Reimagining Trade Show Booths

By Leslee Faulkner, EWI Vice President of New Business Development and Tina Sharnas, EWI Director of New Business Development

Traditional trade show strategies are losing their impact as audiences have come to expect more personalized and immersive/interactive brand experiences. In most situations, a brand can’t just show up at a trade show with a rental wall, a few products and a bowl of mints and expect audiences to swoon. We’re in a relational business now, so a trade show presence must take the first step toward building a relationship with customers — not just highlighting a set of products. Tradeshow exhibitors can’t just show up; they must bring their brands to life.

More and more brands are stepping away from the norm (predictable boxes) and utilizing the connecting power of unique environments. Industry reports have shown that approximately 40% of attendees interact with a brand on the show floor because of the overall look of their exhibit. Leveraging your booth space to communicate a strong display of identity widens the top of the sales funnel and fosters the development of customer relationships (the backbone of sales conversion in 2025).

For example, our client EOS is a leading provider of additive manufacturing and 3D printing solutions. 3D printing creates parts by “printing” small layers of material that eventually grow into a finished part. When creating EOS’s tradeshow presence, we intentionally referenced the “layers” of materials EOS’s products use to build organically shaped objects in the 3D printing process. The finished booth utilizes a blend of curves and rectilinear shapes to create a unique environment that EOS can own. And based on how the booth has performed on the show floor, the approach has struck a chord with customers.

Creating a unique, memorable space — not just another backwall or box — helps brands stand out, boost brand awareness, attract more visitors and create memorable experiences. And (last time we checked) those are all good things for a fledgling relationship.

But creating a memorable experience for customers doesn’t have to hinge entirely on the physical design of a booth; the engagements inside of the space help it stand out too. In our opinion, many tradeshow exhibitors could benefit by offering compelling digital engagements to audiences. And by “compelling digital engagement,” we mean more than a spinning LED fan playing an animated highlight reel.

For example, we work closely with Ford to bring their auto show programs to life. This year, we added a Digital Poster Studio to Ford’s space that provided customers with a highly personalized experience. Using a touchscreen and a range of backend content, the experience walked users through the creation of a bespoke digital poster. Users could select a vehicle, background, environment and other customizations — letting them bring home a personalized takeaway that was unique to them and their story.

Such digital engagements should not be exclusive to auto show floor. Digital experiences like this work extremely well in other tradeshow environments because they provide an interactive experience that can speak to a range of different customer archetypes. (Good luck doing that with a static product demonstration reel.) By gamifying the education process and allowing guests to see how particular products or solutions fit into their unique story is a good way to kick start a relationship. Digital engagements offer a powerful way to capture attention, create personalized and memorable moments, and (the backend) collect data.

Trade show attendance numbers are projected to grow steadily. 69% of professionals that attended trade shows in 2024 expect to attend even more events in 2025. This means more opportunities for lead-generation and ultimately, more potential sales. But only if you can engage your target audience.

One word of caution, not all experiences or design aesthetics apply equally well to all brands or industries. Doing something “unique” to stand out can backfire if it alienates part of a customer base. Solutions must align business objectives with industry realities, which always starts with a firm understanding of a client’s business, audience and objectives.

Ready to reimagine your booth space? Let’s work wonders. Connect with EWI Worldwide.