On a busy exhibition floor, your booth has just a matter of seconds to grab attention - that’s where exhibition stand graphics come in. Great exhibition stand graphics let attendees know who you are and what you stand for at a glance. They can draw a crowd, kick off conversations and drive engagement - your graphics can be the difference between visitors flocking to your stand and them passing you by.
Effective graphics don’t have to be complicated. They usually follow the same magic formula, including a logo, a snappy headline, relevant imagery, supporting information, and a clear call to action. Graphics need to be designed to the custom dimensions of your stand, rather than adapted from existing materials, like brochures - the design needs to work at scale.
So, how do you create exhibition stand graphics that attract, inform and convert?
At any exhibition, trade show, or event, you’ll have countless pieces of visual information vying for your attention, such as banners, signs, screens and product displays. This is exactly why exhibition graphics matter - they signal to visitors what is worth stopping for.
Graphics can communicate information about the products or services on offer, the quality of the brand, and how relevant the stand is to the visitors. Graphics that do this effectively will drive a more relevant audience to your stand, which can mean higher rates of engagement and conversion.
Strong graphics are often more memorable, so even if a visitor doesn’t have chance to stop at the stand, there’s more chance the branding will stick in their mind when reviewing exhibitors after the event. For attendees that do stop by, graphics can spark conversation by giving you solid talking points - using information like statistics, results and benefit-led statements can be a great jumping off point.
Before you do anything else, you need to know what type of exhibition stand you’re working with, as they all have different dimensions and graphics requirements. Some of the most common types include:
Shell scheme stands
The most simple type of exhibition stand, a shell scheme comprises a lightweight aluminium frame with blank wall panels that are ready to be customised. Graphics for shell schemes might be supplied as individual panels, full wall graphics, or fabric graphics that are attached to the structure. Some exhibitors enhance shell schemes with custom panels, fabric graphics or additional structures, which gives more opportunities to add graphics.
AMP stands
An AMP system usually uses tension fabric graphics mounted on aluminium frames, to give a more seamless look. Graphics for AMP stands need to be carefully designed to very precise dimensions, including bleed areas.
Show Ready packages
Show Ready packages have pre-defined areas where graphics can be added, like walls and counters, to create a show-stopping stand that feels custom.
Custom stands
Custom stands offer the most flexibility, with the option of adding graphics to areas like walls, hanging signs, flooring and lightboxes, but they do require the most careful planning.
Space-only stands
If you have a space-only stand, you are starting with an empty pitch to make your own structure from scratch, which means graphic planning is something you will need to consider throughout the stand design process.
Even if you usually go for the same type of exhibition stand, it doesn’t mean that it’ll be the same dimensions each time. Before you start any design work, ask for the artwork specifications.
Think of exhibition messaging as a bit like an elevator pitch. It needs to summarise your business and explain who you are. It could include:
What your company does
Who it helps
What benefits it provides
Why someone should stop.
Now isn’t the time to reel off a list of everything that you do - pick a single value proposition and stick to it. This could include content around service benefits, customer outcomes, performance statistics - whatever you think is the most important.
Don’t worry if you feel it doesn’t go in depth enough - this is just about getting people to stop at your stand. Further information can be given when they start engaging with the exhibition stand staff, or can be presented via demonstrations, brochures and digital content.
Remember that the larger the viewing distance, the shorter the message needs to be - visitors who are looking at your stand from further away will only be able to take in a few words before they move on.
Visibility depends not just on the design, but also where the information has been positioned. In an empty exhibition stand, all of the graphics will be visible - but how much will you be able to see on the day itself?
Hannah Ashwood, Business Development Manager, says: The last thing you want is for your graphics to end up hidden behind a counter! You’d be surprised at how many people forget that they will be adding furniture to their stand, which can end up blocking key information. Before you start thinking about graphic design, think about what extras you’ll be adding to your stand, to make sure nothing is getting lost.
Remember that the areas with the most visibility tend to be the upper sections of the stand, so your most important bits of branding and information should be positioned here, so it’s still visible when crowds start flocking.
Another consideration is how visitors will be approaching your stand - for example, a corner stand might need graphics that work from multiple different angles. Messaging needs to be easy to spot from a distance, rather than when visitors are standing right next to it.
Stand graphics can be printed several metres high, which means that any errors or flaws will be amplified. There’s nowhere for pixelated images, blurring, visible stretching or jagged edges to hide when they are printed at such a scale, so high-quality images are non-negotiable.
Images you’ve downloaded off your website or screenshotted from your socials are usually too low-res for stand graphics, so you will need to make sure you have the most high resolution images possible. For logos, icons and illustrations, a vector format is preferred, as it can be scaled without sacrificing quality.
If you have graphics that go over a few panels, the artwork will need to account for panel joins and framework, to make sure the important bits of the design aren’t being interrupted.
The visual hierarchy is the order in which you’d like the information to be taken in. A visitor looking at your stand isn’t going to absorb everything in one go - there’s a logical way for them to move through the information. This could look like:
Brand identity - Your logo, company name and branding
Primary message - The main headline and proposition
Supporting information - Such as awards, customer outcomes, statistics and certifications
Credibility - Supporting evidence like client logos and testimonials
CTA - Such as asking visitors to speak to the team, ask for a demo or scan a QR code.
The brand identity and primary message are the most important pieces of content, so prioritise them in the design, and build everything else around it.
Less is definitely more when it comes to exhibition stand design. Too much text, clashing colours, a mix of font styles, competing messages… All of these fighting for attention can reduce the effectiveness of your stand graphics.
All of your key elements should have plenty of space to breathe, to make them more visible and readable. If you are using imagery, it should be used with the intention of supporting the main message, not competing with it.
Hannah says: Stick with a limited colour palette and a smaller number of curated design elements to avoid overwhelming your stand. If a visitor is overwhelmed by information and isn’t sure what they’re looking at, they are more inclined to walk away.
Some types of event stand graphics, such as signage, can be used again and again. If you design graphics that focus on core brand messaging, they can be used at a wide range of future events. This can also make things a bit easier for future events, as there is less artwork to produce each time.
Graphics that contain time-sensitive information, like event dates, stand numbers, seasonal messaging and limited time promotions, can only be used for one-off events. Some exhibitors like to take a hybrid approach, using a mix of long-term reusable graphics and smaller, replaceable panels that have event-specific info.
Artwork approval is your last chance to pick up on mistakes - the last thing you want is to get to the big day and realise that there’s a glaring typo on your stand! Check the spelling, grammar and punctuation - getting a second pair of eyes on it, ideally - as well as details like website addresses, product names and company info. Test QR codes to make sure that they take you to the write site, and double-check the artwork itself for details like dimensions, panel numbering and image resolution.
It’s not just first-time exhibitors that can be tripped up by artwork requirements - it can be a bit of a confusing process if you aren’t a designer. Panel measurements and shell scheme requirements are a commonly-asked question, as are queries around file specifications and resolution requirements.
Hannah says: There’s no such thing as a stupid question when it comes to checking graphics. After all, it’s a lot easier to solve issues before going to print than after your artwork has been installed! We’re always happy to help with any questions you might have about your graphics, so if you have any questions, get in touch with GES or read our FAQs for more insight.