Your guide: How to choose your next exhibition stand provider

You're planning the trade fair attendances of the year. You've selected the fairs that your company will be attending and now it's time to find an exhibition stand provider. In that regard, it's important to choose a reliable partner who can create a unique exhibition stand to help your company stand out from the crowd with the perfect look.

There are some basic considerations to keep in mind when choosing an exhibition stand provider for your next exhibition stand. In this blog post, we'll guide you through some key considerations.

How to assess your company's needs

Finding an exhibition stand provider that can assess your company's needs with you may make a world of difference, since you can work together to determine what your company needs in terms of the design and construction of your exhibition stand. The assessment may include strategic consultations, project management, and ideation. Together, these things create a solid foundation for the work that lies ahead.

Based on the assessment, you and your provider will work together to create a brief—it's a bit like a checklist. That way, you can prevent unwanted surprises and create a detailed plan for how your exhibition stand will be put together.

An exhibition stand with an exceptional design

Now that you've assessed your brand and your needs, it's time to get a unique exhibition stand designed. It's important to find an exhibition stand provider with design expertise who understands your brand and knows how to create a valuable fusion of form and function. This way, your exhibition stand can not only meet your company's needs but also ensure that your company gets noticed and remembered for its design.

Your exhibition stand's design should encompass your brand's look and identity while being unique and product-orientated. It should also create an inviting atmosphere for customers visiting your exhibition stand. For those reasons, it's important to find an exhibition stand provider experienced in meeting needs like those of your company, and who knows how to design a unique solution that will stand out from other exhibition stands.

Read on to learn about five simple methods that can earn you that crucial extra attention from show visitors. These methods are based on design elements that are often going to be part of your exhibition stand to begin with, so there are no excuses for not standing out.

Five simple ways to get noticed

#1 Think outside the exhibition stand: your exhibition stand isn't a box.

Attracting attention to your exhibition stand is important, especially when it's standing in a sea of other exhibition stands that are all trying to showcase their brands as best they can.

Unfortunately, there is no magic recipe for this. But sometimes, thinking outside the box (or the exhibition stand) is what matters, so experiment with some less obvious choices.

#2 An extraordinary sensory experience

Engage multiple senses at once. Whether you have beautiful colours in your logo, an eye-catching product, or something else entirely, incorporating these elements into your finished exhibition stand is important. But there are plenty of opportunities to engage senses other than vision.

Use colours, experiences, sounds, and scents to stand out at the show and engage your customers' senses.

#3 Hocus pocus, your product's the focus

Some companies have stunning, eye-catching products that easily attract attention on their own. While you might not think that your product has aesthetics on its side, there are always tons of creative options that can transform your product into your exhibition stand's primary design element.

Just as words can paint a descriptive picture, a creative exhibition stand design can tell a story and showcase rich sensory experiences. So let your product be the focus. Use it as a core element of your exhibition stand's design and let the product tell your brand's story.

#4 Add colour and light to your presence

You have to make the most of the tools you have available. Two of them are colour and light, and experimenting with them when designing your exhibition stand is a great idea. Colours come with symbolic meanings. Blue symbolises trust, brown suggests stability, and black indicates authority. You can probably see how the use of colour in your exhibition stand can offer immense benefits.

Lighting can also help you create a particular mood. If you want to set a cosy mood, choose muted lighting that creates a warm, pleasant atmosphere. Conversely, if you want to create a more contemporary, innovative appearance, you might decide to use spotlights to increase the focus on the products you want to showcase.

#5 Gimme! Gimme! Gimmicks!

To put the icing on the cake, gimmicks can be a nice addition to your exhibition stand. A gimmick could be anything from a touch screen to an automated robotic assistant, like the one we created for Welltec.

Beyond the interactivity that gimmicks can provide, they attract attention and persuade attendees to visit your exhibition stand to satisfy their curiosity.

Gimmicks can give your exhibition stand a "wow" effect that not only is visually impressive but also says something about your company.

Ensuring high-quality production

You and your exhibition stand provider have settled on a stunning design, and now it's time for your exhibition stand to be produced. In doing so, your provider needs to be aligned with your company's vision for sustainability and CSR. For example, consider the materials that your exhibition stand provider offers. Do they use environmentally friendly paints? Is the wood they use recyclable? What kinds of packing materials do they use for shipping?

Choosing an exhibition stand provider that you can rely on is key. That way, you can ensure that your wishes will be fulfilled. Trust makes the process simpler, and you'll avoid ending up with a finished product that's far from the original brief.

Craftsmanship is also important to consider. Choose a provider that has experience creating trade fair structures. Look into their past work and think about whether they have what it takes to build your exhibition stand as you envision it.

Crossing the finish line with your exhibition on-site

Working with the right provider matters when you're at a trade fair, too. The days leading up to a fair are often hectic, with little time to spare. That's why you must have a provider that comes well-prepared and handles all the details, so all you have to do is arrive at the show well-rested.

It takes a lot of trust to leave that kind of work to a third party, so it's crucial for your exhibition stand provider to be capable of handling the entire scope of the project. Keep in touch with your provider throughout the process, so you can be certain that they're capable of delivering everything you've seen in the drawings. Don't be afraid to demand high capacity and high quality. Most providers can draw (and draw well, at that), but not all of them have the skilled staff it takes to execute what they promise.

