Rectangles are great.They’re the workhorse of the show floor. Simple grids, clean content, easy to spec, easy to hang.
But when you really think about the booths that make people stop, it’s rarely “just another 16:9 wall.”
It’s the circle hanging overhead that feels like a beacon.
The tunnel that invites you to step through.
The curved arc that frames a product or pathway.
The sphere that looks like it shouldn’t be possible.
When we talk about “creative LED” at shows, we’re not just trying to win a design award. We’re asking:
- What shape makes sense for the story?
- Where in the journey do we need a “pause and pay attention” moment?
- How do we give design and motion teams a canvas that isn’t just 16:9 again?
This is where custom-shaped LED comes in.
Why Shape Matters More Than Resolution
Pixel pitch, brightness, and color accuracy all matter, but shape is often what decides whether someone glances… or actually changes direction to walk over.
A few reasons shape is such a big deal:
- Our brains love patterns… and breaking them.The show floor is full of vertical rectangles. The first thing that isn’t that shape instantly feels special.
- Shape helps with wayfinding.
Circles and rings are great for “look here.” Tunnels and portals say “walk this way.” Arcs can gently guide traffic toward your hero moment. - Shape supports story.
A cylinder around a product demo feels different than a flat wall behind it. A halo over a brand statement feels different than a standard header graphic.
Once you start thinking of LED as “architecture plus motion,” not “just a big TV,” shape becomes a design tool instead of just a line item.
Common LED Shapes and When to Use Them
Let’s break down a few of the shapes we see (and build) a lot, and what they’re good at.
1. Rectangles: The Workhorse
What they’re best at:
- Main brand messaging
- Product video loops
- Live feeds, keynotes, data visualizations
Rectangles are still the backbone of most booths, and that’s totally fine. They’re efficient, easy to map, and friendly for last-minute content changes.
How to make them feel less “standard”:
- Stack or stagger multiple walls at different depths
- Mix horizontal “ribbon” LED with vertical columns
- Use negative space between LED blocks to frame hero products or demos
Y
ou don’t have to abandon rectangles. You just don’t have to stop there.
2. Circles & Rings: “Look Here” Moments
Circular LED, especially hanging rings or standing circles, is amazing for focus and hierarchy.
Great for:
- Overhead beacons: “Find us across the hall.”
- Menu-style content: choices, categories, steps in a process
- Brand halos: wrapping key messages, logos, or icons
We love circles for choices. Think of a ring where each segment represents a solution, product line, or audience. Motion designers can animate around the ring to guide people through a story instead of just playing another rectangular video.
Pro tip:Keep copy short and legible. Circles work best with bold, simple text and iconography.
3. Arcs & Curved Walls: Guiding the Journey
Curved LED like half rings, arcs, or concave walls do something a flat wall never can: it wraps you into the story.
Best uses:
- Framing an entrance or demo area
- Creating a subtle “stage” around a key product
- Suggesting movement or direction (like a pathway or flow)
Arcs are perfect when you want someone to turn toward something. A concave curve facing inward invites you into a space. A convex curve facing out can act like a visual wave pulling people down an aisle.
Pair it with content that respects the curve: think flowing motion, directional animation, and layouts that avoid critical text at extreme angles.
4. Tunnels & Portals: Step Into This World
LED tunnels are where things really start feeling like “another world” instead of “another booth.”
When tunnels shine:
- Product or experience “reveals”
- Narrative journeys (from problem to solution)
- Transitions between general floor and VIP/demo areas
You can think of tunnels as immersive transitions. The outside might be bright, loud, and busy. The tunnel becomes a controlled environment: lighting, sound, and motion graphics all working together.
Inside the tunnel, content can:
- Set up the story (“Here’s the problem we solve.”)
- Show before/after contrasts
- Introduce key themes or features before guests land in the main demo zone
Even a short tunnel (two or three LED segments) can create a strong “step into this” feeling.
5. Spheres & Sculptural LED: The Icon Piece
Spheres, cubes, and other 3D LED forms are your icon moments; the thing people take pictures of, send to colleagues, and remember when the show’s over.
Use them when:
- You want a true showpiece in the booth
- You need a social-media magnet / selfie spot
- The brand story ties to global, data, connectivity, or “always on” themes
Spheres work especially well for global brands, network or cloud stories, and anything that benefits from constantly shifting, living imagery.
