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Custom Trade Show Displays: A Marketing Must-Have

October 3rd, 2023 Mel White COMMENTS
Custom trade show displays

You’re in the market for a custom trade show display. While searching, you may have seen phrases like Custom Trade Show Exhibits, Custom Trade Show Booths, or  Custom Trade Show Stands. Is there a difference between an exhibit, a booth, and a stand? Not really. They’re used interchangeably.  

What is and what isn’t a custom trade show exhibit? The answer isn’t tidy.  Custom design and custom construction have evolved in recent years. If you picture a custom display as a specially designed booth, tailored to your specific brand and marketing objectives, and built using wood construction, you would be right. However, it could also be built using aluminum extrusion, modular panels, light boxes, and fabric graphics. 

10 Benefits of Custom Trade Show Displays 

Imagine ordering a custom suit or wedding dress. The design, the materials, and the size will be tailor-made for you. It will reflect who you are and/or how you want to be seen. A custom trade show exhibit is very similar. Done well, it’s an advantage on the show floor. 

Here are 10 benefits of a custom trade show display:

  1. Visibility. A custom, well-designed trade show exhibit will increase your visibility compared to your competition and attract more attendees to your booth. 
  2. Brand Identity. Trade shows are an uber-competitive space. Increasing your brand identity and building awareness of your products or services is critical. Design your exhibit to communicate your brand’s values, mission, and unique selling proposition.
  3. Targeted Audience. A custom trade show exhibit allows you to target your message to a specific audience. You can select colors, fonts, and images and incorporate product demonstrations, interactive displays, and giveaways.
  4. Sales Leads. Generating leads and sales is the #1 goal for most exhibitors. Custom exhibits traditionally attract more attendees. 
  5. Networking. Trade shows are a great place to network with other businesses and learn about new trends and developments in your industry. When you have a custom trade show exhibit, you will have a space where you can meet and talk with other professionals in your field.
  6. Education. You can use your custom trade show exhibit to educate potential customers about your products or services. You can hand out brochures and product samples, and you can have staff on hand to answer questions. You can also use your exhibit to host educational workshops or seminars.
  7. Enhance Relationships with Existing Customers. When you have a custom trade show exhibit, you can create a space where customers can come and learn more about your business and your products or services. You can also use your exhibit to host events and promotions that will help you to connect with customers on a more personal level.
  8. Competitive Advantage. A custom trade show exhibit can give you a competitive advantage over your competitors. With a well-designed exhibit, you can create a more professional and sophisticated image for your business.
  9. Reinforce your Brand Messaging. Your custom trade show exhibit can create a consistent brand experience for your customers. Your exhibit can communicate your brand’s values, mission, and unique selling proposition while showcasing your company’s personality and culture.
  10. ROI/ROO. A custom trade show exhibit can be a significant investment, but it can also be a very good return on investment (ROI) or Return on Objectives (ROO). When you design your exhibit carefully and use it effectively, you can generate leads, sales, and brand awareness. This can lead to increased revenue and profits for your business.

Overall, a custom trade show display is a powerful marketing tool that can help you achieve your business goals. If you are serious about trade shows and trade show marketing, then a custom display is a worthwhile investment.

trade show custom displays

The Evolution of Trade Shows and Trade Show Displays

Trade shows, trade fairs, and expositions have a long and rich history, dating back to the Middle Ages. The earliest trade shows were known as fairs, and they were held annually or on specific days a year, usually at geographically favorable locations and in conjunction with a religious festival in order to benefit from the rush of the public. The tradition of trade shows in the spring and fall continues today. 

Beginning in the late 1700s, industrial exhibitions in Europe and North America became more common because of the Industrial Revolution. In the late 1800’s, annual industry-specific trade shows gained traction, spreading from European manufacturing centers to North America. By the 20th century, trade show companies came into existence to manage the trade show industry, and permanent trade show grounds or convention centers were established as venues that featured a rotating calendar of trade shows.

Notable trade shows in history include

  • The Great Exhibition of 1851 in London was the first truly international trade show and attracted over 6 million visitors.
  • The Paris Exposition of 1889 featured the Eiffel Tower and other iconic landmarks.
  • The New York World’s Fair of 1939 showcased the latest technologies and innovations from around the world.
  • The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) has been held annually in Las Vegas since 1967.
  • The Mobile World Congress (MWC) has been held annually in Barcelona since 2006. There’s also a Las Vegas MWC. 

The modern history of trade shows is one of growth and evolution. In the early 20th century, trade shows were primarily used to showcase new products and services to buyers and distributors. However, over time, trade shows have become more sophisticated and now serve a variety of purposes, including

Launching New Products and Services. Trade shows are ideal for introducing new products and services. Businesses use trade shows to generate leads, build brand awareness, and demonstrate their products and services to potential customers.

