Visual Impression

A basic booth might consist of nothing more than a sign on the back wall and a table with literature, attended by a smiling person who is prepared to answer questions. But most successful displays are more sophisticated.

Consider the overall impression the booth will make on the audi­ence. Will the display communicate a single concept, or several? It is pos­sible to devote 70 percent of the impact and space to a major theme while also piggybacking related themes in the other 30 percent. For example, a company might give major emphasis to a new product line at a trade-fair booth while also offering information about established products.

Will the display encourage active audience involvement or only the passive soaking up of information? Will the viewer merely pass the dis­play, or is there an opportunity to enter the space? At the annual Philadel­phia Garden Show, the W. Atlee Burpee Company erects a greenhouse and a small vegetable plot with pathways so that visitors can walk right through and observe the plantings closely. Involvement increases interest in the company's products.

Will the mood be serious or fun? Several exhibitors at the annual Premium Show at the New York Coliseum display games and toys that can be imprinted with the sponsoring organization's name.

Sometimes the accent on prestige rules out pizzazz: The Beatrice Foods booth at trade shows is done entirely in gold, and attendants dressed in gold pass out gold-foil-covered pamphlets. The decor consistently carries out the concept that the Beatrice product line is of the highest quality.

Once you have announced an event to your target publics, spent money on preparations, and invested your time and energy in exhaustive plan­ning, it is dispiriting to find that your event competes directly with another one aimed at attracting the same audience. In some cities, arts groups join forces to publish a "cultural calendar." They coordinate through a central office so that nobody schedules an opening night or a benefit against another group.

Religious holidays are most important to avoid, not only because an event will lose some of its audience, but because some members of the target public may be offended. (Jewish holidays begin at sundown the previous day, so it usually is best to block out two days if many in your audience are Jewish.)