There’s nothing worse than arriving at a trade show and realizing that your booth looks like a homemade lemonade stand compared to the rest. Under the harsh LED lights, your company banner looks far more worn and faded than it did back at the office, and no matter what you do, the corners curl and one side droops more than the other.
When you look over at your neighbor’s booth, your stomach drops even further. Their logo is in lights and their trade show exhibit backdrop subtly changes colors and patterns as you watch in stupefied jealousy.
You don’t have to feel like the ugly duckling of trade show booths. You can easily become the booth you so envy with simple or advanced lighting techniques using gobos and the right projector.
Here are six trade show gobo lighting tips to help your booth stand out and draw in more attendees than ever before:
Ditch the banner
Step number one is to get rid of your banners and project your logo and company name using custom gobos instead. This will instantly give your booth a more modern feel and make you stand out in the crowd. We suggest using the ECO Spot LED B90 for best results in a bright indoor environment.
Optimize color
Color plays a major role in gobo design – use it to attract attention and make a lasting impression. Project your logo in full color with a custom glass gobo or project an eye catching image on the floor or wall of your booth. Whenever possible, try to keep the colors light and vibrant. Saturated colors, such as dark blue or red, reduce the projection brightness by more than 90%. Certain colors, such as brown tones, require multiple filters, increasing the price while reducing efficiency.
Use colored filters
For a more affordable alternative to full color glass gobos, try using filters to change the color and intensity of the projected black and white gobo. Create a fun backdrop for your booth using a stock gobo design projected using a color filter. Have a variety of colored filters in your trade show toolbox to create multiple atmospheres at your booth.
Direct light
Using flags and panels to block and direct light can help optimize lighting in smaller spaces and ensure you get your trade show booth illuminated the way you want. You can also use mesh scrim to reduce light levels and add diffusion at the same time. Flags can help ensure that your lighting isn’t overwhelming within your display, or that it doesn’t spill over into other companies’ booths.
Surprise attendees with motion sensors
An unexpected way to catch people’s attention is to only project an image as attendees walk past your booth. Connect a motion sensor to your projector and watch people stop in their tracks when your logo or custom message appears at their feet or on the wall of your booth.
Bring your display to life with motion effects
There are a variety of different accessories that can add motion effects to your projections. Gobo changers allow you to switch through up to four images. The Liquid Effect Projector can transform any surface into a flowing water or fire feature. The integrated color wheel slowly changes between red, blue, yellow, and white or can be paused to feature just one color. This projector is also available in a weather-proof exterior model.
GoboSource will also soon be offering ‘smart’ projectors with different movement settings. These new settings will allow you to make an image pulsate at different frequencies or fade in and out, without the use of complicated DMX controllers. These small visual details draw attention to your booth, increasing engagement with attendees and generating brand awareness that leaves a lasting impact.
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