Are you considering exhibiting at an event but don’t know where to start when it comes to making sure your stand looks professional and performs its task? Don’t worry – you’re not alone. But if you put in a bit of homework now, you’ll make better decisions regarding your stand that will serve you well into the future, whether you’re re-using the setup over and over again or designing a new layout each time you exhibit.
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We’ve put together a helpful guide to assist you in the process, from considerations for choosing an exhibition stand designer that fits with your budget, to deciding on the often overlooked parts of your stand that can make all of the difference.
Whether you’re looking to sell more products, increase brand awareness or simply connect with like-minded businesses in your industry, trade events and shows offer unparalleled access to the brands and individuals that you would otherwise not have at a regular conference or event.
These exhibitions occur quite regularly around the country and some entrepreneurs and business owners travel far to visit as many as they can throughout the year. As a result, they can put their products or services out there to new customers and can also network with fellow business professionals in their sector.
If you have never been to a trade show or exhibited at an event with your company before, then you might not really believe the benefit of exhibiting until you see it firsthand. High entry fees to events can often put business owners off, that is until they realise the recurring benefit that a bespoke stand and exhibiting can provide. Let’s look at ways to get you started on your path to exhibiting mastery, and provide the answers to any burning questions you may have as a beginner.
First of all, let’s take a closer look at why you should think about exhibiting your company at a relevant business trade show or event. We’ve briefly touched on the fact that it can help you attract new customers and clients, but there are also so many other advantages. Here are the main ones that you need to be aware of.
So, once you have decided that attending a business exhibition really is in the best interest for you and your business, you need to decide how you are going to design your stand.
We will touch on this point in greater detail within this guide, however as a quick overview here are some common ways that business owners both get a bespoke stand, and utilise current trends or technology to give their stand a greater chance of attracting the right types of visitors at an event:
If you want to really impress people at your exhibition stand, you should think about incorporating a few different tech pieces to the design. These are often really engaging and can also show the public just how much of a modern and forward-thinking company you are.
Not sure which are the best kinds of tech to bring with you to the exhibition? Here are some of our top recommendations:
Ensuring that the final build result is exactly what you envisioned for your business starts with the initial concept stage. With the initial build phase of any bespoke project, it is important to understand and appreciate both the possibilities and the limitations that relate to the exact stand you envision.
The above points may seem obvious, but if you’re new to the process it can be overwhelming and aspects are easily missed. Be sure to also consider the following points, and ask the questions to your team and chosen exhibition stand designers to ensure all areas of stand success are covered:
Some business owners think that going to an exhibition with their company is a lot of unnecessary hassle, and they opt for more traditional forms of marketing instead. It’s true that other offline ways to market your company are great, but it will really pay off if you do them while also going to exhibitions.
There are, of course, always two sides to every story and here are just a few of the pros and cons of exhibiting versus other offline marketing options.
Pro: Gives You The Chance To Speak Directly To Clients
One of the biggest benefits that comes with exhibiting your company is that you will be meeting up with clients and customers face-to-face. This will be a lot more personable than simply sending them an or calling them on the .
It gives all of your clients and customers the chance to see exactly who the people behind the business are!
Con: Extensive Planning & Preparation
Whilst an exhibition stand design company will naturally look after the design and build of a stand, there are plenty of hidden tasks and actions that need to be considered when either being involved in the design and build of an exhibition stand, and when taking your stand to an event.
This is not necessarily a ‘con’ in the strictest sense, however it can be if either you or your team do not factor in enough adequate time and meticulously planned resources to ensure the below factors are well looked after.
Factors to consider when it comes to effective time management throughout the process include:
Pro: It Gives Customers The Chance To Try Before They Buy
If you take some of your products with you, then you can showcase them on your stand.
Your employees can give demos of how to use them and all of the benefits that they will bring to customers. You’ll also be able to let stand visitors have a go themselves so that they can try before they buy.
Con: It Involves You And Some Employees Leaving The Office For The Day
You will need to spend the whole day at the exhibition, as well as those employees who attend with you. Unfortunately, this means one day away from the office for all involved. And that means one day of not getting through important work!
The more exhibitions that you attend throughout the year, also means more working days lost. This won’t be a worry with other offline marketing methods, though, as you can carry them out from the office.
However, most employers think that taking an away day to exhibit their company is often worth it thanks to all the benefits it brings them!
There are many points to consider when it comes to both getting your first stand built and attending your first trade show or business event.
Having a plan in place at each step of the way will mitigate any mistakes, primarily the mistake of forgetting important stand aspects or design considerations until after the build has been completed (an all too common issue that meticulous planning will certainly help to avoid).
Whether you already have a stand, are looking for advice around attending an event, or if you’ve been looking for reputable providers and want to get in touch with a team that truly cares, we’d love to speak to you.
So you're preparing for your next craft show, and you've decided to book a 10x10 craft booth to sell your wares. Congratulations! ????
