Four Tips For Showcasing Fabric Swatches At An Expo Or Trade Show
If you are a designer and you are doing a trade show to market your wares, you may be wondering how to show off the different types of fabric you use. Apparel swatch cards can help with that. To ensure your exhibit is successful, here are some tips on using swatch cards in your booth.
1. Use real fabric swatches not just color cards.
When preparing for your booth, make sure that you order actual apparel swatch cards. Don't try to cut corners by using cards with colors printed on them. If you really want attendees and other vendors to see and feel the true colors and fabrics you plan to use in your designs, invest in swatch cards.
2. Focus on visibility.
When choosing the fabric swatch cards for your booth, think about the visibility of your swatches. If you only have a small booth, you may want a few flip books that visitors to your booth can look through. Alternatively, you may want a large tri-folding card display that you can set on a table, and in other cases, you may want swatches on large cardstock that you can hang in your booth.
3. Remember lighting.
Keep in mind that the lighting can affect how a swatch looks, and under different lighting a swatch can appear to be two different colors. Before the show, investigate the lighting in the exhibit hall, and if you want more lighting, consider bringing your own. Small reading lamps or other types of light can make it easier for visitors to your booth to review the swatches. Remember to let the show producer know that you want electricity for your booth as well.
3. Utilize an app to showcase options.
In addition to showing your fabric colors and materials with fabric swatch cards, consider integrating your colors with an app. For example, work with a programmer to create an interactive app that your prospective clients can play with. Ideally, you want your prospective clients to choose the color they want to see, and then, the app should show what that color or fabric looks like on certain outfits.
4. Have ordering information available.
Ultimately, if a shop, boutique, or other type of clients decide to order your designs, you need to have the ordering information readily available. Make sure you have sheets listing information about minimum orders, sampling requirements, and other order information. In addition to giving this information to clients, also take their business card so that you can follow up with them after the event.