Have A Fantastic Exhibition Booth With Minimal Spending

You want to get your small business in front of more customers, but you don’t have a large budget. One way to get significant exposure and hit your target market is by attending a trade show or expo. These are geared up towards one specific type of industry and are crammed full of people who are interested in it. They offer great marketing potential, therefore, and you can get a lot of bang for your buck.

Here’s the catch though. Trade shows can be very expensive.

The good news is that you can have a successful and rewarding trade show on a budget. A small budget doesn’t need to mean small results. All it takes is some thoughtful planning and you can have a booth that rivals the big guns.

Booth Hire

Your main outlay is going to be the cost of hiring your space at the show. The spots that are considered to be the best will normally cost the most. A partially hidden area right at the back of the hall, for example, is likely to cost the least.

You want to get the best spot that fits within your budget. Don’t go for the most expensive spot, because you’ll be able to do well without it. But don’t automatically go for the cheapest option either; spending more of your budget here and saving money elsewhere can have significant advantages. So, if you’re going to spend money, spend it here. The idea is to focus on getting good numbers of people passing your way.

Go for something in an area where there are lots of other booths, attractions or refreshments. A spot next to the restroom can be a great idea since people will be heading that way and may be queuing. With the right attitude and the right display, people will notice you in the process.

Have a Cohesive Scheme

Having a mismatched booth doesn’t look professional, so you need to get your color scheme and furniture right. This easy task can transform a booth from messy to sleek and inviting and needn’t cost the earth.

Whether you use your brand colors or a different scheme altogether, keep it simple. One primary color with one or two contrasting accent colors can be very effective.

A really cost effective way to achieve a cohesive scheme is by having tablecloths the same color with a contrasting colored table runner for effect.

Painting furniture a uniform color also looks good and is cheap to accomplish.

If you cannot get furniture that matches, you can disguise the mismatches with tablecloths. The chairs must match, however, otherwise your booth will look messy with odd chairs scattered around the place. Affordable furniture stores, such as IKEA, have budget stools and folding chairs available.

Invest in a Banner

Nowadays, banners are an affordable way to display your logo. X banners are particularly useful due to their portability. They are versatile and can be used for a variety of events. They’re not too expensive to buy either making them the perfect option for those on a budget. You can use these banners again and again, so it’s worth investing in one or two.

Stickers Make Great Freebies

Vinyl cut stickers are a fantastic way of combining a freebie with a business card. The stickers can be cut to any shape you want. If bought in bulk, they are a very low cost per unit. Add your business details, and you have yourself a great marketing tool.

If you wanted to be a bit fancier, magnets can be designed the same way. Although a bit more costly, the magnets are a bit more durable, and people tend to put them on their fridge, which people look at every day, so you are likely to boost brand awareness this way.

Make Sure Your Staff Joins In

Getting T-shirts printed with your logo on or designed in your booth’s colors for your staff to wear will up your presentation game. Team the shirts with black trousers and shoes and you have a professional yet casual outfit that your staff will be comfortable in.

Invest in a Game

Invest in something fun for your booth, like giant Jenga, a prize wheel, or a bean bag toss. Something like this is exciting for people to get involved in, attention-grabbing, and can be used again and again.

Competition prizes needn’t cost the earth. You could use some of your products or services as prizes. Consider seeing if a local spa or hotel will sponsor you with a prize too.

Giant versions of popular games cost less than $100, so this makes it a very cheap way to draw people to your booth.

Get Vinyl Cut-Outs of Your Logo

Branded tablecloths cost an absolute fortune. In fact, branded anything tends to be expensive. Vinyl cut-outs or die-cut cardboard, however, is low-cost and can be used multiple times.

Buy several printed vinyl or cardboard versions of your logo and place them in suitable areas around your booth.

The great thing about this is it’s so versatile. If you do another trade show with a different shaped booth, you can change the placement of your logos to suit the design perfectly.

Use Floor Decals to Get Attention

Trade shows get super busy. People tend to look down to watch where they’re treading. A great way to grab people’s attention, therefore, is by having your logo fixed to the floor.

Decals are inexpensive but really effective when used this way. Since not many people use this tactic, it makes your booth stand out and look important.

Trade shows cost money. That is inevitable. But they needn’t cost the earth when you apply clever tricks and details that are eye-catching yet cheap to install.

With creative thinking, it is possible to come up with something fantastic that allows you to relax and enjoy your trade show without the fear of busting your budget.