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How to make your exhibition stand stand-out
You know the feeling: staring at a trade show floor plan, asking the million-dollar question, “How do we make our stand the one everyone talks about?”
For us last year at InstallerSHOW, the answer started with our company theme: 'Transition Forward'. The challenge was making it relatable and exciting.
Our minds went to time travel, which led to the most iconic time machine of all: the DeLorean from Back to the Future. We knew that for our audience, many of whom are of an age where that film is an iconic piece of their youth, tapping into that shared nostalgia was the perfect hook. And yes, we got THE actual DeLorean.
An idea is only as good as its execution, and our most important first step was bringing the sales team in early. Far from needing convincing, they were all-in from day one, and their infectious excitement was crucial. We fully leaned into the theme, even creating a social media countdown timer that looked just like the DeLorean's time dashboard to build pre-show buzz.
Working closely with out stand builder Motive Exhibitions our ideas came to life and we built a whole experience. Even before we uncovered the car, its iconic shape was stopping people. Visitors started in a retro 50s 'Danfoss diner', then stepped into a time tunnel for a video trip through history. Emerging into our 'future' zone to get hands-on with our tech. We even arranged for Doc and Marty lookalikes to join us and add an extra element of interaction.
What made it extra special was that the car's owner was there, happily chatting about its history – it was used in Ready Player One and its dashboard is signed by the original cast and Steven Spielberg. My personal highlight? At the end of the show, I got to sit in it and fire up the flux capacitor!
So, what’s my advice? First, know your audience. Nostalgia is a powerful tool, and a trip down memory lane is a fantastic way to foster engagement. From there, don't be afraid to fully commit to a creative theme. If you can create an immersive story and get your own team genuinely excited, you'll build a stand people truly want to visit. It proves that a bit of creativity and a lot of team spirit go a very long way.