Exhibition Stand AV Offers a Sustainable, Engaging and Impactful Experience

The cost of wood is at an all-time high, event budgets are low, and many exhibitors are going back to basics.

In 2022, the simple shell schemes and pull up banner appears to be the stand design of choice for many exhibitors. But, what impact is that really having on the thousands of visitors amid the thousands of stands?

Yes, there have been budget cuts and increasing venue prices have made running, hosting and exhibiting at events more challenging. Don’t even get us started on staff shortages. Needless to say, times still remain challenging for the events sector, but let’s look on the bright side, events are actually happening again! 

Most notably, the ExCel exhibition calendar is filling up – and filling up fast.  With new events being added by the day at London’s iconic exhibition hall, we thought now is a good time to share some tips on:

• Budget saving ideas for your exhibition stand
• How to keep your stand sustainable 
• Best ways to engage your audience amid awash of samey exhibition stands

Why Exhibition Stand Budgets are so Low

While we may be desperate to exhibit again, there is always the matter of cost. Budgets are at an all-time low across the event industry. To make matters worse, venue costs are increasing after two years of honouring bookings and keeping costs low to attract clients back. 

With costs rising across the event industry, we have created some tips for reducing costs using clever exhibition stand design, as well as making an impact while the competition keep things low key. 

Tip 1. Budget savings: keep your design simple, use less materials and less people

Your exhibition designer will tell you that to keep costs low, you need to think about the materials used and the build time. Ultimately, a simpler design means less materials and less crew required to build it.

Lessening the amount of carpentry and tech on your stand does not necessarily mean you will be reducing the impact. Clever exhibition stand design is often made impactful because of the finishing touches delivered by the exhibition stand AV – lighting, rigging and projection.

We’re not just saying that because we are a technical production company. The truth is, if you want your exhibition stand to make an impact, it is bound to have lighting and rigging of some sort. Its about using that technical production part of the budget to create an impact and deliver an immersive brand experience. 

Tip 2. Use projection instead of printed graphics – it’s sustainable, dynamic and immersive

Exhibition stand AV can be immersive, dynamic and engaging. All too often exhibitors opt for large, printed graphics featuring wording and imagery, but who wants to be the same as everyone else?

Sadly, a lot of these stand graphics are disposed of because the messages are no longer relevant for the next exhibition, or there’s nowhere to store them. In a world where we are trying to limit waste, this is not a sustainable solution.

Our suggestion is that you forget printed graphics for your exhibition stand design. Instead, opt for projection. You can project large images, video, shapes, graphics. Anything your heart desires on to the back wall, floor or even into the ceiling. 

The best part about projection is:

• There’s no waste products
• The projected assets can be edited as required for future exhibits 
• The impact of the stand design will create a higher engagement from visitors, whether your stand is small or large

Tip 3. Use screens for higher engagement

Screens and interactive touchpoints are ideal for engaging your audience. This is especially true when your stand representative is busy talking to another customer. While they are talking, you are missing out on footfall from other potential buyers or customers. 

But video displays and interactive screens provide an engaging digital experience that will keep visitors on your stand for longer and will ultimately immerse the target audience in your brand. 

By using screens or projection as part of your exhibition stand AV budget, you can keep your messages relevant to the audience. 

Here are just some examples of great digital exhibition stand content:

• Immersive brand video
• To-camera message from the CEO
• Interview with happy customers
• Demonstration of a product, app or experience

Tip 4. Use professional lighting to get noticed

Professional lighting is a great way of setting the scene for your immersive brand experience. From simple colour washes to programmed moving lights, you can build suspense, drama and deliver a message. Have your light show programmed to music and really stand out from your fellow exhibitors.

Tip 5. Use ground support truss instead of overhead banners to save on rigging fees

Another way to save a few pennies, is by creating a stand using ground-support truss, as opposed to rigging a large banner from the ceiling of ExCel. 

Rigging from ExCel’s overhead hoists is expensive, so unless you must have a banner flying from the ceiling, we recommend you keep your stand at ground level. This will save a lot of your budget, allowing you to make an impact elsewhere.

The framework of a lot of exhibition stands are developed using ground support truss and then clad. However, while we are talking about budgeting, you could keep the truss bare and simply rig moving lights that can project onto the floor or free-standing surfaces. Another option would be to use cyclorama as projection surface. 

The more creative you become with you exhibition stand AV, the more you will set yourself apart from the basic shell schemes and engage visitors.

To discover more cost savings and creative solutions using exhibition stand AV, contact the project team at The Production People.