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We encounter trade fair briefs in various forms every day. Often, while browsing through emails over morning coffee, we encounter them in various forms. Some are highly professional and detail the company’s vision, for example, as one that places particular emphasis on eco-friendly production solutions and modern customer service, while others are superficial and require considerable effort to interpret the subject of the inquiry. How can I help such a client write a solid brief that will facilitate the work of the designer and the person preparing the proposal? I would like to dedicate this article to this topic.

I was inspired to write this article by an incident that occurred a few weeks ago. I received a call. A friendly man, Mr. Adam, asked if I could help him prepare a brief with a request for proposals for a stand at a foreign trade fair. This was his company’s first time exhibiting, and he had no experience in this field. Therefore, he was unsure what information a company specializing in exhibition construction could expect to prepare a comprehensive proposal in the form of a design and quote.

This situation isn’t uncommon. We receive calls and emails from people with varying levels of experience with trade fairs. These include companies exhibiting for the first time, but also those working for companies with a long history of participating in trade shows that simply haven’t had any experience with the industry before. It’s not uncommon for email inboxes to be flooded with inquiries, which require considerable time to process.

Getting back to Mr. Adam, at the end of our conversation, we agreed that I would send him a list of essential information and additional questions that would help us clarify his expectations. This initial interview is extremely important, especially when we’re working together for the first time and want to save as much time as possible.

The basic information needed is obvious and concerns the implementation objectives. Which trade shows are you planning to participate in? What is the stand size? Has the space already been purchased? If so, please send us a map showing the booth’s location in the hall. If not, please specify the stand’s shape. What type of stand is planned? Terraced, corner, peninsula, or perhaps an island? Should the stand be single-story, or will a second floor also be necessary? Should the proposal be for a one-time project, or is it planned for multiple uses, thus enabling cost-effective reuse of manufactured elements.

An important step is to clarify the overall character of the stand so that the design is consistent with the visual identity and company values. It’s also important to obtain information about the intended audience and event participants, as well as which display elements are most important and how they should be presented. It’s important to remember that each inquiry is individual, and questions should be relevant to the industry represented and the nature of the event. Therefore, it’s worth supplementing the information with the product or service to be presented at the trade show. Are display cases, product shelves, or dedicated displays necessary? Will the presentation be on TVs or large LED screens? Or perhaps in the form of large-format prints on the walls or suspended from the hall ceiling?

The above questions entail a whole spectrum of information essential for developing an appropriate design. This includes selecting the preferred style (e.g., economical solutions, modular, modern, with an emphasis on ecology), choosing the color scheme (light, dark, using company colors), wall finishing materials (painted walls, wood, glass, laminate, concrete), flooring (carpet, panels, podium), and finally, selecting decorative elements (e.g., live plants). To complete the design, it’s essential to submit logos and other preferred graphic elements for the stand. It’s also greatly facilitated when the client shares their inspiration, for example, photos of stands selected from the portfolio available on the website, whose design most closely matches their expectations.

To understand the form of contact between the exhibitor and attendees, you can ask whether an information counter, a bar, or a space for quick conversations at high tables would be necessary? Or perhaps comfortable sofas in a separate area from the rest of the stand? Should the discussion area be closed or open? Would the stand need other rooms, such as a kitchen or storage area?

This also raises the issue of selecting the right equipment. If a storage/kitchen area is planned, appropriate shelving, clothes racks, cabinets, usually a refrigerator, and often a sink or coffee machine would be necessary. If a meeting room is planned, a conference table and appropriate chairs are essential. The list of possible arrangements is long and depends on the individual.

Finally, a question that doesn’t always have a clear answer: How much should all this cost? The obvious answer, “as little as possible,” is also a sure sign that will allow us to plan the project to utilize system solutions and pre-built components, but with custom development, it’s worth spending some time clarifying the budget. This facilitates the selection of appropriate finishing materials, furnishings, multimedia, and solutions that, while maintaining the appropriate quality, will meet the client’s financial expectations.

Mr. Adam needed a little help creating his first trade show brief, but the result is a very precise source of information. The extensive initial research that led to its creation saved us a lot of time and allowed us to seamlessly tailor our offer to his expectations. A well-written trade show brief is only the beginning. How will this story end? We’ll find out soon.

Author: Przemysław Pawlik