Trade shows have been around for eons and remain, to this day, one of the most effective ways of boosting your brand and attracting the interest of potential new clients within a clearly defined target market.
There are a million different ways that you could approach your trade show exhibit. When planning your custom trade show display, it is therefore a good idea to keep in mind the current trends in trade show exhibitions so that you can ensure that your exhibit is current, timely, and in keeping with the market’s demands.
This will ensure that your exhibit will keep up with the competition and attract clients on the trade show floor. With that in mind, here are 3 critical trade show trends that will influence your exhibit:
1) Sustainability
Sustainability is critical for businesses nowadays, with many clients demanding it. Having a sustainably built and designed tradeshow exhibit can go a long way toward communicating these priorities to potential clients.
Some of the ways that your tradeshow exhibit can be more sustainable are to use biodegradable and recyclable materials in the building of your exhibit. Stands made from materials such as bamboo, reclaimed wood, recycled plastic, or other biodegradable materials can highlight your company’s commitment to sustainability. By incorporating things such as recycled cardboard, paper, or metal, you can ensure that your trade show exhibit minimizes the impact it has on the environment.
Materials used to develop your trade show exhibits should be reusable where possible. As a result, modular display systems that can be reconfigured and reused for multiple trade shows are an attractive option. Modular standards allow for more customization while also reducing waste. Eco-friendly flooring options such as recycled rubber or cork can also limit your exhibit’s environmental impact.
Another way to make your stand more eco-friendly is to incorporate sustainable giveaways, such as items made from recycled materials or organic fabrics. Avoiding the use of single-use plastics and opting for biodegradable substances can communicate your commitment to environmental sustainability. Reducing your waste by minimizing the amount of plastic, paper, and other kinds of junk that will end up in a landfill is a good approach.
Consequently, the incorporation of digital marketing collateral can minimize the use of printed materials.
2) Technology-Enabled
Having modern technologies available at your stand for clients to interact with can significantly boost your brand. Artificial Intelligence (AI), virtual reality, and augmented reality are increasingly becoming powerful ways of showcasing what your company can do.
They are preferable to handouts and brochures in many cases, as they allow the audience to get hands-on with product demonstrations, allowing you to provide a deeper experience for the customer without necessarily having the products physically present. This is ideal for companies that might find it difficult to insert their products into an exhibition stand because the product is too big or complicated to transport to the venue.
Other technology-enabled marketing collaterals can go a long way toward boosting your exhibit. Interactive screens, the use of QR codes, and mobile apps can all be successfully used to share information with attendees and pique their interest while remaining environmentally friendly and minimizing waste.
Trade show exhibits that do not incorporate such technologies will find themselves overlooked and fail to attract the number of customers they would otherwise desire.
3) Hybridization
Having web cameras set up can allow attendees who are visiting virtually to see the trade show online, even though they’re not physically present.
There are various other creative ways to incorporate hybridization into your trade show exhibition, although much of this could come down to the trade show itself and its organizers making allowances for this.
As such, before you sign up to exhibit at a trade show, liaise with the organizers to ensure that they embrace virtual elements of trade show planning to help you attract more attention and maximize the opportunity.
Experience the future of trade show exhibits with Salient Design & Exhibit’s cutting-edge solutions, and elevate your brand with an expertly designed custom trade show display.
Contact us now to make your mark in 2023 and beyond!