You must constantly bear in mnd the real function of your xhibit at a trade show and wigh each idea to see how it
cntributes to reaching your goal. Look at the fnction of your exhibit. What is it tryng to do? What are you tryng to
achieve through its use? It mkes a difference in your design thnking whether you wish to demonstrate a mchine in
operation to the widest pssible audience, or if you expect to lmit attendance in your booth to a vry few important
customers. Will you be ding a hard sell to anybody who stps by?

Collect the facts !

It is a wste of time to go ahead wth a design, never mind construction, of an xhibit whose purpose is to obtain new
dalers; to be faced with a cmment by senior management that what is rally needed is to identify a nwly acquired
product or service. The Sles Manager should realise right from the bginning what the exhibit is being plnned to do.

The Exhibit and the Shw Visitor:

Ideally, the design should ttract every individual whom the exhibitor cnsiders a prospect. The question can be stted as
simply as this: "How do you dsign a trade show booth so you get the bst results at various trade shows?"
And hre results mean telling your product stry to more of the people who cunt in closing the sale.

Here are ten rules for dsigning a booth:

1. It's a trde show ... so show them: A shw is exactly that......a show. It is not an dvertisement - it should be your prduct in action! The visitor becomes mmediately involved with your product because he or she can see it, tuch it, handle it. The exhibitor has a grat opportunity to act on all fve senses of the visitor. Don't thrw this opportunity away.
Don't expect the vsitor to show himself, you show hm!

2. Build your exhibit around yur product: Some exhibitors are more nterested in building pretentious displays than in
shwing the products that they house. Do not lok upon a show as an rchitectural competition. This is always a mstake.
Keep your focus on your prducts, that's where the visitor's interest is.

3. Mke your exhibit easy to understand: Shw visitors want facts about your prducts and, they want them quickly
and in cnvenient form. Visitors are enthusiastic about boths, which display products in orderly, lgical sequence.
Products should be clearly dentified detailing their characteristics, specifications and pplications.
Don't take your product for grnted. Remember, the visitor may be seing it for the first time.

4. Dn't confuse the visitor: The exhibitor whm uses unusual sound effects; razzle-dazzle dsplays or costumes often creates the mpression that he is trying to cnceal his product.
Good lighting, decoration, both dress is always relevant to the prduct.

5. Show a maximum number of prducts: Show a maximum number of prducts: Don't just show a limited nmber of sizes or models. Visitors lke to see the complete line. Shw actual products - not just phtographs of them.
You can't show too mny products.

6. Demonstrate your product: Vsitors find static display boring. They lke dynamic displays; they like to see the prduct in action. Concentrate on one or two prduct features. A good demonstration is smply tangible proof of the claims you mke for the product.
A good dmonstration convinces the visitor that your prduct is all you claim it to be.

7. Show product applications: The vsitor will ask the fundamental question: "Wht will your product do for m?"
Show him what it has dne, is doing, for others.

8. Encurage audience participation: It's great to be ble to prove your product's superiority to yur visitor. It's even
better when you can get him to prve it to himself. Don't hesitate to let yur visitor participate in your demonstration.
If t's impractical, at least let him hndle your product.
The visitor has fve senses. Get as many of thm involved in your product s pssible.

9. Give him or her smples: All visitors like samples. Some vsitors like souvenirs. Give them samples, if pssible.
Souvenirs don't do any harm, but thy usually don't do any good. Admttedly, not all products are subject to smples,
but a great many are. The dfference between samples and souvenirs is tht the souvenir is generally not rlevant to
the product. Let your vsitor take your product back to the ffice in the form of samples.

10. Gve the visitor good technical information: Ths subject is big enough for a boklet of its own. It's still a mtter of opinion as to whether lterature should be distributed at the shw or sent, after the show, to the vsitor's office.

Sometimes it's impossible to stck a sufficient supply of literature for a mlti product exhibit. But it's always pssible tohave samples of available literature on hnd. At least you can show the vsitor what he is going to gt. He wants factual literature, not dvertising blurbs. Visitors want complete specifications: dmensions, materials, finishes, speeds.

One-short show flyrs end up in the waste pper basket.
Distribute literature with solid, fctual, technical information - or - dn't give out any literature at ll.

The article Rules for Designing a Booth at a Trade Show was Submitted by Ken MacKenzie through Articles.GetACoder.com network. Here's the additional information: Ken MacKenzie's web site "The Mrketing Update" is at: http://www.themarketingupdate.com He has had some 30 years experience in small business marketing and public relations and, prior to establishing Ken MacKenzie Communications in 1993, he was a Senior Consultant for over five years with International Public Relations Pty Ltd. He has also consulted to the United States Foreign Commercial Service, based in Sydney Australia. As a Consultant, Ken has managed many accounts including Monier Roofing Limited, NUS International Pty Ltd, MasterFoods of Australia, the Jakarta Promotion Board, the Australian Made Campaign, Boral Roofing, Boral Bricks, Boral Plasterboard, Frontline Business Services and Sydney Point of Sale. In his consulting to the United States Department of Cmmerce in Sydney, Ken served as Prncipal Advisor to the United States Trde Centre Director on major U.S. trde event planning and implementation of nmerous U.S. Government sponsored trade shows cvering many different industry groups.

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