The Fifth Column
To begin with, study the exhibition layout and make sure the stand space is free of any pillars, columns, closures, etc., which will impede the work and block the stand, to the competitors’ delight.
However, sometimes the organisers forget to map out some impediments on the layout. In this case, right after kicking up a row and getting compensated (and the exhibitor does have the right for that), you will have to get concentrated and come up with a creative solution. For example, decorate the column with balloons with the company logo, put up posters, assign a promoter in attractive clothes, etc.
Dimensions
Dimensions of the stand depend on the budget, objectives set, capacity of the exhibition space and the personnel. Western specialists are positive that the size of the stand has a direct bearing on outcomes of the exhibition. For example, if the goal of exhibiting is to draw as many clients as possible, then – according to S. Miller, “...their number is directly proportionate to the size of the exhibitor’s stand” (How to Get Most out of Trade Shows, Illinois, USA, 1996). For example, the stand area is 3x3 metres. The showcase with products usually occupy 30%, i.e. approximately 3 square metres, while the remaining 6-7 square metres are reserved for three stand assistants (enough room for all of them) and visitors. World practices show that, on average, a stand assistant has an hour to tell about the firm to approximately six visitors, while the exhibition proper lasts for about 26-30 hours. Respectively, during the whole exhibition, an exhibitor has an opportunity to establish approximately 300-400 contacts. What if the stand area is 24 square metres, with 7 stand assistants servicing it?
A Standard Stand: How to Turn a Pumpkin into a Carriage
A standard stand is cheaper – it is manufactured by the organisers and supplied with a minimum set including synthetic floor covering, suspended ceiling, desk, chairs, etc. (subject to contract terms). The standard stand does not require any special efforts during installation or take-down. However, one needs to wind up their brains and think creatively to single out the standard stand from the line. Current stand decoration techniques allow to adorn it according to an “exclusive” layout. A lot of exhibitors use colour self-adhesive film, rope lights, podiums, colour balloons, flowers, drapery, illuminated strings, and other effective ways of decoration.
A Custom-Tailored Stand: Multiple-Use or New?
Exhibitions provide companies with an opportunity to increase their recognition. Therefore, many companies use one and the same stand at each exhibition. All the more, thanks to up-to-date technologies, it can serve for many years, and can be easily kept, assembled and disassembled. Naturally, such “multiple-use” stand needs some care. Although the exhibition lasts for a mere 3-4 days, you can’t avoid small scratches and cracks. Therefore, the stand needs to be painted or glued before every exhibition, and some parts need to be replaced.
However, if the company office is small and has no room to keep the stand, the exhibitor will have to construct something new every time, using recognisable details. This is a more costly and yet more convenient option because it allows to work irrespective of the stand location: it can be located in the middle of one exhibition, in the corner of another, and next to the exit at the third one.
The most experienced and practical exhibitors minimise stand construction costs and maintain company recognition thanks to their elements of design and exhibition equipment that they had thought out once and used at all exhibitions, e.g.: Portable supports and other structures. They do not need much room and can be kept in the company office in between the exhibitions. It is best to use medium supports – visitors usually look ahead and slightly down. They do not like bending – or looking up. Portable structures can also include various trays, panels, inflatable modules, plotting boards for graphic presentation, etc.
Exhibition desk (appr. 2 metres) is a good appendage to the standard stand. It allows easy disassembling and quick assembly. It is lightweight and compact. Drapery. Synthetic fabric is easy to clean, lightweight and durable. Logos, brand names, mottos, photos, etc. can be printed on the fabric. Also, posters and various information materials can be fixed to it. The fabric can be textured, e.g., “long-wooled” artificial fur (a “fluffy” stand), corduroy, artificial velvet, spangled or beaded fabric, etc.
Corporate style showcases. Experienced exhibitors often decorate stands with company products. If the products are fragile (e.g., tableware) or valuable (e.g., jewellery), it is best to design and manufacture portable showcases in advance, to be used only for exhibitions.
Corporate style screens. Screens allow easy configuration of the stand. A screen can be used to separate space for negotiations or set up a “utility room”. Advertising materials and “pockets” for leaflets and business cards can be fixed on to the screens, too. Company flag. It can be easily put up above the stand or stretched out along the wall to be successfully used as background.
Plush “talismans”. Many companies have their own corporate symbols. For instance, one company brings a huge plush lion to all, while the other – a pretty 1.5-metre-long ant. A giant bee can be seen above the stand of a third company. However, the space for such an “employee” must be provided at the stand well in advance. It must be conspicuous and should not impede stand assistant or visitors. Photographs. Old exhibitors prepare big full-colour pictures in advance specially for exhibitions. Anecdotal evidence is that one picture of a large scale will attract more attention than a series of smaller photos.