A professional exhibition stand provider will have experience in all aspects of the process, so they can also handle all the little details that might not be at the top of your to-do list. They can bring your attention to elements of your exhibition stand that you might not have thought about. For example, an improper power supply plan can create major, expensive issues.

Repeat the experience: reuse your exhibition stand

Once you've got a beautiful exhibition stand that shows off what your company has to offer, you'll have every reason to repeat that first successful experience with your exhibition stand.

To that end, it's always worth looking into the possibility of using the same exhibition stand on multiple occasions during the design process. Here are some good considerations to keep in mind:

Can I use my exhibition stand structures in different booth sizes with different dimensions?

Is my exhibition stand design easy to transform from a product presentation space to a lounge and meeting space?

Keeping these considerations in mind will help you be sure that your exhibition stand is scalable and able to meet a variety of needs, so you can avoid using more resources than are strictly necessary.

Case: Siemens Gamesa 

Scanex worked closely with Siemens Gamesa to design their new exhibition stand for the 2022 CIGRE trade fair in Paris. Siemens Gamesa had a 300 m2 space at the show, so there was plenty of room to work with.

To align the exhibition stand with Siemens Gamesa's product focus, we gave it a dynamic look that symbolises movement, with organic, circular proportions. This design helps to support the element of energy, which is constantly changing. The company colours were a consistent theme throughout the design, creating a recognisable brand focus that inspires trust.

Susanne Boysen Kjær, senior manager of communications at Siemens Gamesa, is responsible for the company's general appearance when presenting the brand at trade fairs.

She notes that a high-quality exhibition stand that matches and strengthens their brand is critical to them. To achieve that, they need a provider capable of delivering high quality and high flexibility so that the brand looks great at shows. "Scanex's pricing and quality were competitive. They were also flexible, and there was a lot of trust between us and them, as customer and supplier, in general."

Trust between the two parties is a major focus for her when executing a major trade fair project. "Having a partner that understands our needs, like Scanex, is important to us. You know, I sometimes think they know us better than we know ourselves, as far as trade fairs go", Susanne explains.

Keep scrolling to hear more of what Susanne Boysen Kjær has to say about working with Scanex for the CIGRE trade fair in Paris.

Case: Lemvigh-Müller & Niko

In 2022, Lemvigh-Müller and Niko were both in the market for new exhibition stands to participate in the EL & TEKNIK trade fair at the Odense Congress Centre.

Lemvigh-Müller: Flexibility and consulting

The company specialises in steel, technical installations, and electrical installations, with services spanning a broad palette of business areas.

This was the first time that Lemvigh-Müller's marketing consultant, Sofie Sandager, would be responsible for the company's trade fair appearance. She needed to find an exhibition stand provider who knew what it was doing and could offer her guidance and advice throughout the process.

Henrik, Scanex's project manager, confidently guided Sofie through the process and paid special attention to details that someone without years of experience setting up exhibition stands might miss.

"It was great to have Henrik at Scanex helping me with even the smallest things that needed to be taken care of. I wouldn't have even imagined these things could be problems if he hadn't pointed them out", Sofie says.

Lemvigh-Müller appreciated Scanex's flexibility and helpfulness. We were available for questions and challenges throughout the process, and we offered inspiration and advice along the way. Lemvigh-Müller had stated up front that they needed ongoing feedback on both the creative and practical fronts.

When the Lemvigh-Müller team arrived at the show, their exhibition stand was ready to go, and they were able to begin setting up their products right away. We created an exhibition stand with a very streamlined look that supports Lemvigh-Müller's extensive product lines and craftsmanship.

Niko: Finding a reliable source of input

Niko specializes in high-quality, modern electrical installations such as switches, sockets, and light sensors.

Niko was looking for a partner who could help them in the long term by providing better input and optimal solutions. They were assigned a project manager who they communicated with throughout the process. Especially in the design phase, Niko needed input and guidance to translate their brand's visual expression into the design of their exhibition stand. Our design department came up with some creative solutions that took into account Niko's brand and visual identity.

Thomas Heide, Niko's regional marketing manager, was already juggling a lot, so he needed a reliable partner who could consult with him along the way and make sure the exhibition stand would be ready on time.

"I have a lot on my plate every day, so it's been great working with a partner like Scanex that can ensure we meet all our deadlines along the way," Thomas says.

Scanex took a structured approach to the job and created an exhibition stand which, with its contemporary and quality-conscious look, encompassed Niko's brand identity and product line in its visual expression.

Keep scrolling to hear more of what Sofie at Lemvigh-Müller and Thomas at Niko have to say about working with Scanex.

Want us to build your next exhibition stand?

We've helped thousands of companies create unforgettable exhibition stands, and we're ready to help you, too.

Creativity, craftsmanship, and experience are fundamental to everything we do at Scanex. As your Full Circle Exhibition Partner, you're guaranteed a thorough, proven process for getting your exhibition stand set up. We take you through the following five processes: Assessment, Design, Production, On-site, and Storage.

As described above, these processes set the stage for a frictionless project founded on trust and experience. Our common goal for the process is to ensure that you arrive at the show with the perfect exhibition stand to create great results for your business.

Read more about our full-circle exhibition concept here or talk with us about how we can best help you with your next booth or exhibition stand.