If the lighting at the trade fair stand is optimal, you hardly notice it, but feel its positive effect all the more. Lighting design is therefore an essential design element. A good booth builder knows how the atmosphere can be harmoniously adapted to the brand presence with the help of light, on which areas the attention of the visitors should be directed and which light source is the right one at which time. The radiantly bright or comfortably dimmed light setting forms a fourth dimension of trade fair stand architecture – and therefore deserves appropriate planning. Let’s now take a look at what makes a good lighting concept and which factors should be considered.
Aspects of light as a design element
Every trade show booth deserves an individual lighting concept so that the lighting optimally represents the company, attracts and guides visitors. For this, the product staging, the economic goals, the organizational framework, the target groups and the design requirements of a brand are all taken into account. Depending on this, different types of light are used. A distinction is made between light direction, light colour and light intensity.
Steering with light
The direction of the light guides visitors through the stand. Uniform vertical stand lighting sets the direction of travel and horizontal wall lighting acts as a pull to the rear of the stand. But not only the paths are shown by the lighting, but also the attention is drawn by brighter, hard light.
Can light be hard?
When people talk about hard light, they tend to refer to the shadows that light casts. These can be high-contrast and have strong outlines, which is created by small, bright light sources. Very large light sources, on the other hand, cast soft to no shadows, such as on cloudy days. The specific target group is also addressed by the colour of the light.
Conveying brand values through light colour
Light colour here does not directly mean a colourful light, which of course also ensures a strong brand message, but should only be used specifically for decorative purposes, it is much more about temperature. Cool light, which tends towards the bluish spectrum, looks businesslike, fresh and generous. At the other end is a warm light, similar to the mood of sunsets or open fires. A neutral white light, similar to normal daylight, promotes dwell time, has a positive and friendly effect.
Lighting design options in exhibition stand planning
In addition to the qualities and functions of light, we also want to get to the bottom of the technical possibilities of lighting here, because the options are numerous and can be varied and combined depending on the conditions of the event hall and the individual ideas. Here is a small selection:
- Exhibition spotlights: The classics of exhibition stand lighting. Exhibition spotlights are available in a large number of different sizes and designs, for example as powerful LED spotlights, such as the SYMA-LUX, which are not only energy-efficient but also provide pleasantly homogeneous lighting. Exhibition spotlights are mounted either on power rails or truss systems and must then be carefully aligned to perfectly highlight the desired areas without dazzling visitors:inside in the process.
- Track systems: Both the basic lighting of your trade fair stand and highlighting through directed spots can be organized very well with track systems. The flexible systems promise quick and easy installation of the selected luminaires and meet a wide range of different requirements.
- Display lighting: Flexible and simple are also display lights that can be quickly and yet securely mounted anywhere on the trade show display wall. This usually works by means of a screw clamp that provides a hold at the rod end of the lights.
- Suspended luminaires: A design-oriented highlight, with which individual areas can be wonderfully loosened up, are suspended or pendant luminaires. By positioning them lower and using suitable light sources, they can be used, for example, to create a pleasant consulting atmosphere or to design the reception area.
- Illuminated textile walls: Indirectly illuminated textile walls, such as SYMA TEXWALL, draw special attention to your trade show booth. Individually printable textiles are clamped in frame elements and staged by means of a specially developed lighting concept based on full-surface LED lens backlighting. The perfectly shadowless illuminated surface ensures that the advertising message to be conveyed literally jumps into the viewer’s eye.
The right light bulb for the lighting design at the booth
The immense selection of different light sources nowadays quickly causes confusion among laymen. An experienced booth builder knows how to weigh up the pros and cons of classic incandescent bulbs, halogen lamps, sodium vapor lamps or LED light sources and choose the right lighting design for each area of your booth.
In addition to the sustainability aspect, where LED lamps are usually clearly ahead in terms of service life and power consumption, the color rendering index should also be considered here. This indicates how natural artificial light makes the colors of the illuminated objects look. While sunlight has an index of 100, which is the best possible value, it can range from 18 to 100 for artificial light sources, depending on the type.
Conclusion: The optimal trade fair stand lighting
Light is so much more than brightness. A well thought-out and planned lighting design at the trade show booth can be used to convey corporate values, tell stories, and optimally pick up the target group. While decorative elements and accents create an impression and are visible from afar, individual light zones provide orientation. Brighter areas are used for product presentation and warmer, cozier lighting invites visitors to linger.
If you would like to learn more about SYMA’s capabilities to put your trade show booth in the spotlight it deserves, contact us right here.