Audiovisual equipment. When using presentations and videos, it is worth seeking advice from a designer in advance on how to better put up the screen, overhead projector, video player, lighting equipment, and other equipment not to interfere with the stand design and help attract more visitors. Current hits include plasma panels demonstrating image clips and corporate films. A video presentation of the company is a great tool for exhibitions. Having invested once, the exhibitor stays assured that dividends won’t take long because oftentimes the films will tell about company advantages better than a stand assistant.
All these techniques and design solutions are needed to achieve specific goals, so there is no need to buy or order more than actually is needed to maintain recognition and convenient work at the exhibition.
Is the Signboard Worth Making?
If the name of your company is not yet a buzzword, it makes no sense to invest in making an expensive sign, huge boards, big illuminated logos, etc. Unfortunately, visitors will not be lured to your stand even with such costly advertising. They will just ignore the firm’s name. That is why specialists recommend that the companies which are not very famous make a signboard in the corporate style and augment it with a list of critical exhibits offered to their target audience.
Good Lighting
The exhibition offers an opportunity to make a good look of the company’s products, therefore, when you work on your stand design you should use neutral colours. The light should not distract visitors from the exhibited items and yet it should be bright enough. Firstly, this will keep people in good spirits, and secondly, the visitors’ look will always follow a well-lit object (the law of nature).
The Magnetic Effect of Exhibits
Various techniques are currently used to effectively show products, for example, moving or actual models, holograms, three-dimensional exhibits, sculptures, illuminated diagrams, etc. Specialists recommend demonstrating models/details life-size and avoiding written comments. Firstly, texts and inscriptions reduce visitors’ interest in contacting the stand personnel, and secondly, visitors also include visually impaired persons and foreigners, i.e. people who will need explanations, sometimes in a different language.
The Stand Height
Many bigger companies prefer two-tier stands. On the one hand, they are convenient as the stand area doubles. Usually, the lower tier houses an open demonstration part of the stand, while the upper tier has an enclosure for confidential talks. When making a decision on participating in an exhibition, ask the organisers in advance about the permissible height in a specific pavilion and be ready for reconfiguration if the height of the stand does not meet the norm.
Types of Stands: Advantages and Limitations
Stands vary in their location relative to other stands and access to aisles.
1. “Linear Stand” has one front side and is the most common stand type. Advantages: an opportunity to accommodate more exhibits and advertising materials on three walls. Limitations: faces only one aisle; no way to control traffic in adjacent aisles; no way to set up strong attention focus points.
2. “Corner Stand” is open on two sides and is usually located at the end of a row. This stand type is ideal for medium-size and smaller firms because it combines both exhibiting and communication capabilities. Advantages: easy design. As the corner stand is open up to two aisles, you can count on a large number of visitors.
3. “Peninsula Stand” is open on three sides. In Europe, it is usually marked as “head stand” as it is located at the end/beginning of the row. Advantages: this stand type is more designed for interaction with people and ensures easy attraction of visitors, especially for presentations and other advertising activities.
4. “Island Stand” is open on all four sides. In the European tradition, it is called the “block stand” or detached stand. Advantages: offers an opportunity to fully control the environment and set up a large number of important attention focus points. Ideal for advertising and representative functions. Limitations: as a rule, it is the most expensive of all stand types. It is much more difficult to decorate, install and equip it.
5. “Pass-Through Stand” is open on two sides parallel to each other. Advantages: two access ways to the aisles. This stand type is critical for an exhibitor if the company’s location at the exhibition is not good. Limitations: the functionality of such stand must be thought out to every detail; otherwise this type will not be expedient.
6. “Vis-à-Vis Stand” combines two linear stands located opposite each other. Advantages: two façades facing the same aisle. Limitations: requires more personnel; design should combine two stands with a common solution. If not, the vis-à-vis stand will be perceived as two separate stands. 7. Mobile Stands
In Europe, such stand type is called the “exhibition in a suitcase”. Two employees will install the stand in half an hour. The structure of a mobile stand is compact, lightweight and usually made from a durable material, so if need be, the stand can easily be repaired.
Economic value: mobile stands are purchased only once but used many times, which saves the exhibition budget. Besides, saved money can be invested in expansion and upgrade of the stand.
Enjoy a successful exhibition!