Once that initial rush of excitement wears off, you may find yourself wondering how you can use that space in the best way possible.
There are so many options for organizing those 100 sq. feet, and you want to make sure you create the best possible layout to entice customers to visit, check out your products, and buy something from you.
That's why we're sharing 7 of the most popular 10x10 layouts you can use for your craft booth, plus some more 10x10 craft booth layout ideas from awesome crafters on social media to get you started!
We'll show you how each of these layouts stacks up in terms of product visibility, storage space, customer movement, and cost, plus give you some guidance about when to choose each one.
By the way… This is the first installment in a series of articles we're writing about how to set up the best craft fair booth for your business! We'll be sharing more soon, and we'll link those articles here when they're ready.
For now, this article focuses on the basic layouts you can create for a 10x10 craft booth using tables. Of course, there is way more to a craft booth than just tables, but we'll share more in another article!
What's inside:
Now, onto the list ????
Here are 7 of the most popular layouts you can use for a 10x10 craft booth. We'll explain how each one works, then talk pros and cons to consider.
The first on our list is the most simple and easy to set up—the single counter layout.
This layout is the simplest by far. You put your table (or tables) in a single line at the very front of the space, displaying your crafts to everyone who walks by.
As long as you've got your products in vertical displays, you will be visible to the people walking by. It's best to add some signage or a table cover to advertise your name, branding, and what you sell, too.
On the other hand, you aren't able to display as many products with this layout.
You can store things under your tables or in the back of your booth if you find creative ways to hide them. Since you're only using the front of the space, you have more options for storage.
Customers will not be able to get into your booth, so they'll browse as they walk by your booth. It's harder to get them to stop and stay, and if a lot of customers come, it might be hard for everyone to see as there's only one side of a table to look at.
This is the lowest-cost setup out of the bunch since you'll only need one long table or a couple of smaller tables for the basic layout.
This layout works best when you're just starting out with craft shows. If you only have a few crafts to sell, or you want to start small, this gives you just enough space to display them and put your things right up front where potential customers are walking by.
Here's an example of a single counter layout (with a small side table) by @chasingextraordinary on TikTok:
@chasingextraordinary Had my first 10x10 Vendor even this weekend! #craftfairsetup #craftfair #artbooth #art #artist #MacysGiftTok ♬ Paradise - TELL YOUR STORY music by Ikson™
The Z-shaped layout is very popular right now. We're seeing this more on social media as crafters discover the fun of this zig-zag configuration.
With this layout, you combine 3 tables of different sizes to create a Z shape in the middle of your booth.
This layout allows you to display products on all sides to catch the eye of anyone walking by. That said, you will definitely want to use vertical displays so people can see your products from far away.
And since most of the products are inside the booth area, you'll want to use signs and other elements to show people who you are and what you're selling.
You can store items under the tables if you use a table cover to hide them.
This is one of the best layouts for crowd control because it gives people plenty of space to come into your booth from either side! Even if a lot of people visit your booth at once, they can still move around and get a good look at your products.
Goto Norder to know more.
This will cost a little more than a single table, but you will still only need 3 tables, and since they're smaller, it will probably cost less than a full U-shaped layout.
Try the Z-shaped layout if you want to welcome customers from all sides and avoid crowding. This might work better for outdoor festivals where there's more space around each booth.
Here's an example of the Z-shaped layout from @dozerdogdesigns on TikTok:
@dozerdogdesigns Z shaped #VendorDisplay for #CraftFairs #DozerDogDesigns #ZShapedSetUp #ZShapedDisplay #ZSetup #ZDisplay #CraftShowDisplay ♬ original sound - DozerDogDesigns
The U-shaped layout features a table in the front and tables on either side to show your crafts to people walking by.
This makes your products super visible to people walking by as they're right up at the front of the booth. Of course, as always, you'll want to use vertical displays to lift up your products and make them visible from farther away.
This layout also gives you space to set up signs in between the tables on each corner of the booth.
As long as you hide your stuff under tables or find some storage space inside the booth space, you should have plenty of space to keep stuff.
This layout doesn't allow people to step into your booth, so you'll need to catch them as they walk by. Since you have space on three sides of the booth, there will be plenty of space for people to move around and see what you're selling.
You will need to think about where you want to get out of the space, whether that's from the side (as in our sample layout above) or from a space in the front.
This is one of the middle-range layouts because you will need more tables, but you don't necessarily need to get extra-tall displays like walls or pegboards to make it work.
This would really only work if you have a booth with open sides at the front and back, like at an outdoor craft show. This layout is a great choice if you have a booth with at least 3 open sides and you want to put your crafts out right where people are walking.
Here's an example of the U-shaped layout from @meltoncandlecompany on TikTok:
@meltoncandlecompany Reply to @mmm Trade show or craft show 10x10 set up. #craftfair #tradeshow #thisopportunity #alleyesoneme #craftshow #craftingtiktok ♬ Stylish Jazz HipHop - Future Oriented Triad
With this layout, you have tables on the back and both sides of the booth, leaving the front open.
