From Concept to Crowd-Puller: How to Design a Tradeshow Booth That Works

Trade shows are high-stakes environments where brands only get a few seconds to make a powerful impression. It’s easy to assume the secret to success lies in a flashy display, but veteran Canadian creative director Ken Button says otherwise.

“A successful tradeshow booth doesn’t start with structure. It starts with strategy.” – Ken Button

With more than five decades of experience and over 100 best-in-show awards to his name, Ken knows what it takes to design a booth that works. Whether for a startup or a Fortune 500 brand, his process at Westkey Xibita combines insight, collaboration, and execution that turns ideas into results.

Step 1: Discovery - Understanding the Brand and the Why

According to Ken, every effective expo booth design begins with clarity around purpose:

• Why is the company exhibiting?

• Who are they targeting?

• What’s the main message?

• What will success look like?

This discovery phase is about more than just collecting a logo and colour scheme. Ken and his team immerse themselves in the company’s mission, past exhibit experience, and upcoming goals. The more context they gather, the more intentional the design becomes.

“If you don’t know their goals, how can you create something that works for them?”

This foundational understanding sets the tone for the custom tradeshow display to follow - whether it’s for a product launch in Vancouver, a brand refresh in Toronto, or a B2B lead generation push across Canada.

Step 2: Planning for Form and Flow

Once the goals are clear, it’s time to plan. But Ken’s planning doesn’t just involve structures and materials. It involves mapping out the visitor experience.

Key Considerations:

• Zoning: Entry points, open areas, product demo zones, private meeting space

• Traffic flow: Encouraging movement and discovery

• Team logistics: Storage, lead capture, visibility, signage

• Hierarchy: Making the most important message unmissable

Custom tradeshow displays should feel like extensions of a brand’s values, not disconnected marketing tools. At Westkey Xibita, that means thoughtful planning of booth elements - from large-scale expo booth design to custom tradeshow banners & displays that support visual storytelling.

“The booth needs to guide people. If they don’t know where to go or what to do, they’ll just keep walking.”

Step 3: Design With Strategy, Not Decoration

Ken explains that the biggest mistake brands make is decorating before defining purpose. Strong trade show exhibition booth design supports business goals, not just aesthetics.

This is where Westkey Xibita’s creative team turns strategy into structure:

• Minimalist graphics with bold typography

• Durable yet lightweight exhibition display stands

• Modular architecture for flexible re-use

• Multimedia integration that enhances - not distracts from - the experience

In Canada’s competitive tradeshow scene, particularly for experiential agencies in Toronto or corporate big brands presenting in Calgary, thoughtful design is essential for ROI.

Step 4: Collaboration and Real-Time Adjustments

As the design process evolves, so does the dialogue. Ken is known for actively educating and guiding clients through the process:

“A lot of clients don’t know the cost of ownership - storage, shipping, drayage or even a design change at the last minute, so we help them plan long-term with an upfront understanding of costs.” Jeff Dalgarno, our most senior account manager, talks about it more here.

It’s this transparency that turns short-term design wins into long-term client relationships. Whether it’s about how to rebrand a custom tradeshow display to save costs or how to integrate eco-conscious elements into their booth, Westkey Xibita walks clients through the process step-by-step, to give you a clear understanding of how long it should last and about how much it will cost.

Bonus Consideration: Flexibility and Reusability

In today’s event landscape, trade show displays in Canada often need to serve multiple shows using the same exhibit or component or variations of the Exhibit. That’s why modularity, ease of assembly, and storage-friendly design are crucial.

Ken and his team design exhibition display stands and structures with reuse in mind - helping clients get more mileage from their investment while maintaining design integrity.

Final Thoughts: Every Great Booth Tells a Story

Booth design is more than display work. It’s storytelling in three dimensions. And when done right, your audience will remember you long after the show.

Ken Button’s philosophy boils down to:

• Start with your audience.

• Design for their experience.

• Make your message impossible to miss.

Whether you're working with a local experiential agency Toronto-side or managing a cross-country campaign, partnering with a team like Westkey Xibita ensures every detail serves a purpose.

Because great tradeshow booth design doesn’t just look good - it works.