Exhibition Stand Trends for the Future

If you are planning to exhibit at a trade show or exhibition this year you may be thinking about how to maximise your impact at the show, create more leads and raise awareness of your brand.

Once you have identified the best show for your industry and secured your place, you need to start thinking about the design of your exhibition stand straight away. You only have seven seconds to make an impression on potential customers at an event and your exhibition stand is key to making sure it is a good one.

We will look at the key trends that have shaped exhibition stand design in and predict how this will influence stand design in the future.

Out with the Dead Wood?

Wood has often been the material of choice for custom-built exhibition stands due to its flexibility when creating bespoke designs. Despite its undoubted adaptability, for more complicated stands it may take a team of carpenters and decorators 3-5 days to build and break down the stand leading to a vastly increased cost and potential for errors in the construction process.

It used to be that wood was the only way to create a completely modular stand, but recent developments in the industry have changed everything. Lightweight aluminium panels which can be joined together easily are the latest trend in the exhibition industry as they can be assembled easily in half (or even less) of the time it takes to build a wooden stand.

What’s more, these aluminium frames can feature easy-change fabric graphics or graphics on a rigid substrate such as Dibond or foamex board.  This means custom branding can be created at a fraction of the cost compared to a wooden stand.

Another big advantage of hiring an aluminium frame is that, unlike wood, the components are re-usable for a number of different applications meaning you can have the same design replicated easily for future events.

• Verdict: Aluminium stands featuring fabric or rigid substrate graphics will be the best materials for exhibition stands going forward.

Curves are in!

From shell schemes to the gantry rigs, exhibitions and trade shows in general can
suffer from too looking a bit too ‘square’. Rows and rows of rectangular shell scheme exhibits mean that curvy designs can help you create a point of difference from competitors and make your stand the place to be.

Curved stands are nothing new, but what used to be seen as a premium design is now falling in price and is now accessible for medium or even small businesses. Another trend we have noticed whilst attending shows at venues like the NEC in Birmingham and Olympia in London is that more and more larger exhibition stands are focusing on creating a number of intimate booths with comfortable interaction areas where the staff can interact with the visitor on a more personal level.

Curved stands also have a more futuristic element and mean your branding can be seen from every angle in the exhibition venue. These flowing curved exhibition stands are difficult to create with wood and are well suited to businesses and organisations that want to portray themselves as cutting-edge and stylish. With any design it's great to look at past examples for inspiration, so check out an exhibition stand gallery to get a few ideas before you submit your proposal.

• Verdict: Simple designs using curves to create intimate spaces will trump more imposing stands this year.

Sustainability is key

Exhibitions and trade shows are potentially very damaging to the environment if the exhibition stand frame materials and graphics are not reused. It is not uncommon for a custom stand to be created for one show before the frame, graphics and promotional literature are all discarded.

However, exhibition stand contractors are becoming more and more aware of this fact and some new modern exhibition systems are not only re-usable but also 100% recyclable. Making sure the materials used for your exhibition stand can (and will be) recycled after the event is important both for the environment and creating an eco-friendly image for your business or organisation.

Sustainable stands can be part of a larger movement for more sustainable trade show exhibiting, where you cut down your carbon footprint in your transport to the venue, promotional literature and any giveaways you may have on your stand and in doing so can help your brand’s image with some positive PR.

• Verdict: A sustainable exhibition stand is a great option for the environment, whilst it could also create some great PR for your brand!

If you are looking to get a modern, stylish and affordable exhibition stand for your next event, get in touch with Display Wizard.

Our cutting-edge new Vision exhibition system is a stylish and completely bespoke display system which is also 100% recyclable. Contact us for a free 3D visual and quote today.