Over the past five years or so trade show booth design has take a big shift towards incorporating new technology and becoming more interactive. This shift couldn’t have been any more apparent at the years E3 expo which is one of the worlds biggest exhibitions for computer games. Although some huge budgets were spent on stand there the use of clever lighting and inviting props shows just how useful technology can be in trade show booth designs.
At Ignition we have a great appreciation for technology and when the right projects come along we can’t wait to use it. You might remember the stand we did for Plastribution for example where we used some clever lighting effects. We have a lot of fun with that project and the E3 expo reminded us that if technology is used in the right way and can be used to magical effect.
Although new technology is becoming used more and more its important not to get dragged in to using it for the sake of using it. The technology should fit in to your design rather than basing a trade show booth design around one technology. It’s an easy mistake to make and usually result in a fairly low quality design.
Technology also plays a large part in the user experience of a stand. Stand designers can add a whole new level of engagement with audiences but importantly the visitors journey needs to be considered. Do you place technology such as flat screens and computers at the front of the stand or do you put them in the middle or at the end? How much technology do use? How much is to much? These are all things that need to be considered. I personally think that the best use of technology is when its not overly apparent that its there. By that i mean something that is working in the background to help create a great experience.
It will be interesting to see what appears at next years show.