How to design a booth that improves your ranking: a guide to impactful trade show design at an event like SIGEP

Participating in a trade show like SIGEP is not just about “being there,” it is about positioning yourself. Positioning yourself in the market, in the minds of buyers and in the imagination of your industry. In a hyper-competitive environment such as the sweet foodservice industry, where ice cream, chocolate, coffee, pastry, and bakery brands compete for seconds of attention, your booth can’t just be pretty: it must be memorable, consistent, and strategic.

Designing a booth for SIGEP means building a three-dimensional showcase of your brand.. A space that tells, engages and creates relationships. But how do you really go about creating an exhibition design that enhances your positioning?
In this guide we will look at the basic steps to transform your booth into an active branding and business tool, through a design that integrates creative vision, technical expertise, and knowledge of the exhibition context.

Why SIGEP is a strategic opportunity

An international stage for sweet foodservice

SIGEP is the world’s most important exhibition event dedicated to artisan gelato, pastry, chocolate, specialty coffee, bakery, and now pizza.. The 2026 edition will be held in Rimini January 16-20 and confirms its role as a global hub for sweet and savory professionals, attracting more than 100,000 visitors from more than 180 countries.. Being present at SIGEP is not just a business choice, it is a statement of identity: it means telling your vision of taste and hospitality to a highly specialized audience.

Innovation, immersive formats and new competitions

In 2026, SIGEP will strengthen its positioning with innovation- and spectacle-oriented initiatives: from the Innovation Bar to the Gelato World Cupto new experiential areas related to retail and catering. This multisensory approach transforms stands into true storytelling spaces, where each brand can showcase not only its products, but also values, research and vision.

Your booth as a positioning lever

In such a rich and competitive environment, the booth is not a decorative element but a strategic lever.. Visitors to SIGEP are looking for products to sell, stories to tell and reliable partners to collaborate with. A stand designed with consistency and personality can become your enhanced business card, able to stand out, attract the right audience and increase the perceived quality of your brand.

Goals the booth must achieve

A well-designed booth is not just about aesthetics. It is a strategic tool that must meet clear and measurable objectives, especially in a complex and competitive trade show environment like SIGEP.. Here are the three key objectives that every brand should keep in mind when designing its exhibition space.

Increase brand visibility

The first function of a booth is to get noticed. In a pavilion where hundreds of companies compete for visitors’ attention, it is critical to stand out visually with a strong, consistent and instantly recognizable concept. Colors, shapes, materials and lighting must work together to create an immediate and memorable impact.

Communicate identity and values

An effective booth doesn’t just show “what you sell,” it tells who you are.. It must be able to convey your vision, your quality, your uniqueness.. It is through the physical and visual experience in the booth that visitors associate emotions, expectations, and values with your brand. This reinforces positioning and differentiates you from your competitors.

Incentivize business relationships

The booth is also a relationship space. It must facilitate meeting, conversation and the generation of qualified leads.. Welcome zones, reserved areas for B2B meetings, digital tools for collecting contacts and well-trained staff are crucial elements to turn visibility into concrete connections.

Enhance products and solutions

Finally, the booth must highlight your products and services effectively. Whether it’s ice cream to taste or a machine to demonstrate, space design must follow a display logic that enhances distinctive features, creating moments of interaction that stick.

Impactful Design-Key Strategies

Effective trade show design is not just a matter of style: it is the result of a balance between function, emotion and strategy.. At an event like SIGEP, where physical space becomes language, your booth must be able to speak clearly, engagingly and memorably.. Here are the 3 design levers on which to build a truly impactful display.

Materials and functional layout

The material tells as much as the form.. The choice of finishes, fabrics, and textures should not only be aesthetic but also tactical:

Durable and reusable materials = sustainability + long-term savings.
Surface treatments and textures = sensory communication.
Modular structures = versatility for future trade shows.

In addition, a well-built booth must be easy to assemble, safe and in line with trade show regulations.

Experiential spaces and active moments

A visitor remembers not only what they see, but more importantly what they do.. Including experiential moments within the booth helps to:

Engage the senses (tastings, demos, touchpoints).
Have visitors try products or services directly.
Create shareable content (social moments, photo spots).

For SIGEP, this can translate into:

Ice cream or pastry tasting stations.
Live demonstrations with chefs or technologies.
Interactive corners that tell about processes or ingredients.

Technology and innovation as amplifiers

Integrating digital technologies into booth design means amplifying the message and differentiating:

Interactive totems for presentations and lead collection.
Augmented or virtual reality for immersive experiences.
Monitors and light walls for dynamic animations.

Technology should not be a frill: It should support the brand narrative, enriching the experience and facilitating conversion.

Logistics and trade show regulations

Designing a booth for SIGEP does not just mean having a good creative idea: it also means knowing how to implement it in the specific context of the Rimini trade show, respecting the timing, rules and technical characteristics of the exhibition grounds. Accurate logistical planning avoids unforeseen events and guarantees a professional result.

