A FREE Guide to Designing Exhibition Graphics

Roll up banners

Roll up banners are a great product of ours - they look highly professional, and are very convenient in carrying around your exhibition. The design on a roll up banner can vary greatly depending on its purpose - it can be selling a particular product, service, advertising your brand or company in general, or simply providing a back drop to an other wise dull exhibition space. This banner for Heritage Weddings which I created was intended to catch people's eye as they walked around the exhibition - and highlighted some of their key products. When thinking about designing your own roll up banner there are a few key things to think about:

Space - imagine your banner in situ in the exhibition. Keep all important text at height level - nothing too high or too low - if it's too high people won't be able to see it when they are in your space. Having text too low can cause problems if there are items or objects in the way, such as tables and passers by who happen to place their bag on the floor.

Text size - something which seems quite obvious but sometimes gets missed is text size - don't make it too small! Your banner is intended to catch people's attention from a distance, so it needs to be fairly big and punchy

Amount of text - don't fill your banner with too much content, less is always more. If you have a fair amount of content think about having some leaflets or flyers on your exhibition table which can cater to this kind of content - people can then also take these items home.

Totem poles

Totem poles are a more alternative option to a roll up banner. In essence, it can have the same kind of content as a banner, i.e selling a particular product or service, but their stacked cardboard structure is more of an exciting way of presenting information. Rock IT deal in recycling laptops and other IT equipment for resale. These totem poles were a great solution for their space, due to the cardboard being recyclable - the main selling point of the company. It's these details which bring your brand ideals to life.

Table runners

As with many exhibition spaces it can look a bit sparse if you have minimal information displayed. A table runner is a great way of dressing up your space to make it look more filled and attractive. If you have items on the table which you intend people to pick up and keep, you need to be as inviting as possible. A design that works best on a runner is a repeat pattern. If you design a runner for a particular table size you will be limited as to when you can use it again. Making it generic with your brand colours and design means you can use it countless times. You can even get creative as to how you use it - use it as a wall hanging, or to dress up products and items.

Micawber mugs

Mugs don't seem to be a very creative item - and in essence they're not. But, its not the creativeness in the item that works with exhibitions. It's the items that get carried around by everybody to each stall. By giving away mugs with your logo and brand placed on them, it will get seen by a lot of people - and brand exposure can never be underestimated. A design that works best on a mug is having your logo placed on either side rather than one wrap around design. This ensures your logo is seen by all angles and is not dependent on how the person is holding it.

Worthing Business Circle Pens

Similarly with mugs, pens don't seem to appear as a very creative item. But just think about the different pens that you have either picked up that have a logo on them. They are such a great marketing tool as when you find a good free pen there's no way you will let go of it! The design on a pen is obviously quite limited, but in essence all you need is your logo visible, with either a web address or phone number and this will ensure your brand will be seen every time someone uses it.

There are other items which work just as well - the main selling point is to think about your audience, if its children think about printed stickers (kids love stickers!) or students, I used to love getting a free USB stick, if your exhibition is happening during summer think about printing labels on water bottles and giving them out for free. Brand exposure can pay off greatly further down the line.

Make a Scene

Designing graphics for exhibitions is great as it is always exciting to see printed items that are at a larger scale. The most important thing to think about is your space - do your research. Find out exactly how much space you have, and get creative in the ways in which you present yourself or your company. The biggest buzz is always created by something exciting to see.