Booth Decorating Ideas for a Health Fair

The primary mission of a health fair is to disseminate information about health and nutrition that will help attendees to lead a healthy, active lifestyle. Information on maladies such as heart disease, diabetes, hypertension and melanoma are often provided along with free tests and screenings, such as for cholesterol levels. But to give out the info and provide the services, fair goers first have to come to your booth. There are various strategies, some borrowed from the world of marketing, that will help make your booth stand out.

Money Talks

• Plastering the entire front of a booth with play money draws attention and becomes a conversation starter on topics with a cash connection. For example, the purpose of the booth might be to convince people to come in and find out how to eat nutritionally on a budget or to show consumers ways to save money on health care. The theme is then continued inside with specific play money amounts attached to dollar-saving information

Monochromatic Attraction

• For drama, exhibitors can decorate in a single color. Some of these are obvious, like an all-pink booth to inform people about breast cancer prevention and the importance of mammograms. An all-red booth marks the heart-healthy booth where people can learn about healthy heart habits and stop for a blood pressure check. However, other colors can work as well. For example, a stunning bright yellow booth featuring a gigantic sun wearing sunglasses and smiling down above the entry would be appropriate for a booth promoting the use of sunscreen and safety in the sun.

Live Plants

• For a booth that offers critical information that people might not normally gravitate to, Barry Siskind, author of “Powerful Exhibit Marketing,” says that “plants will soften a harsh booth environment . . . a touch of color and live foliage often humanizes a display.” This idea is a possibility for booths offering information about such subjects as dental care or disability awareness.

Bubble Booth

• Dozens of “bubbles” in the form of white balloons clustered outside and completely covering the outside of a booth, along with a “Free Glitter” attract visitors to a booth on hand washing. The Texas AgriLIFE Extension Service suggests putting some glitter on participants’ hands and giving them the opportunity to was it off in a bowl of water without soap (it doesn’t wash off) and then one with soap, explaining that the glitter represents germs.

Huge Photos

• With the advent of digital photo developing at the corner drug store, it’s possible to quickly and economically order huge posters—as large as 24-by-36 inches or even bigger. These can make a statement when these posters. Exhibitors hang these at the entrance of a booth with no other decoration for maximum impact. For example, large photos of appealing kids, is appropriate for a booth giving out information on the importance of childhood vaccinations. A photo of a young woman next to a photo of that same woman bent with osteoporosis can emphasize the importance of a bone density screening and calcium consumption.