by Jim Cermak
Booth placement and selection is just like real estate – it’s all about Location, Location, Location! But isn’t there more to it than that? Absolutely!
Here are some valuable Tips for selection and placement of any size booth – whether you have a small 10 x 10 or tabletop, all the way up to a large stand-alone booth.
— Get as close to the main entrance as possible – or any entrance if there’s multiple. This will increase your opportunities for a strong attendee flow.
— Know your choices and be flexible. Say you were planning on a larger booth but the only spaces left were near the back of the show. But by going with a smaller booth you can get a much better location. Is this an option for you? May be worth it.
— Other good choices would be near where traffic is likely to flow – food vendors or dining areas, breakout rooms, or even restrooms. Just know that typically people have other things on their minds – like grabbing lunch – then stopping by your booth. So be prepared to grab their attention!
— If you have a smaller booth like a 10 x 10 where there are many right next to each other in a row, try to select a spot at the end where you are on a corner and again have more opportunities for traffic flow coming from two directions
— Make sure you are not right next to your competitors!
— Understand where barriers in the room may affect you – like large support columns. I’ve seen booths get nearly blocked from sight by one direction of traffic.
— Avoid if possible the perimeter rows of a show – those booths that are in the very last rows on either end and also those that are in the far back of the show. These will get less traffic, that’s just a fact. I would rather get a booth that is further back but still in the middle rows than one closer to the front on the end rows. As the show goes on and especially on the last day or hours of a show, traffic can be virtually non-existent in these rows.
So what do you do if your only choice is one of these less desirable booth locations?
Other possibilities:
— Sometimes sponsors can get advance booth selection or preferred spaces
— Some shows can put booths together by industry, product type or market. That way attendees can go right to the section of exhibitors that best meets their needs. If you get stuck with a poor booth in your main category, may want to consider switching to a different or secondary category in order to snag a better booth spot.
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