Function (fungk’sh?n): the action for which a person or thing is particularly fitted or employed.
a. Assigned duty or activity.
b. A specific occupation or role: in your function as race car driver.
Just because your tradeshow booth LOOKS good, ATTRACTS people and WOWS the judges at the show, doesn’t mean you had a successful show.
There are other elements, such as: did you bring home more leads than you anticipated? Are you following up on those leads? Did your staff learn something good and useful for next show?
And perhaps most importantly: did your booth FUNCTION as it should have?
To determine if your booth is designed with more than just pretty graphics and a ‘wow’ factor to draw in the rubes (er, uh, show attendees), your designer should ask a lot of pertinent questions about the function of your booth.
Some typical functions you might need:
* Product display
* Internet access
* To serve samples, such as food or drink
* Storage, refrigeration, extra electricity
* semi -private area to discuss business
* Show off your product via a plasma screen or laptop
* Interact with your product (such as software) so visitors can get the feel for it
Function is getting down to the bottom line. If you need to sit down with clients or prospects and go over a product line or discuss aspects of business, you’ll need a place to do that. That’ll likely mean a small table that 3 or 4 people can sit down and chat at least a few feet away from the main traffic of the show.
If your business needs to let prospective customers get their hands on a computer mouse and play with the software to see how it applies to their business, you’ll need to make sure there’s room (and power) for the computer.
Or perhaps your booth needs room for a demo that can accommodate a dozen or more people. That space and accommodations need to be worked into the design.
It may seem like a no-brainer, but it’s still an important consideration. Many folks purchase a small booth display and go to great lengths and expense to make it look good. But if there’s a vital element missing that impairs your overall function, the time to discover that is not on the show floor!
Go over your show objectives as you sit down with your designer. If they’re sharp (as we hope all designers are, right?), they’ll make sure that your booth’s design incorporates all the essential functions that your booth will need to serve. And with such a collaborative effort between your tradeshow team and your booth design team you will ensure that all of the booth’s function needs have been met.
Tim Patterson is the VP of Sales and Marketing at Interpretive Exhibits in Salem, Oregon. Contact us at Interpretive Exhibits, Inc. if you would like to find out more details: info(at)interpexhibits.com or 503-371-9411.
