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By designdeskadmin / February 25, 2025

How Can You Create a Multi-Sensory Exhibition Booth Design?

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How Can You Create a Multi-Sensory Exhibition Booth Design?
Project for Reliance Industries showcasing their sustainable fabric solutions
Project for Reliance Industries showcasing their sustainable fabric solutions

To engage with all your five senses is to truly live in the moment. 

An experience feels more immersive when the senses are in sync with each other. In times like these, every visual and conversation becomes more memorable because multiple senses are engaged simultaneously. This approach to exhibition design enhances emotional connectivity, boosts interaction, and fosters relationships.

Why Is a Multi-Sensory Design Essential for Exhibition Booths?

Curating a multi-sensory design is no longer a choice for exhibitors, it’s a necessity. Once you have got the attention of a visitor; it is all about how you make them feel in your booth that will determine their retention time. A booth that engages all the senses promotes a feel-good vibe and helps build one-on-one connections. This proves helpful in bustling trade shows where the competition for attention is fierce.

5 Step Guide to Designing a Multi-Sensory Experience

A multi-sensory design is not just about ticking all the boxes, it’s about curating an experience 

based on strategy. As an exhibitor, you’ll have to understand the psyche of a visitor to weave a one-of-a-kind interaction with them. Let’s dive into the details of how companies can create an exhibition experience that weaves together the senses of sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell.

Project for Source at Heimtextil 2025, Germany, by Design Desk
Project for Source at Heimtextil 2025, Germany, by Design Desk
  • Sight

Vision is the most important human sense and it’s backed by research. If what meets the eye is what sells then it’s safe to say that the most immediate way to grab a visitor’s attention is sight. It can create a strong first impression and strike a visual dialogue with people. Based on their brand assets, organisations can choose a combination of colours to deck up their exhibition booth. Colours can be used to inspire, excite, and spark curiosity in the minds of people. Also, lighting can be used for guiding visitors through the booth and even demarcate various zones within the space. Additionally, the overall layout of the booth needs to be more inviting and dynamic. 

  • Touch

Tactility provides a hands-on way to connect with your audience. It makes the experience more personal and conversational through material textures, patterns, and even technology. Let’s say you are a company that sells laminates; now alongside having a display area for your products, you can also curate an experience zone where visitors can touch and feel the grains, texture, and finish of your laminate samples. Further, you can have AI-enabled touch screens that showcase how a laminate can look in a space. This invites exploration and curiosity that holds the attention of people and speeds up their decision-making process. Beyond passive touch, active engagement through games, and challenges can make the experience more immersive.

Traditional Moroccan Band Moroccan Tourism Booth by Design Desk at OTM 2025
Traditional Moroccan Band at Moroccan Tourism Booth by Design Desk at OTM 2025
  • Sound

Sound is a powerful yet subtle way to shape emotions and enhance the environment. In fact, music is one of the most effective ways to communicate emotions. For example, upbeat tunes can energise a space whereas a calming soothing beat can create a relaxed environment. You can select a sound that resonates with the purpose of your brand. Let’s consider you are a brand invested in the realm of tourism, you can play a sound that is adventurous, explorative, and encouraging. Additionally, synchronizing sound with visuals like matching a dramatic music crescendo with a lighting display can heighten the impact of both senses.

  • Smell

Smell is one of the most underrated senses in experiential interior design. Having a signature scent can create and reinforce a sense of brand identity. This can go a long way in establishing brand recall. For example, a floral aroma evokes the feelings of rejuvenation while the smell of baked goods can kick in a feeling of nostalgia. To integrate scent effectively, organisations can consider their core values and the experience they want to provide to visitors. These scents can be introduced through diffusers, candles, or natural elements like fresh flowers. 

Traditional Moroccan Tea-maker at Moroccan Tourism Booth by Design Desk at OTM 2025
Traditional Moroccan Tea-maker at Moroccan Tourism Booth by Design Desk at OTM 2025
  • Taste

While taste is not an element of spatial design, it is crucial when you are creating experiences. It can provide a delightful and unexpected layer of engagement. Food and beverages offer the perfect opportunity to deepen emotional connections and tell a story. While incorporating taste, ensure that the flavours align with your brand or event theme. Presentation is equally important, so a beautifully arranged platter or a creatively packaged drink elevates the sensory impact and adds a visual component. 

In Conclusion

The key to creating a multi-sensorial experience is to strike a balance between all the senses. This ensures that no single sense is overwhelmed while the others are neglected. Each sensory input triggers unique responses in the brain, and when they are synchronized effectively, the overall experience becomes more engaging and impactful. In doing so, you not only generate more leads for your business but also empower individuals to fully embrace and appreciate the richness of multi-sensorial experiences. If you’re looking to design exhibition booths that strike a multi-sensory chord with visitors, you can drop us an inquiry here. Design Desk has partnered with leading corporate conglomerates across the globe, helping them create impressionable exhibition spaces. If you are curious to explore more of our work, check out our portfolio here.