The Restorany Astany newspaper, 14 May 2009
To begin with, study the exhibition layout and make sure the stand space is free of any pillars, columns, closures, etc., which will impede the work and block the stand, to the competitors’ delight.
However, sometimes the organisers forget to map out some impediments on the layout. In this case, right after kicking up a row and getting compensated (and the exhibitor does have the right for that), you will have to get concentrated and come up with a creative solution. For example, decorate the column with balloons with the company logo, put up posters, assign a promoter in attractive clothes, etc.
Dimensions
Dimensions of the stand depend on the budget, objectives set, capacity of the exhibition space and the personnel. Western specialists are positive that the size of the stand has a direct bearing on outcomes of the exhibition. For example, if the goal of exhibiting is to draw as many clients as possible, then – according to S. Miller, “...their number is directly proportionate to the size of the exhibitor’s stand” (How to Get Most out of Trade Shows, Illinois, USA, 1996). For example, the stand area is 3x3 metres. The showcase with products usually occupy 30%, i.e. approximately 3 square metres, while the remaining 6-7 square metres are reserved for three stand assistants (enough room for all of them) and visitors. World practices show that, on average, a stand assistant has an hour to tell about the firm to approximately six visitors, while the exhibition proper lasts for about 26-30 hours. Respectively, during the whole exhibition, an exhibitor has an opportunity to establish approximately 300-400 contacts. What if the stand area is 24 square metres, with 7 stand assistants servicing it?
A Standard Stand: How to Turn a Pumpkin into a Carriage
A standard stand is cheaper – it is manufactured by the organisers and supplied with a minimum set including synthetic floor covering, suspended ceiling, desk, chairs, etc. (subject to contract terms). The standard stand does not require any special efforts during installation or take-down. However, one needs to wind up their brains and think creatively to single out the standard stand from the line. Current stand decoration techniques allow to adorn it according to an “exclusive” layout. A lot of exhibitors use colour self-adhesive film, rope lights, podiums, colour balloons, flowers, drapery, illuminated strings, and other effective ways of decoration.
A Custom-Tailored Stand: Multiple-Use or New?
Exhibitions provide companies with an opportunity to increase their recognition. Therefore, many companies use one and the same stand at each exhibition. All the more, thanks to up-to-date technologies, it can serve for many years, and can be easily kept, assembled and disassembled. Naturally, such “multiple-use” stand needs some care. Although the exhibition lasts for a mere 3-4 days, you can’t avoid small scratches and cracks. Therefore, the stand needs to be painted or glued before every exhibition, and some parts need to be replaced.
However, if the company office is small and has no room to keep the stand, the exhibitor will have to construct something new every time, using recognisable details. This is a more costly and yet more convenient option because it allows to work irrespective of the stand location: it can be located in the middle of one exhibition, in the corner of another, and next to the exit at the third one.
The most experienced and practical exhibitors minimise stand construction costs and maintain company recognition thanks to their elements of design and exhibition equipment that they had thought out once and used at all exhibitions, e.g.: Portable supports and other structures. They do not need much room and can be kept in the company office in between the exhibitions. It is best to use medium supports – visitors usually look ahead and slightly down. They do not like bending – or looking up. Portable structures can also include various trays, panels, inflatable modules, plotting boards for graphic presentation, etc.
Exhibition desk (appr. 2 metres) is a good appendage to the standard stand. It allows easy disassembling and quick assembly. It is lightweight and compact. Drapery. Synthetic fabric is easy to clean, lightweight and durable. Logos, brand names, mottos, photos, etc. can be printed on the fabric. Also, posters and various information materials can be fixed to it. The fabric can be textured, e.g., “long-wooled” artificial fur (a “fluffy” stand), corduroy, artificial velvet, spangled or beaded fabric, etc.
Corporate style showcases. Experienced exhibitors often decorate stands with company products. If the products are fragile (e.g., tableware) or valuable (e.g., jewellery), it is best to design and manufacture portable showcases in advance, to be used only for exhibitions.
Corporate style screens. Screens allow easy configuration of the stand. A screen can be used to separate space for negotiations or set up a “utility room”. Advertising materials and “pockets” for leaflets and business cards can be fixed on to the screens, too. Company flag. It can be easily put up above the stand or stretched out along the wall to be successfully used as background.
Plush “talismans”. Many companies have their own corporate symbols. For instance, one company brings a huge plush lion to all, while the other – a pretty 1.5-metre-long ant. A giant bee can be seen above the stand of a third company. However, the space for such an “employee” must be provided at the stand well in advance. It must be conspicuous and should not impede stand assistant or visitors. Photographs. Old exhibitors prepare big full-colour pictures in advance specially for exhibitions. Anecdotal evidence is that one picture of a large scale will attract more attention than a series of smaller photos.
