A stand at an expo or a field day is a lot of effort for one or two days, so it pays to get the display right before you load the car. This trade show display checklist covers what to bring so people notice your site, stop to talk and remember you afterwards.
It works for indoor expos, outdoor field days, markets and community events alike.
The trade show display checklist, from far away to close up
A good trade show or field day display works at three distances. From across the site, people need to spot you. At the edge of your stand, they need to understand what you do. Up close, they need something to take away. Plan each distance separately and you'll know exactly what to order, and what you can leave behind.
What gets you seen from across the site?
At a busy event, height and colour get you noticed before anything else.
A branded gazebo. A printed canopy marks your site from a distance and gives your team shade. Aluminium gazebos come as canopy only or with a back wall and a wheeled carry bag; steel gazebos are the budget-friendly option.
Flags. Teardrop, rectangle and bow flags add height and movement at the front of the stand, where people walking the aisles will see them.
Market umbrellas for smaller sites and stalls. A branded umbrella turns a table into a shopfront.
Your name and logo should be big and high. Details can wait until people are closer.
What makes your stand readable up close?
Once someone is walking towards you, they should be able to tell what you do before they reach you.
Pull up banners. A pull up banner is quick to set up and packs into a bag. For stands that go out every season, premium pull up banners are built for repeated use.
Media walls. A media wall gives an indoor expo stand a full printed backdrop, and makes a good background for photos.
Banners on fences and tables. Mesh banners let wind through on outdoor fences. Fabric banners look sharp indoors.
Keep each display to one message: who you are, what you do and why someone should stop. Our guide to pull-up banners and X-banners covers the two portable options in more detail, and what to include on event signage helps with the wording.
Rule of thumb: a visitor should know who you are and what you do in the time it takes to walk past your stand. If they have to stop and read to find out, the display is doing too much.
Something to take away
Most people won't buy on the day. What they take home decides whether they remember you next week.
Flyers with one offer, one way to get in touch and a reason to act. Flyers and pamphlets or postcards both work.
Business cards for everyone on the stand. Business cards still do a job at events that a phone can't.
Giveaways people keep. Drink bottles, pens, stubby holders and keyrings get used long after the event, with your name on them each time. More in branded pens and promo gifts people actually keep.
A way to capture details, such as a short form on a tablet or a QR code to a page made for the event, so you can follow up.
What changes at an outdoor field day?
Regional field days, such as Elmore Field Days in Central Victoria, bring their own challenges. Plan for the weather as well as the crowd.
Wind. Check that your flag bases or ground spikes suit the surface you'll be on, and bring weights for gazebo legs.
Sun. Shade for your team and your visitors keeps people at the stand longer.
Dust and rain. Vinyl and mesh handle the outdoors better than paper displays, and carry bags keep everything clean between events.
Your team. Matching tees, polos and caps make your people easy to find and part of the display.
File tip: big displays show every flaw in a file. A logo copied from your website will look soft on a media wall or gazebo canopy, so send vector logo files and the largest, sharpest photos you have.
Before you go
Confirm your site size, position and whether you have power.
Order early. Each product page shows an estimated turnaround, and every design is proofed before it's made, so allow time for a round of changes. Our guide to how early to order printing for events helps with the timeline.
Set everything up once before the day, so you know how it goes together and what's missing.
Pack cable ties, tape, weights and spare flyers.
Decide who follows up the enquiries, and when.
After the event
Follow up every enquiry while the conversation is fresh.
Clean and dry banners, flags and canopies before you pack them away. Roll banners rather than folding them.
Keep dates and one-off offers off your main displays, so they're ready for the next event.
Note what worked and what people asked about, and adjust your flyers before next time.
Common questions
Pull up banner or media wall?
A pull up banner suits smaller stands, markets and events where you set up yourself in minutes. A media wall suits larger indoor stands where you want a full backdrop behind the team.
Steel or aluminium gazebo?
Steel is the budget-friendly choice for occasional use. Aluminium is usually lighter to carry and set up, and can come with a back wall and a wheeled carry bag for businesses that do several events a year.
What giveaways work best at trade shows?
Things people use every day: drink bottles, pens, stubby holders and keyrings. Choose one or two useful items over a table of novelties.
Ready to kit out your stand?
Browse signs and banners, with live pricing on every product, and have our team design the whole display so it looks like one business from flag to flyer.
