The Global Experience Specialists (GES) report has been compiled and the information is now available for a complete listing of the top 50 trends impacting trade shows and events this year.
Technology heads the list in every aspect;
The report is broken into several categories; budgeting/planning, marketing, design and technology. However, as we plan for the remainder of this year and into 2016, the trends for budgeting and planning offer the most insight as to where the trade show industry is heading.
Of those trends, the top three of most interest are:
Data Security.
We are all aware of the vulnerability companies have felt during the recent hacking scandals. Customer’s financial data and company information have been compromised, impacting consumer’s confidence. Therefore, ensuring that data you collect prior to and during a trade show or event is secured upon receipt is of the utmost importance. You will want to research cloud storage options, encryption software and other means of protecting the data you collect.
When you ensure the information is secure, attendees will be willing to provide you with their contact information, email and even their buying information for purchases during the event. Lifehacker has recently published an article with their research and have named the top encryption software program. Check it out here:
Five Best Encryption Tools
Talent Thriftiness. At the recent Exhibition Live event we hired a professional actress to join our sales team and help with encouraging attendees to visit our booth. She was a great complement to our team and the end result was positive. Many businesses are looking to hire talent to invite people to their booth; in some cases the talent is famous and therefore pricey. A new trend is looking to social media for talent.
There are some YouTubbers who have gained as much or more fame as some of the A-listers in Hollywood. Consider doing a little research to find talent for your booth from YouTube, Vine, WordPress and Instagram. They will be far less expensive that say Bruce Wane and Dick Grayson. You may also find that your younger attendees are more familiar with the YouTube talent.
App Spending. Here is a trend that is not going away and isn’t just limited to the trade show experience. Have you developed an app for your company? Forbes recently published an article on the top benefits a mobile app can bring your company.Every thing is moving to the mobile arena. As of April 21, 2015 Google will give higher ranking to company websites that are mobile-friendly and penalize those that are not. Therefore, looking into the creation of an app is the next step.
Of all of the benefits for having an app perhaps the number one reason is the ability to have direct marketing access to your prospects. Once they have signed up for the app you will have an open channel for sending out product updates, news, sales, industry trend updates and more. Additionally, if you have an app attendees can access during the trade show, they can even make immediate purchases, reserved one-on-one time with your sales team, be invited to a private after hours event that you host and more.
The trade show industry has never been more vibrant and alive with change and possibilities. We have to be ready, willing and able to embrace the changes that make the most sense for our business. The only way to be able is if we assign a budget item for the technology and social media changes that will enhance our trade show exhibit designs and the customer’s experience within our trade show display.
Although we are not technology experts, we are experts in the field of designing the latest in trade show exhibits and welcome your call so that we might talk further about how you can incorporate these new trends into your design.
Give us a call – we are here to help.