WRITTEN BY // JESSICA HEATHCOTE
KEY CONTRIBUTOR : TREVOR CHARD
RE-PUBLISHED: DECEMBER 2024
Exhibitions offer the unique opportunity of creating an immersive platform that connects people and products like no other. But how do you boost your exhibition impact and return on investment to get the results that matter to your stakeholders? From stimulating multisensory experiences through to engaging face-to-face interactions, tradeshows go beyond the limitations of traditional marketing channels.
In fact, according to the latest from 2025 Global Meetings and Events Forecast by American Express, in-person meetings remain the top preference for 2025. While hybrid and virtual formats still hold value in the meetings landscape, survey results show a stronger inclination toward face-to-face gatherings. We’ve complied the best proven strategies from our exhibition producers through to industrial designers on how you can elevate your brand and maximise success for your exhibition strategy.
1. Smart stand design
It’s essential to invest in a well-designed, eye-catching display but you should also consider cost-effective materials and modular designs to optimise your exhibition impact and return on investment. A well-thought-out custom design brief is key to creating a smart design strategy that prioritises reusability. During the briefing process, we conduct a thorough lifecycle analysis and examine every aspect of your custom display. This design approach ensures your display elements can be adapted for multiple uses. We can recommend the best materials based on budget requirements and scope of work as well as reduce the need for constant reinvestment which can also be cost efficient in the long run for your brand.
Our Senior Account Manager, Trevor Chard, explains;
“As we move into 2025, it’s the perfect time to start having conservations with key stakeholders. The more information you have up front, the better the design and ability to create modular pieces”
“Think about how many uses or shows you will exhibit at and each of the floor space tenancies. Is the stand a Peninsula, Island or 3-sides enclosed? Do you need a storeroom, space for a coffee cart or multiple product display plinths? All of these details are crucial for smart stand design and can work harmoniously together in different configurations to make sure you’re the talk of the show and meet your budget requirements”.
2. A/B testing for ROI
A/B Testing is not only reserved for your digital footprint and you don’t need to make complex changes to your display strategy in order to gain valuable results. Tradeshows are a great way to test your products and get real-time feedback from a highly engaged target audience. However, to collect valuable data as well as increase your exhibition impact and return on investment, you’ll need to run the A/B test correctly.
Start out by opting for low-risk modifications to your exhibition strategy and our team can work with you to create two different versions of your best stand layout. Next, choose a single variable so as you can accurately analyse which one performed better overtime at the tradeshow. We recommend using the following elements to split test and compare results:
Colour
From using limited edition colour packaging through to changing your stand graphics and painted product plinths, your possibilities can be endless in this space. Use foot traffic or spatial analytics to help make informed decisions about colour impact on visitor engagement and brand awareness.
Placement
Consider placing complimentary merchandise from the same range with your hero product or re-locate your hero product from one side of your stand to the other. Try experimenting with the height and position of your products too and create a visual hierarchy otherwise known as the ‘pyramid principle’. Use different levels from floor standing and eye level through to waist height and beyond to see how this affects attendee attention, dwell time and interaction with your brand and products.
Presentation
Product demos are essential to drive engagement and create a memorable brand experiences. Test interactive presentations with touchscreens or virtual reality (VR) experiences versus a static display with product testers or 3D models. You can begin to observe engagement time, changes in product knowledge or brand opt-in metrics to gauge which variable generates the most conversions.
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3. Trends and giveaways
There’s no better way to maximise impact than to go viral. But how? Why not offer an experience relating to the latest trending topic for your industry, complete with an attractive giveaway for sign-ups or visitor engagement. Try out these suggestions with your industry prospects to increase exhibition impact and return on investment:
Renewable Energy Sector
Host a VIP panel discussion on the latest solar tech with a free solar powered portable-charger giveaway for attendees.
Travel and Tourism
Offer VR experiences of the best holiday destinations with a reusable travel kit gift for visitors who sign-up to your brand.
Auto and Electric Vehicles (EV)
Offer a test drive of the latest EV model with an LED flashlight gift for drivers who complete the track and provide feedback.
Beauty and Skincare
Host free personalised skincare assessments with product samples or discount treatments, tailored to the prospects’ skin results.
At DisplayWise, we pride ourselves on pushing the boundaries in design and craftsmanship and our exhibition stand hire range is inspired by the latest design trends. If a custom-built and designed stand is out of budget or timeline is an issue, a Premium Hire solution may be the perfect alternative. Our collection provides exhibitors with a high-end and on-trend exhibition stand offering at a more affordable price point. Download our Premium Hire Brochure now to start with a flawless framework for your brand.
4. Determine the data to track
The metrics to measure can be as many you define, however these are some of the standard insights we’d recommend you benchmark for exhibition impact and return on investment:
- Customer behaviour such as entrances/exits from your stand, points of interest/hotspots and overall dwell time.
- Sales revenue generated.
- Number of orders confirmed at the show or within the specified influencing period.
- Visitor numbers to the stand and the overall show.
- Website analytics.
- Social media analytics.
- Media mentions.
- Email marketing campaign metrics such as open rates, engagement, clicks-throughs.
You’ll want to make sure you follow up with your prospects post engagement too and you should be considering increased digital touchpoints during and after the show. According to Hubspot, the most effective strategies for email marketing campaigns are subscriber segmentation (78%), message personalisation (72%), and email automation campaigns (71%).
Personalise your post-event follow-up by utilising collected data to send targeted emails to specific segments and boost the likelihood of conversions. Additionally, maximise your investment by repurposing event content into blog posts, social media updates or case studies to maintain audience engagement and extend the value beyond engaging with your brand at the exhibition. But remember, you won’t be able to show the full extent of your investment right away. Set these expectations upfront with stakeholders to ensure they understand the full marketing and sales cycle process and when to expect results.
Mastering the art of exhibition success requires strategic thinking, innovation and a commitment to delivering value to your target audience. At DisplayWise, we’re here to help you every step of the way to ensure your exhibition impact and return on investment exceeds expectations in 2025. Talk to our team today to help transform your vision into reality and deliver results that resonate, with an impressive ROI to match.
