Booth space flooring is almost always a requirement at any event, but oftentimes, exhibitors treat it as an afterthought. Instead, think of it strategically as another dimension of your exhibit. If you want to maximize the opportunity flooring provides, ask yourself a few questions.

1How do I choose from among a sea of color options?
This aspect of your booth is entirely up to you and the aesthetics you gravitate toward; however, there are a couple of things to consider. For example, do you want to match the aisle carpet or choose something completely different than the aisle carpet? I tend to disagree with the idea of matching booth carpet to aisle carpet. I think some differentiation on your floor sets your booth apart and welcomes people into your space.

Another thing to consider is human psychology. I'm not a psychologist, but studies have shown that people are less likely to walk on light-colored carpets if the aisle carpet is dark. I've seen this happen, so I don't recommend white or super light carpet unless you're trying to send a specific message. Attendees have a subconscious belief that they're going to get light carpet dirty.

Conversely, it's a good idea to avoid black or tuxedo carpet because it's a common choice. Don't forget that when an attendee is looking down an aisle with a sea of exhibits, they begin to see the same thing over and over. By choosing a different color than everyone else, you'll steal an attendee's focus. Don't miss your opportunity to be the exhibitor that grabs attention!

Another color consideration is consistency with your brand. If your logo color is blue and green, would it make sense to choose an orange carpet color? Probably not unless you're trying to match your booth to a particular theme. Choose something that matches the message that you're trying to convey and that resonates with your overall brand.

2Do I need carpet pad?
Carpet pad comes in various thicknesses and sits underneath your carpet. It's instrumental in alleviating foot pain for your exhibit staff standing in the same area all day. If you're using rollable vinyl, there's more dense padding available. Because convention center floors are mostly made of concrete, carpet or vinyl padding will help to soften the floor and hopefully keep attendees in your booth space for just a little bit longer.

3What about visqueen?
Visqueen is the thin plastic overlay used to protect trade show carpet before the show opens. It's an optional add-on that is typically cut away from the floor before the show opens. In some cases, it's part of the carpet rental package, and in other cases, it's an additional fee per square foot.

This thin plastic layer not only helps keep your carpet or flooring clean, it protects the corners of your exhibit from foot traffic, roller bags, and forklift drivers moving crates around the edges of your booth.

On the other hand, it's important to remember that Visqueen isn't the most sustainable part of the trade show program — it's a huge piece of plastic that quickly gets thrown out. An alternative is to use small carpet samples taped down over your booth corners to protect them from fraying or getting pulled up. When the show opens, they need to be removed from the carpet underneath.

4Should I rent my floor or buy it?
If you rent flooring from the general service contractor (GSC), you will pay a flat price per square foot for the carpet, and likely for the pad and Visqueen. The flat fee would include installation and dismantle labor as well as your material handling fees. When the show is over, you can pack up your booth, label it for your freight carrier, and leave the space with the flooring still down. In addition to this convenience, remember that rented carpet is usually installed prior to your target move-in window, so this will get you a leg up on your competition when it comes to your install time.

If you bring in your own flooring, you or your exhibit house will be responsible for putting down and removing the exhibit flooring, in addition to the associated labor fees. But that cost could be offset because if you purchase your own flooring, you might be able to negotiate better pricing than what you'd get in the convention center. Another advantage is a wider range of color options than what you might typically see in an exhibitor kit.

5What can I use other than standard carpet?
There are a number of different flooring materials you can use to step up your flooring game. Rollable vinyl can elevate the look of your exhibit and give it a little bit more dimension than typical carpet. Let's say that you want your booth to look like a warehouse. You might want to choose rollable vinyl printed with a concrete look to provide an industrial feel under your product display. I've even seen exhibitors feature culinary products with black and white checkered flooring underneath their stainless-steel equipment to make the space look like a pizzeria or retro diner. Rollable vinyl does not take much more time to install than carpet, but it looks fancier.

Another option is interlocking modular flooring. The benefit of this option is that once it's disassembled, it stacks into boxes, making your shipping process extremely efficient with less risk of damage in transit.

6How does flooring installation and dismantle work?
If your show has a targeted move-in schedule and you've shipped your purchased flooring to the advance warehouse, you should be able to start your flooring install promptly after your target time begins. Some shows guarantee your freight will be in your space before the target time if you shipped it to the advance warehouse.

When you estimate how long it will take to set up your booth, ask your labor team how long it will take the crew to install the carpet, and add this to your schedule. For example, if you have a 20-foot-by-20-foot space and rollable vinyl, it might take two people two hours to get the flooring installed. If your exhibit is an island or peninsula or has a substantial number of electrical cables running underneath it, ask your labor team to trench holes for the cables to sit in so you avoid creating a trip hazard. This will take a bit longer; it might take two people three hours to install instead of just two. Estimate this on a case-by-case basis, and eventually, you'll gain an instinct for the amount of time you'll need for your booth.

The dismantle of your flooring isn't too complicated. The main thing to remember is that you cannot leave purchased carpet in your booth. The fine print of the GSC manual will state that anything left in your booth can be billed back to the exhibitor. Whatever you do, do not leave your flooring in the booth unless it is rental flooring.

7Should I customize my flooring? If so, what are some of my options?
There are a ton of unique ways to customize trade show flooring. Carpet customization can be as simple as selecting the Pantone color from your logo and asking your flooring manufacturer for a color match.

Another option is to get your company logo or some other type of design built into your flooring as a carpet inlay. A carpet inlay is a flooring format where multiple pieces of carpet are precisely cut, combined, and sewn together to create a unique look. Flooring options continue to get more complex and you can choose from additional options such as custom printed vinyl and custom printed carpet. Both of these options are made using dye sublimation and printing techniques to print exactly what you want across the substrate. Several exhibit houses and trade show flooring companies offer intricate custom options that will set your booth apart. When taking these into consideration, think about how often you will use your new flooring and what designs make sense for your space. The cost of custom carpet can range from extremely reasonable to extremely expensive.

8So now that I've chosen the type of floor that I want, how do I get it to the show?
Make sure to ship your trade show flooring to the advance warehouse. If your flooring gets delayed in transit, you cannot build your exhibit because the floor has to be installed first. Also, think carefully about how to safely prepare your flooring for shipment. Rollable carpet or vinyl can be wrapped around a long skinny dowel and shrink wrapped to protect the edges from forklifts or other damage that may occur during transit. When hiring a trade show carrier, be sure to select one that is familiar with the intricacies of dropping off freight at an advance warehouse.

You have a lot of options when it comes to trade show exhibit flooring, which really allows your creativity to come to life. You can take advantage of the various flooring options to insert a new look and feel into an old booth space that needs a refresh or to add a pop of color. Think through some of the advantages and disadvantages of the various options, and hopefully this guide will arm you with enough information to make some good decisions moving forward. Happy flooring! E