It’s never too early to start preparing for your next trade show, and that means getting together a press kit that’s both informative and attention grabbing. With printed materials, you know you’ll need to factor time for production into your schedule, so you may be tempted to think of digital versions as fast and simple. Don’t be fooled!

We’ve noticed that our clients tend to underestimate how long it takes to create high-quality, high-value press kits. Your digital press kit requires thoughtful preparation, but with the right approach, it can make a lasting—and profitable—impact. Here are some tips for taking your digital press kit to the next level:

First Things First

No matter what you include, ensure that your design pops on screen and in print, and be consistent with the use of colors, layout and style across all pieces. Whether printed or digital, there are a few must-haves for your press kit, including a press release, a 1-page fact sheet or corporate backgrounder, and contact information. You’ll also want images of your company’s logo and products for the journalist to include in her coverage. In print, you would supply high resolution images against a white background, but there are more considerations of the digital kit, which brings us to the next topic,

Optimize Your Files

Provide any images you want to be used as individual files. You’ll probably want to use a standard raster-based format (e.g., PNG or TIFF, not JPEG or EPS) and make sure that they are high resolution enough to print at least 300 dpi.

Make sure the digital versions of these documents are screen ready—that means no crop marks, bleeds, or left over marks from a printed file. Using PDF files instead of Word (.doc or .docx) will ensure that the document appears exactly the way you want it to. If you have an online catalog or order form, determine whether you want to also include separate PDF versions in the press kit. If you do, make sure they include hyperlinks to online product pages wherever possible.

Add More!

Does your booth include interactive presentations, motion graphics, slideshows, and videos? If it’s in the booth, it can be on the drive! For certain pieces, especially anything proprietary or with a larger file size, you may want to design a simple (but still attractive!) document that links to web-based resources, like hosted videos or online tools. That way you can keep better track of views and interactions.

Make it Memorable

If you’re distributing your press kit on USB drives, make them stand out. Branding is a must—a generic drive will disappear at the bottom of the tradeshow bag. But you may even consider attaching the drive to a sample product or offering a novelty USB drive (there are options in all sorts of shapes and sizes). And drives with larger storage capacities are more likely to be reused later—each time they are, someone will see your logo! If you special order USB drives, ask whether the supplier can load your content in advance, so you don’t waste time copying files when they arrive.

Ask Us How

If you are in need of creative collateral or business development support for an upcoming trade show, our team is more than happy to help. Should you have any questions or need assistance in assembling a top-notch digital press kit, please feel free to reach out.