Looking back at what exhibition booths used to be earlier, compared to now, it’s incomprehensible; it’s sure to get one in awe how far they have come. Booth design and technology incorporated into the booth change drastically with every passing year to keep up with demand from the companies keen to display their brand and offerings in the best possible way.
In this article, we will explain the evolution of the booths from their simplest forms in the early days of exhibitions to these modular systems, which are popular nowadays.
Early Exhibition Booths
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This implies simple wooden stands and tables on which products/services will be placed.
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Working space is provided with curtains and banners containing the company’s name and logo.
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It was purely practical in that the images were used for advertising commodities and not to draw attention to themselves.
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Virtually no thought was given to the orientation and general appeal.
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Functioning as independent kiosks with no interconnection, booths increased in size, but the designs were still simple and rudimentary.
Custom Booths Emerge
By the 1950s, companies had grasped that the trade show floor was a sales space. Special booth designs were ordered to mirror brands. Custom builds allowed innovation, but they were very costly and time-consuming. Everything, including the section, had to be constructed, transported, and erected on the site.
Props could not be recycled for other performances, and structures could not be constructed in different ways for subsequent performances. With the extension of exhibit budgets, customized exhibits continued to dominate the market during the 1980s and 1990s for the purpose of making powerful brand statements.
Modular Systems Revolutionize Exhibits
In the early 1990s, with the advancement in manufacturing modular architectural systems, modular exhibit systems emerged as an option against fully custom-built systems. Frames, panels, lights, and accessories are among the components that are housed in kits. It also allows users to select standard layouts by size or create custom layouts according to available space.
Tech Advances Enhance Interactivity
By the end of the 2000s, exhibition booths also used a lot of technology to support the experience. Non-print media included flat screen displays and touchscreens that acted as electronic substitutes for printed graphics. AR, VR, and projection mapping brought branded worlds inside and within the limited footprints.
With the integration of technology into the use of exhibits, there was an opportunity for the exhibits to be more engaging and less dependent on salespeople. Another advantage was that people could get information about products in a self-directed manner, while the engaging parts provided information about people and their contacts.
Other multimedia promotions also expanded brand awareness, which could be further leveraged to facilitate traffic to the booths through social media.
Key Innovations
Portable Displays
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Easily portable pop-up displays designed in lightweight construction facilitate mobility and transport.
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Fabric graphics on panels set up on aluminum frames gave the booth a polished look.
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The ability to cut the size and the structure of a particular product makes it suitable for various spaces and requirements.
Modular Systems
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Facade designs that incorporated interlocking panel systems and fabric graphics whose appearance was seamless.
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It provided an opportunity to rearrange the layouts and even design some of the exhibits.
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More convenient, for example, because of opportunities to install and transport them and because their usage is much more convenient in contrast with the usage of custom builds.
Computer-Aided Design
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Computer-aided technology allowed designers to preview the spatial arrangement of the booths from their perspectives.
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Visualization thus facilitated the establishment of more engaging and interactive brand spaces.
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This also meant that in designing a new product, designing, manufacturing, marketing, and distributing the product are efficiently done from the conceptual stage up to the final stage.
New Materials
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Thermoplastics, composite molded steel, provided a smooth-looking, high-tech finish.
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Light architectural design and illuminated displays offer opportunities for light changes.
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Improve durability, functionality, and look.
Focus On Branding
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Transition from product-centered to creating well-crafted brand narratives
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Effective partitioning of colors, textures, and images to achieve brand personality.
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It is more effective when all graphical elements are cohesive in design for the greatest impact.
Modular Components
The most significant innovation that has shaped the creation of booths is the ability to design and build modular parts that can be assembled in various ways. Some key elements include:
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Panel system: It can be formed in different sizes, shapes, and surface treatments. It connects to form walls, dividers, etc.
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Shelving/Display Units: Mobile shelving and display units, modular units, cabinets, and cases of various designs to display products.
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Show lighting: LED flower light boxes, spotlights, and ceiling fixtures for different emotions.
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Flooring: Carpet tiles, hardwood floor, vinyl floor that can be produced in different prints.
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Furnishings: Tables, chairs, or counters of the kind that would fit the existing theme.
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AVS: Joint displays and speakers for addressing.
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Graphics: Banners and billboards with a combination of small, joint textile prints for walls, backdrops, etc.
Advantages Of Modular System
Modular exhibition booths offer exhibitors several key benefits:
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Flexibility: Components used to design booths can be tailored to make them more distinct.
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Modifiability: Layouts change and may require a change of components again.
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Cost efficiency: Economical in the amount of material used as well as time and effort as opposed to using custom-made constructions.
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Portability: Equipment that can be easily packed and transported from one location to another and developed to other different places.
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Quick Assembly: Not many tools and personnel are needed to assemble.
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Extendibility: The possibility of opening with a limited number of features and gradually adding more options later.
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Functionality: Using modular systems, the form and function are also optimized.
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Aesthetics: Offers clean lines to match contemporary exhibition layouts and logos.
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Uniformity: Have similar appearances and themes for different shows at home and in other countries.
The Bottom Line
While traditional approaches to designing exhibition booths include simple tables, booths will keep evolving, with brands implementing technologies into modular systems to engage the target market effectively. The foundations are still centered on advertising products, introducing a company, and gaining sales. This means that as trade show marketing goals evolve with the help of technology, the strategies, tools, and design will also evolve.
