We've all seen flashy tradeshow booth displays that look like they've cost thousands and thousands of dollars and been wowed. But the fact of the matter is not many companies or agencies can afford tradeshow booth displays that are elaborate and pricy. So, what's a business or organization to do in order to capture attention and ensure traffic stops by their own displays?



Even on a budget, a booth can be created that's more than capable of drawing people in, capturing their attention and holding them long enough that a product or service can be properly explained. That's the entire point of a good tradeshow booth display, and it doesn't require thousands of dollars to accomplish.

Nonprofits, start up businesses and even small to mid-sized companies should not steer clear from tradeshows and business expos strictly because of a lack of a good display. Here are some ideas to make even a bargain basement booth stand out and capture attention:

* Create a theme. Whether you're touting a product or a service, have your booth reflect a theme. When a central theme is chosen, the entire booth stands out as a cohesive unit. The use of a theme can be effective for a company that wants to display its entire product line or even one that's out to let people know about a single new service. If, for example, you're a nonprofit that helps children with education, set your theme to reflect that. Take lots of pictures of children playing, learning and smiling, and your booth will get the attention it deserves.

* Use visuals. This can't be stressed enough and with the fact that large pictures are fairly easy to print out on most office computers at a decent quality, there's no reason not to. If you need to, get a professional copy service to blow up the pictures into poster format and use them to draw people in. This doesn't have to cost a lot, but with the right images, it can be worth a fortune in attention obtained.

* Choose giveaways wisely. It's a tradeshow must, almost, that everyone gives away something. Whether it's literature, key chains or coffee mugs, make sure the items you give away remind people of your product, company or service. Make them fit your business, too.

* Use computers. Displays can be jazzed up for little or no cost with a good presentation on a computer. Even a laptop model will do to show people who you are and what you really do. A photo presentation or even a PowerPoint presentation on a projector screen can go a long way in making an ordinary tradeshow booth display extraordinary without having to spend a fortune.

Some companies can afford to spend thousands on their tradeshow booth displays, but others simply cannot. This doesn't mean a display needs to be second rate, however. With some creative thinking and good use of visual materials, even a budget booth display can net the results that are desired. Take some time and brainstorm a theme and find or create visuals and giveaways to support it and you should find even your budget tradeshow booth display is spectacular, or at least gets the job done well.