A smart way to increase visitors at a trade show is by having a hanging sign. As attendees enter the show room, their attention will be drawn to the signs. As they walk the show floor, they will remember the signs and their interest will be peaked. This trade show training discusses not only how to create trade show hanging signs with impact, but the steps to take beforehand to make your sign shine!
1. Research the Show
It is IMPERATIVE that you research the trade show you are attending. Not all shows allow exhibit hanging signs, and the ones that do often have sign limitations, dimension requirements, or installation requirements. Take careful note of factors such as:
- Hanging sign labor costs (typically paid hourly)
- Forklift labor costs
- Ceiling rigging limitations
- Sign length/width limitations
- Special instructions for electric hanging signs
- Warehouse deadlines & missed deadline fees
- Other forms, deadlines, and requirements as stated in the exhibitor manual
2. Design Your Sign
Here comes the fun part – designing your exhibit hanging sign! There are several aspects of your sign to consider as you go through this process. Remember to follow all the criteria spelled out in the exhibitor manual as you design.
- Size: How big do you want your sign to be?
You want your sign to be NOTICEABLE, but not too much so that it overshadows or takes elements away from your booth.
- Color: What mood or message is implied by the color choices of your sign?
Remember – your sign is the most visible part of your booth from across the show floor. For the primary colors, follow this rule of thumb:
RED = enthusiastic, alarming, attention-grabbing
YELLOW = optimistic
BLUE = trustworthy
- Text and Graphics: How much text should you use?
Keep the text on your hanging sign CONCISE and VISUALLY APPEALING. Overwhelming signs often have a crowded, overly-textual and/or overly-stimulating look to them. Additionally, when creating this balanced of text and graphics, keep your color choices in mind. Text color that clashes with graphic color creates nothing short of a hanging sign nightmare!
By following these steps, not only can you avoid unnecessary show fees, but your trade show exhibit signs can increase visitors to your booth, and increase leads from the show!
