Whether or not you have exhibited at a trade show, you probably know how fierce the competition at these events is. In this era of high-end products and comprehensive services, simply setting up a generic booth and hoping for the best is a recipe for disaster. Every exhibitor out there is battling for attention from the same group of attendees. You have to cover every base to give yourself the best chance of succeeding – and that includes getting your trade show banner spot-on.
A banner containing your business and product/service information in a prominent and attractive manner will considerably increase your chances of getting booth footfall. To boost the oomph factor, you could even install multiple, complementary banners, each containing a different set of information. You can also set up a large picture that is a collage of three or four banners.
Planning Ahead for Your Trade Show Banner
Before we talk about what to put on your trade show banner, here is a small nugget of advice: if you really want a standout trade show banner, you need to start planning and preparing weeks –if not months –ahead of the event date.
The effort is worth it, though. You want to represent yourself and your business in the best light, and this will not happen with a banner created the night before and one that you are still installing as the public starts to walk in.
Hence, make sure to give yourself plenty of breathing space, especially if you are going to order your banner from a professional printing company. You may feel that we were exaggerating when we said that you need to start planning for the banner months before time – and I wish we were. Between the initial design, approval, final design, and shipping, time just whizzes past and, before you know it, you are using the banner from your last trade show and making fervent prayers that no one notices.
👉Make sure to check our trade show banners.
What to Put On a Trade Show Banner?
Huge Logo
The first and most space-taking element on your trade show banner should be the business logo. It should be large enough to be easily read and recognized even by people who are some way away from your booth. If the only people who can recognize your logo are those already in your booth, the purpose behind putting up a banner has been shamefully defeated.
Also, make sure the logo is around the eye level.
Your Product/Service
Your logo may catch peoples’ eyes, but they will only be lured towards your booth if your operations are relevant to their interests.
So, unless your business name makes your product/service obvious (such as ‘Fence Builder’ for a fence builder), your banner will need to specify what you do.
A simple tagline is enough to tell people what you do, as long as it is specific. For instance, if you are a web designer, then you need to mention WEB designer underneath your logo (and not just ‘designer’, in case people end up assuming that you are a designer in the construction world).
So, the second thing to add is what you do, and making it as stupidly obvious as possible.
Contact Details
Undoubtedly, lead generation is one of your main aims behind exhibiting at a trade show. To fulfill that goal, you must let your visitors know the primary means through which they can contact you. Of course, you do not need to include every contact mode (we are looking at you, fax number), but at least include your email ID, phone number, and web address. If you believe in doing things 110%, add a QR code as well.
Unlike the above two elements, your contact details need not be large enough to be visible to people outside the booth. If someone finds your logo and product/service interesting, they will walk over to your booth to see how they can get in touch with you.
You want to make it easy for people to contact you once the trade show is over – the best way to do it is by sharing your contact details on your banner so that anyone interested can make a note of them.
Company Fonts and Colors
You want the banner and your overall booth to match your brand. It need not be a precise match but, when people visit your booth and, later on, your website, the two should not feel worlds apart.
Your banner and booth should be similar to all the other things you will be giving out, such as your website address or your business cards. If people visit your website before the trade show, they should be able to identify your trade show through the color scheme, font, and overall theme.
Make sure to use a font that is easy-to-read. Below are a few examples of such easily-readable fonts:
- Georgia – easily-readable
- Arial – easily-readable
- Malgun Gothic – easily readable
- Calibri – easily readable
Eye-Catching Images
Well, different things could be ‘eye-catching’ for different people – for some, it might be a cool picture while for others, it may be an intriguing pattern or symbol.
Also, when we say eye-catching images, we mean one or two images that you feel will capture the audience’s attention. No matter how tempting it is, please refrain from printing your entire album onto the trade show banner. It simply does not work. This is not to say that those pictures are useless, but they are better suited for your website than for your banner.
Think of your trade show banner as less of a brochure and more of a portfolio. In other words, prevent collisions and confusion, and make the banner as easy to understand as possible.
9 Awesome Trade Show Banner Ideas
Pick Vibrant Colors
Using bright, lively colors will evoke feelings of energy and excitement around your brand, helping you stand out from the crowd of exhibitors.
Keep Things Simple
The purpose of your banner (and your entire booth, for that matter) is to lure visitors. Excessive clutter can confuse people and even drive them away from your booth.