Networking with Potential Customers and Partners. Trade shows bring together people with shared professional or personal interests. This can lead to new sales opportunities, partnerships, and joint ventures.

Learning about the Latest Products and Services. Trade shows are a showcase for the latest innovations. Walking the show hall is an excellent way to learn about new technologies and trends. 

Gaining Market Intelligence. There’s no better place to gain insights about your competition and the overall market landscape than at a trade show. You can see what your competitors are doing and identify new opportunities for your business.

Recently,  trade shows have also become more interactive and experiential. Businesses are using a variety of technologies and marketing tactics to create engaging experiences for attendees. For example, some businesses are using virtual reality to give attendees a preview of new products or services. Others are using social media to connect with attendees before, during, and after the show.

Emerging Trade Show Display Trends

Technology. Technology is playing an increasingly important role in trade shows. Businesses are using a variety of technologies to create engaging experiences for attendees, such as virtual reality, augmented reality, and artificial intelligence.

Experiential. Trade shows are no longer just about showcasing products and services. Businesses are now focused on creating engaging experiences for attendees. This could include interactive exhibits, demos, and networking events. This could be as simple as casual cornhole contests to competitive video games. More and more exhibitors recognize the blending of education and entertainment as the key to creating meaningful interactions with potential clients. 

Fabric Graphics. The fabric graphics, specifically SEG fabric graphics, rule trade shows. In the past, large fabric graphics were expensive, labor-intensive, and fragile. Not anymore. Nearly all exhibits include expansive vertical or horizontal fabric graphics and are often backlit with LED lights (see below). 

LED Video Panels and Lighting. The introduction of LED lighting and video has elevated trade show exhibits from the smallest tabletop to huge double-deck islands. This transformation is still evolving as exhibit builders incorporate LED lighting in both dramatic and subtle touches throughout their designs. Expect to see more and more LED video walls as the cost declines and the exhibitors feel more comfortable creating compelling content. 

Aluminum Modular Walls and Modular Design. Walk any trade show floor during installation and you’ll see hundreds, if not thousands, of aluminum modular walls. These lightweight panels often replace or augment custom wood construction by doing the “heavy lifting” of creating the flat or curved walls necessary for any inline or island exhibit. Combining these with custom wood structures not only reduces the overall weight of an exhibit but also allows exhibitors to redirect the budget into design features or activities that directly impact attendees in their booth, like presentation stages, casual seating, LED video panels, and interactive demos.   

custom displays

Custom Displays vs. Standard Displays 

To some extent, any and all displays can be customized. That customization may be as minor as your graphics on the structure. While that may seem a stretch (pun intended), in reality, graphics are almost always the most important visual element of your display. So what do most industry “experts” define as a standard display? Let’s segment them into 5 categories. 

1. Pure Budget Portables. Pure Portables are typically inexpensive displays, like banner stands, pop-up displays, or basic tube systems with pillowcase fabric graphics. They’re functional, lightweight, and some would say “disposable” since if they break, it’s rarely worth the cost or the effort to fix them. 

2. Portables. Higher-quality portable displays may have accessory options like shelves, monitor stands, and counters. They don’t necessarily appear much different than Pure Budget Portables, but they’ll perform longer and include better packaging. 

3. Portable Modular. If you like options, then you’ll love portable modular displays. These offer mix-and-match frame shapes, a wide assortment of accessories, and durable yet lightweight construction. The Symphony Portable System is a good example of this category. 

4. Modular Wall Systems. Traditionally, custom wood exhibits are built using wood panels that attach with camlocks. The surface typically has a laminate finish and may include vinyl graphics. Modular Wall Systems are double-sided lightweight aluminum panels that can be finished with direct print Sintra graphics or SEG fabric graphics. Not only are they lighter than wood panels, but they come in flat and curved shapes and can be stacked to create towers and ceilings. Modular Walls are also the ideal building block for custom rental displays. 

5. LED Lightboxes. If you were to identify the most important changes to exhibit design over the past 5-10 years, LED lightboxes (and LED lighting in general) would be #1 on the list. Not so long ago, lighting was expensive, the options limited and fragile, and the installation tricky.  Lightboxes are now available for tabletop displays, inline portables, modular systems, custom wood displays, and hanging signs. 

trade show displays

Classic Exhibits: Your Partner in Custom Trade Show Displays

How do you create a custom trade show design you love without multiple meetings and revisions? Get the designer and the decision-maker to talk to one another. It works! The designers at Classic Exhibits have held thousands of design meetings with clients over the years. We’ve developed a detailed process that quickly identifies your trade show objectives, brand requirements, and budget. 

