A lot goes into a great trade show display: solid branding; appealing colors; an inviting layout. But one of the most overlooked parts of a winning display is lighting.
Lighting can highlight the strongest parts of your display – or it can turn people away if it isn’t properly arranged.
In fact, lighting is one of the most important parts of the overall display experience. You want to set the right mood and put an emphasis on the right things – to make sure your custom trade show booth really stands out.
Here, we’ll go over some of the main things to know about effective lighting and how to use it to accentuate your display’s selling points.
Figure Out What You Want to Highlight
There might be parts of your trade show display that you want people to notice first. These typically include your logo, a sign that introduces your brand to passers-by, any products you have on display, your literature, and – most importantly – where you want people to stand when you interact one-on-one with them.
Accent lighting can highlight each of these spots and serve as a guide, something that catches their eye and says, “Look here!”
We tend to follow where lighting takes us, so careful accent lighting can be a roadmap for your visitors.
Use Lighting to Set the Mood
If you’re like most trade show vendors, you’ll want to talk to people as they come by. You can increase the chances that people will stop to talk to you if you can set the proper mood.
Use recessed lighting and track lighting to fill the space with warm, bright light. No one wants to stand in a dark setting to talk, or stand under a blue light and feel like they’re speaking with a vampire.
Warmer tones are better. Stay away from colder lights. Dark colors like blues and purples can make people less likely to stop by, whereas lighter colors can be more inviting.
And of course, your display needs to be properly illuminated so people can actually see what’s going on.
Use Layered Lighting to Create Permanence
Your trade show display is portable, otherwise it would be impossible to take it from show to show. You’d have to build a brand-new exhibit for every show, which can get very expensive. But you want people to feel like the display has some weight and permanence to it. The best way to achieve this look and feel is through layered lighting.
Layered lighting adds depth by using different sizes and types of lighting in different locations. For example, you can incorporate ambient light to set the general mood, with accent lighting to highlight key areas of your booth, and with task lighting to light where people will be standing so they’re in the illuminated area.
You can also run lights on the ground level to guide people in and provide more depth so that they really feel they’re walking into something.
Custom Trade Show Displays
The best way to take advantage of proper lighting is with a proper custom trade show display.
We can design a booth that can make the most use of great lighting, so that you get the best possible look and feel for your presentation. Our displays are custom – they can be built to your specifications and desires, with our unique aesthetic touch.
Browse our gallery of past work, and contact us if you have any questions or would like to get started!