To celebrate the original MTV Cribs franchise but add a modern, D.I.Y. twist, MTV tapped creative agency MKG to design an eye-catching, interactive booth at VidCon in 2018. The space was designed to resemble a house, with a kitchen, a living room, and a second floor that offered a unique view of the convention center. Rock Steady contributed scenic design to the booth.Photo: Courtesy of MKG
Looking to stand out on a crowded trade show floor? We asked a variety of event and marketing professionals to share their best tips for creating an eye-catching trade show booth. Scroll down to read their advice—and keep scrolling to get inspired by some of our favorite booth designs from brands like Facebook, LG, Polaroid, and MTV.
1. Think about your target audience and the goals for your booth.
“Every successful trade show experience starts with knowing and thoroughly understanding your business and event mission and goals,” notes Melissa Park, owner of New York-based production firm Melissa Park Events. “With those in hand, it’s time to enter the mind of your target market or audience to work out how you can best convey your messaging and achieve your event goals in a creative way that is going to appeal, resonate, and cut through the trade show floor noise.”
Park, for example, works with a lot of tech clients who exhibit at shows targeting developers.
“For this audience, a spacious booth where they don’t feel like they’re going to get pounced on is a must,” she explains. “LED lighting, or an LED screen-based design, will always grab attention—however, you should not invest in a heavy screen design if you don’t have the budget to create custom content. A standard booth loop on a large-scale LED is a complete waste of money.”
Dave Poulos, a Maryland-based marketing consultant and the owner of Granite Partners LLC, agrees that “the [booths] that garner the most attention are those that invest heavily in knowing what their customers want and what they will respond to."
2. Get creative with the architecture of the booth.
“Do something that’s more unusual from a shaping perspective with interior spaces and exterior,” says Valerie Bihet, owner of VIBE Agency in Miami, who suggests thinking beyond the traditional three or four walls. “When you see a concept store that really has interesting elements outside and inside, people want to be inside to see what’s up. Unusual shapes create a more interesting experience from across the show floor.”
3. Choose colors that will stand out.
In our social media-driven world, everyone wants to stand out and offer that Instagrammable moment. Vibrant colors and patterns can be a great way to stand out on a show floor—but the key is to be different than the other booths around you, cautions event and retail designer Beth Martin, the Charleston, S.C.-based owner of Beth R Martin Design.
“At most events, companies typically try to stand out by being the brightest and loudest with imagery—but this can often have the opposite effect,” she explains.
One design idea to try? “Hand-drawn black and white or minimally colored graphics and signage. If you are the contrast in the room, you are more likely to catch the eye of onlookers, and hand drawings are a great way to ensure you won't blend in with the crowd,” Martin says. “When everything is digital, it's a great time to look to the past with retro techniques to be creative and unique.”
4. Focus on delivering an experience.
“There is a significant trend toward delivering experiences [rather than] ‘selling’ at trade shows,” says Nancy Kent, CEO of creative marketing studio Mindshare Creative in Orange County, Calif. “When you provide an experience, you get attention, engagement, and, happily, a lasting impression. The key is to figure out what you have to ‘give to get’—meaning what you have to trade the attendee for their time. This could include experiences within the booth and educational events. Ideally, there is a theme, and it aligns with a primary selling feature of the product.”
5. Offer interactive elements.
“Interactive games like beer pong, foosball, and arcade games are always a hit,” Park adds. “These tactics draw [attendees] in and immediately put them in their comfort zone, which makes conversing—akaselling—and funneling them onto a demo station or resource center so much easier.”
Poulos also suggests making attendees work a bit. For example, “If you're a travel or tourism company and want a great booth to attract meeting planners, know their pain.” Trying to educate them on activities available in your specific destination? “Show them a huge, interactive map of all the different attractions possible in your city, and show how close they are by bus, cab, or train to the convention hall or hotel. The key word is interactive—make them step on a location on the floor, or push a button to read the mileage, or scan a QR code to get each location’s website downloaded,” he suggests.
From his experience, Poulos notes, attendees are drawn to booths that offer “a high level of interaction, noise, smoke (if allowed), movement, lights that blink or move, even smells—anything that enhances the engagement level and the user experience. ... Those are the displays that draw attention and drive the most leads—and the quality of those leads depends on the brand authenticity and the messaging that go with the display design.”
6. Make sure your signage and messaging are legible.
“Consistency in signage appearance is crucial to drawing attention to your brand,” says Shelley Grieshop, creative writer at Ohio-based promotional products company Totally Promotional. “Use your authentic logo, company colors, and brand theme when creating banners and table covers. This will help avoid a busy, disheveled look, which can be distracting to visitors.”
