Top Trends for Exhibition Stand Design in 2018

2018 is well and truly underway and the first few exhibitions will kick off next month. We predict what will be the biggest trends to the exhibition industry over the next year.

Technology

There are always new developments and innovations in the technological space, and 2018 will see some great new uses for technology in the events and exhibition space. Over the past few years there has been an increased focus on technology wearables that can transmit data, particularly useful at exhibitions. We predict there will be new innovations in the way that this will work at exhibitions. Gone will be the day that you scan just a barcode, you will be able to contract more data than previously before.

Data-technology options will be innovative and creative enough that it will form part of your exhibition stand. Using existing technology there will be an increase in interactive screens, and Bluetooth beacons that can be incorporated into your exhibition stand design with the ultimate user experience in mind. Technology can offer new and exciting ways to extract information from your customers and provide you with better leads.

Timber finishes

Towards the end of 2017 timber finishes on exhibition stands was beginning to trend. We expect and predict this will continue. For custom exhibition stands there is a wider range of timber finishes available. Most commonly used in 2017 were plywood and MDF to create modern timber looks. With sustainability movements gaining traction, using sustainable and recyclable timber will be a key feature in exhibition stand design.

Traditionally shell scheme stands have always followed a certain pattern and looked the same regardless of which exhibition you were attending. 2018 will bring a new fresh look to the basic shell scheme stands. There will be timber accents, and a more customised approach to creating shell scheme stands.

Have a project in mind which you want to incorporate a timber finish? Get in contact with us today 

Lighting

Lighting is such an important element of exhibition stand design and it will be a focus in 2018. There will be a large focus on getting the lighting accent of custom exhibition stands right, so that the lighting fixtures compliment the branding and colour palate chosen for the stand.

LED light walls will also become a feature for exhibition stand design in 2018. The advancements in lighting technology have meant that there is now a large range of lighting options to create ambiance on an exhibition stand. LED light walls will also be a fantastic branding point for an exhibition stand. It will compliment stand graphics to act as a continuous branding opportunity.

Charging Stations

Almost everyone carries multiple devices with them these days, so what better way to attract visitors to your exhibition stand than to offer a service such as a charging station. If you’ve ever been in a public place that offers a charging station you know that they are great hubs, always buzzing with people who are charging their devices. We predict charging stations will be the new interactions adding that experiential marketing like feel on custom exhibition stands. Offering visitors, a chance to charge their device while you chat to them about your products will offer a seamless way to initiate conversation. If your exhibition organisers have chose to implement a strong technology-based marketing strategy, using things like Bluetooth beacons, you can utilise this technology to advertise that you have a charging station on your exhibition stand. This is a great way to drive extra traffic to your exhibition stand.

Experiential Marketing

Customisation

The trend of personalisation will continue in 2018. Brand awareness and brand continuity will be an important feature of selling in 2018. Most consumers require on average, a minimum of seven touch points before they will purchase from you, and having customised literature and branding throughout your exhibition stand will mean a seamless transaction between you and your customer. Full customisation will include all the above features that are designed to reflect your branding. This also makes it important that you exhibit at the right exhibition for your brand. Finding technology that compliments the message you are trying to convey will make your exhibition stand feel more genuine. Adding visual features like timber finishing and light fixtures can be done with tasteful furniture and exciting design for your individual stand. Your customers will need somewhere to be comfortable while they wait for their devices to charge after all!Have you thought about how your brand will stand out in 2018? If it's your first time organising an exhibition stand we have created some articles designed to show you what is involved.

You can access these articles here -

Stand out custom exhibition stands will incorporate new innovations and functions. Have you considered how you will design your exhibition stand for 2018? Does it involve any of these features? We'd love to hear from you, let us know in the comments below.