Inline, Corner, Peninsula, Island, Double Decker and other types of trade fair (Expo) stands.
Not all stands are created equal. Real estate in exhibitions, and especially big and famous ones (IBC, NAB, CES, WTM) - does not come cheap.
One of the most important factors for an exhibitor to consider is how to divide their budget between:
Stand space at the fair (sq.ft or sqm)
Stand infrastructure & construction (from walls to lights, graphics, video instalments and more)
Stand Operations at the fair (manpower, giveaways, catering...)
In this post, we will focus on the difference between stands; advantages and disadvantages for each type, and the trade-off between size, appearance and service for visitors.
The MAIN difference between various booth types can be narrowed to 2 factor:
Exposure
Location
At Exhibitom, we design & build all types of stands. Try Us.
Types of Booths you can find in an Exhibition / Trade fair / Conference:
Inline / Linear / Row booth
Also referred to in north America, as "1 side open". Inline booth is the most common stand you'll find with a back wall and 2 side walls. It offers the least access for visitors (only one side open to hall).
Up-Side of Inline booth - since there is only a single point of contact with the visitor - as an exhibitor you can dedicate all human & logistical resources there: Put the best sales-people, bright video displays, popping giveaways.
Down-Side of Inline booth - from your left, right and just across the aisle - you're likely to find other exhibitors trying to catch attention and attract visitors to THEIR stand.
Here is where Strong, Creative Design comes to play: Utilizing all visual tools to make sure your booth stands out. At Exhibitiom we know how to create a strong, branded design. Try us.
Corner booth
This is a 2-side open stand, usually located each end of an inline-booth row (see diagram) or at each corner of the exhibition Hall.
Is corner booth worth the extra cost?
YES ! Corner booths are considered prime real estate because they can be seen from multiple aisles and enjoy more foot traffic. Your displays can be visible to visitors even when they are not passing by your booth.
But there is a down side to Corner stand to consider: To be effective, corner booth layout takes into account the flow of traffic to perfectly position the first POC of visitors with the products, branding or representatives' kiosk. That means careful planning and cooperation with the designer to understand the resources available during the fair.
Peninsula booth
Prince (or princess) of the hall - the peninsula stand has 3 open sides exposed to passing traffic. Opposed to simpler stands, peninsulas are usually custom made stands, larger and more complex in their design and layout.
Why Spend for a Peninsula booth?
With three sides surrounded by aisles and located in a high-traffic area, it offers maximum visibility in the hall and multiple options to engage with visitors - both personally and using interactive solutions.
The space enables plenty of layout options - depending on type of products / services. It can accommodate sit-in lounges, open standing demonstration kiosks, private meeting areas and much more.
Get inspired here from our previous designs (choose "Peninsula" in the drop-down)
Peninsula booth disadvantages:
It's expensive. From every perspective:
Space - As there are fewer places to position a Peninsula at the hall, the real estate is pricy.
Design/Construction - Once you've got the space, you need to "make it your own". From every angle visitors will come. So there are multiple of walls to construct and decorate, create partitions between different parts of the booth, make focal points across the stand to extend the time people spend exploring your products.
Workforce - Imagine visitors will come from 3 sides - you want someone to meet & greet so they won't feel "left out".
The key point about Peninsula booth: Make sure the real estate investment is backed by plenty of interaction opportunities with visitors and perspective clients. Provide interactive panels, refreshments, sitting areas, arrange discussion groups & demonstrations, consider adding new content to attract visitors coming back.
Talk to our experts for more ideas how to create design-driven interactions.
Island booth
Free standing booth, not connected to, or hidden by, any other booth, stand or display (other then your own). Island booth, 4-sides open to the hall, allows for maximum flexibly in design, functionality and operation.
The Island booth can become anything and everything the exhibitors wishes it to be: You can setup a stage for 360 demonstration, build a bar with overhead displays visible to everyone in the hall, or "split" your island into a few inline and corner stands to show different products.
The possibilities are endless.
As with peninsula (and even more so) - Island booth are custom made only. There may be endless options for the design but in the end, the designer needs to provide a plan that's doable within the budget & timeframe, and meets all of the technical regulations and demands.
Here are some ideas for Island stand design schemes (choose "Island" in the drop-down)
Double Decker booth
The king of the fair, emperor of the expo - A double decker booth is a peninsula or an island with an extra floor on top.
It's expensive (mainly due to safety issues and regulations that accompany the transportation of visitors above ground level), but allows for even more interaction space with the visitors.
Conclusion: Booth types for exhibition or trade fair
Booth Type | Exposure | Location |
Inline / Linear | 1 side open | mid aisle |
Corner | 2 sides open | end of aisle or hall's corner |
Peninsula | 3 sides open | end of aisle |
Island | 4 sides open | free standing |
Double Decker | 3 / 4 sides open | |
No matter the stand type, its design & operation should effectively communicate the company's message and branding.
The layout needs to be functional.
Allow easy interaction between the exhibitor's representatives and visitors.
Welcoming space (so your visitors will have space to Stand)
Provide sitting (usually not an option in Inline booth), refreshments, power charging station - make your visitors comfortable.
Literature (Yes, the hard-copy, printed, in full color) for visitors to browse through while their mobile devices are charging.
Comments