Engagement is the big buzz word in trade show planning. Getting people into your booth and creating a memorable experience can be daunting but there are great places to gain inspiration. Below is a list of places that I look to for ideas and concepts to push my booth ideas to the next level.
- Zoos and Aquariums – everyone loves to look at the exotic and graceful.
- Theme Parks – the excitement and thrill. Nearly everything is interactive.
- Art Installations – your booth is a work of art, what ideas can you get from others.
- Casinos – very few places are as good at getting people inside and keeping them.
- Museums – they are built to be living exhibits.
If possible, I do two walk throughs, the first to see what grabs my attention and the second, at a slower pace to see what catches other peoples attention. Find a bench and watch the people flow around you. I am watching for the following things
- What causes people to stop in their tracks?
- What do people stare at the longest?
- What do people stop to read?
- Watch for people in your demographic, where do they stop?
Take a sketchbook with you, you can doodle your ideas and insights. Take photos of what inspires you. Jot down notes. However you collect your thoughts the best. Then scan them all into your file system to pull ideas from as you need them. I keep my thoughts in a folder on the cloud so I can get at them at any time.
Where do you get inspiration for your trade show booths?