When businesses participate in trade shows, they can benefit from increased brand exposure. They can also market their products and services to prospective customers. An essential part of being successful at a trade show is to create an eye-catching booth. While creating an attractive booth can seem complicated at times, there are simple practices you can follow to make your booth get attention. Try these tips to help you create an appealing trade show booth.

1. Use a large image on your display.

A large image on your display can be an excellent way to attract attention. The key is to not use more than a few images. Too many pictures will make your booth appear cluttered and overwhelm your audience. The images should also be relevant to your company. As an example, meat would obviously be an irrelevant image for a vegan company to use. Instead, they would use images of vegetables, fruits, or meatless dishes. Another example is if you were a company selling state-of-the-art printers, you could use a high-definition image of one of the printers you sell. If you think you need more than a few images in your display, just be sure the display looks simple and not cluttered.

2. Make your company's name and purpose clearly visible.

If it's unclear to prospective customers who you are and what your business offers, your trade show booth will be a wasted opportunity. Your company's name should always be somewhere on your display in large font. Additionally, if the name alone doesn't make it clear what your business is about, a brief line should be in the display describing your company's mission or purpose. For example, if a company is named Sleek Cams, you'd know the business is about cameras. But then, if the company was named Optimus, you'd need to include a line detailing you're in the business of selling high-quality cameras.

3. Make your booth easily accessible.

When setting up your booth, don't put counters, tables, or other obstacles at the booth's front or middle. Make it easy for people to enter and check out your whole display. A booth that appears blocked off will come off uninviting to potential customers. Tables and counters can still be a part of your booth, but make sure your booth is wide open and more welcoming as a result. Instead of a long table that stretches across the booth, just have a small counter or podium in the corner.

4. Use lighting.

In particular, if the venue is indoors and doesn't have a lot of natural light, setting up lighting at your booth will draw more attention to it. A booth that's dark and hard to see will make it less likely that people will stop and look at it. One creative way to set up your lighting is to shine it on an element of your booth you want people to notice. Be sure to discuss with the organizers ahead of time if there will be outlets available for you to use to turn on your lighting.

5. Avoid chairs.

If possible, try to avoid having chairs in your booth. Your staff sitting down might discourage people from stopping by, as they may appear disinterested or bored. With your staff standing up, they appear more alert and ready to engage with prospective customers that visit the booth. Understandably, you might be concerned if your staff might get tired of standing all day. This problem can be solved by scheduling shifts, so that each person can have a break away from the booth and sit down.

6. Make the sign visible from multiple viewpoints.

An attractive sign won’t be able to catch anyone’s attention if people aren’t able to see it easily. If you’ve never been on a trade show floor before, most of them can be packed and chaotic. You have to make it easy for anyone to be able to find your booth. Place a sign with your company name and logo all around your booth and in it. Doing this will make it visible to people on different parts of the floor. Additionally, you can place a sign on top of your booth, as the extra height can draw someone’s attention to it.

7. Give out promotional items.

It's a common practice for businesses to hand out swag at trade show booths. Avoid giving out typical items like keychains or pens. Instead, invest in giving the audience items or services relevant to your company and useful for prospective customers. If you make what you give away useful and memorable, people will be more likely to remember your business after leaving. As an example, if you're a business that offers photography services, you can give out free headshots for the day. One way to make those headshots stand out is through nicely designed backdrops. Here's where you can find out about wholesale backdrops for sale.

8. Host a contest.

Hosting a contest or a game is a great way to grab someone's attention, as most people enjoy the chance of winning something. You can get participants to sign up with their names and email to build up a contact list. The contest can be a lottery draw where you pull out a random name as the winner. Be sure the prize you give away is relevant to your target audience. If you run a business that sells televisions, the prize could be a free HD flatscreen TV.

9. Make your booth interactive with technology.

Technology can help make your booth really stand out in the crowd. If you can afford it, try using computers, touch screens, and other digital displays. Prospective customers can tap on the screen to learn more about the products and services your business offers. If your business sells tech products, you can also include those for your customers to test out.

Trade shows are an important opportunity for your company to gain more visibility and increase your customer base. Drawing people to your booth is necessary to be successful on a trade show floor. Keep these tips in mind when creating an attractive trade show booth.