Knowing the spaces of the Rimini exhibition center

The Rimini Exhibition Center is one of the most modern exhibition hubs in Europe, with more than 129,000 square meters of exhibition space and 16 modular pavilions.. The spaces are large, bright, and designed to accommodate high visitor flows and complex installations.

Therefore, it is critical:

Know the dimensions of the assigned lot (e.g., 6×4 m, 8×5 m, etc.)
Assess the height available for vertical elements
Take into account constraints of openness, aisles, access and visibility

Timing of assembly and disassembly

SIGEP is a highly organized trade show, but assembly times can be tight. It is essential to:

Allow at least 2-3 days for set-up (with coordinated team)
Check for any special permits for complex assembly
Plan inbound and outbound logistics, with vehicles, loading/unloading, and temporary warehouses

An experienced staging partner can anticipate problems, handle technical bureaucracy, and coordinate suppliers. We at Espositiva have been doing this all along. Learn more here.

Safety, regulations and sustainability

Each booth must comply with the exhibition’s Technical Regulations, which require:

Material certifications (fire retardant, self-extinguishing)
Stable and safe structures (suspended loads, lighting, platforms)
Accessibility for people with disabilities

In addition, SIGEP 2026 promotes green initiatives: the use of recyclable materials, low-impact energy and circular economy logics can also become a communicative strength for your booth.

Example of an effective layout

Good booth design is not limited to a beautiful rendering: it must function in real space, facilitate flows, guide the visitor experience, and support the brand’s business objectives. For SIGEP, where sensory engagement is central, the layout must be both strategic and emotional.

Here is an example of a modular layout, which we created for Alinor, a food company, that we could adapt to different metartures.

Entrance and visual welcome

Positioned frontally, with logo clearly visible from at least 2 angles.
Presence of vertical elements that attract attention from a distance (e.g., light wall, backlit signs).
An open area that invites entry without barriers.

Demo or tasting area

Focal point of the experience: work table, demo machine, or tasting counter.
Organized to allow continuous demonstrations and interaction with the product.
If food is needed, attention to HACCP regulations and hygiene management.

Conversation / B2B area

Small private area with seating for meetings with clients.
Can be screened by graphic panels or corner arrangement.
Presence of information material, QR code, tablet for contact collection.

Narrative walls/branding

Use of large graphics and premium materials to narrate the brand.
Possible solutions: key phrases, corporate timeline, 3D elements, LED screens.
Walls can hide 1-2 sq. m. technical compartments or storage.

Smart options

Dimmable lights to vary the atmosphere.
Integrated wiring for devices and tech demos.
Gadgets or samples on accessible but neat displays.

The layout should always be tailored to the type of product, location in the exhibition space, and expected visitor behavior. An experienced partner helps you not only design, but predict what will happen inside your booth, minute by minute. We at Espositiva support you in this as well. Check out some of our work here.

On-site SEO optimization

Even though it’s a physical space, the trade show booth can generate digital traffic.. How? By integrating elements into the exhibition design that facilitate online visibility, interaction and tracking.. This approach allows the effect of the trade show to be prolonged, generating leads even after the event and fueling brand rankings on Google.

QR codes and dedicated landing pages

Every part of the booth can become a gateway to your digital world:

Create SIGEP-specific landing pages, optimized with keywords such as “SIGEP Rimini 2026 booth”, “artisan gelato fair”, etc.
Insert clearly visible QR codes (not too small), with clear call-to-action (e.g., “Find out more,” “Book an appointment,” “Download catalog”).

This facilitates data collection and allows you to measure the ROI of participation.

Keyword strategy in the booth as well

Your brand message should contain the same keywords used in your SEO and Google Ads strategy:

Include them in visible text (panels, brochures, videos).
Consistency between offline and online naming (e.g., “Gelato Bio Experience” → same keyword in the website).
Associate the trade show name with your brand: “X Company @SIGEP 2026” helps preside over branded searches + event.

Shareable images and content

Any part of your booth can become a background for social content:

Create Instagram-friendly corners or TikTok spots.
Use consistent hashtags and keywords in your copy: #standsigep, #gelatofiera, #sigep2026.
Encourage customers and prospects to tag you and re-share: your visibility multiplies organically.

SEO and trade show presence are not worlds apart: when planned together, they can amplify each other. The result? More leads, more memorability, more authority.

Conclusion & Call to Action

At a trade show like SIGEP, where every square meter is a challenge to capture attention and every second of interaction can turn into a business relationship, your booth design is not a detail. It is your voice, your face, your promise of value.

Designing an impactful booth means combining creativity and strategy, technical knowledge and brand vision. It means creating a space that not only shows your product, but enhances it, tells about it, and brings it to life.. Above all, it means building an experience that leaves its mark, one that is capable of reinforcing your positioning long after the show is over.

At Espositiva, we believe that every booth should be thought of as a narrative and relational device, tailored to your business goals. If you are considering attending SIGEP 2026 or want to design a space that goes beyond mere presence, let’s talk.

👉 Contact us for a free consultation and let’s build a stand design together that won’t go unnoticed.

With Espositiva, every space
becomes an extraordinary experience.