The Circle. The circle has been known since before the beginning of recorded history. It is the crux of our civilization. In mathematics, the study of the circle has helped inspire the development of geometry and calculus. Medieval scholars believed that there was something intrinsically "divine" or "perfect" that could be found in circles. It is the simplest of all shapes and hence the purest.

When it comes to trade show booth design, the circular floor plan divides the plane into 2 regions: the interior and the exterior. This is a great floor plan with multiple presentation areas and multiple messaging on its permeter. This floor plan is open, yet it takes command of the aisle areas. It caters to the aisle watchers and the serious buyers. Ofcourse, the ball seatings play off the circular synergy and are the little helpers for conversation starters. The oversized rotational hanging sign draws interest and is yet another space for the closed loop data prevention messaging.

The Club Design:
As the name suggests, you have to step inside to see the motion and feel the energy of the space. This design layout is usually seen in trade shows that focuses on merchandising. However, it is not uncommon for technology companies to define their brand space when they are in the stealth mode.

Some advantages of this trade show booth design:

• Interior offers quiet off-floor environment.
• Marvelous setting to review products. You command the sole attention of your clients and hot prospects.
• Exterior walls can attract attention and deliver messaging.
• Complete control over the exit and entry of visitors.
• Traffic can be routed through key areas of the interior to make sure people see focal points before they are allowed to leave.

If strategy make sense to go with this sort of design plan, it is a good idea to go with a space that is atleast 900 square feet or larger.

Dictionary defines purple as “any of a group of colors with a hue between that of violet and red” and as a “symbol of royalty or high office.” Historically, the color purple has been associated with royalty, power and mysticism. Being the color in between red and blue, purple commands a dynamic presence when used in large areas. In nature, purple, generally appears as flower petals, like lilacs, lilies and lavenders. In the human domain it the color of royalty and mysticism. The color purple can trace it's history back to the Minoan civilization in Crete, about 1900 B.C. The ancient land of Canaan (its corresponding Greek name was Phoenicia, which means “land of the purple”) was the center of the ancient Phoenician Tyrian purple. The color, most prized in the ancient world, was extracted from the hypobranchial gland of Purpura mollusk (hence its name). This is how the math adds up: it took 12,000 shellfish to extract 1.5 grams of the pure dye.

Fast forwarding to the 21st century, deep purple is used in marketing efforts, advertisements and labels as it is perceived a higher-quality product. This is especially true in European markets as they have a long tradition of monarchies.

Indulge in the sensations of purple and ponder if purple should be part of your palete for your next project.

Lounge areas in a trade show booth design have gained momentum over the last few years. It is the constant awareness of this special space that helps the attendees to reflect and pause even for a bit, in the middle of a very hectic show floor.
I can think of couple of industries that would want to go with a lounge type setting when designing a trade show booth:

• Travel and Tourism: As shown below, American Express features a 20' x 30' booth space. Notice how the design has blocked off one side of the isle to give the feel of a semi-private sitting area.

Product Awareness: When you are launching a new product, it is often a good idea to have a open lounge as shown below. Here the attendees can try out the products in a more relaxed setting. The products are anchored onto the coffee table. This kind of atmosphere is conducive for products that cater to the life style industry.

Below, are some striking lounge settings that caught my attention. It is a good mix of stance, elan and intellectual elegance. Notice the choice of furniture and settings that has been weaved seamlessly with the wall texture, lighting and graphics.