Exhibition & Trade Show Design

Exhibition designers create displays for trade shows, museum exhibits, retail pop-ups, and special events.

Work includes booth design for trade shows, museum exhibition design, retail display, and temporary installations.

Success requires spatial design skills, understanding visitor flow and engagement, knowledge of modular systems and fabrication, and project management.

Pricing ranges from $2,000-10,000 for trade show booth design to $10,000-100,000+ for museum exhibitions or large installations.

Projects involve concept development, 3D visualization, construction documentation, coordination with fabricators, and installation oversight.

Startup costs include 3D modeling software, rendering capabilities, portfolio development, and industry connections totaling $4,000-15,000.

Building client base involves portfolio showcasing built exhibitions, networking with trade show exhibitors, museum connections, event companies, and marketing agencies handling client exhibitions.

Revenue comes from design fees, potentially fabrication markups if coordinating production, and installation management.

Operating costs include software, travel to installations, professional development, and insurance.

Challenges include tight deadlines before events, budget constraints, logistics of fabrication and shipping, and measuring exhibition effectiveness.

Success requires understanding visitor psychology and engagement, knowledge of modular systems and cost-effective fabrication, strong 3D visualization skills, and project management coordinating multiple vendors and deadlines.

Specializing in specific industries (tech, healthcare, consumer products) or types (trade shows, museums, retail) helps build expertise and reputation.