Make sure to create a simple and sleek banner. Avoid stuffing it with textual information, and instead let the banner tell the story of your business and offering. Instead printing your entire product portfolio on the banner, only include a list of your standout or bestselling items.
While it may be tempting to list your numerous advantages compared to the rival business 10 feet away, keep in mind that less is more. Trade shows are fast-paced events, and nobody has the time to read long blocks of text to learn how great you are. Remember the goal of your booth is not to sell what you have; the goal is to attract the customer towards your booth so that your team can sell what you have.
If you do have other important information to share, put it in a brochure or on your booth monitors.
Add Promos
If you are offering free samples or consultations, make sure to mention that on the banner. The promise of a tangible benefit is likelier to attract people to your booth –including those who initially may not have been interested in your business. You can print your company logo, name, and contact information on the promotional items, so that the recipients have a keepsake for if they want to reach out later. These items always make visitors feel good by showing how much you value their patronage and interest.
Use CTAs (Calls-to-Action) lie ‘visit us and receive your free XYZ’, so that people are prompted to act. Make your banner do the bulk of the promotion for you – once you have drawn people in, you can use your sales skills to convince them that they absolutely need your product.
Educate and Engage the Audience
Your banner copy should speak directly to the attendees.
For instance, you can educate the audience by mentioning an interesting fact about your business or offering, or engage them with an intriguing question.
Use Transportable, Lightweight Banners
Alongside being eye-catching, your banner also needs to be easy to install and remove. Go for lightweight and portable banner, or those that can be rolled up and transported elsewhere once the show is over.
Use a stand with your banner. This way, you will be able to experiment with different positions and choose the spot that maximizes the banner visibility. Such banners not only save you a lot of time and effort, but also improve the overall trade show booth experience more desirable.
Use Backlighting
Never underestimate the power of a bit of lighting in making your booth look more appealing. Backlit banners offer a unique glow to your banner, and make your business come across as high-end.
With such banners, attendees will feel that you have gone above and beyond with your marketing efforts and, as a result, are likelier to express an interest in your business. Lighting is one of the best ways to add a bit of vibrancy, and a backlit banner is a great way to show attendees how much you care about presenting your company in the best ‘light’.
Be Clear
A typical attendee will only pause at a handful of booths; the rest of the time, they will be speeding from one booth to the other. This means that you only have a few seconds (if even that) to grab an attendee’s attention. For this reason, it is crucial that your banner content gets right to the crux of what you do and is free of any verbosity or unnecessary details.
Your banner should, at a single glance, tell the audience who you are and how you can help them. A clear message will make it easier for people to decide if they are interested. On the other hand, a complex and confusing message might even deter people who need you (because your message did not make it clear that you could help them).
Consider a Double-Sided Banner
If you feel that you cannot accommodate all your information on a single banner without making it seem cluttered, try a double-sided banner. You can print different things on each side of the banner. Alternatively, you could make both the sides identical so that your banner is visible from either angle.
Another way to utilize double-sided banners is to use one side for generic trade show information, and the other side with information for specific customers. In other words, while one side of the banner will be talking to customers, the other side will be courting vendors and possible partners.
Design for Maximum ROI
Exhibiting at a trade show does not come cheap, and you need to take every measure that can maximize your ROI (Return on Investment). You want to use your trade show banner for as long and at as many events as possible.
For this reason, it might be a good idea to use a design that talks about your brand as a whole, instead of only focusing on specific products or services. This will increase the versatility of your banner, and keep you from having to design a new one for every show. Such a banner can also be used for company videos, company events, office lobbies, networking events, and much more.
That said, emphasizing on particular elements of your business or brand is not necessarily the wrong way to go. In fact, many a times, strategically marketing a particular offering at a particular event can positively impact your event ROI. Reach out to your team and seek opinions on the best way to use your banner for maximum ROI.
Final Words on What to Put On a Trade Show Banner
A banner is one of the most essential elements of a trade show booth, and it is vital that you get the content, structure, and placement spot-on.
To learn how Everything Tradeshows can help you design the perfect banner, please feel free to visit our website and receive a free quote.
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It’s in the name! Everything Tradeshows is your one-stop shop for all things trade shows, including booth purchases, booth rentals, and complete brand management services. Ready to get started? Have questions? Get in touch by calling us at (954) 791-8882 or by filling out the form below. We can’t wait to hear from you!
