Exhibition stand guide
What makes an exhibition stand effective: nine rules
Uğur Yılmaz · Brand & Visual Communications Manager · 3 min read · Last updated:
Short answer
What makes an exhibition stand effective?
An effective exhibition stand opens towards the direction visitors walk, reads as one message from a distance, presents the product at eye level and within reach, carries its own lighting, has a meeting area set back from the aisle and is run by a team that knows what to do. Size and decoration are not on the list; a 9-square-metre stand that follows these rules can produce more conversations than a 54-square-metre one.
What is seen from the aisle
The open side faces the flow. Visitors walk the hall in a particular direction; the main entrance and the position of the large exhibitors set it. The most open side of the stand and the main message face that way. On a corner plot we keep both sides open; on a row plot we do not draw a counter that closes the only side.
One message, large type. From the aisle the visitor sees the company name, what it does and a single promise. Text that must be read from three metres is set at least ten centimetres high; product lists and specifications do not go on the graphic surface.
Product at eye level. The product sits at the front of the stand, between 90 and 150 centimetres, within reach. A product on the floor is not seen; a product hung from the ceiling is not examined. For small products we use showcases; in each of the stand types the showcase is drawn to the product.
What draws people in
Its own light. Hall lighting is even and cold; without its own light the product looks dull from the aisle. A spot on every product point, even light on the graphic and a warm tone in the meeting area are rules we apply on every project.
No barrier at the entrance. No high counter, planter or brochure rack stands between the aisle and the stand. The visitor must be able to step inside in one move; a threshold or platform edge is solved with a ramp.
Meeting area at the back. A visitor who starts talking withdraws from the aisle; the table sits in the back third without hiding the product. How many seats the meeting area needs is fixed in the brief step described on our exhibition stand services page.
Nothing in view. Boxes, bags and coats stay in a closed compartment. Boxes under the meeting table drop the impression of the stand at once; that is why we draw a closed compartment into every stand.
The team that carries the stand
Team standing and facing out. The best stand design is wasted on a team looking at their phones at the table. The team stands at the front edge, makes eye contact with visitors and asks the first question itself. Who is on the stand at which hour is written down before the fair.
A record of every conversation. Each conversation is logged the same day: who, which product, what next step. Follow-up after the fair starts from that record; a fair without records ends as a pile of business cards.
None of these nine rules depends on the size of the stand. We apply the same rules to every type we produce; what makes the difference is not the square metres but the order of decisions. How we work is described on our about page.
Is a bigger stand not more effective?
Size increases visibility but does not by itself increase conversations. A small stand that follows the rules produces more qualified conversations than a large one that does not.
Do refreshments and giveaways attract visitors?
They do, but they also attract the wrong visitor. Refreshments are offered in the meeting area once the conversation has started; a refreshment counter facing the aisle turns the stand into a café.
Is a screen or video wall necessary?
If the product moves or is large-scale, yes; the screen complements the product, it does not replace it. The content must be silent, looping and understood in three seconds.