If you're putting together a display for an upcoming convention or trade show, consider these three rules: keep it simple, keep it colorful, and keep it dramatic.
Conventions and trade shows generally take place in huge rooms, and small, overly busy displays can get dwarfed by the surroundings and by other displays. Your display needs to be sized proportionally to fit well with the other displays, and whatever lettering and photos or other art work incorporated into the display need to be seen and read or understood from across the room. Be sure to add plenty of color; broad areas of solid color are best as background for your informational material. Ideally the display should reflect the color scheme your company has chosen for its logo and other corporate marketing materials. If your media image is rather staid, brighten it up by using rich background display material. Of course, the background has to fit in with your image-rich golds and greens, perhaps, for a solid banking persona, something more high tech for a computer hardware manufacturing firm.
Don't add lots of text to your display; the basic information is best, augmented by brochures and other take-away material. Any technical or practical information that is not provided by printed brochures should be available from your staff, who should be on hand and trained to answer all questions.
Remember, your display is designed to make prospective clients walk across the room, quickly take in your message, and engage with your sales staff. From there, your sales associates can take over and make appointments or sales.
Aldene Fredenburg is a freelance writer living in southwestern New Hampshire. She has written numerous articles for local and regional newspapers and for a number of Internet websites, including Tips and Topics.