For 35 years, Classic Exhibits has been designing and building creative custom solutions for our Distributor Partners and their clients. As the largest private-label exhibit manufacturer in North America, we have the unmatched capability, capacity, and creativity to create 3D projects ranging from 10 x 10 inline displays to 60 x 80 double-deck islands. Find success on the trade show floor with an exhibit that reflects your marketing message. For more information, see www.classicexhibits.com and explore Exhibit Design Search or request a meeting with a Classic Distributor Partner.

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Your Guide to Designing a Custom Trade Show Booth

September 29th, 2023 Mel White COMMENTS
Custom Trade Show Booth

So, you’re considering a custom trade show exhibit. Perhaps it’s a 10 x 20 inline or a 30 x 40 island. While you may be a seasoned veteran of trade shows or a newbie who has never purchased any displays, the steps are the same regardless of your experience. 

Start by keeping an open mind about what a “custom trade show exhibit” is. There’s often an assumption that it’s large or expensive or heavy or complicated. And, it can be all of those, but it doesn’t need to be. On its most basic level, custom simply means that it’s custom or customized to your exhibit marketing needs. Traditionally, a custom trade show exhibit is a wood or aluminum structure designed and constructed specifically for a particular company or brand. When done well, it’s intended to be a more immersive, engaging, and memorable experience for attendees.

Custom Trade Show Booth Essentials 

Forget about how your custom exhibit is going to be built or what materials will be used. Those details can come later. It’s all about the why, what, who at this point. Why trade show marketing? What are your goals? Who’s your audience? And what’s your budget? Does your brand have a specific identity and does your company have a well-defined personality? And what’s worked or not worked for you in the past? 

You need to be prepared for these questions because an exhibit designer can’t (and shouldn’t) begin creating your custom exhibit without these details. Design without details is a waste of everyone’s time and money. 

Brand Identity: Your custom trade show exhibit should be an extension of your brand identity, with consistent colors, fonts, and visual elements. It’s critical to share your brand guidelines with the designer to ensure that they have a clear understanding of your brand’s look and feel.

Target Audience: Who are you trying to reach with your trade show exhibit? Keep your target audience in mind when designing your booth, and make sure that your messaging and visuals are relevant to their interests.

Marketing Goals: What do you want to achieve with your trade show exhibit? Do you want to generate leads, promote your brand, or launch a new product? Once you know your goals, you can start to design a booth that will help you achieve them.

Functionality: Your trade show exhibit should be both visually appealing and functional. Make sure that there is enough space for visitors to move around comfortably, and that your displays are easy to access. You should also consider providing seating or lounge areas for visitors to relax and learn more about your products and services.

Budget: Custom trade show exhibits can be expensive, so it is important to set a budget before you start planning your booth. Once you have a budget in mind, you can start to work with a designer to create a booth that fits your needs and budget.

Custom Trade Show Booth Design: Tips from the Pros 

Do you want a successful, even award-winning custom trade show exhibit? Then be open-minded, actively involved in the creative process, and trust the exhibit professionals to design and build your custom booth. No exhibit house wants a client who isn’t responsive, doesn’t offer advice, or is simply wishy-washy about suggestions. You know your company, your culture, and your objectives. Your exhibit house knows display design, experiential trends, and building materials. Consider the following:  

  • Finishes, Textures, and Colors. Your brand matters. For many exhibitors, the brand’s color and finish are the base coat of any successful design. 
  • Layout (Maximize Space). While inlines are inlines and islands are islands, don’t let the rectangular or square footprint of a booth space be a limitation. Your layout should fit your objectives. Do you need presentation areas, meeting rooms, demo stations, reception counters, and interactive games or activities? Strive to optimize the space without adding clutter. Sometimes what looks good on paper or a computer screen can feel cramped or impractical on the show floor. 
  • Graphics. Too often, exhibitors spend weeks fussing over the structure and days designing the graphics. Usually in that order. The exhibit structure and the graphic treatment should proceed hand-in-hand during the design process. Graphics often change from show to show so what makes sense at Show #1 may not be appropriate at Show #2.   
  • Display. Many custom exhibits are built using modular walls, both wood and aluminum. Your custom display should look like it was built specifically for you, and not just a display rebranded with your logos.
  • Accessories and Interactive Elements. A custom display should seamlessly integrate into all the other elements in your booth, like counters, workstations, and furniture,  and enhance the overall experience. This can be done with Audio, Video, Lighting, and Interactive Elements like games or touchscreens.
  • Experiential. How you engage with attendees will determine whether their experience is memorable or simply one more forgettable interaction on the show floor. Those experiences should support your strategy and brand while providing your guests with solutions they’ll remember and an experience they’ll share with others. 

