Trade shows and trade show booths are continually evolving from one year to the next. Whatever industry you’re in, it’s always important to keep up with new trade show trends. Not every new tactic will be right for you—so pick out the exhibition industry trends that are appropriate for your niche, and make them your own. Stay one step ahead of the competition, and you’ll be well on the way to attracting new leads and customers in the new year.

1. Live Shows Are Making a Big Comeback. Get Ready!

In-person trade shows and live events in general made their comeback in 2022. Many organizations pivoted to virtual and hybrid events in 2020 and 2021, and while they’re still going strong, in-person events are starting to dominate once again.

One driver of this trade show trend is that nearly three-quarters of event organizers say it’s tough to replicate the live event experience online. For attendees, live events are more engaging and more familiar. And many people enjoy visiting new booths, making new contacts in person, and reconnecting with old friends.

For all these reasons, the live trade shows industry is predicted to come back even stronger in 2023. In a recent Exhibitor Online survey, exhibiting companies said they planned to attend an average of 47 in-person events in 2023. That’s an increase from just under 40 in-person events in 2022, and it’s more than double the figures for 2020 and 2021.

This news is still tempered by the fact that people are overall more selective about the events they attend. Why does this matter for exhibitors? If you plan to exhibit at live trade shows, it’s more important than ever to go where your audience is. If you only attend one or two shows in 2023, you have to make them count.

If you haven’t attended live shows over the last couple years, now is a great time to evaluate your trade show exhibit and get ready for the new show year. Fix what needs fixing, and replace those components that can’t be fixed. Update your trade show graphics, and check any electrical and lighting equipment to make sure it all works. Need an expert eye to take a look and tell you what needs a boost? Contact the team at ProExhibits!

2. Add Live Experiences That Stimulate the Senses

As audiences start to flood back to live shows, another trend has made itself known in a big way: experiential booths. After two years scattered with lockdowns and extended periods working from home, many people have felt isolated. Now they’re looking to attend in-person events and enjoy new experiences. The addition of live experiences is part of an ongoing exhibition industry trend that shows no signs of slowing down.

One reason trade show attendees love live shows is that they offer amazing spectacles, and experiences that can’t be found anywhere else. From immersive video displays to virtual reality, from hands-on experiences or product trials to just a fun game or a free coffee bar—the key is to give your booth visitors something to do, not just something to look at. The more senses you activate, the stronger the connection you’ll make, and the better they’ll remember you.

Companies such as Google, Apple, and Amazon are great examples of how experiential marketing can produce amazing trade show exhibits. But few companies have the budget to pull off these kinds of experiences. The good news: You don’t have to be an industry giant to use experiential trade show trends. For companies with more realistic budgets, it could mean:

• Holding live product demonstrations, where members of the audience get to participate
• Providing product samples people can touch and use
• Creating multisensory experiences by adding elements of sound and smell – For instance, that free coffee bar could provide an enticing smell of coffee or hot chocolate, while music plays in the background.
• Adding activities such as mini games with swag items as prizes

3. Go for Quality Over Quantity with Lead Generation

Live events are coming back, but they’re not at pre-2020 attendance levels and may not be for at least another year or two. That means events will remain smaller for some time to come. There will likely be fewer exhibitors and fewer attendees at most shows. Even the very biggest live trade shows, such as CES and E3, have seen significant drops in live attendance.

If you choose the right shows, and nurture your leads carefully, opting for quality leads over the quantity of leads can pay off. Instead of strategies that generate lots of unqualified or semi-qualified leads, aim to collect a smaller number of qualified leads instead.

4. Reach Out Early and Strategically

If you’re aiming for quality leads, it’s never too early to start laying the groundwork. One strategy is to reach out to your customer base and find out what their plans are for the coming year. What shows are they planning to attend? What are they hoping to achieve at those events? If there’s one particular show a large number of current customers are planning to attend, chances are you’ll find some new customers there too.

Once you’ve decided which shows you want to attend, it doesn’t hurt to drop a mention or two in subscriber emails. Don’t mention it in every email you send out—rather than piquing interest, too many mentions may have the opposite effect. Instead, you might send out a schedule of the events you plan to attend. Then, a few weeks before each event, start targeting emails to segments that have signalled interest or whom you’ve met with at events before. Around two weeks before the event, it will start to be a topic of immediate interest for those who are attending. That’s a good time to start aiming toward scheduling appointments and incentivizing booth visits.

5. Embrace the Shift Towards Sustainability

Sustainable events have come into sharper focus over the last year. This has been, in part, in recognition of the fact that virtual events are inherently more sustainable than live ones. With no travel, far fewer resources used, and no waste generated, virtual events have the advantage when it comes to sustainability. It’s an important value for many people, and that makes it important for companies that serve these audiences. Simply put, if sustainability is a core value for your company, that makes it a key exhibition industry trend to adopt for booth design.

For exhibit design that could mean:

• Sustainable building materials – Think bamboo, recycled plastics, and natural cloth rather than nylon or vinyl banners.
• Reduced energy usage – Use LED lights or halogen bulbs instead of incandescent lighting. Instead of multimedia presentations on digital screens, have a live demonstration with a hands-on product experience.
• Retired printed marketing materials – There are some valid reasons to use printed brochures, but if they don’t apply to your business, why not transition to digital? You’ll eliminate paper waste and modernize your trade show display at the same time.

Build Your Booth Better in 2023

Keeping an eye on the latest trade show trends always pays, even if you don’t plan to use every new idea you come across. It pays to work with a seasoned design team too. Thinking about a new custom exhibit or an upgrade to your current setup for 2023? Contact ProExhibits to work with a team that can implement your vision with style and make your booth the best it can be.