9 eye-catching vendor table display ideas

If you’ve ever attended an in-person event or trade show, you’ve likely seen your fair share of vendor table display ideas. And the most successful ones left a lasting impression. But have you ever wondered what it took to put them together?

Considering the jaw-dropping creativity of modern booth design, it’s no surprise that most vendors put a lot of time and effort into their display pieces. From small business craft fairs to large-scale vendor events, a well-designed booth display has the power to wow your attendees and win big for your business. 

Sounds great—but does it really work? The short answer is yes. At least, it does if you follow some best practices.

Let’s dive into the basics of designing your booth space. Then, we’ll give you nine vendor table display ideas to kickstart your creative thinking.

Designing your display: Why does it matter?

Did you know that 65% of event professionals agree that the in-person trade show is an invaluable part of their marketing strategy? In fact, over 95% of them prefer exhibiting in person rather than to an online audience. 

Why? Well, for starters, it’s hard to beat the visual advantages of a creative craft fair and/or trade show booth display. With the right design, you can make the most of your allotted space, attract more attention to your brand, and leave a lasting impression on your customer base.

That said, not just any old vendor table will do the trick. If you want to reap these benefits, you’ll have to implement a few basic components:

• Visually enticing graphics: Your booth design should include visual aids, such as interesting display pieces or props. These not only attract attendees to your vendor table but also provide an easy way for a person to identify your brand in seconds.
  
• Cohesive branding: Whether it’s the text on your signage or the decoration around your table display, every aspect of your vendor booth should communicate a clear and consistent message. In other words, ensure your space is on brand from top to bottom. This helps you stand out from the crowd while also reinforcing your brand personality.
  
• Audience-oriented content: Think about what your customer base would like to see at your booth space—then deliver. Consider it an opportunity to fulfill their needs and demonstrate the value your business brings to the table. Plus, it’s an easy way to attract more people to your space!

9 eye-catching vendor table display ideas

Now that you have the basics down, let’s get creative. Take your upcoming events to the next level with these nine vendor table display ideas:

1.  Incorporate bright colors

Standing out from the crowd is the name of the game. Bright colors can help you do exactly that.

Not only do they attract more eyeballs to your booth space, but they also help create a distinct visual identity for your brand. Adding a splash of color will make your table display instantly recognizable to your customer base, but don’t go overboard. 

Keep in mind that some colors evoke different emotions from your attendees. Green, for example, brings a sense of calm. Orange, however, brings feelings of excitement, enthusiasm, and motivation.

2. Make it as interactive (and experiential) as possible

The design helps bring people to your booth, but you need to make your display as engaging as possible to hold their attention. One idea? Provide experiences, not just information. In other words, turn your booth space into an activation: an in-person marketing experience where attendees interact with your brand ambassadors face to face.

When you “activate” your space, you’re optimizing it to achieve the best possible results. Inspire attendees to interact with you and your booth. From hands-on product demonstrations to virtual reality sessions or real-time surveys, the possibilities are endless. What matters is that you immerse your audience in an experience they’ll never forget.

3. Optimize your booth space

Space is often limited at a trade show, which means you need to make the most of what you’ve got. So, instead of going wide, why not go up? 

A vertical display is a great idea if you find yourself short on available space. Plus, it’s budget-friendly. Simply stack shelves or crates on top of your table display to add more vertical real estate. 

You can also easily get more bang for your buck if you add signage in strategic places, such as directly behind where staff members will stand. This is an easy way to draw attention to your products and display more value to your customer base.

4. Hand out promotional materials and free swag

Typically, vendors hand out basic promotional items like pens and water bottles, not to mention a business card, to any potential customer who might pass by. That’s all well and good, but let’s turn your gift-giving up a notch.

Here’s how to put a more personalized spin on it: Allow your attendees to customize their swag right there at your booth. This is a great idea because it adds a more personal touch and establishes an emotional connection that could eventually lead to a conversion. Plus, it may even inspire the recipient to share their swag on social media, which means additional exposure for your business.

5. Bring the entertainment

Vendor events can be loads of fun, especially if there are ample entertainment opportunities. Keeping your attendees entertained makes for a more memorable and positive experience.

Why not make your vendor booth the source of entertainment? The beauty of this idea is that there’s almost no limit to what you can do, so long as your budget allows it. If you know a professional artist, you could hire them to draw caricatures of attendees as they visit your booth. You could even book a musician to perform throughout the day.

As long as it fits your brand, it’s an idea worth exploring. Just ensure that it’s entertaining enough without drawing too much attention from the business side of your display.

6. Try a curved design

It’s difficult to differentiate your brand from the conventional boxy booth display. If you have the space, mix things up a bit with a rounded or curved booth design.

This idea works because it creates a natural flow at your booth. In other words, it helps people receive your message as they progress from one portion of the display into another. You can more effectively group concepts together and make it easier for your audience to process information, which may help you convert interested people into bonafide buyers.

7. Use lighting to focus attention where you want it

Lights are a powerful tool when it comes to booth design. They can be subtle, or they can shine a spotlight on one product or concept in particular. Consider the many types of lighting fixtures you can use to your advantage:

• Strobe lights
• Hanging lights
• Ambient lighting
• Decorative bulbs

Modular lighting helps you bring the focus exactly where you want it. With this in mind, don’t just point a spotlight at anything—consider where you’re diverting the audience’s attention and put something interesting in that space.

8. Incorporate technology into your display

Make your booth space more engaging with a touch of technology. Take a social media display, for example. Adding a live feed of social media mentions and online interactions is a great way to draw more eyes to your display. 

Here’s how it works: When attendees mention your brand on social media, you can instantly showcase that content on the live feed. It combines an element of public recognition with gamification, as attendees will aim to see their name scroll across the screen. Plus, it doesn’t take too much attention away from the business end of your booth.

9. Hold a contest, game, or giveaway

People love a friendly competition, even if it’s just a raffle, game, or giveaway. This is an easy and effective way to generate more engagement at your trade show booth. Here are a few basic ideas to get you going:

• Start a social media photo challenge
• Host a treasure hunt
• Play a round of trivia

Focus on activities you can pull off in the confines of your booth since space is limited. Reward the winners with fun prizes, such as a free product, swag bag, or gift card.

Pro tip: Require some type of registration to enter, such as a sign-up sheet. This makes it easy to gather leads and follow up with participants later on.

Enhance the attendee experience with Webex Events

Next time you get ready to exhibit at a vendor event, we hope you remember your booth design best practices. With these nine creative ideas, you should be able to get the ball rolling and put together a fun, engaging, and immersive trade show experience. 

Still need a little help? No problem. From registration and check-in to branding and gamification, Webex Events is here to make your event planning journey a breeze. 

Start building your event for free on Webex Events.