A trade show is a business-to-business (B2B) event where companies within a specific industry showcase and demonstrate their products and services. The objective is to build brand awareness, generate leads and boost sales. It is also a great way for businesses to network and build partnerships.

Each business participating in a trade show needs a display or booth. The more appealing the display is, the more attention the company will garner, and the more sales it will get. However, you don’t need to have a large budget to create a memorable display. In this blog, we will discuss how to create a cost-effective trade show display.

How to create a cost-effective trade show display

Below are three steps to creating a cost-effective trade show display.

1. Determine goals and budget

Before you start designing your trade show display, you need to determine your goals. What are you trying to achieve? Are you looking to make an impression on new customers or engage existing ones? Are you promoting recently-launched products and services? Are you trying to make sales or build brand awareness? How many company representatives will be at the booth?

Once you have answered the above questions and established the goals of the display, you can set a budget. Decide how much you will spend on the display, considering different elements such as the design, printing, materials, transportation, etc.

2. Ensure your design is simple

There is a temptation to create an intricate design to make your booth sing, but often the simpler the better. You want to ensure your booth is inviting and not intimidating; eye-catching but not overwhelming.

A trade show attendee spends just seconds looking at your booth before making the decision whether to explore your brand further or keep walking. This means you have to tell the story of your brand’s products and services at just a glance. This is easier when your display’s design is simple.

A simple design sticks to a few colours – your brand’s colours ideally. Your business name is clear and readable and signage serves the purpose of highlighting your brand’s key messages. Or, if you are announcing the launch of a new product, make sure that is obvious from the first second someone looks at it.

The fewer details attendees are confronted with when looking at your display, the more time they will have to make a decision about whether or not to approach it and strike up a conversation with your sales representatives.

3. Select the right materials

When it comes to choosing the right material to create a trade show booth, you should look for one that is strong and durable, yet versatile and lightweight. ReBoard displays are just this. They are perfect for trade shows because they can hold a significant amount of weight, yet are ultra-lightweight meaning it’s easy to transport and build the displays.

Below are some benefits of ReBoard:

• Lightweight: it doesn’t take a whole team to carry the display.

• Easy to assemble and disassemble: it is easy for event coordinators to erect booths quickly in a limited space.

• Easy to transport: because ReBoard is lightweight, it’s easier to transport than MDF, for example.

• Strong: ReBoard has an engineered fluted core which means it is strong and can bear a significant load.

• Versatile: ReBoard can be bent and folded into any shape.

• Eco-friendly: Using eco-friendly displays is important in today’s environmentally-conscious world. Businesses must do what they can to ensure sustainability when attending events such as trade shows. ReBoard has a minimal carbon footprint, is 100% recyclable and doesn’t contribute to environmental harm.

• Innovative: ReBoard can be digitally printed on or used with other materials such as fabrics, foam, DISPA, paper and glass.

The importance of cost-effective trade show displays

It’s important to be cost-effective when creating trade show displays because you will need different displays to promote different products, to present at different events, and in different seasons. For example, say you attend a trade show every quarter, that’s four displays a year, each needing a fresh design and new messaging.

Therefore, it simply isn’t a smart business decision to spend a large amount of money on the display. Luckily, as we mentioned earlier, it is easy to create cost-effective displays by using low-cost, eco-friendly materials like ReBoard.