The Latest Trade Show Booth Design Trends 

Trade Show Booth Design has undergone significant changes over the past 10 years. Not only has technology contributed to those changes, but also an increased emphasis on personalization and experiential games, presentations, and interactions. In addition, exhibitors are more focused on their Return on Investment or Return on Objectives, so measuring and maximizing their success has become much more important. Below are some emerging trends in exhibit design. 

Emerging Design Trends:

  • Sustainability and Eco-friendly Design
  • Natural Finishes and Materials
  • LED Lighting and Backlit Images
  • Large Format Fabric Graphics
  • Modularity (Reconfiguring Designs) 
  • Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR)
  • Social Media Integration
  • Experiential Games and Activities
  • Meeting Rooms and Casual Seating 
  • Custom graphics and visual storytelling
  • Blending Rental with Purchase Elements for Greater Flexibility
  • Custom Flooring Including Printed, Inlay, and Raised Flooring 

5 Stunning Custom Trade Show Booth Examples 

custom exhibit fabrication
Custom Modular Island w/ Seating

custom trade show booth design
Custom Island Exhibit with Lightboxes and Hanging Sign

custom trade show booth manufacturer
Inline Display with Custom Product Shelves
trade show booth design
Custom Trade Show Booth with Dining Area
custom trade show design
Custom Modular Display with Touchscreens and Storage

Finding the Right Custom Trade Show Booth Manufacturer

Trade shows, trade fairs, conventions, and expositions have existed for hundreds of years. And yet, the trade show industry in the United States is somewhat invisible to most people. Just the trade show portion was forecast to reach 11.8 billion in 2023. Include events and the number doubles to over $23 billion!

This means, there are custom exhibit builders and manufacturers throughout the United States. Most have one location, but many have sales or manufacturing facilities in multiple cities. 

Finding the perfect custom house will depend on your objectives, personality, and location. Some exhibitors want to work with a custom house where they’re the big fish in a small pond. Others are less concerned about size and more about capability, creativity, and services. 

When choosing a custom exhibit house, consider the following: 

Location: From a practical standpoint, most exhibitors work with an exhibit house near or somewhat near them. While video conferencing, file sharing, and texting/email make proximity less important, we’re still more comfortable meeting face-to-face, even if only occasionally, and inspecting our booth in person. That said, location doesn’t always matter especially if someone on your team has a solid working relationship with a specific builder.  

Services: Not all exhibit builders have the same services. Some have large rental inventories, A/V production teams, direct and/or fabric printing, I&D labor, and a comprehensive team of account managers, project managers, designers, event coordinators, welders, carpenters, millwrights, and assemblers. Others have all those but on a smaller scale. Finally, size, whether small or large, doesn’t equate to better service. 

Personality/Fit:  We’re all different, and some exhibit builders better match your needs and personality. Often, there’s no one reason. It just feels right. And that’s OK. 

History: History and relationships matter. It’s not unusual for exhibitors to have a multi-decade relationship with their exhibit house. They’re a team. They know what works, the exhibitor’s show schedule, and how to accomplish the impossible together. It means the exhibitor can focus on strategy and execution rather than the mundane tasks of ordering show services, pre-show booth staging, packing promotional products, or arranging freight. 

Price/Budget: A custom exhibit is a purchase. Large companies are often required to send RFPs (request for proposals) on capital expenses like the building, storing, and maintenance of a custom exhibit. Whatever the final decision on which exhibit house to choose, cost is a factor. And it should be. How much price weighs in the overall decision depends on the company.  

Meet Your Custom Trade Show Booth Partner: Classic Exhibits! 

For 30 years, Classic Exhibits has been designing and building creative custom solutions for our Distributor Partners and their clients. As the largest private-label exhibit manufacturer in North America, we have the unmatched capability, capacity, and creativity to create 3D projects ranging from 10 x 10 inline displays to 60 x 80 double-deck islands. 

Find success on the trade show floor with an exhibit that reflects your marketing message. For more information, see www.classicexhibits.com and explore Exhibit Design Search or request a meeting with a Classic Distributor Partner.    

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Building a Trade Show Booth: A Professional’s Guide

September 6th, 2023 Mel White COMMENTS
Building a Trade Show Booth

Could you build your own trade show booth? Of course. But, let’s be honest. Do you really want to design and build a structure engineered to assemble quickly, pack efficiently, display graphics, and survive shipping? 

That’s not to say you couldn’t do it, but why reinvent the wheel when there are specialized exhibit houses with ten, twenty, or even fifty years of expertise in engineering displays for portable, modular, and entirely custom trade show booths?

If there’s one “truism” in trade show marketing, it’s that experience matters and mistakes are costly. You’ll avoid the most common pitfalls by conducting research online, asking questions early and often, and working with a trade show professional. That professional could be an exhibitor in your industry with years of experience, a local exhibit house, or an exhibit industry consultant who can guide you through the design, build, marketing, training, and lead management process. 

