Thanks everyone for the input, the points about keeping it simple and making sure the main message is readable from a distance really helped. I hadn’t thought enough about height and sight lines until you mentioned how crowded trade show floors can get.
After digging around a bit more, I actually found a Houston company that focuses specifically on trade show displays and explains the different setup options pretty clearly (banners vs. backdrops vs. full booth systems, etc.). In case it helps anyone else looking into this, you can search Alpha Imprint and look for their signage services.
It lined up well with what you all were saying about visibility and impact. Appreciate the advice, definitely gave me a better direction to go in.