Written by Deanna Sealey.
Developing or customising your own exhibit can be a money-saving approach for many small exhibitors. Even for mid-size or large exhibitors, adding distinctive flourishes can help you set your booth apart and communicate your company’s unique vision or value proposition. But where does a busy exhibit manager come up with clever design ideas? Sometimes a fresh perspective requires looking outside your own industry.
Creative DIY Booths:
So your booth has seen better days, huh? Whether you are getting ready to embark on a new exhibit design with your Skyline team or come up with a few creative tweaks of your own, finding inspiration is always the best place to start! But where does a busy exhibit manager come up with clever design ideas? Sometimes a fresh perspective requires looking outside your own industry.
Learn from the Craftiest:
If you and your competitors’ booth designs all seem like subtle variations on the same theme, it may be time to literally step outside your own exhibit hall. No one puts the “c” in creativity quite like the Arts/Culture or Interior Design sectors, and visiting one of their trade shows can reinvigorate your view of innovative displays. Exhibits in the Sporting Goods or Electronics industries are also great places to discover the latest ways to add an interactive element to your booth.
King Pins:
As the self-professed “world’s biggest catalog of ideas,” Pinterest long ago evolved from just consumer bulletin boards of dream vacations and wedding ideas. Countless lists now exist for marketing and exhibit professionals, including this list of DIY booth ideas. From reclaimed or textured elements that contrast with modern booth construction – to display materials made from re-purposed household or industrial objects—Pinterest has countless ideas for adding unique furnishing or display materials to your booth. If you like Pinterest, you should also check out Skyline’s Pinterest page at https://au.pinterest.com/SkylineAust/. We are regularly updating it with the best of the best display ideas.
The Original Exhibitors:
Long before our industry reinvented exhibition with pop-up banners and folding display units, museum curators were busy crafting more permanent exhibits to delight and surprise their own visitors. While infrequent, museum garage sales are wildly popular events for those looking for eye-catching display pieces for booths – from art easels to vintage display boxes. When the Bell Museum of Natural History announced a garage sale on Facebook, more than 5,000 cultural creatives indicated their interest in attending, all eager to score one-of-a-kind curios for their personal or professional design projects.
Coming up with creative booth elements doesn’t require money or an MFA degree in art. The best approach is to literally “step outside the box” of your own booth or industry, and learn from other exhibitors. Your creative eye paired with your exhibit house’s expertise is the perfect recipe for transforming your ideas into an unforgettably unique exhibit!
About the Author:
Deanna Sealey, Senior Marketing Consultant at Skyline E3 in Lenexa KS, has spent 13 years in the trade show & event industry. Following her career in trade show logistics & operations, she joined Skyline E3 as a Marketing Consultant in 2014.
