8 Ways to Minimize Expenses and Still Create an Awesome Trade Show Booth

Most people imagine trade show booths as a hefty investment, and in some cases they are. You need to get fancy trade show furniture rentals, t-shirts, pamphlets, etc. The stuff required is different depending on the type of booth you’re opening. But, sometimes even the most basic of equipment tends to cost a lot. This isn’t a problem for bigger organizations as their trade booths usually earn a lot more than they cost. However, for smaller startups on a tight budget, going all out on the booth isn’t a great idea.

“ Trade show booths are almost like a big risk, big reward type thing ”

You can spend a lot and generate an amazing ROI, or you could invest a lot and end up with no sales. That’s why the best option is to stuff low-key and that is exactly what this blog is all about. We’re going to be discussing eight ways you can create an attractive booth while sticking to a strict budget.

Let’s get right into it…

Play With Colors

If there is one thing we’ve learnt from years in the industry, it’s that colors are your best friend. You don’t need fancy or extravagant wallpapers and trade show furniture to attract customers, you need colors according to the product that you’re marketing.

What we’re about to mention is something called the psychology of colors. Long story short, each color has a different effect on the human brain and if you do this correctly, you could bring in more customers than most competitors at the show.

Is your booth regarding something a bit technical? Try purple as it can boost creativity. Are you selling something that people will use during their recreational times? Use green as it will create a peaceful environment. Do some research and discover what color would suit you. Remember, simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. Plain colors can do a lot more than most people think.

Plain Shirts

Matching shirts are something that we feel are highly unnecessary. Did you ever see Steve Jobs making a presentation in an Apple T-Shirt? Any major company presenting a product like you’re doing in a trade show booth don’t use matching t-shirts. They’re usually dressed in a fancy suit showing that they’re professionals. You should do the same. It’ll save you money as most people own a decent suit and you can rent one if you don’t.

However, if you’re intent on matching shirts, there’s a better alternative. Designing and manufacturing custom t-shirts is expensive especially if you’re planning on handing them out. The cheaper option is to buy plain t-shirts of the same color as your company logo. For example, if you’re in an Xbox booth, get a bunch of green t-shirts. Such merchandise is really cheap to get from regular stores and will probably cost less than $5 a piece, while conveying the same message.

Bed Sheets

They might be necessary, but spending $100 on linen is just completely unnecessary. The more affordable and viable option would be to buy a bed sheet. A bed sheet will fulfill the purpose while keeping the expenses at a minimum. You could even take the one off of your bed and it’ll do the job just fine.

The Equipment

This varies from the type of product you’re selling, but most business just need a table, a few chairs, laptop, and a flat screen. That’s pretty much it. You might think that the people crossing your booth will consider you a cheapskate, but if done correctly, your booth will look amazing. The best part is that it will cost you close to nothing. Everyone owns a laptop and you, or someone in your company, probably owns a 50" flat screen. Ask them if they’re willing to give it to you for a day, you could even pay them some cash as rent and everyone will walk away happy.

Buying or Renting

Now that you know what furniture you need, let’s talk about whether your should contact event furniture rentals or buy your own. Basically, this depends on how often you’re going to b organizing a booth for your company. If it’s a one or two time thing, then renting is the cheaper option, but if you’re going to be doing it often, buying is the better choice. Be careful though, buy from trade show booth rentals that offer product with the ability to travel in smaller spaces. Otherwise, you might have to pay someone to ship them from one place to the other.

Stand Up Posters

Stand Up Posters are the cheapest way to let the people passing by know which company you’re representing. Banners do the job quite well and they’re probably better than posters, but expensive at the same time. A standup poster is pretty easy to get since there are tons of places on the internet that will design, create and ship the poster right to your doorstep. It might not be better than a banner, it will certainly cost you less.

Neat and Clean Presentation

It doesn’t matter how much stuff you have, arranging them in a clean way will make your booth more presentable. For instance, if you have a few pamphlets and t-shirts, don’t just throw them anywhere. Use the space on your table wisely and put just your laptop, t-shirts and pamphlets there (if this is all you have). T-shirts should be folded properly and the pamphlets should be arranged perfectly. There shouldn’t be any papers or hard drives or unnecessary wires on the table as it will completely ruin your booth.

Get Some Knowledge

This is one of the most important tips on this list. You need to go out and see what people are doing before you design your own booth. Go to some expo center, look at every booth and make sure you grab a pen and paper. You’ll gain invaluable information and if you pay attention, you’ll have your entire booth created before your walk out those doors.

Closing Thoughts

Money doesn’t always mean more customers. If you’re a startup that looks at the fancy equipment in the neighboring booths and think that you’re done for, you’re wrong. You can do a lot with basic stuff. Do your research, talk to your team and devise a plan that is both attractive for customers and cheap at the same time. There’s a huge chance you might outshine companies that spent thousands on their booths…