Trade Show AV: Start With What You Want People to Do
There’s a lot of technology competing for attention on a trade show floor.
Huge LED walls.
Interactive displays.
Projection.
Lighting.
Video.
Touchscreens.
Digital signage.
The temptation is to start by asking:
What technology should we put in our booth?
Start somewhere else.
Ask:
What do we want people to do when they see us?
Attention Isn’t the End Goal
Yes, your exhibit needs to get noticed.
But then what?
Do you want someone to stop?
Walk inside?
Watch something?
Touch something?
Understand a product?
Talk with a salesperson?
Book a demo?
Share the experience?
Different goals require different technology.
A giant display that attracts people from across the hall may be valuable.
But if nobody knows what to do once they arrive, attention hasn’t accomplished much.
Design AV Around the Visitor Journey
Think about the exhibit from the aisle.
What catches someone’s attention?
What can they understand in three seconds?
What makes them slow down?
What draws them into the space?
What happens once they’re there?
Where does the conversation happen?
AV can support every stage of that journey.
The best approach depends on how people are expected to move through the exhibit.
Content and Displays Need Each Other
A beautiful LED wall with content designed for a laptop screen is a missed opportunity.
If you’re investing in a visual canvas, think about the content at the same time.
What will fill the space?
How does it look from across the aisle?
Does it make sense without audio?
Can someone understand it while walking?
How often does it change?
Your content strategy should influence the display strategy and vice versa.
Think About the Environment Around You
Trade show booths don’t exist in isolation.
There’s another exhibit twenty feet away.
And another one behind you.
Lighting conditions may be unpredictable.
Audio from nearby exhibits can compete with yours.
Sightlines change as aisles fill.
Technology needs to work in the environment where it’s actually being used.
Plan for Installation Too
The creative idea is one part of trade show AV.
Then someone has to build it.
Rigging.
Power.
Labor.
Weight.
Installation schedules.
Venue and union requirements.
Testing.
Dismantle.
The earlier AV is involved in the exhibit-design process, the easier it is to account for those realities before they become expensive changes.
Build the Technology Into the Exhibit
AV works best when it feels like part of the design.
AVFX collaborates with exhibit designers and agencies to integrate LED, video, lighting, sound and digital signage into trade show environments rather than treating technology as an afterthought.
That collaboration can begin while the exhibit itself is still being designed.
Start With the Person Walking Down the Aisle
They’re surrounded by hundreds of messages.
Why do they stop at yours?
And once they stop, what happens next?
Answer those questions first.
Then decide what technology earns its place in the booth.
Designing an upcoming exhibit? Bring AVFX into the conversation while there’s still room to explore what the technology could do.