How to Go About Building a Trade Show Booth 

As with any marketing project, your trade show design and build should start with a comprehensive strategy. What are your goals, your budget, and the expected outcome? Your strategy will evolve. It does for everyone. Internal stakeholders, like sales, customer service, research and development, and your senior executive team, will share their distinctive perspectives on what success looks like for them. 

It goes without saying that most organizations want to increase sales and find lucrative clients. Challenge them beyond that. What else represents “success” for the team? Meeting with existing clients, sponsorships at educational sessions at the show, insights about competitors, or even team building. Finally, consider both quantitative and qualitative goals. For example, sales leads could be a quantitative goal. Meeting new people at the show’s opening reception could be a qualitative goal. 

Building a trade show booth is a process. It doesn’t matter if you’ve never participated in a trade show or you’re a seasoned trade show professional. Getting it right takes time and requires the input and expertise of people both within and outside your organization. 

Once you’ve established your goals, you’ll need to decide on a booth size or sizes. The size will depend on the number of shows you plan to participate in this year and whether the size of the booth will vary depending on the show. For example, your industry may have one major exhibition. At that exhibition, you want a REALLY BIG presence. Say a 20 x 30 island. Then, there’s another show three months later, which while important, doesn’t require as large of a booth. In this case, say a 10 x 20 inline. It’s time to make an important decision… which we’ll discuss in the next section. 

Planning Your Exhibition Booth Design & Layout 

It’s time to either surf the web for displays or meet with your exhibit house account executive and designer. Or both. The direction you take may depend on your budget, your knowledge of trade show booths, or your timeframe. Endlessly scrolling through display websites has its benefits. You’ll see a wide range of designs, sizes, and prices, which may narrow down your choices. It may also clarify whether you want to work with an online supplier, a local exhibit house, or a portable/modular distributor. Let’s assume you’ve chosen the second option. 

Your goals, strategy, and budget will serve as the foundation for the design. The exhibit designer will then dive deeper. Often much deeper. The designer will strive to understand your branding, your culture, your current marketing, and your products and services. They also ask about your previous trade show experiences and examples of what others have done that you admire or that make you cringe. They’ll also request a  budget, which can be a specific number or a range. Many exhibit designers won’t even begin the process without a budget. It makes no sense for them to create the perfect $85K booth only to discover your budget is closer to $30K. 

Armed with that information, the designer will get to work. Ideally, the initial booth design will fulfill all the requirements and “Wow!” you, but it’s not unusual to go through several iterations to fine-tune the exhibit design. Once you’ve decided on your design, it’s time to begin the next step – building the booth. 

trade show booth construction materials

Comparing Different Types of Booth Displays 

The expression “You can’t see the forest for the trees” comes to mind. It would be all too easy to get lost in the nuances between different types of booth displays and even between similar displays from multiple manufacturers. Let’s keep this simple. There are four basic types of booth displays. The differences are pretty straightforward.  

Basic Portables

Basic or budget portables are inexpensive displays designed primarily as a carrier for graphics. Think banner stands like the Pronto or a pop-up like the  V-Burst. Generally, they assemble quickly and are designed to ship via UPS or FedEx. Basic portables are not engineered for long-term use and replacement parts can be difficult to obtain. Not surprisingly, quality varies depending on the manufacturer. 

Portable Displays

Like the budget versions described above, portable displays are engineered to assemble quickly and ship via UPS or FedEx. Portable displays, however, are designed to perform for years. Although they’re still primarily graphic carriers, they often include practical accessories like counters, monitor mounts, literature holders, and even iPad mounts. See the Symphony SYK-1023 for a 10 x 10 version and the Sacagawea VK-2114 for a 10 x 20 version. 

exhibition booth design

Modular Exhibits

Modular = Reconfigurable for most exhibitors. There are portable modular displays, modular wall systems, and even custom modular exhibits. In other words, it’s less about budget or price than it’s about the ability to redesign a booth into multiple configurations. For example, The VK-5124 Island has all the necessary hardware for the 10 x 20 VK-2400 and the 10 x 10 VK-1362. 

Even if you don’t need modularity, there’s a good chance your booth will be built with modular components. That’s convenient for several reasons. Replacement parts are readily available and most labor companies are familiar with modular systems. 

