1. Write a clear brief for your stand designer that explains what your brand is all about and what you are looking to achieve from attending the exhibition
    2. Then think about the visitor experience – what type of experience would you like your stand visitors to have? How do you want them to feel when they leave the stand?
    3. Don’t get hung up on the structure at this stage – it’s often very tempting to jump very quickly into looking at very polished stand designs with walls, store rooms, hanging signs and reception counters. This can be a mistake, though & it’s why we often start with a sketch as this helps to keep the focus on the visitor experience rather than how glossy and beautiful the wall finish is. It’s really difficult to put a creative idea into a stand after the structure has been designed.
    4. Think about all aspects of the experience of visiting your stand – how does it look from the other side of the hall? How does it look from the café or presentation theatre opposite you? How do you get from the reception desk to the meeting room? Are the seats comfy enough (or too comfy?) Is it light enough?

If you follow these four steps you should be able to create a stand that is distinctive and memorable for the right reasons.