Sometimes a trade show specialist or marketing director find top-rated trade show booth builders and confidently asks them to execute on an idea. So, they do – and they probably do a good job. But, when that same trade show specialist or marketing director works collaboratively with their trade show booth design companies, magic happens. Actual Harry Potter-type magic.

You take what otherwise would’ve been a decent booth (and who wants their booth design for exhibition to be remembered as “decent?”) and transform it into a radically life-changing piece of art. Ok, maybe that’s taking it a bit far. But, working closely with your trade show booth builders will absolutely elevate your design and final product far beyond what it might’ve been. 

 

Put Your Brains Together

Even if you have a solid idea of what you want your booth design to be, don’t just relay that information to your builders and then wash your hands of the process. Start early, and make sure you brainstorm with your partner. You know your business and target customer; your trade show team knows trade shows. Each of you is sure to bring a unique and necessary perspective to the conversation, and having both parties present makes your brainstorm oh-so-effective. 

 

Provide Examples 

You might have dreamed up a mindblowing booth design, but your trade show partner looks skeptical when you share it. There might be a good reason for this. Maybe your idea isn’t realistic or has already been done before. Or maybe you just need to offer examples to better communicate what you want. 

If you can find a sample picture of trade show booth design inspiration, show your trade show booth builders. If you loved one of your previous builds, show your team what it looked like! We want to see the good, the bad, and the ugly, because it helps us have a better idea of what you want and don’t want (plus, the ugly examples always give us a good giggle).  

 

Be in Constant Communication

Make sure you’re hounding your exhibit partner every single day (scratch that, hour) so you’re in sync with them. Oh wait, no. That’s advice for crazy exes. We don’t want that, but we do want to know what you’re thinking and feeling. What’s been painful for you with past builds? What’s been glorious? What do you think about our process, in the beginning, as we’re working together and after we’re done?

We like to have “touch base calls” about once a week or so, sometimes more, in order to make sure we’re adjusting our work according to how our customers’ desires evolve. This also helps us catch any possible issues early, which saves everyone time and headaches. 

 

Be So Transparent, You’re Clear 

If you haven’t yet discussed your goals at length with your exhibit partner, it’s high time you do. Worse yet, if your exhibit partner hasn’t asked you about your goals, fire them immediately and come to us! If your partner doesn’t know (or care) about your goals, there’s no way they’re going to help you meet them. And we don’t mean fuzzy goals like “gain awareness” or “have a good booth.”

Right off the bat, explain your specific goals for the particular trade show for which you’re designing. But then take it a step further. Share how those goals feed into your larger marketing goals. And then how all of it bubbles up to contribute to your company’s overall goals. This additional insight can do wonders for aligning your collaboration, and it can also open the door for your exhibit partner to give you tips or ideas you haven’t yet considered. 

 

Talk Training

Training for trade shows is one of the most overlooked and underutilized tools in a company’s arsenal. And many times, you may not think your trade show booth builders are experts in this area, so it doesn’t occur to you to ask them for guidance. But, the best trade show booth design companies know all the ins and outs of successful trade show exhibiting, including what works in training your team. 

Ask your partner for some tips on preparing your staff to knock it out of the park at your booth. This can make a huge difference in whether you convert customers, or simply have a nice-looking display that might as well be wall decor.  

 

Interested in having a true partnership with your trade show booth builders? Give us a call!