I attend several different conferences and trade show conventions across different industries, from high-tech to home furnishings. What I started noticing this past year when I visited the demo or exhibits hall is that more and more businesses are incorporating high-top table seating areas in their booths and meeting spaces for prospective customers to enjoy.
This sure looks like the way to go for several reasons. Here are what I consider to be the top 4:
1. Attract With Comfort
Providing a place to sit or comfortably lean while reading and learning about your product and service will encourage people to spend more time in your trade show display booth. Add fresh water or coffee, and a small treat, and they are more likely to come on in and linger longer. Yes, this works much better than a simple counter with a box of pens to give away.
2. Encourage Intimacy
Small-sized round or rectangular tables create a sense of intimacy. This is a perfect setting for two or three business people to lean in closely together to discuss the merits of your product or service with you, or with each other. The closeness provides a feeling of closeness and privacy, even when many other people are milling about around you.
3. Incorporate Style
I have been pleasantly surprised at the high quality and stylized designs of high-top tables I’ve seen at these trade show conventions. Especially impressive is the variety of high stools and chairs that accompany them. Whether you’re going for formal or casual, plush or stark, contemporary or traditional, the options are many. Choose from different designs to create the look and feel you want to achieve. Some examples:
- Color – I noticed that several companies select stools in colors that match their branding. Bright blue or orange in a logo pops when you incorporate that same color in the stools, especially when everything else is starting black or white.
- Size – For smaller booths or meeting areas, you’ll likely do best with one or two small 24 or 30-inch round or square table tops. For larger areas, especially for small group training or meetings, you might select a longer rectangular table. This could be a thinner 24 inches wide intended for seating on only one side, or wider for sitting on both sides.
- Material – Most tables themselves are either wood or metal. But the options for stools or chairs are a bit broader. Sculpted metal chairs with no cushions provide a sleek modern look and can be surprisingly comfortable. Or you can go with some with a 2-3 inch padded cushion. These work well in black or white leather or faux leather.
4. Rent for Flexibility
Although larger corporations and organizations may own their own conference booth set-up, many smaller and medium-sized companies rent everything for their booth when needed. Rental companies offer a growing variety of options in the area of seating, so you don’t have to make one selection that needs to last you forever. You can go with different choices for each conference until you find a set that really works well for you, and you can change your décor decisions as your company continues to change and grow.