Grieshop also advises keeping any text brief and using fonts that are easy to read from distances over 10 feet.
7. Be intentional with your swag.
“Giving out free stuff is a must, but you don't want to overdo it,” advises Kelly Chan, marketing manager of AccountantOnline.ie in Dublin, Ireland. “If you give away swag that is really cool, everyone will come—and you don't want to attract everyone; you only want people that are likely to become clients or customers. On the other hand, if you hand out free pencils, you won't leave a memorable impression.”
Think through items that your ideal customers will actually want to use. For example, “You could offer free USB drives to people who sign up for your newsletter,” Chan notes. “You can get branded USB drives for a relatively low cost, but they have a fairly high perceived value.”
Branded tote bags are another good, low-cost option. At a recent trade show, Trendy Tan, growth marketing manager at QuickHR in Singapore, gave out tote bags that were intentionally larger than most other booths were likely handing out.
“This meant that attendees could throw in all their other freebies and samples into our branded bag,” Tan says. “We received many compliments for the bag, and even had people coming up to us during the tear-down of the event to get another one! Even if some of these attendees weren’t our target audience, carrying the large tote bags around definitely helped with building brand awareness.”
8. Study design trends from other countries.
“Look for a designer outside the country where you are to get inspiration,” Bihet advises. “The French, for example, do beautiful work that is really different from what we are seeing in the U.S. By looking abroad, you can get ideas (or actual designers) that are not happening here, then you can have a local fabricator create it.”
9. Make sure your booth is a comfortable—and informative—place to be.
“Keep your floor plan open to make it easy to invite people in,” Chan says. “No matter how big your business actually is, have at least three people at the booth. If that is not possible, make sure to have business cards for at least three different people. Your business will look more established this way.”
And make sure people walking by can tell what your company does, without having to ask. “Make sure to have a banner or a one-liner across the back of your booth as well,” Chan adds. “If people can't tell what all the fuss is about at a first glance, they usually won't bother.”
![To celebrate the original MTV Cribs franchise but add a modern, D.I.Y. twist, MTV tapped creative agency MKG to design an eye-catching, interactive booth at VidCon in 2018. The space was designed to resemble a house, with a kitchen, a living room, and a second floor that offered a unique view of the convention center. Rock Steady contributed scenic design to the booth.](https://img.bizbash.com/files/base/bizbash/bzb/image/2022/06/20180622_1052__2O8A2584.629d117a659e6.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&q=70&w=400)
![The MTV booth's living room area was covered in colorful patterns on the walls, floor, couch, books, TV, and plants, while a kitchen area was inspired by 2018 food trends like unicorn and mermaid toast. Cabinets were filled with MTV-branded cereal boxes, glittery slime bottles, Snooki pickle jars, and sand art. See more: VidCon 2018: 26 Colorful Ways Brands Targeted Generation Z](https://img.bizbash.com/files/base/bizbash/bzb/image/2022/06/20180622_1105__2O8A2649.629d117e04205.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&q=70&w=400)
![For its Workday Rising conference in 2019, financial management and human capital management software vendor Workday built a massive expo hall for its 13,000 employees and customers. The colorful show floor was designed to promote connections, with areas such as the MeetUp Cafe where attendees could attend prescheduled meetings around a certain topic, and the Feedback Lounge, which asked guests to voice their opinions through Post-it notes. Sixteen distinct activation areas on the expo floor centered around inclusivity and diversity, including one highlighting Workday’s Opportunity Onramps initiative that brings young people from underserved communities into the workplace.](https://img.bizbash.com/files/base/bizbash/bzb/image/2022/06/20191015_062124_WDR19_SS_6341.629d0a68956dd.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&q=70&w=400)
Sixteen distinct activation areas on the expo floor centered around inclusivity and diversity, including one highlighting Workday’s Opportunity Onramps initiative that brings young people from underserved communities into the workplace.
![Other interactive activations addressed unconscious bias and microaggressions through Workday’s VIBE campaign (which stands for value, inclusion, belonging, and equity). In one area called “Walk in Someone Else’s Shoes,” attendees were shown a pair of shoes and asked to guess who wears them. Other areas asked guests to guess job titles based on a diverse set of headshots, a selfie area where each attendee wrote a statement on what makes them special, and a giveaway card game that explained inclusive behaviors in the workplace. Additional areas showcased Workday’s charitable and sustainability-focused initiatives through interactive games.](https://img.bizbash.com/files/base/bizbash/bzb/image/2022/06/20191015_105911_WDR19_BW_4613.629d0a674cd1b.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&q=70&w=400)
Additional areas showcased Workday’s charitable and sustainability-focused initiatives through interactive games.
