7 Best 10×10 Trade Show Booth Design Ideas

Often, exhibitors look toward smaller booths as a cost-saving measure–whether that allows them to attend more shows or stretch their marketing dollars further.

That said, limited space opens up some new challenges when it comes to designing your trade show display. If you’re working with a 10x10 booth, you’ll need to maximize your space for the biggest possible impact.

In this article, we’ll go over some practical  10x10 trade show booth ideas to help you make the most out of a smaller display space.

 

Why Choose a 10x10 Trade Show Booth?

It may not sound like a lot of space, but a 10x10 exhibit booth is all you’ll need to make a big splash at your next big event. 

A smaller space presents an opportunity to be more intentional about your design choices, reduce waste, and focus your attention toward a single goal. 

Here are a few more benefits of choosing a 10x10 trade show booth:

• Lower costs. Attending a trade show is expensive. With a small display, you’re not only saving on the cost of the booth itself, but the exhibition space, accessories, and shipping costs.
• Great convenience. Opting for a smaller booth allows you to reduce your setup time--allowing you and your team to focus on fine-tuning your strategy and messaging ahead of the show. 
• Greater versatility. Unlike big, custom builds, small booths offer more versatility, by virtue of their simple design. If you’re using a modular booth, you’ll be able to rearrange the structural elements, allowing for more experimentation with 10x10 booth layout ideas.

7 Ways to Capitalize on Your 10x10 Booth Layout

It doesn’t matter what sector you’re in or what you sell--there’s a lot you can do with a 10x10 trade show display. 

You can work with a booth design specialist to select display walls, workstations, and lighting that match your brand identity and campaign goals. 

They might also help you select the right booth accessories, ensuring that you’re set up to gather leads, connect with visitors, and deliver a seamless booth experience attendees will still be talking about when they return home. 

In this section, we’ll quickly go over some 10x10 trade show booth ideas to get the most bang for your square footage:

1. Secure a corner booth space

The location of your trade show booth matters more than its size. Booths located near the center of the expo or within close range of the bathroom or the food court have prime real estate, of course. But corner booths, too, offer big gains in terms of visibility. 

For one, corner placement means you’re in two aisles at the same time, increasing your chances of capturing attendee attention. 

Corner booth spaces also tend to feel a bit larger than their fully-surrounded counterparts and give attendees more open space to navigate through your display. While you may pay a bit extra for a corner spot, it could boost your performance enough to cover the upcharge--and then some.

2. Provide workstations and LCD displays

Monitors and LCD Displays are also an effective way to get more mileage out of a small display. Remember, your goal is to provide attendees with information about your brand and what you offer. 

Technology such as flat-screen LCD "walls," tablets, and self-serve workstations allow brands to communicate a wider range of messaging and tailor those communications to different audiences.

Booth visitors receive a more interactive experience, and the chance to control their environment. You might use workstations to capture leads, provide a hands-on demo, or incorporate gamified elements into the booth.

That's a lot more powerful than a static handout. 

It's worth noting that digital displays can easily be installed in any booth, and may be customized with printed graphics to ensure a perfect fit with your branding.

3. Use backlit displays

Backlit displays are an excellent option for exhibitors with a smaller space who are looking to stand out--literally. Backlit displays allow exhibitors to leverage bold imagery to cut through the noise and get their message across without bringing more clutter into the booth.

Backlit displays might also be used as the backdrop for photo ops to drive engagement on channels like Instagram or Snapchat--you might even take things a step further by creating a custom filter or frame and promoting a dedicated hashtag.

4. Use quality flooring

Depending on your objective and your brand aesthetic, you might look toward the floor as another way to enhance the experience. The devil's in the details, right? One of our favorite 10x10 booth design ideas is focusing on the floor.

Booth flooring is often overlooked, but it can be a really effective way to create an inviting space within your 10x10 booth. Things like padded, high-quality carpeting, hardwood floors, tiles, or custom vinyl offer an upgrade on the standard carpeting or concrete you'll find at the typical conference hall. 