This one makes it harder to see your products from the outside of your booth, so you'll want to get creative with signage, banners, and other display racks at the front to entice people into stepping closer to get a good look.
And if you want to create a full store-like experience, you'll definitely need tall displays like pegboards, shelving, racks, or other similar pieces of furniture to display your products up high where people can see them!
This layout has built-in storage space at the back in between the tables, and you can also store things under the tables if you use them. You may not use tables at all if you go for tall racks and other shelving!
This layout allows people to come into the space to engage with you, which makes for a more immersive experience. However, if a lot of people come into the space, it could get crowded.
It's smart to think about how you plan to lead people through the space and where the checkout will be.
If you choose to create a store-like experience for your customers, this will cost the most since you are creating three walls of product displays. But it can also be one of the most lucrative since there is more to buy.
This is one of the best ways to maximize a booth that's sandwiched in between other booths (which often happens at indoor craft fairs).
It's also the best choice if you want to create an immersive store-like experience. To really make it feel like a store, choose vertical displays and shelving instead of tables.
Check out this U-shaped layout by @heybeautifullv on TikTok using vertical displays to create a store-like feel:
@heybeautifullv My booth display for a 10x10 space for markets this year ✨ #springmarket #boothdisplay #boothdisplayideas #smallbusiness #eventbooth #brandingtips #howtodisplay #craftfairprep #craftfairsetup ♬ Aesthetic - Tollan Kim
The L-shaped layout maximizes a corner booth that has two open sides. In this case, the tables are positioned up against the walkway so customers can browse your items while walking by.
Since products are right against the walkway, this makes them more visible to people passing by. You also have space for signs in the corner in between the two tables, or another display rack.
You can store items under tables or find a way to discreetly store them in the unused space inside the booth.
While customers can't go into your booth, they can easily walk around the booth and see all of your products easily. They have two sides to see everything, which makes it easier for more people to see. The key here, as always, is to display items vertically so people can see them from far away.
This one is mid-range in terms of cost. This uses fewer tables than the U-shaped layout, but you'll still want vertical displays to make your products easier to spot.
This one is perfect for a corner booth that has two open sides. This is best for when you want to catch people with products up close instead of inviting them into your booth.
@_goyangii on TikTok used a modified version of this layout for her corner booth setup:
@_goyangii i don’t usually poke out of my 10x10 space but I saw someone else do it ???? so i yolo’ed lol.. #craftfairsetup #craftfair #craftfairdisplay ♬ Makeba (Ian Asher Remix) - Jain & Ian Asher
And here's an example from @theposterlist who sells t-shirts, stickers, and posters:
@theposterlist Explaining my 10x10 corner booth setup at festivals and craft fairs. I’ll go into more details as to why I have my setup this way in another video. ???? #boothsetup #vendor #artfair #craftfair #beerfestival #popupshop #tshirts #postershop #stickershop#smallbusiness #smallbusinessowner #Tshirtshop #tshirtshopowner ♬ Aesthetic - Tollan Kim
The inverted L-shaped layout is another option for corner booths, but this time you're placing tables at the back of your booth to leave both entrances wide open.
Products are less visible from the front since they're along the back walls. So in this case, you'll want to use good signs or extra displays at the front to catch people's eyes.
There's a little bit of built-in storage space at the back corner, otherwise you'll want to hide stuff under tables.
You have a lot of space for customers to come in and move around your booth, so this will help avoid crowding. The question is where you'll sit and where you'll put your cash register.
This one costs less than a full U-shaped layout, but still will require more vertical displays to really maximize the space and create a store-like layout.
This one works only for corner booths and islands where there are no walls on any side. It’s best for those who want to create an immersive store-like experience and invite people to come into the booth to browse.
This is an uncommon layout, but interesting to try. It features one or two tables down the middle that people can walk around.
You'll have to be creative in how you display your products on these two tables so they're visible to people from far away. This kind of layout would require more signage or displays at the front to give people a reason to come closer.
There's not much space for storage here, as people are walking all around the booth. You'll have to store stuff under tables to keep it out of sight.
This allows for customers to walk around your booth which keeps people flowing and not stuck in a certain area. You might want to think of the ideal flow of traffic you want and organize your shop to lead people in a certain direction, so people aren't running into each other.
This one is simpler to set up with just two smaller tables, so would likely cost less than the larger layouts. But you might want to swap out the tables with peg boards or other display racks to be able to display more products.
Those who want to try a new layout and see how it goes!
If you give this a go, tell us how it went in our Official MakerFlo Facebook Community!
Here are some questions to ask yourself when planning how to use your 10x10 space.
Now you've got 7 different ideas for your 10x10 craft booth layout. These will help you to get the most out of your next event and fully maximize your space!
Next, check out more of our favorite articles for growing a craft business below:
For more 3 Side Open Exhibition Stallsinformation, please contact us. We will provide professional answers.