Looking at your booth and wondering how to make it better without a redesign?
Maybe all it needs is one or two custom accessories.
When done right, custom accessories for trade show booths can elevate the experience for attendees.
Without attendees fully realizing it, they can be attracted to your product based on the quality of your presentation.
Just as suits become more dapper by adding a bow tie or cuff links, so your trade show booth can be elevated through accessories like counters, hanging signs, and backlit product displays.
Here are ten custom accessories for trade show booths that can help you put your best foot forward.
10. Hanging Signs
Anytime you’re in an island space (20×20 or 400 sq ft), a hanging sign should be considered.
Pros for Hanging Signs
For one thing, hanging signs make use of all the space above the exhibit, ensuring you get the biggest bang for your buck.
For another thing, you get full 360-degree visibility, which helps you to stand out in a crowded exhibit hall.
Finally, hanging signs are great for retention rates. This means prospects are more likely to remember your name and logo.
As far as impressions go, this is a no-brainer.
Cons for Hanging Signs
Hanging signs are not cheap. They need rigging, which, depending on the city you’re exhibiting in, will require labor unions to install.
Also, some shows and facilities have restrictions. Be sure to familiarize yourself with the event’s guidelines or partner with an exhibit house that knows the ins and outs.
Generally speaking, hanging signs are not used in spaces smaller than 20×20 island spaces. Inline or 10×10 spaces are not good candidates for hanging signs.
Hanging Sign Designs
There are as many different hanging signs as there are exhibits.
Here are some really unique things we’ve done in the past with hanging signs:
- Hanging signs in the shape of a logo
- Hanging signs within hanging signs
- Rotating hanging signs
- Large swooping hanging signs
- Projection mapping onto hanging signs
Talk with an expert to find the best hanging sign to elevate your booth here.
9. Backlit Banner Stands
Until recently, banner stands were some of the most boring accessories imaginable.
What changed? Backlighting and SEG graphics.
Pros for Backlit Banner Stands
Lighting is one of the more underrated elements in trade show booths.
From a design perspective, it’s refreshing to see lighting being incorporated in new ways to ensure the proper vibrancy and visibility are achieved.
Backlit banner stands are sleek editions to existing booths that need to be brightened up a little bit.
They are one of the more inexpensive accessories you can add to your trade show booth.
They also require little to no setup, saving on labor and shipping.
Cons for Backlit Banner Stands
If not done right, a backlit banner stand can look like a band-aid taped over a gash.
Ask yourself how the lighting looks for the entire booth. Is it too dark? Will the banner stand become the primary feature if added?
Backlit Banner Stand Designs
Banner stands can be used to capture leads. No kidding.
We can print anything on a banner stand, including a QR code linking to a survey, landing page, or any other marketing lead magnet.
Minimal text is best. Think of a banner stand as the equivalent of a banner ad that appears in the margins of online blogs and articles.
Also, be sure to use the same font on the banner stand as on other graphics around your booth.
Talk with an expert to find the best backlit banner stand to elevate your booth here.
8. Custom Counters
How important is the counter in the lobby of your storefront or office?
The secretary behind the counter or front desk is the first face clients, and prospects see as they enter your building.
Likewise, your booth staff could use a classy counter or desk to add to their professional look.
Pros of Custom Counters
Custom counters often come with extra storage space, complete with lock and key.
Custom counters require little to no setup, saving on labor.
They apply to any and all booth sizes from 10x10s to 50x50s. They can elevate your booth no matter the space you’re in.
Cons of Custom Counters
They are more affordable than hanging signs, but you don’t get the same visibility as a hanging sign.
They can be bulky, which increases shipping costs.
Designs for Custom Counters
Furthermore, the branding options are all great. You can etch your logo onto it or add a backlit sign.
Custom counters also have varied uses. You can use them to serve food and drinks, product demonstrations, product displays, and as a place for purchases.
We’ve made custom counters for live streams, panel discussions, and interviews.
Talk with an expert to design a classy custom counter to elevate your booth here.
7. Storage Towers
By merging practicality with a modern, innovative design, a storage room becomes more than just a place to put your stuff.
Pros of Storage Towers
Storage towers work if you are bringing lots of booth staff or lots of product inventory.
The towers themselves are brandable and come with a lock and key.
Unfortunately, theft does happen at trade shows, which is why exhibitors opt for storage towers to secure their belongings while they explore the exhibit hall themselves or leave for the hotel.
Cons of Storage Towers
The biggest consideration is the current configuration of the exhibit.
Will the new storage tower be a seamless fit?
If you don’t already have a storage tower, rearranging the exhibit’s design might be necessary.
Designs for Storage Towers
Options for storage towers are less readily available and require a deep dive into understanding the current exhibit’s layout.
We’ve seen them as detached from the rest of the exhibit to being seamlessly merged and hidden within the structural design of the exhibit.
Talk with an expert to discover how to integrate a storage tower into your exhibit here.
6. Flooring
Sometimes, a simple change in flooring is all that is needed to spice things up.
Pros of Flooring
The flooring affects the ambiance of your presence on the trade show floor.
Leaving the color out, you can add padding underneath the floor to provide extra comfort for visitors.
