• Exhibits which communicate the company’s message in a simple, graphically appealing, universally understood manner to potential customers from all over the world.
• Exhibits which are light-weight and can be easily assembled, dis-assembled, packed and shipped economically.
• Exhibits which are attention grabbing from the trade show aisle and comfortable and informative once the customer is inside the booth.
• Exhibits which are technically sophisticated.

The future of trade shows and exhibitions as an effective marketing tool remains strong and the targeted customers are expanding and changing. There are many more trade shows in Asia, and other emerging markets. As businesses expand their international sales goals and purchase more products and services from international companies, they are attending international tradeshows as exhibitors and visiting international tradeshows as potential customers..

Companies who are interested in exporting their goods and services to international markets want to be represented at trade shows in many locations. The language and cultural challenges of marketing products to businessmen from all over the world makes the use of a professional tradeshow design company especially important. An effective tradeshow booth whether designed for a tradeshow in the company’s home country or for a tradeshow abroad needs to be designed to appeal to decision makers from many different cultures and backgrounds.

Today’s exhibits must be designed so they can be shipped to and from distant locations easily and economically. The exhibits have to assemble easily and breakdown quickly and pack compactly and securely to minimize the chance of damage in shipping and allow economical transportation over large distances. To meet these demands fabric is being used more often in exhibit booth design; metal and wood are too heavy, bulky and awkward. Fabric can be used as a backdrop for the entire booth creating a distinctive, light airy feeling. Fabric is also being used to create light-weight, easy to assemble signage often as eye-catching vertical banners either suspended on stands or hung above the booth.

Trade show exhibits are no longer all about the new product or service, they are about creating an exciting environment that engages the potential customer so completely that he forgets about the competition. The new exhibit is all about the soft sell; the booth is an inviting space and the customer’s time at the booth is an interesting interactive experience. The goal is that the customer enjoys visiting your booth and leaves with good feelings about your company and your company’s products.

The trend in exhibit technology is anything interactive….computer games and videos on plasma screen monitors are popular. Product “edutainment” is the new approach. Testimonials are always good as well as videos featuring people using your product.

Booth lighting has also gone high tech with many exhibits using filtered, colored or wash lights to create a more subdued and comfortable atmosphere in the booth.

To take advantage of the expanding global markets, new exhibition stand concepts, materials and technology your company needs a professionally designed exhibit. Hire a reputable trade show exhibition design company; your investment will pay off many times over.

Instead of marketing mainly to the public, the focus is becoming business to business marketing. Although there are still a few exhibitions that focus on public attendance, such as the Good Food and Wine Show, the majority of exhibitions are now open only to trade, expanding the business to business marketing and networking. Across the world, exhibition and trade show organisers are narrowing the market and allowing niche marketers to exhibit to specialised and targeted attendees, meaning every person who attends is more likely to purchase your product.

With the advent of the internet, more companies are thinking globally, but looking to purchase locally. This is where the targeted marketing of a well-organised trade event can really assist your business to break into new niche markets. Expect a concentration of exhibitions in the major geographical markets of the world, where it is easy to send delegates from the business to attend.  Although corporate trade shows, where one major company exhibits its range of products, are currently growing, this trend is likely to see a backlash as most attendees prefer to attend exhibitions where the possibilities of comparing products offered by all the competitors in the industry are available.

Trade show organisers need to be aware of the changes in the finances of business, and the competition from other forms of available marketing. Streamlining show logistics to reduce exhibiting costs is important, as is ensuring the costs of exhibiting do not force small business out of the exhibition market. However, most trade show organisers are capitalising on the available space of the venue, by offering smaller stand sizes. This trend has opened the door for stand designers to expand their services by offering unique designs to maximise the use and attractiveness of the stand’s limited space.

Exhibitors are finding that education is playing a greater role in the marketing process of an exhibition stand. Consumers want information about the products and will want to be able to ask relevant questions. Exhibition stands that provide educational and learning opportunities will enjoy greater patronage during the trade show or exhibition.

As technology changes, consumers are expecting the exhibitions to show the greatest and latest technologies. Most consumers attend an exhibition to see what is new, and so exhibitors who use the latest technology will always attract attention. Another trend is for experiential and interactive consumer exhibitions. Gone are the days when an exhibition stand could get away with a two dimensional image, products that consumers could not touch, and a few posters. Exhibition stands that provide an interactive experience for consumers will succeed in the future.

While there is definitely a strong future ahead for exhibitions, the trends show changes in the industry, as organisers combat other marketing options with specialised business to business and targeted or niche market trade shows. Exhibitors who create interesting, interactive, and experiential exhibition stands, specifically designed to make the most of the reduced stand size, will show the way to the future for exhibitions.