Choosing a Booth: Golden Triangle or Zoom Zone?

By Margo McCall -- Tradeshow Week, 3/6/2006

Is there such a thing as a good or bad booth location? According to exhibitors, without a doubt.

With so much riding on tradeshow appearances, exhibit managers have definite ideas about where ¡ª and where not¡ª to locate their booths. Despite that, selecting a prime location remains more art than science, and what works for one exhibitor might not work for another.

Candy Adams, founder of Trade Show Consulting, suggested staying away from the "zoom zones," the front sections to the left and right of the main entrance. She also said a booth should be selected within the coveted "golden triangle" formed by two lines angling toward the back of the hall.

Wide aisles are good because they draw attendees seeking to avoid traffic jams in the narrower aisles. Being near ¡ª but not too near ¡ª bathrooms and food and beverage services is also an asset, Adams said.

Michael Hatch, senior vice president of sales and marketing for tradeshow software company a2z, is another strong believer in the golden triangle approach, since buyers will potentially crisscross that region numerous times. "In the middle is better. Generally, the forward corners don't get anywhere near as much traffic as the middle," he said.

But Richard Maples said his company, Shepard Exposition Services, didn't get much traffic when it put its 20¡ä¡Á20¡ä in the middle of the showfloor. Business is much brisker now that they've gone with a 10¡ä¡Á40¡ä in the zoom zone.

"From a psychological standpoint, some people start at one corner of the show and work their way back," said Maples, vice president of sales and marketing at Shepard.

There's also a difference of opinion about being located near major competitors. Hatch said it is perfectly fine. "I prefer being close to my competitor. It's no different than Wendy's putting a location on the opposite corner from McDonald's," he said.

Hatch, a former exhibitor, said a booth near an anchor is a positive, because of the traffic large exhibitors usually draw. But up-aisle or down-aisle is preferable to being located directly across from them.

"People have a tendency to walk into the anchor booths, which are larger islands. They talk to who they want to talk to and will walk out another corner. Anyone between those corners doesn't get the traffic," he said.

Exhibit managers should avoid selecting perimeter aisle booths facing the wall. "It's not a good place to be. Facing the center is better," Hatch warned.

He said there's no such thing as a bad booth location at a small show. But at large shows, exhibitors should be more wary.

Linda Page has also picked up some firm opinions on booth location during her years as tradeshow coordinator for Link-Belt Construction Equipment. She voted no on being near bathrooms, competitors, food service or the main entrance. "But corner booths are always better because you have two sides from which to help attendees," she said.

Despite all the varied opinions, there's some evidence that, in the end, where you put your booth might not really matter.

Exhibit Surveys President Skip Cox, who used to teach a class on the subject, said the idea that there are good and bad booth locations tends to come up every few years. "We did research that pretty much showed that location, in and of itself, didn't make much of a difference," he said.

Rich Stone, CEO of Act/Expocad, agreed. "Exhibitors are worried about location, and show managers think position is important, but it's not based on concrete evidence. It's not an issue in your average everyday show."

Today's attendees are more prepared, knowing beforehand exactly which exhibits or products they want to see. Thus, some shows embrace showfloors segmented into different categories. The only times that location does matter, Cox said, is when an exhibition has multiple halls or floorplans containing obstructions that create dead spots.

More solid proof on the subject of booth location will likely emerge from a study conducted by Srinath Gopalakrishna, an associate professor of marketing at the University of Missouri-Columbia. The study, currently under academic review, tracked attendees' booth visits and interest in various products.

And even if there were such a thing as a good or a bad booth location, exhibitors couldn't always control it. According to Adams, show managers redraw the average floorplan 14 times. A booth that initially appears to be in the middle of a row can end up on a corner if the organizer doesn't sell enough space. Growing shows present their own shifting floorplan challenges.

"A lot of times they have to redraw things, because they're making guesstimates," said Page.

In addition, Adams pointed out, practical reasons are frequently behind the way floorplans are laid out. Large booths go near the front of a hall because they take longer to set up and can't block freight doors. Medium-sized booths go in next, and smaller booths are placed closer to the freight doors, because they take less time to set up.

There are some tricks, however, to getting the best perceived location. Adams suggested that exhibitors get on a waitlist with a request for more space, presuming that the show manager will find the chance to sell a bigger booth irresistible. She also advised reading the floorplan closely. In particular, companies should make sure they're not located near the FHC (fire hose cabinet) or the PED (Internet wiring center). Although complaining often does no good, having a good relationship with the show salesperson can help.

Page said she tries to secure Link-Belt a prime booth location at small shows by returning her space-rental form early. But that's usually not possible at large shows, like the triennial CONEXPO-CON/AGG, where space selection often depends on factors such as an exhibitor's tenure with the organization, booth size and the amount of money being spent.

And even believers in good and bad booth locations admitted that pre-show marketing goes a long way toward drawing buyers. "Pre-show promotion can make all the difference in the world to you. It can increase your booth traffic and lead count anywhere from 50 to 200 percent," Hatch said.