You might also look toward high-tech solutions like floor projections or interactive flooring to create an unexpected touchpoint for capturing audience attention.

Additionally, you'll usually pay for flooring by square foot–making this an affordable way to upgrade your 10x10 display.

5. Keep the front door open

When you're working with limited square footage, keep the front of the booth open to create a more inviting space for attendees. 

Often exhibitors place a display or table at the front of the booth in an effort to connect with people as they walk by. 

Unfortunately, this can work against you, creating a barricade that prevents attendees from entering the booth freely. As you consider different 10x10 booth layout ideas, look toward creating a space that leads incoming foot traffic to key touchpoints–be it a demo area, photo wall, or workstation.

6. Keep your booth de-cluttered

Going overboard with printed brochures, one-pagers, and other physical types of sales collateral can quickly make your 10x10 booth feel claustrophobic, while also creating unnecessary waste in a time where attendees and brands are looking toward more sustainable solutions.

7. Avoid large furniture items

This tip is something of a no-brainer, but we’ll say it anyway: skip the large furniture items, there’s not enough room.

While larger booths can benefit from using furniture to create a lounge-style experience, the best 10x10 trade show booths are designed around active experiences and personal connections.

8. Align product and display designs

It’s critical that you maintain consistency across all channels, your website, social media profiles, and even your trade show booth, as it helps build trust and brand recall with your audience.

Any trade show booth--regardless of size--must reflect the product or service that you’re promoting. Be sure to use your brand’s colors, messaging, and products to guide all of your 10x10 trade show booth ideas.

The Best 10x10 Booth Types to Consider for Your Next Trade Show

The 10x10 booth is the most popular display size for trade shows and events. But, it’s important to understand that booth type comes down to more than size. Before settling on a 10x10 booth layout idea, you’ll want to get a sense of what you’ll be working with.

Here’s a quick breakdown of the most popular small displays:

10x10 Backlit Displays

10x10 Truss Exhibits

 

Some exhibitors believe that truss displays are better suited to larger spaces. However, that's not actually the case. Truss booths can be designed for any booth size including a 10x10.

Truss booths offer a unique industrial design that can be used to frame banners, panels, and products, ensuring your branded elements work together to make a bold statement.

Customizing your truss display with high-quality lighting and freestanding podiums will help complete your booth design and give you a professional, polished look. 

10x10 Pop Up Displays

Lightweight and portable, popup displays are easy to setup and disassemble in a matter of minutes. Popup displays consist of a collapsible, accordion-style frame that essentially "pops" open and a fitted fabric canvas with custom-printed graphics.

Often, popup displays are used as a backdrop for showcasing brand messaging, as opposed to a standalone booth. 

10x10 Hybrid Displays

Hybrids are a great option for exhibitors looking for a simple, streamlined display with easy setup. Hybrid displays, like pop-ups, use printed fabric attached to a metal frame. The key difference here, is, hybrid displays don't use the accordion-style frame, instead, frames typically are made from metal tubes.

10x10 Modular Displays

Modular displays offer the look and feel of a high-end custom design but bring portability and simple setup into the mix for a stress-free experience.

Modular displays can be rearranged to create unique layouts, offering more flexibility in terms of size and design. As such, this is a good choice for those who want to invest in a booth they can reuse with a whole range of 10x10 trade show booth ideas. 

Make Your 10x10 Booth Stand Out

As you can see, there’s no shortage of ways to make a big impact with a small display. While working within 100 square feet isn’t without its challenges, it’s more than enough to make a lasting impact on attendees.

Remember, your primary goal is to keep your attendees engaged and smaller booths present more opportunities to bring the personal touch into the experience. 

At Iconic Displays, we’re pros when it comes to helping our clients realize their 10x10 booth ideas. From pop-up and modular displays to truss booths, modular displays, and all of the additional accessories you might need. 

Start planning for your next trade show exhibit today and give our design experts a call.

 Shop a full range of 10x10 trade show designs.