With the new year quickly approaching and a fresh season of exhibitions and shows ahead of us, it can be tricky to know what creative direction to take your new trade stand in. Our experienced design team at Graphic Mill are here to help with their top tips for the best exhibition stand trends for 2022.
Environmentally Responsible
With climate change and global warming on the minds of many, it’s more important than ever to create responsible and environmentally-minded exhibition stands. By designing with recyclable materials in mind and building structure with reusable aluminium framework, we ensure that the impact of each of our trade stands is minimal. Many of our clients plan their stands into multiple shows, and by incorporating clever design elements using modular structure, we can further minimise potential waste whilst retaining a fresh layout.
Socialising in Real Life
As people get back into the office, meeting colleagues and clients in real life has represented a return to normality. Exhibitions provide a fantastic opportunity to socialise, to meet new and existing clients and to get back out to showcase your product. Most of our recent stands have been designed with plenty of space to get more visitors and colleagues onto the stand. We’ve even created stands such as the colourful Oranka stand at the HRC Show that convert to a party space for later in the evening, the best way to celebrate a product launch or brand refresh.
Hybrid Interactive Experiences
Combining physical and digital interaction is the next big thing in the exhibition space, whether that be through photobooths that print photos and upload them to social channels, or through a physical counter that links to a page on your website. Engaging experiential content will stick in the minds of your stand visitors, and by linking it to digital, provide a touchpoint back to your brand long after the show. Tony’s Chocolonely at ISM was a masterclass in memorable physical interaction, with many linking to their online anti-slavery petition.
Natural Materials
Linking back to the environment, brands are choosing to go with natural materials, such as wood and stone, to deck out their stands. These materials are timeless, can provide a unique-looking feature and are often recyclable, meaning they’re win-win. Elements such as real flowers and living panels are also popular and provide both visual and sweet-smelling addition that helps draw in the visitors. Our designers think this will be one of the biggest exhibition stand trends of 2022.
Accessible and Inclusive
One of the most important factors when creating a space is that it is accessible to all. Wherever possible, we design our stands with durable aluminium ramps and plenty of space for wheelchair users to get around. We inspect our stands to ensure that the build meets our quality control, meaning no sharp edges or trip hazards. We also ensure that any features, such as screens, are at optimal heights for viewing.
QR Code and Digital Takeaways
We’ve all been to an exhibition and come home with heaps of leaflets and product brochures, some relevant and some less so. With QR readers on every phone, many brands are opting for digital brochures to reduce environmental impact. We’ve also seen an increase in QR codes on business cards, providing a physical reminder for visitors once they’ve gone home.
Less Is More
One of the biggest trends in design right now, the stripping down of unnecessary detail and providing a direct message is proving to be very popular. Within the exhibition space, this means vibrant graphics that are often single colours or simple gradients. We’ve seen the amount of text on walls go down dramatically, with many brands opting for a single logo and perhaps key USPs / brief taglines only. This all means that the focus is on the product or service presented by delegates on the stand, creating more meaningful relationships and making the product the hero.
Realising the Brand Essence
Having an exhibition stand gives the opportunity to condense a company’s ethos and branding into a concentrated physical space. The best stands reflect the brand and what it stands for. Our recent stand for Aire Logic recreated their office environment to emphasise the human side of the technology business.
Interactive Screens
We’re seeing more and more content for screens with brands eager to promote their offering digitally. Although video content can help to catch the eye, using interactive screens adds an extra level of buzz, providing a platform for games, data capture or product catalogues. Whether integrating an iPad into a podium or mounting a large touchscreen to the wall, screens are one of the best ways to draw in crowds.
Rigging and High-Level Branding
There’s no better way for a brand to get its name seen across a busy exhibition hall than high-level branding, and the use of rigged branding boxes, up in the hall ceilings, has increased in the last few years. By using vibrant colours like the example for Rude Health above, you can really turn heads.
Exhibition Stand Trends Key Takeaways
That concludes the list of our best exhibition stand trends for 2022, hopefully providing some steer and creative thoughts for your show plan. Here are the 3 top trends that we think will have the most impact:
- Consider the environmental impact of your stand, particularly using recyclable materials and modular and reusable structures. Could your giveaway marketing materials be digital only?
- Hybrid experiences are a must. Combine digital and physical elements for maximum effect.
- Create a social and fun space, accessible to all show visitors.
If you’re thinking of exhibiting, we’d love to work with you. Get in touch today to get the ball rolling with a free design consultation.
