In brief: bringing your vision to life with a stand brief that works

Any brand that has worked with the Smart Display creative team knows that they are leaders in their field. When we took a trip up to the creative department last year, the overwhelming conclusion was that each designer knows how to make flair function; blending branding, vision and practicalities to create a show-stopping stand that works.

Creative vision and practical expertise however can only be sparked by the right brief. And, for the marketing manager tasked with the job of getting that message across, the prospect can be daunting. We rounded up some key tips and pointers from an insider’s point of view to help marketing managers tell us everything we need to write an exhibition stand brief that is guaranteed to produce perfect results.

Who are you?

It sounds obvious but the very essence of your exhibition stand is your company identity. And while your heritage, ethos, product range and direction may be second nature to you, these are the elements that you need to convey to your potential customers at your next exhibition. When you are briefing the team, take a few moments to write a summary of your company that gives your designer an insight into what you are all about. Are you proud of a century-long heritage, or is your unique selling point cutting edge innovation? These are the pointers that will help your designer to create an immersive brand environment that encapsulates your company and branding.

What do you want to say?

The most important message that a marketing manager can bring to a briefing call is what the company wants to say to visitors attending the trade event in question. Exhibitions are busy and crowded with likeminded brands competing to capture the attention of the audience in attendance. Bearing in mind you have seconds to get your message across, having a clear vision of what you want to say is essential to our designers. Exhibition stands are not the time for subtlety or clever crypticity; if you make the best tools in the trade, say so. If your revolutionary recruitment app takes the hassle out of hiring, that’s your message. This is particularly true if you don’t have an actual product to showcase. Every visitor to your show is exposed to your stand and therefore your brand for mere seconds, so make sure it’s crystal clear what you are offering.

What are you looking to achieve?

• Every brand exhibiting at a trade event wants to attract visitors and ultimately convert those visits sales. There are slight differences however as to what each is looking to achieve specifically, and these subtleties can help our designers to create the perfect platform that enhances your trade aspirations.
• Do you have a key new product that the industry needs to know about? Let us know, and our designers can incorporate a showcase, a plinth or even an interactive demonstration to put your new launch firmly into the spotlight.
• Are you looking to attract new customers who were previously unfamiliar with your brand? Our designers are well-versed in bringing visitors to your stand who may otherwise have walked right on by. Let us know that this is your main aim, and we can incorporate a fun feature; a buzz test game, a leader board, an interactive graffiti wall or a crack-the-code incentive to win a relevant prize.
• Is your main objective hosting meetings with existing distributors and clients? If you already have a bulging book of appointments, our designers can be sure to incorporate a soft seating area, refreshments or a private meeting room to allow certain members of your team to host a meeting in a relaxed setting.
• Do you want to demonstrate, educate or raise awareness of your product or service? Our creative team can maximise your floorspace to allow for live demonstrations, or create a viewing area with a TV screen or LED video wall for you to screen your own media.

What are we working with?

Again, it sounds obvious, but the first questions our team will ask you is when is your event, what size is your stand, what sort of space have you booked and what is your budget? Ideally, we need to see a floorplan to see exactly what we are working with in terms of space and orientation. From a 3 x 3m closed stand with three walls and one open side to a completely open 86 sq m island space, our designers can create your perfect brand environment, but having these details to hand during our call is essential. Beyond the basics however, you can leave it to us – your dedicated project manager will liaise with the organiser on your behalf with regards to rigging, electrics and health & safety, so don’t be intimidated by the technical jargon if this is your first-ever exhibition.

What do you need?

Our team are well-versed in taking briefs, but it’s worth being aware of what we will ask you during a call. Our standard questions include how many people will you have on the stand? Will you be needing basic storage for coats and bags, or something more substantial for high-value equipment? Do you have physical products to showcase? Do you require seating, and do you have AV requirements for screening your own media? There’s no need to get technical – our extensive experience means that we will take care of concealing electrics and creating adequate lighting. But your essential criteria will help us to create the platform that works for you.

What’s your dream?

Knowing that an established and experienced stand designer such as Smart Display is taking care of creating a stand that meets all of your venue’s requirements leaves you free to get creative. It’s worth taking a few moments to look at other exhibition stands that you love the look of. Whatever your vision, our experienced designers can tell you in an instant if we can make it work for you within the parameters of your venue, space and budget restrictions. We carry out the entire design and manufacturing process in house from the high quality printing of your graphics to creating bespoke LED, neon or strip lighting in our design studio. Inspire us with what you love, and we will adapt it to your brand. Take a look at our previous creation on Instagram for creative inspiration.

Ready to get going? Get in touch today and let us get to work on creating the exhibition stand that gets the results you want.