Audiovisual equipment. When using presentations and videos, it is worth seeking advice from a designer in advance on how to better put up the screen, overhead projector, video player, lighting equipment, and other equipment not to interfere with the stand design and help attract more visitors. Current hits include plasma panels demonstrating image clips and corporate films. A video presentation of the company is a great tool for exhibitions. Having invested once, the exhibitor stays assured that dividends won’t take long because oftentimes the films will tell about company advantages better than a stand assistant.
All these techniques and design solutions are needed to achieve specific goals, so there is no need to buy or order more than actually is needed to maintain recognition and convenient work at the exhibition.
Is the Signboard Worth Making?
If the name of your company is not yet a buzzword, it makes no sense to invest in making an expensive sign, huge boards, big illuminated logos, etc. Unfortunately, visitors will not be lured to your stand even with such costly advertising. They will just ignore the firm’s name. That is why specialists recommend that the companies which are not very famous make a signboard in the corporate style and augment it with a list of critical exhibits offered to their target audience.
Good Lighting
The exhibition offers an opportunity to make a good look of the company’s products, therefore, when you work on your stand design you should use neutral colours. The light should not distract visitors from the exhibited items and yet it should be bright enough. Firstly, this will keep people in good spirits, and secondly, the visitors’ look will always follow a well-lit object (the law of nature).
The Magnetic Effect of Exhibits
Various techniques are currently used to effectively show products, for example, moving or actual models, holograms, three-dimensional exhibits, sculptures, illuminated diagrams, etc. Specialists recommend demonstrating models/details life-size and avoiding written comments. Firstly, texts and inscriptions reduce visitors’ interest in contacting the stand personnel, and secondly, visitors also include visually impaired persons and foreigners, i.e. people who will need explanations, sometimes in a different language.
The Stand Height
Many bigger companies prefer two-tier stands. On the one hand, they are convenient as the stand area doubles. Usually, the lower tier houses an open demonstration part of the stand, while the upper tier has an enclosure for confidential talks. When making a decision on participating in an exhibition, ask the organisers in advance about the permissible height in a specific pavilion and be ready for reconfiguration if the height of the stand does not meet the norm.
Types of Stands: Advantages and Limitations
Stands vary in their location relative to other stands and access to aisles.
1. “Linear Stand” has one front side and is the most common stand type. Advantages: an opportunity to accommodate more exhibits and advertising materials on three walls. Limitations: faces only one aisle; no way to control traffic in adjacent aisles; no way to set up strong attention focus points.
2. “Corner Stand” is open on two sides and is usually located at the end of a row. This stand type is ideal for medium-size and smaller firms because it combines both exhibiting and communication capabilities. Advantages: easy design. As the corner stand is open up to two aisles, you can count on a large number of visitors.
3. “Peninsula Stand” is open on three sides. In Europe, it is usually marked as “head stand” as it is located at the end/beginning of the row. Advantages: this stand type is more designed for interaction with people and ensures easy attraction of visitors, especially for presentations and other advertising activities.
4. “Island Stand” is open on all four sides. In the European tradition, it is called the “block stand” or detached stand. Advantages: offers an opportunity to fully control the environment and set up a large number of important attention focus points. Ideal for advertising and representative functions. Limitations: as a rule, it is the most expensive of all stand types. It is much more difficult to decorate, install and equip it.
5. “Pass-Through Stand” is open on two sides parallel to each other. Advantages: two access ways to the aisles. This stand type is critical for an exhibitor if the company’s location at the exhibition is not good. Limitations: the functionality of such stand must be thought out to every detail; otherwise this type will not be expedient.
6. “Vis-à-Vis Stand” combines two linear stands located opposite each other. Advantages: two façades facing the same aisle. Limitations: requires more personnel; design should combine two stands with a common solution. If not, the vis-à-vis stand will be perceived as two separate stands. 7. Mobile Stands
In Europe, such stand type is called the “exhibition in a suitcase”. Two employees will install the stand in half an hour. The structure of a mobile stand is compact, lightweight and usually made from a durable material, so if need be, the stand can easily be repaired.
Economic value: mobile stands are purchased only once but used many times, which saves the exhibition budget. Besides, saved money can be invested in expansion and upgrade of the stand.
Enjoy a successful exhibition!
The Restorany Astany newspaper, 14 May 2009
Date:
Monday, May 18, 2009
