I had a wonderful time at the National Women’s Show, and I am excited to share with you my experience and top tips on how to perfectly organize a trade show!

The National Women's Show is an annual event showcasing women-owned businesses, products, services, and organizations - for everyone who wants to be inspired by some powerful women. And it was just that - a very diverse show full of people from all walks of life coming together to make connections. I enjoyed meeting so many different people while enjoying food or browsing some new products. There were booths showcasing something for every woman—from healthcare supplies to fashion accessories and everything else in between.

It was definitely tailored to providing guests with quality treatments they could indulge in, such as hair care services, massage therapy, and skin care. These interactive areas of the event made it different from just going online or registering for a booth - It allowed for customers to interact with others and also engage themselves if desired.

Trade Shows provide plenty of opportunities for business owners to grow their brand- but only if they know how to use these opportunities. It's not enough to have a booth with your company name on it - you need to engage prospective customers, make them want more of what you offer and make them love your brand before they go back home. Trade Shows are also an excellent opportunity for brands to gain valuable feedback from participants on new items/services.

There are many trade shows that do not follow good practices or provide proper support to companies. I often see a mix of low quality standards ranging from really basic to intermediate, which makes the show look bad! Some have no individual design and just include generic furniture found at any company trade show while others try but fail to dazzle buyers by displaying unorganized items like wrinkled clothes and rubbish on the ground.

It is important for events to enforce certain standards, and for participants to maximize use of their allotted space - because they've already put in so much effort securing a spot. For many, this time offers an excellent opportunity to network with other buyers face-to-face; even if it's only temporary!

creative visual merchandising at trade show booth.

Let’s have a look at my top 6 tips:

1. The importance of walls.

The existing show curtains serve as a guide to the boundaries of your space. They are not attractive, and they shouldn't not be! Walls, however, are important. Because they are the largest parts of the entire booth, the walls make a significant impact in presentation. Consider hard walls and how to imitate them with fitting materials, but don't rely on the show curtains.

2. Make it a mini shop or a showroom.

Your booths are micro stores, not stock rooms.It isn't just the presentation of items we should think about; it's also about how inviting and approachable we seem to customers. Are you the central focus of the booth, engaging with customers and handing items to clients? This is uninviting and intimidating. You should want the customers to feel welcome to interact on their own so they'll be more open towards purchasing new things from you!

3. Organization is KEY!

As a market show organizer, how do you decide where to put each zone? Group similar products together so customers can easily find what they're looking for when they walk in, while at the same time not drawing unnecessary competition between booths placed next to one another. Or, if the place allows it, group vendors by themes or price points, so that customers can feel comfortable navigating around to find what they are looking for.

4. Back walls? Make them count!

The back walls serve as the booth's backdrop and are the first thing customers notice. Make them count. For those who are further away, it serves as a perfect focal point for potential customers - something new and captivating that captures their attention right off the bat. Not only will this do wonders for your aesthetics, but it also provides opportunities for branding purposes - making sure that your logo never goes unnoticed even if people aren't looking directly at anything else in particular. Let's give them something pretty to look at!

5. Fabric walls and tablecloths? No, please!

Just like fabric walls are a no-no yet common, so are tablecloths. Many food vendors rely on plastic tables and tablecloths to hide the overstock. So, let’s meet somewhere in between – don’t have that as the ONLY table option or customer-facing element. If you want customers to view your booth as having a modern feel with good branding then try incorporating some hard materials such as wood or steel. Combine at least one or two hard fixtures to incorporate premium retail design, so the consumer overall impression is still a booth with a strong brand image, rather than a knock-down table with a wrinkled tablecloth which lessens the overall picture.

6. DON’T make it cliché.

They say clichés are all about overused phrases, words or even ideas. If you're going to use them in your booth, at least try to put a twist on it.
It is common for large events to have overly clichéd displays. It's a holiday tradition - a Christmas tree. It's a women' event - complete with flowers and the color pink. What comes to mind initially when you think of that theme? That's a cliché. It's OK to mention it, but don't allow it to become the main focus so you can be more memorable and authentic.

Trade show booth display merchandising fashion apparel

Both organizers and vendors have a significant hand in elevating the show's image and design. The customers, whether they consciously realize it or not, are left with an impression of how worthwhile, impressive, and professional the show was - which in turn affects the success of both the show as well as the success of its participating vendors.

At VM ID, we offer all types of visual merchandising services, including consulting, designing, sourcing, install and merchandising. We can help you with as little as a 1-hour consultation or we can take care of every detail from start to finish so that you don’t have to worry about anything but being the face of your brand/business at the event!

Are you looking for guidance to make your next Trade Show Booth stand out? Book a Discovery Call HERE and I'd love to chat with you about your business.