can help you achieve all of this at your next event, and much more besides!   You’ll be amazed at how easy it can be to create a memorable first impression that your company can be truly proud of, tailored for any exhibition.  All you need to do to get started is contact us.

Come and say hello at the BNC Summer Show!

“That’s all very well…” you may be thinking, as you sip your coffee and read our endless pieces of valuable advice on how to get your business shining in the event spotlight,“…but I’d love to see them trying all these tips out themselves at an exhibition.  They should put their money where their mouths are!”

Well, come 12^th July you’ll get the chance to see us doing just that, as our team at Guardian Exhibition & Display will be exhibiting at the industry-renowned BNC Summer Show, held in the heart of London at Central Hall, Westminster.

The first rule of the Buyers’ Networking Club…

…is that you talk about the Buyers’ Networking Club! 

Holding two prestigious and well-attended shows every year, the BNC started life in 1997, quickly establishing itself as the leading networking association for corporate meetings and events managers. 

With over 1000 professionally experienced members and a global reach, if you’re looking for an unusual venue in Paris, a coach company in Tallinn, or maybe a restaurant in Jaipur, you’re bound to get the very best recommendations from the BNC’s extensive contact list.

So it goes to follow that the BNC shows are well-known across the events industry for presenting credible, pre-authorised buyers with an exciting and engaging range of opportunities. 

The Summer Show at Central Hall will not only bring buyers together with high-end, top quality suppliers, but the event also offers a full seminar programme, with keynote speakers and events industry experts hosting a selection of 20-minute seminars and animated discussions on everything from engagement and profit generation, to creativity and tech. 

Plus there will be hourly competitions, luxury designer giveaways, plenty of tasty food…oh, and maybe a few cocktails thrown in, of course!

Guardian Exhibition & Display at the BNC Summer Show

2017 is the fifth year of our professional team attending the BNC Summer Show, so we’ve made sure our own set-up will be extra-special!  After all, with so many top-quality suppliers on display we’ll have plenty of competition for the spotlight.

So we’ll be showcasing our high-resolution lightbox as our stand, complete with a selection of eye-catching graphics that are guaranteed to grab attention from the get-go.  The display really has to be seen to be appreciated and we’re convinced it’s the future of exhibition stands, personally!  

We’ll also be giving away some specially selected goodie bags and donating a fantastic gift for the Grand Prize Draw – so who knows just what you could walk away with at the end of the day? 

If you’d like to attend the show, meet our friendly team and see us in full display action as well as rubbing shoulders with some high-profile movers and shakers in the events industry, simply sign up with the BNC website, where you can also browse through the list of exhibitors.

And remember, with all the wonders of today’s technology you won’t even have to leave the comfort of your office to find out more about all the friendly and professional services we offer here at Guardian Exhibition & Display! 

Simply contact us (here), and help us help you boost your business at your next exhibition.