Custom Exhibits

The term “custom” has two meanings in booth design. When someone says, “I would like a custom exhibit,” they usually mean a design unique to them and/or a booth constructed primarily of wood. In reality, custom or customized booths can include everything from a 10 ft. inline to a 125 x 250 ft. double-deck island. While wood construction may be a significant percentage of the construction, it’s just as likely that engineered aluminum walls with tension fabric graphics will be the structure. Either way, it will ship in wood crates and include both fully or partially assembled components.  The VK-1362 10 ft. inline and the VK-4017 20 ft. inline are excellent examples. 

trade show booth construction

Selecting Quality Trade Show Booth Construction Materials 

Wood Construction. Trade show exhibits are more like Hollywood sets than permanent buildings. They’re expected to look amazing but assemble quickly and easily. Wood panels with cam locks and fully assembled counters, workstations, and pedestals are ideal for a truly custom exhibit. 

Aluminum Construction. Lightweight, durable, and versatile aluminum extrusions are the backbone of modern trade show exhibits. Sometimes, they’re visible, but more often they’re the hidden structure for fabric graphics, lightboxes, monitors, shelves, and storage. Modular wall systems, like Gravitee, and LED lightboxes, like SuperNova, are ideal as rental structures. 

Laminates. Thank goodness for laminates. They offer exhibit designers unlimited colors and textures at a fraction of the cost of paint, stains, wood, and metals. 

Tension Fabric Graphics. Fabric graphics, specifically dye-sublimated fabric graphics, are the material of choice for most inline and island exhibits. Need backlighting? Fabric graphics are the best choice. Need a large image with vibrant colors? Choose fabric graphics. Need something lightweight, durable, and nearly indestructible? Yep, fabric graphics are the best choice. 

Direct Print Graphics. Colorful, easy, widely available, and cheap. Direct print graphics are ideal for both smaller prints on counters or pedestals or larger images on modular wall systems. 

Vinyl Graphics. Like direct print graphics, vinyl graphics are colorful and widely available. They’re often used for accent graphics on counters, charging tables, and pedestals, but they can also be practical for larger hard structures where a specific color, pattern, or message is required.  

exhibition booth design

DIY vs. Professional Trade Show Booth Construction 

Whether you want to save money and/or you have the skills necessary to build your exhibit, building your own exhibit may be an option. Before starting, however, it’s important to understand the following:

  1. Does the show have specific regulations regarding the size or format of inline and island exhibits? Most do and the exhibit must conform to those regulations or the show organizer will require the exhibitor to make modifications onsite. If modifications cannot be made, then the exhibitor will not be allowed to install their booth. In those situations, which unfortunately do happen, the exhibitor won’t have a sales presence on the show floor, will still be responsible for all expenses, including paying for their booth space, and will own an exhibit that may not be able to be used at future events. 
  2. Is the booth designed to be shipped in cases or crates, assembled quickly, and durable enough to survive shipping? Display manufacturers have spent the past 50 years engineering structures designed to be lightweight, pack efficiently, and survive trade shows.
  3. Electrical and lighting for trade show exhibits must adhere to very specific guidelines. These guidelines are mandated by the convention center. In most cases, the convention center has a contract with local union electricians which defines what the exhibitor can (and cannot) do on the show floor. 
exhibition booth design

Building a Trade Show Booth with Classic Exhibits! 

The exhibit industry is nothing if not competitive and creative. Over the years, it has evolved to meet the needs of trade show exhibitors for high-quality displays in a wide range of styles, prices, and construction. 

Since 1993, Classic Exhibits has been North America’s leading builder of quality trade show exhibits for professional exhibitors. Browse through 1,500 contemporary displays or request a custom design personalized to your trade show marketing goals. 

Find success on the trade show floor with an exhibit that reflects your marketing message… at a price that will make your CFO giddy. For more information, see www.classicexhibits.com.  

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Save 15% on Symphony and Gravitee Kits

August 28th, 2023 Mel White COMMENTS
The Simply Spectacular Promotion on Symphony and Gravitee Designs
Save 15% on Gravitee and Symphony Designs

The Simply Spectacular Promotion! On Symphony and Gravitee

Question: What are the two most successful product launches in Classic’s history?

Answer: Symphony Portable Displays and Gravitee One-Step Modular. Both assemble without tools. Both include lightbox options and versatile accessories.

Effective Monday 8/21 on New Orders, ALL SYK- and GK- inline and island kits in Exhibit Design Search are 15% off. There are no qualifiers. No restrictions. Feel free to customize them. Buy 1, 2, or 4056.

The Simply Spectacular Promotion! is valid until October 31, 2023. Discover why Symphony and Gravitee are the INDUSTRY standard for portable and modular exhibit systems.

Symphony and Gravitee Simply Spectacular Promotion

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Trade Show LED Lighting: Bright Ideas & Examples

August 24th, 2023 Mel White COMMENTS
Trade Show LED Lighting

Light Emitting Diodes (LED) have transformed trade show exhibits. For the better. Not long ago, LED trade show lighting was a luxury, reserved for expensive island displays or tech companies with unlimited budgets. Now, LED lights are everywhere, from tabletops to double-deck exhibits. As a result, the show floor is brighter, more colorful, and more engaging for attendees. 

