Exhibition Stands: A Guide to Design, Build and Engagement

Exhibition stands at an industry expo event

When it comes to making an impact at exhibitions, your stand is your stage.

Every element should help communicate your brand, attract visitors and support measurable event objectives. As an events agency, Broadsword understands that the strongest exhibition experiences connect creative ideas with clear business objectives. With the right planning and delivery, your stand can become a valuable part of your wider event strategy.

In this guide, we explore how to plan, design and build an effective exhibition stand, how to make your space work harder and how to measure its success. Whether you’re preparing for a trade show, launching a product or building brand awareness, these principles can help you make more of your exhibition investment.

How to design an exhibition stand

A good exhibition stand combines clear brand messaging, strong visual design and engaging experiences. It should make it easy for visitors to understand what a brand offers, interact with its team and take the next step.

Step 1: What is the purpose of the exhibition stand?

Before diving into the design, it’s crucial to define the purpose of your exhibition stand. Exhibition stands can generate leads, be used to launch a new product, or simply increase brand awareness and industry visibility. Clear objectives will guide your design and strategy.

Step 2: How do you attract visitors to an exhibition stand?

The first step to attracting visitors is promoting your presence before, during, and after the event. Use social media, email, and your website to let people know you’re exhibiting. During the exhibition, consider live updates and interactive competitions to engage attendees onsite. After the event, follow up with leads to keep the momentum going.

Step 3: How to design an exhibition stand that stands out

Your stand should be an extension of your brand and should integrate your brand colours, logos, and messaging (we recommend branded uniforms for your exhibition staff too). A well-designed stand has a strong visual identity that stands out on a busy expo floor.

Think creatively about how to grab attention.

For example, an open space invites attendees to walk inside. Good lighting can highlight key areas of your stand, and high-quality visuals such as print banners and digital screens can increase presence and visibility. A theme, promotion, interactive element, or competition will facilitate better engagement with customers and enhance your booth.

Functionality should also be integrated into the design, ensuring there is storage, comfortable seating, and accessible power sources (maybe even a built-in coffee machine). Broadsword has expertise in technical production and logistics to ensure everything runs seamlessly.

Should you integrate technology into your exhibition stand?

You can install interactive elements into an exhibition stand such as touchscreens, product demonstrations, or VR experiences. These not only attract visitors but also provide a memorable experience that can set you apart from competitors.

Make the most of this investment by ensuring these elements add value for attendees or showcase important information, such as downloadable content. Replacing business cards and brochures with scannable QR codes and digital screens is also an example of using technology to enhance the stand and collect data more efficiently.

With integrated technology and gamification, Broadsword can create interactive touch points that boost data collection and engagement at your exhibition stand.

Step 4: Ideas for what merch to give away at an exhibition

Promotional giveaways are an integral part of exhibiting. They can be a surefire way to draw people in: who doesn’t want to visit a stand if it’s giving away your favourite chocolate or the chance to win a hotel stay?

Always gift something useful or desirable to attendees so it doesn’t just get thrown away, and remember to ensure it is branded.

A competition is a great way to engage with attendees. They simply enter their details for the chance to win a prize.
Something personalised always generates engagement. What about live embossing, calligraphy or embroidery? You can chat to the lead while their item is being personalised.
To be sustainable, consider gifting zero-waste items. Some of our favourite eco-friendly products to gift include planting kits, beeswax soaps, recipe kits, and reusable straws. We have a list of the best B Corp certified products to give away.

Consider putting recycling bins at your stand for packaging and coffee cups. For one exhibition stand, we proposed a donation point for redistributing unwanted exhibition giveaways.

How can you make an exhibition stand more sustainable?

Single-use exhibition stands can be notoriously unsustainable. Follow the 5 Rs model to reduce your impact.

For example, refuse to use paper items at every stage, reduce your footprint by using local crew, and recycle, reuse or donate all materials post-event.

Reduction is key when building your stand. Choose recycled, biodegradable materials and energy-efficient lighting or a modular solution that can be reused exhibition after exhibition.
Source sustainably for exhibition stand build by using certified, organic, and non-toxic wood, fabrics, and paints.
Measuring your carbon footprint can help identify areas for improvement and allow you to offset your event’s emissions by supporting environmental projects.

As a B Corp certified events agency, we take a sustainable approach to exhibition stand production. We can design stands with reuse, durability, recycling, and waste reduction in mind. From responsible material choices to modular stands and gifting with social impact, we look for practical ways to make your stand a sustainable project. We created an exhibition stand for RBC focused on waste reduction, with materials sourced locally and from recycled sources, and 100% of the build waste diverted from landfill. Explore our sustainable event services here.

The final step: How do you measure exhibition stand ROI?

After you’ve invested in an exhibition stand, evaluate the performance of your stand against your initial goals.

How many visitors did you get? What is the number of qualified leads were collected? Did you make any sales? How many times was your content downloaded? Gather feedback from your team and attendees to identify what worked well and what could be improved. This will help you refine your strategy for future events.

Work with an exhibition stand designer

Planning your next exhibition stand?

An effective exhibition stand should do more than attract attention. It should bring your brand to life, engage the right audience and support your wider business objectives.

Broadsword is a London-based event production specialist that offers exhibition stand design and build services from initial concept through to installation. We combine creative thinking, technical expertise and meticulous project management to create exhibition stands that attract attention, communicate your brand story, and drive measurable results.

Planning an exhibition or trade show? Talk to Broadsword about your next exhibition stand.