Designing Trade Show Displays For Art Conventions

When your work is going to be judged at a convention, your trade show booths need to present your collection in its best light. Learn how to position yourself for victory with your portable exhibit, and get tips for using the awards you win as part of your exhibit. 

Having your work selected for a juried award at a major art convention is always exciting. You will focus on preparing your best works to show, handpicking the strongest pieces of your entire collection. However, every piece is only as good as the way it is presented. If you don't upgrade your portable exhibit, you might sabotage your success without ever knowing it. 
Start With The Basics Of Trade Show Booths
The first question to ask yourself is whether your current convention presence is up to the task. This question is particularly important if you have never attended a juried convention before, or if it's your first convention. Even if you've been to many events before, you may still want to replace your current trade show displays with something more suited to your needs.
Remember that your unit will be the first thing most judges see, provided that it's a competition juried by a panel that roams the event floor. Even if it's a closed selection where you submit one work for judging and cannot show it in your unit, your judges are still likely to see your trade show booths before the judging occurs. The key to making a good impression is securing the basics first.
Set Up Your Portable Exhibit For Success
Trade show displays designed for displaying artwork can be notoriously difficult for a visitor to navigate, but are also usually modular and flexible. Most artists want to maximize the wall space so that they can include as many of their works as possible. However, more walls means less openness, which can be a detriment for visitors. If you are expecting a judging, you should try to keep walls to a minimum so all your work will be seen. If you have a modular unit, subtracting a few internal walls should not be a problem. If your unit is not modular, contact the company before you make any structural changes.
Check Your Trade Show Booth's Lighting
Lighting is a very basic element, yet it is among the most commonly neglected aspects of artist's trade show displays. You should always ensure that your lighting is sufficient to illuminate your work, regardless of whether or not it will be judged. If possible, try to secure illumination that has some flexibility of positioning, allowing you to adjust it if you plan to rotate the artwork that is shown in your trade show displays. Although there are many options available, keep in mind that it may be difficult to provide lighting to any artwork that is positioned in the lower half of your trade show booths. This part of the portable exhibit is also less noticed by visitors and thus should not be home to your most celebrated works.
Arrange Your Entries With Care
Arrangement of your actual paintings or photographs is particularly crucial if you have not chosen one particular image to submit for judgment. Even if you have, you should still ensure that your most impressive samples are featured as prominently as possible. If you have a well-designed and well-lit portable exhibit which highlights your best works, you've done all you can to ensure success. 

Article Tags: Trade Show Displays, Trade Show, Show Displays, Portable Exhibit

Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com

ABOUT THE AUTHOR