Because they’re so eye-catching, they don’t always need heavy messaging. Sometimes simple, hypnotic motion with minimal branding is more powerful than trying to cram a paragraph of copy onto a rolling sphere.
Matching Shape to Story (and Budget)
Once you start playing with custom shapes, it’s easy to go wild, and sometimes that’s the right call. But most teams don’t have infinite budget or ceiling height, so the real question is:
What one move gives us the biggest lift?
A few ways to think about it:
- New product launch?Consider a tunnel or sculptural LED to make the reveal feel special.
- Complex portfolio?
Circular LED or rings are great for grouping solutions into “chapters” people can visually navigate. - Big corner or peninsula booth?
Curved walls and arcs can help you claim space and gently guide foot traffic. - Tight budget but want something different?
A single circle or halo, paired with a well-designed rectangular main wall, might give you 80% of the impact without 200% of the cost.
Content & Motion: Designing for Non-Rectangles
The hardware is only half the story. Custom shapes really pay off when content is designed for that shape, not just cropped into it.
A few guardrails for creative teams:
- Start with a screen map, not just a 16:9 canvas
- Build safe areas so critical text doesn’t get lost in curves or seams
- Plan for loops that feel natural on circular or continuous shapes
- Use motion to guide the eye: clockwise for stories, pulses for attention, gradients for calm
When design, motion, and AV are aligned early, you get shapes that feel intentional, not gimmicks.
Ready to Go Beyond Another 16:9 Wall?
If your next brief says, “We need something that doesn’t feel like everyone else’s booth,” shape is usually where we start sketching:
- Circles for choices
- Arcs for pathways
- Tunnels for “step into this world” moments
- Spheres and sculptural LED for the iconic, “I need a picture of that” moment
Rectangles are great.But if you want people to pause, turn, and walk toward you (not just past you) custom-shaped LED is one of the most reliable ways to get there.
When you’re ready to talk shapes, sightlines, and content, we’re happy to nerd out with you.
FAQ: Custom-Shaped LED for Trade Show Booths
Q: Are custom-shaped LED walls a lot more expensive than standard rectangles?
A: Not always. There’s usually a premium for curves, tunnels, and spheres because of the hardware, rigging, and content mapping, but the jump isn’t as big as most teams expect. The bigger cost factor is complexity: how large it is, how it’s mounted, and how custom the content needs to be. Often, one well-placed circular or curved element can deliver more impact than adding another big rectangular wall.
Q: When does it actually make sense to use a circle, tunnel, or sphere instead of a standard wall?
A: Use custom shapes when you need a clear moment: a reveal, a transition, or a hero story. Circles are great for organizing choices or solution sets, arcs help guide people toward a key area, tunnels are perfect for “step into this world” experiences, and spheres make an incredible icon or social-media magnet. If you just need a background loop, a rectangle is still the most efficient tool.
Q: Will our content team have a harder time designing for non-rectangular LED?
A: There’s a bit of a learning curve, but it’s very manageable with a good screen map and clear safe areas. Motion and design teams mainly need to know: the exact pixel dimensions, what’s visible from key angles, and where not to put critical copy. When those basics are locked in early, custom shapes actually give them more creative freedom, not less.
Q: Do custom-shaped LED elements work in smaller booths, or only big island builds?
A: They can absolutely work in smaller footprints. A single halo, curved header, or compact LED tunnel at the entrance of a 20x20 can create a strong “wow” moment without overwhelming the space. The key is scaling the shape to the booth and using it to highlight one clear story, not trying to do everything at once.
Q: How early do we need to involve AV if we’re thinking about creative LED shapes?
A: The earlier, the better, ideally when you’re still sketching concepts. Shape decisions affect structure, rigging, power, sightlines, and content planning. Bringing AV in at the napkin-sketch phase means your designers don’t have to guess what’s possible, and you avoid costly rework later.
Q: Can we mix standard rectangles with custom shapes in the same booth?
A: Definitely—and that’s often the sweet spot. Rectangles handle the heavy lifting: demos, main messaging, and flexible content. Custom shapes then become the focal moments: an overhead circle, a curved story wall, or a tunnel into a VIP/demo zone. Blending both keeps costs sane while making the booth feel intentional and memorable.