How to Bring Life to Your Old Exhibit

It's only a matter of time before your brand-new, shiny exhibit begins to look a little less than that. The process of transporting your exhibit materials from trade show to trade show is bound to take a toll, so what are you supposed to do to make sure your booth is still leaving the best impression on your participants?

Of course, the ideal solution would be to have your booth remade, but the expenses involved make this an impractical answer to the problem for most.

However, there are still ways to spruce up your booth and make sure it continues to make a lasting impression—and that you're making it last as long as it can.

Change your floor plan

The first time your exhibit is displayed, it might feel like a novel and special layout. But after several trade shows with the same arrangement, things can start to feel a little old—even if the materials aren't old at all.

Consider keeping things fresh by making tweaks to how your booth is laid out and how participants are moving through it. Who knows—participants you've interacted with at past trade shows might not even realize that the same exhibit materials have gone into your new layout.

Give your materials a scrub

You might be surprised how much of a difference a good cleaning can make for even the oldest exhibit materials. White is so often the default color of trade show booths, which has the disadvantage of showing every scratch and stain. By employing some old-fashioned elbow grease, you can make white materials—or really materials of any color—look brand new.

Replace damaged sections, not the whole thing

It's inevitable that certain sections of your exhibit displays, and modular systems will get a little more beat up than other areas, especially if the pieces are in heavy-traffic sections of your exhibit.

But just because you have some bad dents and scratches that can't be scrubbed off with a good wash doesn't mean you have to throw the whole display out and start over again. Consider replacing pieces only as they become damaged, so that you can keep materials lasting as long as possible.

Pay attention to your structure's bones

Almost anything can be jerry-rigged about a trade show display if push comes to shove. However, if the modular systems that your exhibit uses begins to fail or isn't structurally sound, you'll want to replace them as quickly as possible to avoid collapses or other trade-show disasters. So long as they're sound, though, consider painting or decorating them in novel ways. This can allow them both to stand out at a new trade show as well as liven them up compared to what they looked like in the past.

Consider cheap and creative solutions

There's a lot of different ways you can enhance an exhibit display. Sometimes all it takes is a little creativity. If your budget is only enough for a small number of supplies, consider stretching your dollars by picking striking new colors or even stretches of cloth and fabric to update your exhibit displays. You can find a lot of ideas for how to bring your old exhibit to life by looking at current upcycle trends.

Chalk paint can be used to create a new interactive feature to your exhibit or adjusting the lighting can mask bumps and other undesirable features in your booth. Ultimately, the best way to freshen up an old exhibit might just be to follow your own creativity and craft something unique. It might not be the most expensive, the sleekest.

However, that human touch will capture attention just as much as your new display did at its very first trade show.

Creativity Saves Cash

It's natural for an old booth to get a little beat up around the edges. That doesn't mean you have to settle for the weathered look. With some elbow grease and a touch of creativity, you'll do more than brighten up your booth for the next show. You'll save money and time!