In the realm of trade shows, the question often arises: Does trade show booth size matter?
It’s a valid inquiry as companies weigh the pros and cons of investing in either a large or small trade show footprint. While those on a budget may opt for a smaller booth due to lower costs, others may wonder if a larger exhibit is worth the investment.
Ultimately, the decision rests with you and what aligns best with your marketing objectives. However, drawing from our experience and expertise, we’d like to shed some light on the importance of booth size.
Recent Trends in Exhibit Booth Sizing
Since COVID, there has been a trend in some industries for companies to select smaller booth footprints. In an effort to increase overall event footprints and to maintain contractual venue obligations, organizers are now implementing more rules and regulations that encourage exhibitors to select larger booth spaces.
Determining Booth Sizing in the Design Process
When ADEX begins the exhibit design process, we collaborate with clients to produce a design brief. Almost all design briefs include, that the booth needs to be inviting. The footprint of the exhibit is one of the main drivers of creating an inviting booth. For instance, the same quantity of exhibit structure is typically used in a 20 x 20 exhibit as in a 20 x 30 exhibit. While the 20 x 20 exhibit might feel cluttered, the 20 x 30 exhibit creates a more welcoming and spacious environment. Extra square feet of space also create better wayfinding and more prominent focal points.
Consider The Organization’s Sizing Requirements
Before selecting your exhibit footprint, it is important to review the organizers’ rules and regulations.
- Inline booths (10x10s and 10x20s) typically have the same guidelines. Exhibit backwalls cannot be taller than 8’ and have no hanging signs. Any structure over 4’ tall typically must not extend more than 5’ beyond the back of the booth.
- Peninsula booths (3 sides open) have different guidelines from event to event. Sometimes backwalls can be higher than 8’ and hanging signs are allowed. When designing your peninsula booth, ADEX will work with the organizer to gain information about the neighboring exhibitor’s plans to the shared common backwall.
- Island booths, depending on the industry and organizer, can have even more complex rules and regulations that may impact the usable space in your booth.
Consider Exhibit Booth Trends
Recent trends for island booth guidelines include:
- Setbacks: Exhibit walls or components sometimes must be setback a certain amount of feet from the aisle.
- Sightlines: Sometimes there are no sightline requirements, but some rules and regulations require a certain percentage of see-through. We’ve seen requirements that range from 25% to 50% see-through.
- Overhead sightlines:
- Some organizers require that hanging signs be limited to a certain overhead space. For instance, ADEX recently supported a peninsula booth where there was a 25% setback from backwall and the hanging sign area was limited to 50% of the width and 50% of the depth of the booth. Although the booth was 30’ wide x 40’ deep, the hanging signs were limited to a 15’ wide x 20’ deep space.
- Other overhead sightline regulations can include the minimum height of hanging signs or requirements that hanging signs and structures have a certain amount of separation.
When setback and sightlines are a combined requirement, the usable exhibit space within your footprint can be significantly impacted.
Consider Your Organization’s Tradeshow Booth Needs
In selecting an exhibit footprint, exhibiting objectives should be explored:
- How many products or services need visibility?
- How many attendees are we expected to interact with and do we have enough space for interaction to occur with minimum attendee wait time?
- Do we require space for:
- Storage
- Interactives
- In-booth presentations
- Promotional giveaways
- Hospitality (coffee service, cappuccino service, catering, etc…)
Choose ADEX For Your Tradeshow Booth Development
The selection of booth space sometimes occurs a year out from the event. Other potential variables on when you can select a booth (versus other exhibitors) include how long you’ve been an exhibitor and your sponsorship level. Projecting exhibiting needs a year out can be a difficult process.
ADEX International is here to assist you in that process. Contact us today and we’ll help recommend the space required to meet your exhibiting objectives. We are your turnkey provider to design, fabricate, and manage your tradeshow program.