Custom Product Prototypes for Trade Show Display 101
Companies can reach new audiences and showcase their products in a crowded marketplace by attending trade shows. Bringing along functional prototypes and 3D product models will make your exhibition — and your company — even more memorable, resulting in more leads, stronger relationships with business partners, and louder buzz about your business. Prototypes help distinguish your value proposition from that of competitors for potential clients and investors.
At Empire Group USA, Inc., we create a variety of prototypes so you can wow prospective clients with a tangible model of your product and highlight its features and benefits. Learn more about how professionally developed prototypes and models can create a great first impression at your next trade show, and how our team can help you successfully tell your product's story.
High-Fidelity Prototypes and 3D Product Models for Trade Shows
Backed by 24 years of expertise, Empire Group specializes in creating high-fidelity prototypes and models that capture every detail of your product in three dimensions. Our prototyping services allow us to create prototypes and 3D printed models that have the function and appearance of your product, with varying options for size, complexity, and model type. Our team can provide the following exhibition models:
Looks-like and works-like models. Looks-like models have the appearance of the finished product, while works-like models highlight the functionality and utility of a product in high fidelity. Pre-production prototypes are both options in a single model.
Oversize models. To display small products so that their details will be visible to the human eye, high-fidelity oversize models are much larger in scale than the product itself for easy viewing.
Scaled models. Scaled models are essentially the opposite. They're smaller but proportionally accurate models of large products and assemblies that would otherwise be difficult to transport and display.
Cutaway models. These models are built with some or all of the product's exterior missing to highlight its inner workings or interior features.
Each of these models can help educate prospective stakeholders about your products, encourage more engagement, and make a lasting first impression on potential clients.
Important Considerations and Tips for Displaying Your Product Prototype
Displaying a prototype at your next trade show will draw more eyes to your booth and help attendees understand the true value of your product. However, before you prepare it for others to see, consider these key points:
Determine the objectives of displaying your prototype. It's important to understand if a looks-like model will be sufficient to simply garner interest or if you need a works-like or cutaway model to truly highlight your product's performance. Lay out clear goals before ordering and displaying a prototype to ensure you reach the right audience.
Have a sell sheet and other informational resources at the ready. While a prototype is excellent for getting attention, your audience can't take it home with them. Prepare handouts about the product for attendees to take with them.
Wait to display prototypes until your company is already at the full-scale manufacturing stage. To avoid the chance of intellectual property (IP) theft, only use prototypes to build hype once you've already filed for patents and related IP protection, with your design currently in production.
Benefits of Having a 3D Product Model or Prototype at Your Trade Show Booth
Having a model or prototype of your product with you at a trade show offers several marketing benefits for your business, including:
Highlighting any specific features that make your product stand out from the competition, or including a cutaway model to show your product's interior
Using scaled models that efficiently recreate either very small products for better visibility or very large ones that would otherwise be logistically impossible to share at a trade show
Encouraging attendees to visit your booth with a focal point that other booths lack, creating an interactive – and therefore memorable – experience for potential customers
Contact Empire Group for Premium Trade Show Product & Brand Display Services
Make your next trade show appearance more memorable with a fully functional 3D model or prototype from Empire Group. Since 1999, our company has delivered high-tech design and manufacturing solutions to clients in industries ranging from aerospace to consumer goods, all with a focus on superior craftsmanship and service. We'll create a stunning trade show model to showcase your brand in the best possible light.
Along with diverse model options to fulfill your specific needs, we create digital renderings and signage to capture the attention of business representatives attending industry trade shows. Our prototypes can also make an impact at your next sales call, board meeting, or investor presentation.
Contact us to learn more about our custom prototype and product services, or request a quote today to start your trade show project.