One of the many tasks that each Exhibitor is faced with on the first day of every trade show, is the customary visit from a representative from show management. They stop by every exhibit space to let each exhibitor know when they are scheduled to choose a booth space for the next year. Typically exhibitors who have exhibited for consecutive years, and with larger booth spaces have the ability to choose booth spaces before new exhibitors can. If faced with choosing a booth space for the first time, this task can be daunting! Here are a few trade show exhibitor tips that will help make choosing a booth space much easier in the future.

How to Choose a Booth Space:
• Look for the Entrance of the Hall – as this is where the most consistent attendee traffic is. The closer you can be to the Entrance will help fuel regular booth traffic.
• Know Who and Where your Competitors’ Booths are – depending on your industry, your relationship, the the comparable size of your booth space in relation to your competitors, you may or may not want to be right next to them. But you may want to be close enough that you can keep an eye on their booth traffic. Regardless of your strategy, be aware of who and where they are on the show floor before choosing a location.

• Be aware of any Featured Areas on the Show Floor that you may want to take advantage of. Sometimes exhibitors will be grouped into categories or pavillioned areas that may draw attendee traffic, or there may be a featured exhibit specific to the show that may attract a majority of the attendees. Education areas, smartphone charging areas, and new product areas are also a traffic draw. Depending on how the show floor is structured, different areas of the floor may have more traffic then anticipated.

• If the Floor Plan indicates a marking such as a triangle, square, or circle, and is not detailed, ASK for clarification! Choosing a booth space with one of these indicators near it could mean a large column, or some building design feature that could impede the entire design of your booth structure – as you need to have room for those digital video walls you’ve invested in! If there are any questions about what any markings are on the floorplan that cause uncertainty, do not hesitate to confirm what these markings are.

• New exhibitor to the show and all the “good spots” are taken? Take all of the above into account, pick a booth as close a main aisle as possible, close to an industry leader, or near a food station. If you are not happy with your booth space, as the show draws closer, check with show management for cancellations. Very often the floor plan changes, and by communicating to show management about a desire to change booth spaces, an exhibitor will very often have the ability to update a booth space to one they will be happy with.

by: Gallo, May 24, 2011