Trade shows, exhibitions, conferences and other networking events are a A $50 billion global marketWhile attendance at exhibitions plummeted due to pandemic concerns for a few years, the popularity of these events is now booming.
If you want to get noticed at a trade show, you’ll have your work cut out for you. It’s not uncommon for a conference to bring together hundreds of booths in a single arena. How can your brand stand out from the crowd?
You could try putting together a 3D exhibition.
3D booths are eye-catching displays that make the most of space. When considering 3D exhibit ideas, explore some of these approaches that could make your booth memorable.
1. 3D exhibits that embrace nature
Trade shows and exhibitions are usually high-tech events. Most of them take place in artificial environments: inside an event center, under artificial lighting.
In these environments, nature takes over.
Consider these examples of nature-focused exhibits for your next trade show.
Aquatic features
Award-winning garden designer Dean Pipito writes about award-winning display strategies in Pond trade reviewWater features, such as waterfalls and small rivers, stand out.
But what makes an exhibition special are the little details.
Pipito’s 1950s-style beach scene, the finest of its kind, featured old-fashioned beach chairs comfortably set in the shallow waters. The props practically invited you to relax and dip your toes in the water.
Yet it was the little details, like the polka-dot bikini drying on the clothesline, that gave the scene meaning.
Water scenes often make good use of soft, Rembrandt-style lighting to highlight unique elements. design featuresWhen you light the elements from below and let the water soften the separation, it counteracts the harsher light coming from the ceiling.
It evokes the mood of dusk or dawn. Recreating this “golden hour” can highlight your product and draw people in.
Tree-lined enclosure
Nature-focused designs work even for brands that don’t sell outdoor products. In 2019, FT, a cremation and incineration equipment company, won the “Best stand” at the Funermosta lounge.
The stand was an enclosure of trees. A row of thin, living birches grew around the perimeter of the stage, and the ceiling was made of tree branches woven on a trellis.
Inside, the exhibition was a clean, white room with comfortable, minimalist furniture.
FT’s design reflects their company values: simplicity, quality and durability.
The natural aesthetic was pleasantly surprising, partly because it reflected the company’s values instead of its literal products. Most of the other exhibits at the convention included coffins or hearses.
Small symbols
Water features and living trees can be beyond the capabilities of a company, yet even smaller, more niche brands have successfully harnessed nature.
3D models have incorporated hanging gardens, flower crowns and even live birds with great success.
2. 3D audio immersion
Visuals are the only way to create a 3D experience. Brands can now stand out more than ever with a three-dimensional soundscape.
Since 2015, popular tech blogs have been celebrating the virtues of binaural multichannel audio. These soundscapes are immersive and real. This is the next generation of surround sound technology.
People who have experienced 3D audio have described taking off their headphones to answer a knock at the door, only to realize the knock was on the audio track!
Helmet or spotlights?
Exhibitors can introduce this technology in several ways.
SONY launched its unique product 3D Audio for PS5 in booths where attendees were invited to try out headphones. The exhibition offered plenty of space for listeners to move around.
The live exhibition showed how headphones move listeners through the soundscape in response to their actual physical movements. Today, the Met is using this same technology to enhance audio tours of the museum.
The Met also uses another 3D audio technique: audio projectors. Audio projectors focus sound in a specific space. Brands can implement this technology with motion activation.
This way, when a participant walks past or approaches a specific screen, the audio track is played just for them.
3. Play, dance, experiment: interactive light and movement exhibitions
Interactive light and motion features are another surefire way to make a 3D exhibit stand out.
A memorable example is the Samsung Home Appliances Exhibition at Milan Design Week. Part of the exhibition included the pop-up exhibition “Resonance”.
“Resonance” projected multi-colored circles of light. The projections reacted to the physical movements and heartbeat of anyone interacting with them. A person’s heat, breath, touch, and speech affected the color and shape of the projection.
“Resonance” was indeed an invitation to play. At the same time, it highlighted Samsung’s new line of smart, responsive kitchen appliances.
Reactive projection
Reactive projection technology has been used for very different purposes by different companies. Lumo Game creates games that encourage indoor fitness. It licenses the games to fitness centers and events.
The games are usually very energetic, dynamic and designed to get the adrenaline pumping.
On the other hand, TeamLab created an interactive art exhibition in 2019: The Way of the Sea. This exhibit encouraged quiet, thoughtful strolls along the walls of fish. The fish change color when you touch them.
The calming exhibit takes the opposite tactic as Lumo Play. Yet both exhibits are eye-catching and increase engagement.
Social Media Engagement
Physical interaction isn’t the only way to get attendees to engage with and change your exhibit.
In 2016, Brazil created a SXSW exhibit around a hashtag. Everyone who used the hashtag #BrasilAtSXSW on social media would see their message projected on the screen.
The feature was fun and encouraged people to engage however they wanted: joking, networking, and celebrating are all options.
4. Eat, drink and vibrate
Whatever people do, they can do at your booth. That’s why many brands attract visitors’ attention with food, drinks and ambiance.
A 3D exhibition can be a complete sensory experience. It is understandable that pop-up cafes are particularly popular with businesses that already sell beverages.
THE Dethlefsen & Balk tea display case was a success at the World Tea Expo. Its success was due in part to the fact that it offered such a vast and inspiring variety. The mix of colors, aromas and flavors permeated the entire convention halls
But even non-food companies have gotten in on the action.
Pantone, the paint and interior decorating company, has opened pop-up cafes across a wide variety of exhibitions and events. The lattes, cocktails and pastries at the exhibitions invite you to ask yourself: “What does color taste like?”
Create extraordinary, custom 3D exhibits
At Rockway, we know that your exhibit should be a gateway to an extraordinary experience.
When we create 3D exhibits for our clients, we strive to pique the interest of our potential customers by appealing to all their senses. Capture their imagination in a way that will make them think.
No matter your ideal client or where you’re exhibiting, partner with designers who will make your booth unforgettable. Contact us todayand we will bring your vision to life.