There’s a lot to consider when it comes to designing an event stand. In fact, it can be an incredibly overwhelming task at times! At Kensa we support clients with all aspects of their marketing strategy, including events and exhibitions, so we understand the key ideas you should consider in your design and perhaps. Here’s some of the approaches to designing an event stand that are practical and impactful.
Going bold with event stand design
They say that first impressions count, right? Well, your event stand could be the first interaction that a potential client or customer has with your brand. Amongst a sea of competing brands, you really want to make sure you stand out from the crowd when you invest in events. Your competitors are equally trying to grab the attention of attendees which is why you need a really bold and unique idea that fits your brand.
Some of our favourite examples of event stands that go bold are:
Dulux
Often a favourite past time for the avid DIY-er or inspiring interior designer is perusing through the different shades of household paints available. Dulux really understood this when it came to designing their trade stand, constructing a giant colour wheel featuring some of their best, and most popular, paint shades. Not only is this impressive installation a great opportunity, but the scale of it is guaranteed to leave a lasting impression – whilst also acting as a signpost of where you can find Dulux in the venue!
Loewe
Luxury fashion brand, Loewe, created an event stand that felt minimalist, but with consideration. The design of the stand ensures that the brand name stands out and is prominent, with the use of lighting helping the brand stand out in a crowd. Visitor experience has also been widely considered within the design. The stand has been designed as a maze, ensuring visitors see the products and information that’s key to the brand’s strategy, whilst also providing an experience they’re sure to remember.
IKEA
Trade events likely feature a lot of walking, talking and information retention, but what visitors also need at events is a place to rest, wind down and take a break from the hive of activity. IKEA understood this perfectly, crafting a stand that’s valuable to attendees as a place to rest, whilst keeping their brand messaging soft yet still identifiable. All that’s present on this unique stand is the product name and pricing – allowing attendees to try out the products for themselves. Not only are attendees interacting with the brand in their downtime, but the stand also provided a memorable photo opportunity to share across peoples social feeds during the event for added exposure.
Going vertical
Show floor space is expensive and the larger you go, the higher the costs. On first appearances you’d think that having restricted stand space will mean you can make less of an impact. This is where building your stand vertically can help. Some height on your stand can really make your brand tower (literally!) above your competitors, giving your brand lasting impact across the entire show floor – even when attendees aren’t actually at your stand. Your brand name and messaging will be seen from virtually all corners of the exhibition space, for continuous brand awareness.
A particularly good use of vertical stand design has to go to rollercoaster manufacturer, Vekoma, who maximised their stand space by creating tall banner artwork depicting some of their rides. They understood that the most visually impressive aspect of a rollercoaster is, of course, its height. This clever use of space ensured the Vekoma brand was visible far outside the boundaries of their floor space.
Going virtual
Sony were catching on to this idea all the way back in 2013. They understood that their annual video game showcase generated a lot of audience interest, however the show floor was in LA and open to members of the press exclusively, with global customers cut off from the experience.
They chose to leverage their existing game platform to allow people to visit the event stand virtually through their PlayStation console. This enabled their community the experience of playing the games available to the press at the event, generating buzz and hype amongst their fanbase.
What Sony achieved may seem archaic by todays standards, but the essence of generating hype and fostering a community around showcases and events still exists today. The wide adoption of VR headsets has given accessibility for full immersion in an event stand as if you’re physically there. The technology gives users the ability to talk to others in real-time, generating positive brand opinions and experience an event stand tangibly.
3D can also be integrated into physical events with virtual product displays through tablets and VR devices, potentially allowing people to see a representation of a prototype product in its complete stage. VR integration is equally a viable solution to showcase larger products, saving on logistical hassle and floor space needed at events for substantially sized product.
When to keep it simple
We’ve talked about some pretty big event stand ideas, but realistically these aren’t necessarily ideas that are relevant for all businesses. Creative solutions are one thing, but they need to be practical and inline with your budget, size requirements and your branding. They also need to be realistically achievable. When it comes to designing an event stand, you need to have a concise plan.
If you have significant constraints, it’s important that you prioritise the key things you want your stand to communicate to attendees, and design your stand around the effectiveness of that messaging.
How Kensa can help
As a full service, we’re strategists, creatives, animators, developers, – you name it. This means we can help you with every aspect of your event strategy. From ensuring your messaging is on point, developing ways to entice attendees, pre event promotion and, of course, designing your stand. Our highly skilled creatives can get any banners and graphics designed and printed in high quality and to the exact size specification. Need something to hook visitors in? Our animators can make eye catching videos for your stands digital displays and we can even realise your virtual event stand with our 3D animators who can build a virtual representation of an event stand or create engaging touchscreen games to entice prospective leads. Whatever you can envision, we’re pretty sure we can support you with.
Ready to get started? Tell us about your next event.
