Industry research has shown that impactful lighting on your exhibition stand can increase awareness of your company by 30-50%. So with such a dramatic effect on awareness within a trade show, it is important to get lighting right, supplementing any shell scheme packages in order to maximise your presence.
Adding lighting to your display is not a luxury. Whilst it may incur additional investment, it is an effective method to help you drive traffic to your stand and ensure your message is clearly expressed. Lighting enables your visitors to clearly read text, view displays and be guided to hero products, but it can also be used to generate a particular image or atmosphere – for example, blue lighting can help create a cooler atmosphere and would be suitable for portraying the experience when staying at the Ice Hotel. A warm, sunny yellow, would be great for a Caribbean destination at a travel show.
So in order to get what is surely, one of your most important merchandising tools right, you need to identify your lighting needs and opportunities, carefully and answer the following questions so your exhibition builder can create the right environment for you:
Do you have a particular product or area within your exhibition stand which needs to be the focal point of the show?
What visual impact, impression or message do you want to convey and how can lighting help you achieve this?
If you have exhibited at the show previously, rate the appeal and effectiveness of your existing lighting and consider which other stands did it better or were of inspiration.
At ESM we are expert exhibition stand designers with a series of tools available; from using an overhead lighting truss to spotlight a new product and make it the "hero" of your booth, lightboxes on the wall to highlight images or graphics and LED downlights under a podium at floor level to create a halo effect around a display or product showcase.
For a warm, inviting atmosphere, we recommend using soft lamp and ambient sources to make visitors feel relaxed and open to discussion, and to draw people onto your trade fair stand. We would recommend using coloured LED lighting to illuminate an entrance to draw people in. Mood lighting can also be used throughout the day, changing colour as the day moves from morning to afternoon.
When you start to work through the design of your exhibition stand, consider the following questions:
Is lighting included in your trade show package? If so, identify what it will be and how powerful it is.
Clarify the number of electrical power outlets you will have for use and if there is an option for adding additional outlets or power sources to your exhibition stand should you need it.
How are light fixtures attached to your exhibition stand – and are they suitable for your exhibition stand design?
Answers to these questions will help your exhibition stand designer work out the right scheme for your needs based on what is available and what you have access to. An experienced exhibition stand designer and manufacturer such as ESM UK will be able to help you determine all the options available to you and your budget in order to maximise your in show potential. Lighting can make a smaller stand appear larger, so no matter what your stand size, a conversation with an experienced trade show professional will be worth your while. When used well, lighting has the potential to dazzle your visitors and completely outshine the competition, providing clarity to your customers where needed.