![Guests who shared their best pieces of advice could also get a free headshot. George P. Johnson Experience Marketing produced the event in partnership with Laura Bell Way, Workday’s director of marketing events. See more: Most Innovative Meetings 2020: #1 Workday Rising](https://img.bizbash.com/files/base/bizbash/bzb/image/2022/06/20191015_121338_WDR19_SM_6746.629d0a1fbbdda.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&q=70&w=400)
![For the 2020 edition of the Consumer Technology Association's annual C.E.S. trade show, LG created a mesmerizing audiovisual 'wave' for its booth. Constructed using 200 55-inch LG OLED digital signage screens, the dramatic overhead installation “displayed the glory of the natural world as it has never been seen before,” according to the brand. Ever-changing nature-inspired images and sounds created a surreal, immersive experience for guests. See more: C.E.S. 2020: See the Most Attention-Grabbing Booths and Brand Activations](https://img.bizbash.com/files/base/bizbash/bzb/image/2022/06/Screen_Shot_2022_06_03_at_4.01.12_PM.629a953b72913.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&q=70&w=400)
![At C.E.S. 2019, Polaroid gave guests the chance to experience the then-new Polaroid OneStep analog instant camera from Polaroid Originals. With an oversize replica of the camera as a centerpiece, the booth featured interactive stations that showcased the product’s features such as double exposure, light painting, and noise trigger. Attendees could have their picture taken on color or black-and-white Polaroid Originals film and experience film photography techniques like emulsion lifts. Polaroids were displayed on branded walls. Andreas Bergmann designed the colorful booth, while Skyline handled the build and PRG handled audiovisual elements. See more: C.E.S. 2019: 17 Buzzy Highlights From the Show Floor and Other Activations](https://img.bizbash.com/files/base/bizbash/bzb/image/2022/06/CHRISLEE_9.629d05b280565.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&q=70&w=400)
Andreas Bergmann designed the colorful booth, while Skyline handled the build and PRG handled audiovisual elements. See more: C.E.S. 2019: 17 Buzzy Highlights From the Show Floor and Other Activations
![For the 2017 edition of gaming expo E3, Event Eleven designed a midcentury modern home for software company Take-Two Interactive—all on the trade show floor. The 8,000-square-foot space featured a pool, an exterior deck, a service kitchen, and a game room. Bedrooms, a living room, a lounge, and a dining room served as meeting spaces.](https://img.bizbash.com/files/base/bizbash/bzb/image/2022/06/Screen_Shot_2022_06_03_at_3.57.16_PM.629a953d125a2.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&q=70&w=400)
![At C.E.S. 2020, home security company ADT worked with Sparks to create an interactive booth designed to reach millennials and new or aspiring homeowners. The vibrant space, which showcased the brand’s line of D.I.Y. security products, featured three interactive wall displays, plus a life-size kitchen set-up with a fresh-baked apple crisp activation made by “Mom.”](https://img.bizbash.com/files/base/bizbash/bzb/image/2022/06/ADT032__2_.629d04ad5c798.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&q=70&w=400)
![The ADT booth also had a foam pit activation dubbed the “Trust Fall Pool.” A slow-motion camera captured attendees falling into the pit; the videos could instantly be shared on social media. See more: C.E.S. 2020: See the Most Attention-Grabbing Booths and Brand Activations](https://img.bizbash.com/files/base/bizbash/bzb/image/2022/06/A37I2574.629d04a93a3bb.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&q=70&w=400)
![For business technology firm SAP’s 2019 Sapphire Now and ASUG Annual Conference, organizers completely rethought the floor design and experience. At the center of the trade show was the Central Showcase, a high-tech, air travel-theme display designed to demonstrate, through a familiar scenario, how experiential data and operational data can merge to assist businesses. Outside, four concave partial walls sported informational and inspirational messages, while inside was a 360-degree LED experience that displayed bold, ever-changing images inspired by airplanes. Employees dressed as flight crew staffed the display. See more: How SAP Uses a Human Touch to Sell Tech on the Trade Show Floor](https://img.bizbash.com/files/base/bizbash/bzb/image/2022/06/Central_Showcase.629d0306ce182.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&q=70&w=400)
![At VidCon 2019, Facebook hosted a large consumer booth on the show floor. The Facebook Watch House offered a viewing space to watch full-length creator videos and episodes from original Facebook series. Meanwhile, a variety of themed rooms asked attendees to work together to unlock photo opportunities and win prizes. The “glam room” had photo ops and special-edition custom face filters.](https://img.bizbash.com/files/base/bizbash/bzb/image/2022/06/BX4I1797.629d0894eb66d.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&q=70&w=400)
