booth location is critical. A booth at the hall entrance is much pre-
ferred over a booth sandwiched in the middle of the aisle in a far
corner of the room. Typically, prices will reflect a premium charge
for greater exposure to traffic patterns. Everyone has seen the cor-
ner booth with the crowd gathered around the two-dimensional
line of sight, and then observed the less fortunate exhibitor in a
less exposed location, lamenting that “no one knows we’re here!”
This is a common challenge.
Marketers should emphasize to potential exhibitors that the
best locations will sell out first. Floor plan designers should work
with the marketing team to provide premium price opportunities
and to promote to potential buyers an urgency to secure the best
booth locations before competitors sign the space contract. Among
those floor plan strategies that increase marketability and pricing
are these designs:
- “Island” Booths.These are stand-alone booths with no im-
mediate neighbors and with buyer sight lines available from
all four directions. These are typically desired by larger ex-
hibitors, seeking to maximize exposure at a higher price. - Corner Booths.Located on the corners of booth aisles, they
offer line of sight from two directions. - Hall Entry Booths.Facing the hall entry points, these ex-
hibitors have the first chance to attract buyers as they visit
the exposition. - Dining Area Booths.Many expositions provide foodservice
areas to keep buyers from leaving the hall at mealtime.
Booths adjacent to dining areas are favored by many ex-
hibitors because of the constant traffic promised by food-
service areas. - “Bookstore” Booth Locations.An increasingly popular ex-
position feature is the association’s “bookstore,” or an area
in which attendees are encouraged to see and purchase or-
ganizational and industry publications. As with the dining
areas, these features draw crowds and proximity to them is
of benefit to exhibitors with this beneficial line of sight.
In addition, space rental discounts should be considered to re-
ward loyalty for previous exhibitors. Early deadlines for choice lo-
cations are also a staple marketing to previous exhibitors, as well
as first-in-line booth selections for exhibitors, based on number of
Incentives to Increase Sales 123