A NEW DECADE, A NEW YEAR AND AWESOME ‘NEW ERA’ EXHIBITION TRENDS THIS IS 2020

The top 2020 exhibition trends are certainly pretty mind-blowing! One thing for sure is that even if only implementing just one of them, you will have Exhibition visitors walking away with much to talk about and an experience to remember!

If you are planning on introducing a new element at your next exhibition, make sure that you give people a sneak preview or teaser well before the event on your various social media platforms. The plan is to get them interested and talking as soon as possible.

GOING WITH THE FLOW, TAKE A LOOK AT SOME OF THESE LATEST TRENDS:

GOING GREEN

As the world moves towards going greener, the events industry is no exception. Whether using buzzwords like sustainable, eco-friendly, low-carbon footprint or upcycle, green is the way to go.

Showing visitors that your company is environmentally conscious and demonstrating its observation of green values, certainly works in your favour towards increasing the bottom line.

Research shows that the typical conference visitor produces just under 2kg of waste per day. Working towards reducing this alarming number does not only mean getting rid of plastic straws.

Event Organisers need to work smart along every step of the way, giving much consideration to aspects like transportation to location, purchasing, food, drink, technical issues, lighting, and yes, plastic straws too.

‘SMART’ FLOOR TILES

On average, attendees spend only 7 minutes per exhibit. That gives you only 7 minutes to capture your leads.

Latest technology now makes it possible to analyse the traffic through your stall. Exhibitors are reaping these benefits by using ‘smart’ floor tiles. The tiles anonymously measure usage, movement, interaction and behaviour within the desired area.

Providing real-time analysis and historical reporting, it is accurate to the square meter and allows easy reviewing of your exhibition.

POP UP IN THE GREAT OUTDOORS

So many outdoor events are like a sea of standard tents, where one seems to run into the next. Losing the impact of your brand at this kind of event is easy.

Pop-ups should be easy to install and should quickly catch the attention of trade visitors. Pop-up designs and architecture has improved recently and are ideal for:

• Display of information
• Changing offers from location to location
• A limited display area
• A tight budget not allowing for expensive graphics

Minimal manpower is required for assembly. Pop-ups can even be installed by staff members and are ideal for smaller events.

EXPERIENTIAL ROBOTS

Engagement with exhibition visitors is paramount. One-on-one interaction makes it easier for leads and leaves a lasting impression with visitors, who will keep you at the top of their lists.

Knowledgeable staff is just as important, but this new innovation takes product knowledge to another level. The 1,6-meter-high robot is programmed to inform guests about the product or service and speaks in a life-like manner.

Guests can view both slideshows and videos on the 32” customised touch screen and the novel experiential robot helps tremendously when it comes to converting leads into sales, thereby freeing up the ‘human’ staff, to receive and interact with other guests at the same time.

Cleverly, the robot encourages guests to scan their badges which prompts the robot to say the name, welcome them to your stand and start chatting.

A ‘human’ accompanies the robot through the exhibition hall, encouraging visitors to chat to it. It also collects survey results, e-mail addresses and general information from visitors and provides the stored information after the event.

ENGAGEMENT

Engagement is a top priority across all industries.

Between 60% and 70% of trends most commonly used across the industries, are engagement focused. Research shows that 50% of the industries which were analysed, polling is in the top three most popular trends.

This is an easy and interactive way for attendees to remain engaged during the event whilst sharing their thoughts and opinions while retaining their anonymity at the same time.

WI-FI IS GETTING BETTER

In this day and age, poor or expensive wi-fi at any Exhibition Centre is unacceptable.

Modern and up to date technology is imperative and the lack thereof, has caused much frustration with event planners and suppliers. 58% of planners have lamented that poor wi-fi services have a negative impact on their events.

FACIAL RECOGNITION

It is likely that devices like Apple will spill over by introducing facial recognition in the event industry. The processing time of this is still being fine-tuned, but something to look out for. The bottom line is that we will learn to increase efficiency with facial recognition

Check-ins and registrations are much quicker and more secure.

This also offer’s safety measures by being able to recognise and spot people who are on security restriction lists.

Using facial recognition and tagging people in photos at the event will improve social media reach.

TECHNOLOGY

Having the latest in technology advancement not only proves that your brand is modern, but it can also streamline your exhibition.

However, investing in new technology and staying with the latest trends can sometimes be intimidating. Always make sure that the benefits outweigh the cost.

Ask a few questions:

• Does your investment convey the message to your stand’s visitors?
• Will it attract people to your stand?
• Does it help you reach your goals for the exhibition?

With careful consideration, invest wisely as technology provides countless ways to showcase your product and services.