When you go to an exhibition to network with others in your industry, the event should represent a major opportunity. It's a chance to make connections with key people, expand your customer base and possibly forge new business partnerships. All of this is a tall order, though, and you're starting with just one resource – your exhibition space.

You might only have a few metres of area to work with. Using that space, you've got to attract people, hold their attention and ultimately inspire them to connect with your business. How will you do it? There are no easy answers, but it's a sure bet that design strategies will come into play.

Find the right design for your exhibit

If you're going to come up with the perfect design for your company's space, you've got to think like an exhibit designer. According to the Industry Skills Councils, this means bearing in mind a few things:

• The specific design requirements involved. How much space are you working with? How can you optimally use every centimetre of it, not letting any go to waste?
• The general concept of your exhibit. Draw up some sketches before you dive right into building your exhibit. Make sure you have a good general framework to start from.
• The right technical specifications. Check that all the lighting and sound elements you need are in order. Line up all the graphical elements you'll need. Leave nothing out.

Coming up with compelling graphics

Graphics are sure to play a key role in all brand activation initiatives you launch at an exhibition. When people are walking around and looking at dozens of different companies' exhibits, your graphical elements will be what grabs their attention.

To this end, Trade Show Advisor recommends thinking carefully about your target audience and what sort of graphics will appeal to them. Are there certain colours and images they're drawn to? What about the text? You don't want to use too much writing, but there might be keywords and phrases that grab their attention. Play to the crowd you're hoping to draw.

Consider partnering with the design pros

Design is crucial when you're drawing up exhibits for your business, and you can never be too careful about getting yours right. So why not partner with us? At Exposure Group, we have a wealth of experience drawing up all sorts of projects, ranging from kiosks and pop-up booths to full-blown custom trade show displays.

We're happy to build your next product any way you want it – either within a predetermined brief, or working with you on a collaborative design process. Either way, we're ready to get to work. Just get in touch.