Less Is More Booth Design

March 21, 2019

Adam Deming

Adam Deming is the Exhibit Design Manager at the Skyline ExhibitsInternational Design Center in St. Paul, Minn. An Industrial Designer by degree, he has been with Skyline since 2007.

Gone are the days when attendees expected to be confronted with stacks of products literature. Whether you have a limited design budget or if you’re just trying to set your booth apart in a crowded exhibit hall, minimalist designs can offer a fresh, inviting and modern alternative to busier layouts. 

Here are some helpful design tips to make sure your booth doesn’t cause attendee overload:

  1. Declutter your graphics. Think about the overly busy billboards you sometimes see along a highway – you often can’t tell who the advertiser is, let alone what value proposition is being communicated. Does your signage suffer from a similar problem? Leave plenty of negative space in your signage so the viewer can focus on what is important – unused white space is your friend, not your enemy.
  2. If your booth space is small, you need to be especially selective in your choice of furnishings. The old “rule of thirds” often applies in these situations, whereby you limit the design elements to three areas, such as an information table, a product area and your sales area.
  3. Keep lighting simple and try not to combine both warm and cool lights. Contrast is key: If you have key products on display, position your brighter lights above them to help them stand out as a feature in the booth.
  4. Consider lighter color selections for your booth. Light colors tend to make spaces appear larger. Select colors from your brand to accentuate your brand presence but keep it simple to avoid competing visual elements.
  5. Consider incorporating hanging structures in your booth design. Suspended graphics open up the floor plan to draw attendees into your booth. With this, also consider graphically or structural ways to tie your overhead elements into the ground level so the attendee can connect both elements and stay focused on you, not your competitor at every level of your booth space.
  6. Use a simple interactive element to increase engagement and add levity to your booth. Active or playful booth games can not only attract foot traffic to your booth but also can be used as symbols of your company’s innovative approach to product selection and service solutions.
  7. While your booth staff should always be accessible when needed, be sure to build room into your exhibit for customers to explore products or services on their own, without being hassled by a sales rep.

Minimalist trade show design doesn’t mean anything is missing from your booth. Instead, it means there’s an ideal amount of what attendees really need.

 

Don’t miss any event-related news: Sign up for our weekly e-newsletter HERE and engage with us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram!

Add new comment

About text formats
Partner Voices
Partner Voices
NO WISH IS TOO BIG AT THE ORANGE COUNTY CONVENTION CENTER
Overview: The award-winning Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) goes the extra mile to make every day extraordinary by offering customer service excellence and industry-leading partnerships. From their dedicated in-house Rigging team to their robust Exhibitor Services, The Center of Hospitality brings your imagination to life by helping you host unforgettable meetings and events. With more than 2 million square feet of exhibit space, world-class services and a dream destination, we are committed to making even the most ambitious conventions a reality. In October 2023, the Orange County Board of County Commissioners voted to approve allocating Tourist Development Tax funding for the $560 million Phase 5A completion of the OCCC. The Convention Way Grand Concourse project will include enhancements to the North-South Building, featuring an additional 60,000 square feet of meeting space, an 80,000- square-foot ballroom and new entry to the North-South Building along Convention Way. “We are thrilled to begin work on completing our North-South Building which will allow us to meet the growing needs of our clients,” said OCCC Executive Director Mark Tester. “As an economic driver for the community, this project will provide the Center with connectivity and meeting space to host more events and continue to infuse the local economy with new money and expanding business opportunities.” Amenities: The Center of Hospitality goes above and beyond by offering world-class customer service and industry-leading partnerships. From the largest convention center Wi-Fi network to custom LAN/WAN design, the Center takes pride in enhancing exhibitor and customer experience.  The OCCC is the exclusive provider of electricity (24-hour power at no additional cost), aerial rigging and lighting, water, natural gas and propane, compressed air, and cable TV services. Convenience The Center is at the epicenter of the destination, with an abundance of hotels, restaurants, and attractions within walking distance. Pedestrian bridges connect both buildings to more than 5,200 rooms and is within a 15-minute drive from the Orlando International Airport. The convenience of the location goes hand-in-hand with top notch service to help meet an event’s every need. Gold Key Members The OCCC’s Gold Key Members represent the best of the best when it comes to exceptional service and exclusive benefits for clients, exhibitors and guests. The Center’s Gold Key memberships with Universal Orlando Resort, SeaWorld Orlando and Walt Disney World greatly enhance meeting planner and attendee experiences offering world-renowned venues, immersive experiences and creative resources for their events. OCCC Events: This fiscal year, the OCCC is projected to host 168 events, 1.7 million attendees, and $2.9 billion in economic impact.  The Center’s top five events during their 2022-2023 fiscal year included:  AAU Jr. National Volleyball Championships 2023 200,000 Attendees $257 Million in Economic Impact MEGACON 2023 160,000 Attendees $205 Million in Economic Impact Open Championship Series 2023 69,500 Attendees $89 Million in Economic Impact Sunshine Classic 2023 42,000 Attendees $54 Million in Economic Impact Premiere Orlando 2023 42,000 Attendees $108 Million in Economic Impact
Learn More