Outdoor Booth Ideas to Consider As It Gets Warmer

With the official start of summer upon us, it’s time to scout outdoor vendor booth ideas suitable for both your staff and your prospective customers in order to promote your products, services, and brand effectively. 

Our team has compiled some outdoor booth display ideas, along with suggestions for which elements to incorporate that will attract more guests and help your business excel.

 

 

Design ideas for outdoor booths

Looking for incredible trade show booth designs? Here are ways to help make your outdoor booth stand apart from other booths and brands.

Branded tents

To captivate people’s attention while building a professional image for your brand, consider using branded tents. They’re quick and easy to set up, and you can also choose different sizes and styles according to your needs, preferences, and budget.

Moreover, tents protect you and your products against heat and other extreme weather conditions. Depending on what you’re offering, especially if related to food or electronics, you might need this kind of protection.  

Available to rent or buy, these tents are cost-effective and easily customizable.

Interactive displays

Great outdoor trade show booths also include interactive displays. These interactive components entice attendees to check out your products and learn more about your brand.

Giant touchscreens

Since trade shows are expected to be abuzz with lights and noise, displaying a giant iPad at your outdoor trade show booth will help you cut through the noise and attract an audience eager to learn more about your brand, products or services. 

Interactive toys and games

Games have a timeless appeal, appreciated by all ages. Why not take advantage of technology to create an interactive display? For instance, use 3D printers and VR headsets to host friendly competitions and, if possible, offer prizes for the winners. Doing so will likely motivate attendees to join and recommend your booth to their friends, which is free advertising.

Video wall

Apart from setting up an interactive screen, you can also make your outdoor trade show booth more interactive by having a video wall, which will broadcast all the relevant information that you want attendees or potential customers to learn about your offerings. With these video feeds on a loop, viewers can see all of the information you’ve organized, regardless of when they show up at your booth

Moreover, with continuous information shared via the video wall, attendees might feel compelled to stay at your booth longer.

Display giant objects

It might sound gimmicky, but setting up giant pop culture-based objects will quickly grab attention and encourage attendance at your outdoor booth.   Attendees won’t want to miss the chance to take a photo with a famous character or icon. A word of caution: before building your booth, make sure you’ve secured the necessary permits and adhere to branding or copyright rules to avoid any legal issues. 

Go green

Embrace the outdoors by going green and integrating potted plants, flowers, or fruits at your booth. Not only aesthetically pleasing, integrating natural elements supports the outdoor vibe of the event.  

Lighting

Lighting plays a crucial role in outdoor booths by giving you the opportunity to attract attention and spotlight particular products. As we all know, lighting also sets a mood and helps reinforce the message you wish to communicate to your audience. Invest accordingly.  

Outdoor furniture

Strike a hospitable vibe and make your outdoor booth more welcoming by providing ample seating that is both comfortable and attractive. You want to invite and encourage attendees to stay at your booth for as long as possible, which makes comfort and convenience critical boxes to check.  

 

Outdoor product display ideas

When displaying products outdoors, you should consider several factors to ensure you’re not wasting resources or compromising your attendees’ experience, including weather, food, lighting, and pests.

Weather

Weather is one of the significant considerations for your outdoor product displays. Be sure to check the forecast, and remember that prolonged exposure to sunlight can cause posters or images to fade. It can also cause glare, making it hard for attendees to view content projected on digital screens. Always have a contingency plan in case of a sudden change in weather.

Food

Remember that certain food products spoil fast, especially when exposed to heat or sunlight. These include cheese, dairy, fish, raw meat, and leafy greens. Ensure your booth and displays can withstand the heat without compromising the overall experience — or health — of your potential customers.

Lighting

Light placement will either capture or repel the attention of attendees. Position the lights at your outdoor booth so that there is no direct glare and blinding risks to your audience. Be mindful of glass panels or mirrors on the products or offerings because the light can cause a reflection that obscures the view.

Ensure your booth is well-lit to help potential customers clearly see your products. If there’s inadequate lighting, attendees will not fully appreciate the look and value of the products on display and will quickly check out other booths and brands.

Pests

Outdoor booths require careful and consistent attention to pests like mosquitoes, flies, roaches, and more — all of which can repel attendees and potentially risk their health with respect to bites and stings and affect their health.

The presence of pests in booths can ruin your brand reputation causing potential customers to question their confidence in your brand or products. Investing in proper pest control methods is central to the success of your outdoor booth.

Creative Ways to Display Products in an Outdoor Setting

While there are some challenges with displaying products outdoors, there are also plenty of opportunities to make them stand out uniquely.

Play with color

Colors can either make or break your outdoor product display, so be sure to choose the appropriate color scheme representative of your brand. The right color scheme depends on your products’ colors and branding.  

Utilize Signage and Displays to Educate Attendees

Are you displaying products that need some explanation? If so, you can use signage and displays that help educate potential customers about these items. For example, if you’re showcasing cookware, you can add images of the items with short and witty descriptions of their uses and benefits. This way, potential customers will clearly see the value of the products, which might convince them to make a purchase.

Turn Your Products into Artwork

Another creative way to display your products is to transform them into artwork. For example, if you’re selling denim clothing, you can feature your own catalog in some kind of creative installation.

Try upcycling

Upcycling involves using old or discarded materials to create a new product. For example, you can use vintage chairs as racks to hang your products.  Whether it’s an old frame, box, or any other item, consider repurposing it to impress attendees.

Create an Instagrammable Display Wall

Social media has become part of people’s daily lives. Leverage its popularity by creating an Instagram-worthy display wall. This will appeal especially to millennials and Gen-Z attendees. Consider using funny quotes and superb lighting and fixtures. This way, attendees can’t help but take a photo, and while they’re there, they’ll surely take a look at your product displays.

 

Incorporating interactive elements

Setting up an outdoor booth allows you to leverage several advantages, from creating the ideal ambiance to encouraging attendee interaction through compelling elements like games, contests, and photo booths.

Games

Multiple attention-grabbing trade show booth games have proven popular in the past, including a giant tumbling tower game, custom dart board, mini basketball, miniature golf, Tetris and puzzles, and trivia games.

If you prefer high-end games for your trade show booth, you have several options. These include virtual reality racing simulators, an augmented reality climbing wall, an AR scavenger hunt, a giant human claw machine, and more. Through these games, attendees will have fun visiting your booth. These visits can increase brand awareness, especially if you incorporate your brand into your games or gimmicks.

Contests

Smart trade show booth ideas also include exciting contests. For example, you can have a social media photo contest wherein attendees will snap photos and share them on their socials using your brand’s hashtags to win prizes. You can also have a matching contest, where attendees can wear branded stickers and have to find their match to enjoy amazing prices or special discounts.

Consider hiding postcards around your booth and announcing that the attendee who finds them will receive an award.  Regardless of the contest you’re holding, you can increase attendee engagement and let them know more about your brand as you incorporate it into the postcards, stickers, hashtags, and more.

Photo booths

Another way to engage attendees is by setting up photo booths. Outdoor booths can take advantage of bigger spaces and natural lighting. Add props, like hats, masks, and glasses. You can even have colored smoke bombs, so attendees can take beautiful and magical photos. Regardless of the backdrop or theme that you want, photo booths can help entice more attendees.

 

Measuring the success of your booth

When the day is over, it’s essential to measure the success of your booth’s performance. There are several ways to do this, including collecting feedback from attendees and measuring follow-ups over the coming weeks. You can also use the lead metrics and data collected by Expo Logic’s intuitive software solution to determine where you excel and the areas that need improvement.