![In another photo-friendly room inside Facebook's VidCon booth, guests tried to beat Steph Curry in a virtual basketball game and challenged friends to a jump contest. A third space, called the “chill room,” had a hot tub and a confessional video booth. See more: How VidCon Attracts 'the Most Media-Savvy Audience in the World'](https://img.bizbash.com/files/base/bizbash/bzb/image/2022/06/BX4I1939.629d089b70fa2.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&q=70&w=400)
![At the 2016 Kitchen and Bath Industry Show, GES designed a booth for client Toto USA to help launch its new water-saving technologies; the eye-catching visuals were inspired by whirlpools.](https://img.bizbash.com/files/base/bizbash/bzb/image/2022/06/Screen_Shot_2022_06_03_at_4.00.10_PM.629a954249f14.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&q=70&w=400)
![At the 2018 edition of Beautycon Media’s annual convention, retailer Sally Beauty had a carnival-themed booth complete with acrobat performers, games, and a miniature Ferris wheel of products. A branded photo backdrop featured illustrated black-and-white hair with red combs; guests sat in a spinning hoop to get their photos taken. The activation was designed and built by Conversate Collective. See more: 15 Ways Beautycon L.A. Helped Guests Get That Perfect Selfie](https://img.bizbash.com/files/base/bizbash/bzb/image/2022/06/BFA_24629_2981553.629d07922c686.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&q=70&w=400)
![At C.E.S. 2019, Bell Helicopter’s reveal of a full-scale design of the Bell Nexus air taxi was one of the buzziest booths. The futuristic vehicle is powered by a hybrid-electric propulsion system and includes six tilting ducted fans. After viewing the air taxi in an eye-catching, water-filled booth space, guests could participate in Bell’s Future Flight Controls simulator. Data collected from the simulators was used to determine the actions that come most naturally to the average prospective operator of the futuristic flying vehicle. The booth was produced and fabricated by GES. See more: C.E.S. 2019: 17 Buzzy Highlights From the Show Floor and Other Activations](https://img.bizbash.com/files/base/bizbash/bzb/image/2022/06/bell_ces_2019_017.629d068f29829.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&q=70&w=400)
![At C.E.S. 2020, Procter & Gamble's 50-by-80-foot LifeLab exhibit was designed to show how the consumer goods brand's products—including items from Gillette, Oral B, Charmin, and Pampers—can transform everyday experiences. Atomic provided production services, design support, and set construction for the eye-catching booth, while WorldStage created large LED video scenes at the entrance and throughout the space. See more: C.E.S. 2020: See the Most Attention-Grabbing Booths and Brand Activations](https://img.bizbash.com/files/base/bizbash/bzb/image/2022/06/Screen_Shot_2022_06_05_at_12.34.02_PM.629d05364094b.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&q=70&w=400)
![For their C.E.S. 2019 presence, Facebook and Instagram partnered with creative agency 72andSunny and luxury candy designer Maayan Zilberman of Sweet Saba to create a social media-friendly tunnel. The tunnel’s mirrored walls featured custom sugar art lollipops of stickers available on Facebook and Instagram Stories. We’re Magnetic produced the activation. See more: C.E.S. 2019: 17 Buzzy Highlights From the Show Floor and Other Activations](https://img.bizbash.com/files/base/bizbash/bzb/image/2022/06/FB_CES_2019_24536.629d05d7257fb.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&q=70&w=400)
![Wildly popular game Fortnite had one of E3 2019's largest and most eye-catching booths, taking over a 15,000-square-foot space on the show floor. Paying homage to the game’s use of neon during season nine, design and production company FG|PG used miles of neon lighting, covering everything from shopping carts to the famous Fornite bus. Other booth highlights included the “Boogie Down Stage,” which was wrapped in disco ball mirrors and featured in-game dance performances, trivia game tournaments, and appearances from cosplay characters. See more: E3 2019: Check Out the Coolest Booths, Parties, and Brand Activations](https://img.bizbash.com/files/base/bizbash/bzb/image/2022/06/FGPG_Fortnite_Epic_Games_E3_2019_1.629d009f5fe00.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&q=70&w=400)
![NBCUniversal’s “Share Your Voice” activation, produced by Mirrored Media, encouraged VidCon 2019 attendees to discuss all the issues that matter to them, from politics to the influencers they love. Attendees could step into a video booth to record their own segments of Snapchat news show Stay Tuned, where they discussed the causes they’d like to see featured on the news. See more: How VidCon Attracts 'the Most Media-Savvy Audience in the World'](https://img.bizbash.com/files/base/bizbash/bzb/image/2022/06/190711__VIDCON__STAY_TUNED_16x9_0136.629d0966352f8.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&q=70&w=400)