Exhibit and graphic designers have gotten creative with LED lights. They use them for backlit graphics, hanging signs, halo-lit logos, and accent lights for counters, shelves, and flooring. Even faux neon signs are back in vogue using LED tube lights with RGB (red, green, blue) programming to add motion and variable colors. 

Trade Show LED Lighting: An Introduction 

If you haven’t purchased a new display for a few years, it’s time to review your trade show LED lighting options. Considering a portable display? LED stem lights or a backlit logo for a portable display can create a more upscale booth space and attract attention. 

Modular displays, both inlines and islands, are perfect for large backlit fabric graphics, which can be single or double-sided. Then add RGB LED lights to the pedestals, charging tables, and downlighting. These can be fine-tuned to your corporate color or programmed to create variable colors and movement.

Custom exhibit design typically starts with a blank canvas, which means the lighting 

LED trade show lights are durable, cost-effective, and last up to 25 times longer than incandescent or halogen bulbs. In addition, LED bulbs can use as much as 75% percent less energy than halogen bulbs. 

The Advantages of LED Lighting in Trade Shows 

Energy Efficiency: LED lights are more energy efficient than traditional halogen and incandescent lights. This can lower your electricity requirements, especially if your trade show booth has extensive LED  lighting.

Longer Lifespan: LED lights have a much longer lifespan which means you’ll replace them less often. And perhaps never. 

Durability: LED lights are durable, which makes them ideal for the harsh conditions of a trade show, including installation, dismantling, and shipping. 

Color Accuracy: LED lights produce a more accurate color rendition than traditional halogen and incandescent lights. This is important for trade show graphics that showcase your brand and products. 

Cost: Over time, the cost of trade show LED lighting has dropped considerably, while the quality has improved. Like any product, the prices vary depending on the availability and complexity of the lighting requirements.

Size: Most LED lighting solutions are smaller than their fluorescent or halogen equivalents. Size matters when designing trade show lighting and the smaller sizes of  LED tape lights, strips, modules, tubes, and bulbs allow for greater creativity. 

Options: There are a variety of LED trade show lights available, so you can choose the right lights for your specific needs.

Choosing the Right LED Lighting Accessories

An electrical product with the listing mark of UL, ETL or CSA means that the entire product and all of its components have been tested as they are used in connection with one another. This means that the entire product meets the applicable UL standard – not just one or some of the components (like the power supply or electrical cord).

Testing is completely documented in a testing report. The components used are listed in the report and are essentially registered for the applicable product. 

UL, ETL, or CSA are separate testing organizations and certification marks –  CSA or UL Listed Mark. They demonstrate compliance with widely accepted product safety standards. All three are recognized as NRTLs in the U.S. and, in a similar capacity, as a testing organization and certifying body in Canada by the Standards Council of Canada. 

LED wall arm for exhibits

LED Wall Washing Arm Light

  • Listed to Both UL and CSA Standards
  • No Exposed LEDs — LED Board is Recessed in Fixture Head
  • Draws Approximately 18.1 Watts of Power
  • Light Output of Generation 3 LED Board is Equivalent to a 200 Watt Linear Halogen Lamp
  • Custom Heat Sink to Properly Cool the LEDs
LED light strips

LED RGB Modular Strips

  • High-Quality RGB LEDs with Custom Selected Lensing and Drivers
  • For Single or Double-sided Lightboxes
  • UL Listed
  • 24V Plug and Play Design
LED track light for trade show displays

LED Track Light

  • 7 1/2″ High x 4 1/2″ Deep x 3 1/2″ Dia.
  • 18 Watt LED Fixture Available in Non-Dimmable Models
  • Choose From Spot, Medium or Flood Beam Angles
  • Warm White (3000K) Only
  • Fixture Available in Black, White or Silver
LED Puck Light

LED Surface Mount Puck Light

  • Designed to Deliver Soft Diffused Lighting to Desired Areas
  • Easy to Install With Plug and Play Connectors
  • Each Puck Includes 36″ Cord With Female Connector
  • Fixture Comes With Interchangeable Clear and Frosted Lenses. 
  • Available in Black, White, or Silver Finishes

10 Examples of Trade Show Booth LED Lighting 

The LED lightboxes are everywhere on the trade show floor, and backlit graphics have become the new standard for many portable, modular, and custom exhibits. Which means, the “same ol same ol” just doesn’t cut it anymore. Consider shapes other than standard rectangles or add practical accessories like shelves, monitors, storage, or programmable RGB edge lighting. These custom touches will elevate your display from the basic lightboxes and attract attention from attendees.

