1. Non-traditional Floor Plans…Your Roadmap to Success?
By Jack Thompson, CMP, CEM
Just as sailors and airline pilots use maps and charts to plan and monitor
their travels, trade show people use floor plans. In the exhibition business, exhibitors use floor
plans to select the space for their booth with the hope that the location they choose will garner
the most attendee (prospective buyer) traffic. Some like to choose space in the front by the
entrance. Others like to be on a corner with a wide cross aisle, and some smaller companies want
their booth to be located by large exhibitors. The strategy and approaches exhibitors apply to the
booth space selection goes on and on.
On the other hand, attendees use trade show floor plans most often to see
which exhibitors are where, and to plan their route around the show floor. Although both groups,
i.e., exhibitors and attendees, are equally important to the success of an event, I am writing to
suggest that show managers start considering the attendees first when creating floor plans.
Currently, I believe the majority of show managers primarily think about the exhibitors when
creating floor plans, using roughly the following thought process:
 Ask the general service contractor to provide a “maxed out” 10’ x 10’ or 8’ x 10’ floor
plan in the traditional square or rectangular main aisles/cross aisles format
 Using the floor plan and exhibitor purchase history from previous shows, slot in a certain
number of island booths
 Place various “show management” areas on the show floor, i.e., lounges, cyber cafes, etc.

2. I’d like to suggest that show managers take into consideration the
following “attendee focused” approach when creating trade show floor plans.
 Think “outside the box” in terms of the traditional square or rectangular main aisles/cross
aisles floor plan. Several groups are successfully utilizing alternative layouts (more on
that to follow).
 Most people like new, different, exciting, and interactive/experiential type events, that is,
they want to feel engaged. If they walk into the traditional exhibition layout, e.g., square
or rectangular main aisles/cross aisles floor plan…it does not reflect “new, different, or
exciting”
 Put yourself in the shoes of the attendee. Attendees want to be able to easily find the
exhibitors they came to see, as well as locate new products and services in their area(s) of
interest. Think about attendee traffic flow. Most people like a focal point, i.e., an
entrance, a center or hub
So what’s going on in the industry in terms of “non-traditional” floor plan
layouts? In the corporate world, companies frequently utilize “custom” non-traditional floor
plans for their proprietary (employee or invited customer) events. I’ve personally worked with
Compaq Computers (before they were purchased by HP), and McDonald’s on their Managers
Peak Event, and both had floor plans that were not necessarily traditional in terms of layout.
With most corporate proprietary events it is almost always a “command performance” that
invitees attend. That is, although their use of a non-traditional floor plan may enhance the
attendee and exhibitor experience, it will not affect attendance. However, the world of
association or for-profit trade shows is different. The floor plan layout can certainly affect
attendance by either enhancing the experience or by being uninspiring.
While reading the August 2010 edition of Forum Magazine (www.associationforum.org), I came
across an article about the National Automatic Merchandising Association (NAMA). If you
haven’t read this article, you really should. The article is about how their stakeholders, i.e., board
of directors, staff, contractor partners, and exhibitors, decided back in 2008 to combine their two
annual trade shows (NAMA Spring Expo and the NAMA National Expo) into “one unparalleled
event” in 2010 which would “WOW” attendees. In order to accomplish this, several major
changes were made. To name a few, the event was re-branded as the NAMA “OneShow”, a new
logo was created, and a marketing firm was hired to create and launch an awards program.

3. Other changes involved LyNae Schleyer, senior
director of education & OneShow from NAMA, working with their general service contractor
(GES), and their exhibit sales team (Lara Fitts Gamache, Exhibits Manager at Corcoran
Expositions) to create a “non-traditional” floor plan layout which would facilitate a center stage
just inside the entrance to the show. Several 20’ wide aisles branched off from the center
stage…kind of like a wagon wheel…and included park benches where visitors could rest for a
few moments without leaving the show floor. Click on the floor plan to view a larger image.
Each day of the show, NAMA utilized the center stage for various
awards ceremonies and Mike Ditka was a featured speaker. As well, a host of entertainers,
including the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders, the Chicago Children’s Choir and a champion Irish
step-dancing troop performed on the center stage. Obviously, a great deal of buzz and excitement
was created on the NAMA show floor.
The combination their enhanced marketing activities and the new floor plan created exactly what
NAMA was looking for…to have their attendees experience a “WOW” event. When it was all
over, NAMA’s new OneShow April 2010 event surpassed all of its key goals, i.e., number of
exhibitors and square footage sold, attendee registration revenue…and most important…total
NAMA OneShow revenue was equal to the combined revenue of the two previously existing
NAMA expos.

4. NAMA is a great example, but if you don’t like the idea of a center stage and/or large diagonal
aisles, here’s something a bit simpler to consider. This is not a new idea as I know several groups
already doing this and I experienced it while attending an American Society of Association
Executives (ASAE) annual conference/exhibition here in Chicago several years ago. ASAE
segmented (grouped) their exhibitors together in various areas of the show floor by product or
service. For example, hotels were all together in one area, software suppliers in another area, etc.
They also colored-coordinated the aisle carpeting in each area, i.e., aisle carpet in the hotels area
was red, aisle carpet in software suppliers was blue, etc. Although many exhibitors don’t want
their booth to be placed near another like supplier, this format makes it extremely easy for the
attendee.
During these challenging times, think about change, and how you can be innovative with your
floor plan to position your event for success in the future. In Andrew Winston’s book, Green
Recovery (Harvard Business Press), he quotes Geoff Colvin, a Fortune Magazine writer’s
January 2009 article,
“It’s hard to upbeat in a recession, but it is truly an opportunity.
Marathoners and Tour de France racers will tell you that a race’s hardest parts, the uphill
stages, are where the lead changes hands…When this recession ends, when the road levels off
and the world seems full of promise once more, your position in the competitive pack will depend
on how skillfully you manage right now.”
A new and exciting floor plan layout probably won’t by itself radically improve your event, but I
would encourage you to consider it a critical piece in the overall game plan for success.
Special note: Show managers should make sure to discuss aisle carpet costs in advance with the
general service contractor, especially as they pertain to “non-traditional” floor plans. Once the
GSC starts having to cut aisle carpet down from their standard widths of 9’ or 10’ to
accommodate angles and unusual shapes, it cannot be reused and a cost is associated with it.