Creating Trade Show Displays For An Event
Events produce unique opportunities to project your message tactfully through an array of displays. Using less effective trade show displays or obstructing traffic flow are easy ways to confuse and turn guests off. We have all seen a display propped up, intruding upon a space rather than projecting a compelling message and wondered why anyone even bothered. How you project your message can vary, but remember that the key to successfully integrating a display into your event lies is in asking the right questions and knowing the details.
For example, Skyline DFW’s recent sponsorship of the military fundraising event Sky Ball provided some unique challenges for display integration. The event had an agenda that read like the script from a Daniel Craig film: million dollar aircraft, souped-up sports cars, people jumping out of planes, even a tuxedoed guy flying around on a jet pack! As the Official Display Company of Sky Ball our team was given creative freedom with one goal in mind: visually enhance the guest experience during Sky Ball while incorporating a nod to the patriotic sponsors who made the event possible.
Delivering attention-grabbing displays to this already eye-popping event could have sounded like a tall order to some, but by making sure that we met three specific areas of criteria, our team was able to facilitate strategic design and placement of displays to increase visibility of Sky Ball’s sponsors. Next time you have a message to deliver consider these three criteria to keep your event display from scaring guests away.
1. Make Sure Your Displays Serve a Purpose:
What is it that you are seeking to accomplish? If you have multiple needs, how are they prioritized? Are you displaying aimlessly by filling empty space or seeking opportunities? In the case of Sky Ball we wanted to spotlight the event’s various sponsors and incorporate displays that would draw in attendees. Our solution was to design two fabric back walls with sponsor logos for guests to have their pictures taken. These displays were strategically positioned next to the VIP entrance and the other near the main entrance.
2. Make Sure Your Displays Create Some Presence:
Venue size, location, and oftentimes weather will play major roles in what displays are used to meet your goals. Sky Ball was held inside of an aircraft hangar the size of two football fields. This required displays that could hold their own presence in a large space without being perceived as audacious. Our senior designer’s idea to flank Sky Ball’s stage with 17-foot lit towers added panache to the environment while creating a unique and impactful presence.
3. Make Sure Your Displays Exhibit Some Feng Shui:
From where are guests entering the event and where are they exiting? Where will they naturally congregate? Do not require that guests wander to come upon your display or obtrusively place it in their way. Aim for your displays to be both strategically and tastefully situated. Sky Ball was held in an American Airlines hangar and this allowed us the opportunity to seamlessly integrate some of the American Airlines’ displays with their specially lit aircraft to create areas that served as additional photo ops throughout the event.
While Sky Ball as an event was unique, the request was not. Whether you are displaying merchandise in a department store or announcing the launch of a new product at your next company conference, the keys to success remain the same. Identify your goals, choose the right elements to achieve those goals, and know where to place those elements to maximize visibility and realize them. Surrounding yourself with experts is an easy way to make sure you execute effectively and avoid missing the details.
By: Julian Gonzalez –
