A Practical Guide to Trade Show Booth Design
Designing exhibition stands, from small pop-up displays to custom builds, within venue rules and accessibility requirements.
Priya Raghunathan
The key figures
- Sight lines
- key messages must read from across an aisle
- Venue rules
- organizers set height, rigging and material limits
- Accessibility
- public accommodations must be accessible to visitors
- Logistics
- shipping, setup and storage shape design choices
Why this is worth getting right
Booths are read from a distance in seconds, and venue rules constrain height, rigging and materials.
Do this, not that
Do
- Design headlines to read from a distance
- Check organizer rules before designing
- Keep aisles and counters accessible
- Plan for shipping and reuse
- Include quiet space for conversations
Don’t
- Dense text on booth walls
- Designs that breach height rules
- Steps or barriers at entry points
- Single-use builds for recurring events
When to bring in help
Our advice Bring in help when exhibiting at major trade shows.
Where this comes from
- ADA.gov — 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design
- U.S. Access Board — Guide to the ADA Standards: Signs
The figures and practices above come from the sources listed.
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Where to go next
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