The Trade Show Marketing Industry

Trade show marketing is becoming increasingly popular for businesses of any size and brand to draw in more customer interest. These events are also lucrative opportunities to network with others who work in the same area and learn about new trends. Many industries see immediate increases in their average profits soon after participation in a trade show. The demand for eye-catching displays has created an entirely new and separate industry for trade show design. Businesses enlist the services of professional designers to create unique trade show exhibits for them. Creating displays for a trade show has become a competitive field, and business owners have plenty to choose from when it comes to custom-made exhibits. Exhibit rentals are also widely available as an alternative to buying the more expensive parts for portable exhibits.

Exhibition Basics

A successful exhibit often includes all or part of a rented display along with the company's own display materials. These can be combinations of pipe and drape displays, tabletop displays, panel displays, or other types of custom displays. Displays are actually the core of trade show events, allowing companies to showcase their products and services. As opposed to a pre-made rental displays, completely custom exhibits give an exhibition designer a greater amount of freedom to create a booth entirely around a company's philosophy, selling approach, and goals.

Pipe and drape displays are among the most basic options for an exhibit. These are made from fabric attached to frames usually made from steel pipes. The drawback for these is that exhibitors are usually not allowed able to hang anything on backdrops provided by the show decorator.

The need for easily portable exhibits usually includes the use of pop-up exhibits. Pop-ups are a bit sturdier and more versatile; they are popular with designers for their accordion shape that can be arranged in a variety of ways. The walls of pop-up exhibits usually form the walls of a booth for a trade show exhibit. Panel displays are another alternative to pop-ups; these are typically made from heavier material such as plastic that can support added weight.

When putting together displays for a trade show, smaller components include a tabletop display or a briefcase display. Both are of similar size and simple to set up on a standard table. A briefcase display has the added bonus of being quick and easy to fold up. Both of these types of tabletop displays come in sizes that can range from six inches to several feet tall.

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