6 Trade Show Banner Design Tips Your Company Needs to Have

Planning to attend an upcoming trade show? That might be the smartest marketing move you make all year. Research reveals that 99% of marketers find a unique value in trade shows that other advertising mediums just can’t provide.

One of the greatest advantages? You have the opportunity to come face-to-face with your current clients and prospects, giving them a firsthand look at the identity of your brand. So, how does your trade show banner measure up?

Are you drawing visitors in and encouraging them to wander around your booth? Or, are you blending in with the crowd and watching your bottom line huddle around a competitor’s space?

A great trade show banner design is critical to making this important first impression. Let’s take a look at six ways you can be the star of the show!

1. The Six-Second Test

At an event, your trade show banner serves as your company’s billboard. It’s big, it’s showy, and it’s meant to grab the attention of passersby. That said, you’ve got about six seconds to reel them in.

Studies show that, on average, people take around six seconds to read a billboard on the highway. The same general timeline holds for trade shows, as well.

Attendees are on the move. They’re networking, listening to speakers, and balancing an endless supply of swag bags. They don’t have that much time to devote to each booth.

Make sure your banner’s message can be absorbed in six seconds or less, or they’re taking the next exit to the booth beside yours.

A general rule of thumb? Devote one second to each word. If you can’t express your identity in six words or less, consider where you can cut.

2. Pack a Colorful Punch

When it comes to advertising, color plays a significant role. In fact, in a recent survey of shopper motivations, a product’s color was revealed to be the number one deciding factor, nudging a large majority of customers to make a purchase.

When designing your trade show banner, consider where it would make sense to inject some eye-catching color. Though minimalism is in, black text on a white background simply won’t pack the punch you need to stand out.

Use color intentionally, and avoid loud patterns. Your best bet? Stick to tones that are within your brand’s color scheme and make them as bold as possible.

3. Draw Them In

The whole point of a trade show is to build brand buzz and grow your client list, right? You can’t do that if people simply glance at your display and walk away.

So, get their attention and ask them to check you out! While it would be nice to borrow a megaphone and loudly proclaim your company’s selling points, you may be frowned upon, not followed, for that bold move.

But, there are still subtle ways you can pique visitor interest and encourage them to pivot into your space. How? By including a brief Call to Action (CTA) on your trade show banner!

Phrases like “Check Us Out!” “Learn More!” or “Sign Up Today!” are action-oriented CTAs that attendees love. They’re gentle nudges that entice without revealing too much, which is exactly what your banner is intended to do.

4. Frame It

Think of the most important artwork in your home. Besides a child’s painting on the refrigerator, chances are your most prized pieces are framed.

Framing a design gives it importance and signifies that what’s inside the frame is valuable. At a trade show, what’s more valuable than your message?

Consider a trade show banner with a defined frame all around the edges. An alternative is to opt for a frame on just the top and bottom of your banner, giving it dimension without crowding your design.

It might not be a Picasso, but it’s your company image, and that’s worth more than gold. So go big and frame it out!

5. Don’t Scrimp on Quality

Sure, you could run to your local print shop and have a banner made, then affix it to your trade show booth. That may be an economical option, but it’s far from a wise one.

The time and effort you put into your trade show space reveal more about your company than you might realize.

If the overall design screams “I cut corners,” what does that say about your project approach? If your free notepads feature a more impressive design than your trade show banner, what does that reveal about your ability to prioritize?

It doesn’t take too much time or money to purchase top-shelf paper and printing services, but the payout could be significant.

Customers have access to myriad companies touting products and services similar to yours. Invest in high-quality printing services so they know you mean business (and want theirs).

6. Hire a Professional

Not sure where to start? A professional sign design company should be your first stop. Whether you’re a mom-and-pop store or a worldwide enterprise, creating a trade show banner takes time and resources.

On one end of the spectrum, smaller setups may not have a full-time designer on hand to create professional signage. Larger corporations might have the personnel but could lack the time it takes to create these types of promotional materials.

Either way, a designer can help. Work with one to determine how to best lay out your banner, which colors to use, what to say, and how to fame it to achieve maximum exposure. The best design companies even offer help with sign installation, permitting, and maintenance and repair.

Need a Trade Show Banner? We Can Help!

Are you ready to take your trade show banner game to the next level? If so, you’ve come to the right spot. We’re a Houston-based graphic design team specializing in providing top-notch signage solutions for our commercial clients.

From graphic design to sign installation, we take care of the entire process, so you can focus on building your business, assured that your visual advertising needs are taken care of.

Contact us today to get started. If you were looking for a sign it’s time to make a bold business change, this is it!