Creating an Effective Video Display
Video displays have rapidly become a key differentiator for trade show booths. But, if everyone is doing them, how do you stand out?
The key is to think in terms of the best-fit for your goals and your particular situation. In this mindset, the flashiest or most emotional video content may not be the most effective, putting your decisions in an important context.
To help you decide which type of video display for trade show booths you should use and how to maximize the value you get from that content, consider the following pointers:
Think Fourth Dimensionally Across the Convention, Not Just the Length of the Video’s Run Time
Booth workers quickly notice one thing about their video content that others may not notice: it can get really annoying when it loops. This fatigue is inevitable given any short content set to play on repeat, but there are steps you can take to make it less grating for people who happen to hang around your booth for more than a few minutes at a time.
First off, include variety. If you have an intense, color-rich, eye-catching animation, having it play constantly is a good way to overload visitors’ senses. Instead, intersperse the scene with more tranquil or peaceful imagery. Consider this interspersed content like a screensaver: something that’s tough to get tired of watching.
At the same time, remember that people will be coming and going throughout your video content, so if you have a message you absolutely have to get through to them, have it repeated several times throughout the video. Think about radio shows and how they remind people about the conversation: “If you’re just tuning in, we were talking about…”
The trade-off between annoyingly repetitive content and messaging that makes its mark quickly will be something to give some serious consideration to as you consider your video package.
Consider Accessibility
First off, convention halls are noisy. Even people with perfect hearing may have to practically hug the speakers on your booth to clearly hear the audio of your video loop. With that in mind, offer closed captioning or accompanying text so that hearing the video is not nearly as critical to grasp its message. Make sure this text gives people enough time to read it, so if you are doing voice overs or captioning interviews, talk… slowly….
Another element of accessibility is to consider attendees who are colorblind. If you are pitching your solution to a mass audience, consider using colorblind-appropriate palettes with your graphics or animations. Also, because of the risk of epileptic seizures, be extremely careful about using flashing lights or rapidly changing graphics in your content.
Maximize Value by Using the Content Before or After the Show
If you have the time, you can build out your convention video roll by producing short videos leading up to the show. These can be published on a Youtube channel or social media profile to maximize the value you get from the production costs.
Or, if you want to keep your video under wraps until the show, you can chop up the video roll into short segments and release it after-the-fact.
Incorporate Your Video Display for Trade Show Booths as a Part of Your Booth Design
When using video in your trade show booth, especially as part of a large display or “video wall” using LED and LCD screens, allow it to complement the look and feel of your booth. For instance, if your booth uses bold colors but your video showcases pastoral scenes, then the two could clash. Ditto for color schemes used on booth graphics versus video graphics.
If you want to make sure that your video content can work as part of a cohesive whole for your booth, work with an experienced trade show exhibit building company that can take your branding elements and expo goals into account and design a booth that maximizes your strengths.
To get working on an amazing booth design that makes video an important part of its effect, you can contact us today.