Inline Exhibits

1. VK-1356 | Custom Lightbox

Clean, dynamic, inviting, and practical. The VK-1356 strikes the ideal balance of large backlit graphics, tablet/monitor(s), and casual seating, all in well-defined spaces with creative lighting. Even the Bistro Charging Table has perimeter accent lights. 

custom LED lightbox

2. VK-1963 | Inline Lightbox

Big Lightbox with Vibrant Graphics. Check. Shelves for Products. Check. Locking Storage. Check. Modular Assembly. Check. This modern hybrid display combines vibrant tension fabric graphics and LED Backlighting with lightweight aluminum extrusion for a versatile and attractive solution at any trade show. 

inline LED lightbox

3. ECO-1038- B | Backlit Sustainable

This eco-friendly display has a large backlit fabric graphic with attached LED light modules.  The MOD-1701 Backlit Counter complements the design. There’s ample locking storage with a full-size closet and storage in the counter.

LED backlit sustainable display

4. VK-2971 | Inline Lightbox

The VK-2971 display with SuperNova LED technology combines vibrant tension fabric graphics with lightweight aluminum extrusion for a versatile and attractive solution at any trade show. The displays include storage, large monitor capability, backlighting, and standoff graphics. 

LED inline lightbox display

5. VK-4031 | SuperNova Lightbox

This contemporary Inline lightbox design blends exceptionally bright LED lights, aluminum SEG frames, and vibrant fabric graphics into a brilliant eye-catching display. The large hexagon LED lightbox frames the non-backlit SEG frames and acrylic accents. Upfront the MOD-1598 reception counter comes with both a backlit front graphic and locking storage. Plus there’s wireless and USB charging ports.

LED supernova lightbox display

6. RE-2128 | Rental LED Lightbox

This rental design with LED lightboxes and accent lights includes a custom reception with RGB programmable lights, backlit tension fabric graphics, and a casual charge table with LED perimeter lights. The SuperNova LED lights are attached to the frame which makes assembly easy and packaging a snap and includes integrated cord management.

led trade show lighting

Island Exhibits 

7. VK-5171 | Island Tower

The VK-5171 is a dramatic island exhibit with a 16 ft. backlit tower and lightboxes. Who needs an overhead sign when your booth shines bright and your logo can be seen from across the show hall? But it’s more than just a pretty face. It’s inviting, informative, and practical. 

led lighting trade show

8. GK-5154 | Gravatee Island

Throughout this island, there are large graphic opportunities at multiple angles to attract attendees from every aisle, including a 12 ft. LED Lightbox. 

trade show booth led lighting

Counters

9. MOD-1715 | Custom Counter

The attractive MOD-1715 counter with LED accent lighting and backlit logo offers a large countertop for brochures, promotional incentives, or as a product display. The counter has convenient locking storage and an internal shelf. Plus, the programmable RGB lights make it easy to dial-in your branding color. Or choose a sequential color rotation. 

custom LED counter

10. MOD-1590 | Backlit Counter

Reception counters should be attractive and practical. The MOD-1590 has a large backlit fabric graphic and locking storage. The colorful backlit graphic will draw attendees to the booth space and the convenient storage is ideal for literature, promotional products, or samples. Wireless charging pads are always a great addition to any trade show counter. 

LED backlit counter

10 Trends in LED Trade Show Lighting 

1. Backlit Fabric Graphics – Single and double-sided fabric graphics dominate trade shows and events

backlit fabric graphic trade show

2. Double-sided Lightboxes

3. Wall-mounted Lightboxes – Consider lightboxes for lobbies, conference rooms, training areas, and meeting spaces in a variety of sizes.

wall-mounted LED lightbox

4. LED Stem Lights

5. Edge-lit and Backlit Logos – Elevate your design with edge-lit and backlit logos

edge lit LED trade show exhibit

6. Perimeter Lights

7. Portable Backlit Graphics – See the Elegant Symphony Backlit Portable Exhibits

backlit LED display

8. Programmable RGB Lights – Upgrade your LED lighting with a full range of colors and programmable features

9. Puck Lights

10. Uplighting

uplighting LED display

Modern Trade Show LED Lighting Solutions from Classic Exhibits! 

Choose from hundreds of exhibit designs with LED lighting in Exhibit Design Search. Browse the following galleries:  Island Exhibits, Modern Inlines, Sustainable Islands and Inlines, Rental Islands and Inlines, LED Lightbox Exhibits, and Lightboxess and Banner Stands. 


Classic Exhibits Inc. designs and manufactures portable, modular, hybrid, and custom exhibit solutions, including Symphony Portable Displays. Classic Exhibits products are represented by an extensive distributor network in North America and in select International markets. For more information, contact us at 866-652-2100 or www.classicexhibits.com.

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