Most people think of a trade show booth as a highly interactive venue, with visitors walking around inside of a carefully constructed walled unit. While these trade show displays certainly do have an appeal, many companies have chosen a slightly different, less interactive option. While a counter-style trade show exhibit won't appeal to every company and perhaps might not be correct in every situation, learning about this option will increase your overall design knowledge.

Counter Trade Show Booth Basics

The original idea for counter-style units came from literal service counters, which would provide everything from food to photos without the visitor ever seeing the process that created the item they bought. Everything went on behind the counter, and there was only that one point of contact between the company and the visitors. This made it very easy to target the message and reduced the need for staffing at trade show displays of this nature.

Today's stands imitate the spirit of their ancestry without duplicating it exactly. They usually offer slightly more information than was typical of an older style unit, but the majority still comes from literature and other take-home items. Giveaways are very common with this type of design.

Running An Actual Shop-Style Counter

In some cases, sticking close to the original model might serve a company's convention needs. There are many different reasons why companies choose to exhibit, and one of the most common is to sell products. These point-of-sale trade show displays usually exist at specially designed sales conferences open to the public, but may also exist at regular industry gatherings as well.

In a situation like this, having a legitimate countertop is not just a benefit, but practically a requirement. However, you must incorporate an orderly way for people to pick up and pay for their items. When you choose a checkout-style design, it's clear where people go to buy, and they feel comfortable making the purchase.

When You're Not Using The Trade Show Exhibit As A Point Of Sale

Without doubt, this type of stand performs at its best when you're actually trying to sell merchandise, Depending on your industry and your design, it can seem like an unnecessary separation between your staff and your clients. If you need to have direct interaction unhindered by anything, then an open plan is probably right for you. If you want to try it, be constantly aware of how open or closed you want each aspect of the booth to be. How much connection is needed? To what extent do you want to engage people? Perhaps more than any other exhibit design, this allows you complete control.

Best of all, it's a pretty inexpensive choice to make. These units don't cost much, so you can try one for your company, see the results, and then decide whether to pursue the strategy. Whether or not it's ultimately for you, these guidelines will help you understand how to maximize its potential.