To paraphrase the timeless lyrics of Cole Porter’s “Let’s Fall in Love”, birds do it, bees do it, even savvy trade show exhibitors do it. They all invite visitors to their nests, hives, and booths with color. Unlock nature’s not so secret, secret weapon: color. One of the most powerful lures, a hot, new color not only turns heads and catches the eye, it summons a closer look.
As any new or experienced exhibitor knows, the competition to attract people your trade show booth can be fierce. What you may not be aware of is the effective use of color is a surefire way to attract attention and increase traffic to your booth.
Color is a non-verbal form of communication. If a picture is worth a thousand words, selecting the color(s) that speaks to the function, value, and superior quality of your product or service could be worth thousands of dollars.
The most obvious, and safest color choice is your company’s palate with a mix of black and white for impact. However, when it comes to drawing visitors to your booth, attraction trumps impact, in other words, you got to get people inside your “tent” before you can wow them. On a crowded trade show floor being different is an excellent way to stand out.
Perhaps it is time to for your company to do it, give the color wheel a spin and see what’s new. A good place to start is where fashion, furniture and graphic designers look to for recommendations on color trends. Pantone, the color prognosticator which calls itself the “global authority on color” is the leading authority on which shades will be hot each season and what hues will fade from the public’s attention.
Pantone recently posted 16 colors they’ve named “En Plein Air,” described as “an ethereal mix of understated brights, pale pastels and nature-like neutrals. At trade shows the majority of exhibits use highly saturated primary colors, which can look like it was inspired by a child’s first box of crayons or static black and white displays that leave a lot to be desired. “This collection of muted hues will be a refreshing change of pace in the upcoming year” writes the Trade Show Network Marketing Group.
“Color is an important component to trade show exhibit design. Graphics are the easiest thing to swap out and the most cost effective way to inject life into an exhibit. For the upcoming year make it a goal to stray away from boring and expected. Mix it up with interesting, rich and sophisticated color palettes. It is possible to remain true to your brand while using trends to your advantage.”
Chances are you’ll fall in love with one or two of these colors. Consider which fresh, new color can make its power of attraction work for your trade show booth. Like the birds and the bees your company can do it!
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