Without even thinking about it, visitors will be pleasantly surprised by how their feet feel when they stand in your booth.
A big pro for flooring is that it is a much simpler change than the other accessories mentioned above.
Cons of Flooring
Shipping costs vary depending on the size of your booth space.
It might not make sense to worry about flooring if you’re in a 10×10 booth space.
Designs for Flooring
Flooring comes in many, many options, including
- Plush carpeting that could add a touch of luxury
- Vibrant brand colors that make your exhibit pop
- Printed designs of your logo that show off your brand’s appeal
New flooring can be a significant feature of your experience.
Talk to a designer to find the right flooring for your booth here.
5. Photo Booths/Opps
These interactive installations are not only fun but can also act as a powerful marketing tool.
Pros of Photo Booths/Opps
They are a classic way to engage attendees and collect their information.
You can also use photo booths/opps to increase social media mentions and impressions.
It can be a great icebreaker for booth staff and attendees.
Cons of Photo Booths/Opps
You must understand your audience to know what will get them excited.
It requires social instincts and strategy to pick the right option.
It requires space for specially printed graphics.
Sometimes, the additional cost of props makes sense.
Designs for Photo Booths/Opps
The sky is the limit.
From celebrity/influencer appearances to unique settings, you can make your photo booth look like a rodeo, recording studio, or even a ski lift.
A relaxed and playful atmosphere around the photo booth fosters natural and stressless networking opportunities.
Bounce ideas off an event strategist to find the right photo booth/opp for your exhibit here.
4. Custom Furniture
By tailoring furniture to your specific brand’s style, you not only enhance the visual allure of your space but also add a level of comfortability.
Pros of Custom Furniture
The level of customization of your furniture is up to you.
Your eye for interior design will serve you well when looking for the right custom furniture.
It can really spice up your space and keep attendees in your booth for longer.
Cons of Custom Furniture
It really depends on the size, scope, and amount of furniture you are taking.
Such things will influence, shipping, setup, and price point.
Designs for Custom Furniture
Barstools, couches, bean bags – we’ve seen it all.
Bounce ideas off a seasoned designer to find the right custom furniture for your booth here.
3. Personalized Giveaways
SWAG, or Stuff We All Get, is a game most exhibitors play.
The most basic SWAG includes pens, stress balls, pins, hats, and shirts.
Elevate your SWAG game by handing out classier giveaways like care packages, sterling silver pens, or recycled items.
Pros of Giveaways
Giveaways are really effective in attracting prospects to your booth.
To engage prospects further you can include a game or contest prospects have to win in order to win the SWAG item.
Cons of Giveaways
When done badly, giveaways attract the wrong prospects: freeloaders and tire-kickers.
Avoid using SWAG with little or nothing to do with your specific products or services.
Designs for Giveaways
You can design a trophy for an interactive game or content in your booth.
Care packages are also very popular since the majority of people are traveling to the conference from out of state.
Another unique thing to consider is SWAG not just for the prospects, but for the prospects’ kids.
Oftentimes, attendees keep the SWAG to give to their kids when they get home. Depending on your audience, you can lean into this.
Speak with one of our account executives about SWAG items here.
2. Custom Audio/Visual Elements
Technology can be a great experiential element in your exhibit to engage and teach attendees about your products or services.
Pros of Audio/Visual Elements
Audio/Visual (AV) elements add movement to your booth, which instantly catches people’s attention.
Video allows you to teach attendees about your products or services if you can’t bring them.
It works great for software companies or companies whose products are too large to bring to the show.
AV elements include flashy new tech like Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, holographic displays, video tiles, and projection mapping.
Cons of Audio/Visual Elements
There is the risk of tech mishap. For example, the wifi might not work 100% all the time.
The other thing to be wary of is that you bring the right video or sizzle reel to the exhibit.
Depending on the kind of AV technology you use, the cost can skyrocket.
If it’s a simple TV monitor, no biggie.
But if you want display tiles, projection mapping, holographic displays, or virtual reality, the price tag will increase.
Designs for AV Elements
Speak with one of our account executives about AV elements here.
1. Meeting Rooms and Lounges
In some cases, a custom accessory for trade show booths won’t do the trick.
Not all is lost.
Instead of purchasing a brand-new exhibit or renting, you can talk with an exhibit house that specializes in design to rearrange the elements within your existing booth for a brand-new look and feel.
Pros of Meeting Rooms and Lounges
Meeting rooms and lounges give attendees a VIP experience.
They also provide insulation from a noisy and crowded show floor.
Lounges provide value for attendees by letting them sit, rest their feet, and recharge. You can provide real value real quickly on the show floor.
Cons of Meeting Rooms and Lounges
You might need a larger booth space to fit a conference room or lounge. This naturally means the cost will be higher.
Design Ideas for Meeting Rooms and Lounges
Speak with one of our exhibit specialists here.
We hope these ten custom accessories will be at the forefront of your mind while preparing for your next event.
Regardless of if you take this list into consideration, please always remember to find a way to make your stage a popular one.
For more insights and award-winning event strategies, contact our team of event specialists to design the perfect exhibit to amplify your brand. Connect with a team member here or give us a call at 972-734-8585.
