The Boutique Design New York (BDNY) 2023 fair brings designers, architects, purchasing agents, hoteliers, business owners, and developers to meet with interior design manufacturers.
Exhibitors can expect to have productive and meaningful conversations with attendees. Located in the hotel industry’s epicenter, BDNY allows you to get immersed in the hospitality industry’s products, projects, and personalities.
Since the show is all about design-driven solutions, familiarizing yourself with the newest exhibit trends will help you give you an edge for the show. Here’s what’s trending in the exhibit design industry.
1. More space devoted to product demos and displays
According to the Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR), attendees go to tradeshows for two reasons. Up to 98% go shopping for products and services, and 97% go to learn about new products, industry trends, and competition.
Interacting directly with a product creates a memorable experience in the prospect’s mind, often turning them into believers. It’s not surprising after two years of a pandemic that businesses are ready to make their big debut with a bigger booth space to display and demo their products and services.
2. Conference rooms are growing in popularity
The return of tradeshows has been gradual. During an extended break from exhibiting, many have spent time reflecting on making meeting with booth staff on the show floor more enjoyable.
In the past, a crowded and noisy show floor could make learning about new products difficult. What was that? What did you say? Before the pandemic, exhibitors were already moving towards including a conference room/space in their booth to provide a quiet, secluded area where visitors could relax and not strain to hear what was being said.
Another benefit of having the separation from the show floor isn’t just to block noise but buffer visual distractions.
3. Businesses are using branded lounges to offer more value
In addition to conference rooms, exhibitors have also found a solution for making the show floor a more comfortable experience while advertising their services.
A branded lounge is a space away or closed off from the exhibit hall, usually sponsored by a business, where attendees can relax, charge their phones, and rest.
In previous years, attendees could expect sore feet, glazed eyes, and general exhaustion from meeting with show guests all day.
A branded lounge is a pit stop that allows attendees to reenergize and finish the show strong.
4. There is a greater emphasis on experiential elements
Experiential activations, or immersive elements, are marketing tactics meant to turn passive prospects into active participants. Experiential elements can include:
- Live demonstrations
- Games (mock-ups of Jeopardy, Family Feud, etc.)
- Photo booths
- Fortune wheels
- Celebrity appearances
- Live stream interviews with thought leaders
- And much, much more
The key to using an experiential activation is to ensure it involves at least three of the five senses, such as taste, touch, sight, smell, and hearing. Finance Online reports that 70% of consumers become repeat customers after an experiential marketing event.
5. Focus on health and safety
Health guidelines and policies are now a part of our regular communications. Any given show today will have multiple hand sanitizer stations spread throughout the exhibit hall. However, many booths include their own station to signal to attendees that you care about their health and safety. This trend is likely to last for a long time.
6. Attendance is surging for trade shows
Since 2021, The Trade Group has been active in attending shows and helping our clients succeed in the context of a slightly different exhibit hall. Our best-case study from last on this topic is our bottom-line video covering MRO Americas 2021. However, MRO Americas 2022 finished in Dallas, TX, with record-high attendance.
7. Increased lead time is needed for exhibit construction
If you want to build a custom exhibit to make a high impact on any event, contacting reputable exhibit houses should be a top priority. This ensures your materials arrive on time and in one piece.
Labor shortages, material shortages, and shipping delays are increasing exhibit construction time by up to 6 months and more. This is a trend nearly every tradeshow display company is experiencing.
Thankfully, almost everything The Trade Group builds happens in-house in our 300,000 SF facility in Grapevine, TX, helping us to control the entirety of the exhibit design process from ideation to execution while, at the same time, allowing us to cut time and costs for our clients.
This is a great time to get started on a design-driven solution for your booth space
BDNY provides plenty of opportunities for exhibitors. Discover more about BDNY 2023 and other upcoming trade shows by using our trade show search tool.
Increase your ROI and attract more buyers at BDNY by contacting us or calling The Trade Group at 972-734-8585. We’ll create a design proposal that will help you raise brand awareness and bring in leads.
