Never underestimate the power of a small trade show Booth. You may assume that bigger is always better, but you would be wrong. The truth of the matter is that planning, creativity, enthusiasm, and an engaging custom exhibit design all trump booth size every single time.

Honestly, a big, flashy, trade show booth can be deeply flawed. There are many mistakes that can be easily made when implementing a trade show exhibit design in such a large space. For instance, one can be tempted to fill the entire space with text and images, creating an overwhelming effect that drives viewers away with a headache. An overall rule of thumb for trade show booth designs is that they should be 40% empty space.

If you don’t need all that space to display your product, why waste the money? The average company allocates 31.6% of its total marketing budget to events and exhibiting, and more than $24 billion is spent annually by U.S. Exhibitors for trade show displays. In fact, in the “2014 Marketing Outlook” study by B2B Magazine, events were cited as the second largest area of growth in media spending. Creating large custom exhibits can be expensive. Smaller exhibits can be just as effective without dishing out thousands of dollars. It is all about breaking up your budget wisely.

It’s a common misconception that smaller trade show exhibits do not have the same visibility and “wow factor” that big islands have. Believe it or not, smaller booths can pack a pretty big punch. The dynamism is in the details. Having a well planned, organized, and engaging design that communicates the brand’s message clearly and succinctly is really all that matters.

A booth of any size can use an interactive program to its advantage. The more you engage your audience, the better. When you involve trade show attendees in your presentation, they are more likely to remember your brand and your campaign long after the trade show is over. You don’t need a big space to engage consumers, just a big personality.

Ultimately, size does not matter when it comes to your trade show exhibit design and presentation. With the proper planning and execution, any booth can stand out in the crowd.