In the sea of people milling around, weaving in and out of exhibit booths, catching the big client who is going to bring in the sales to help meet quota can be overwhelming. People are easily distracted. And with so many ideas and literature swimming around, the wrong display strategy can easily lead to sensory overload and zero sales leads — Not a good report to take back to the office.

But in order to have the chance to get the sales lead, the exhibitor first has to attract people to the booth.

"When you figure out that the average attendee only visits 28 to 32 booths over a three-day show, it’s very important to draw attention to yourself. One of the ways to do that is to have a very inviting display," says Stephen Schuldenfrei, president of the Trade Show Exhibitors Association. "Lighting is one of the many ways to do that."

Finding unique ways to effectively manipulate lighting in your booth is a technique many trade show consultants recommend.

Julia O’Connor, president of Trade Show Training Inc., a consulting and educational trade show company based in Virginia, says if you are going to employ lighting techniques, you need to make sure you know what you are doing. Three years ago, she attended a show where she found people huddling under a tent enveloped in blue lighting.

"Everyone had a slight blue tinge to them," she said. "People don’t look good under blue light. I’ve seen it several times, but it might not be a very good idea."

Who wants to buy a product when everyone looks like they are about ready to hurl the free four-hour-old cheese spread they just inhaled at the last booth? Instead of blue, try peach or pink colors that are more natural and compliment one’s skin.

There are plenty of lighting techniques to employ. And just as the entire booth needs to have a marketing strategy, so does the lighting. To help make the right decisions, ask yourself these questions:

1) Are you trying to highlight one particular product, or do you have multiple things you need to market? Try to avoid flooding the area with numerous lights of different colors and types. Use flexible arm display lights or clamp display lights to create smaller spotlights on specific posters and products.
2) What lighting atmosphere makes you feel comfortable and ready to buy? If you have a lot of reading materials available, your lighting should be slightly brighter than a booth that has mostly products and few marketing materials.
3) What is the overall tone of your company? Does it offer a serious business or a more laid back commodity? Your lighting choices should reflect the business’s services. In other words, if you are offering at-home spa products, keep the lighting dim and incorporate colored lighting filters. If your company is showcasing fun games, try illuminating the area with white or colored rope lighting.

Don’t add to an already inappropriately lit convention center with obnoxious strobe lighting and purple-hued products. Lighting techniques are a tool in the creative sales process. Use them effectively.