EuroShop is held every 3 years in Dusseldorf, Germany and dubbed as the World’s No. 1 Retail Trade Fair. This year, 2,300 exhibitors from 57 nations strutted their stuff for 94,000 attendees from over 142 countries that all gathered on the Rhine river to experience the latest trends and concepts in retail marketing. stevensE3’s President Cam Stevens has attended the show for the 10th time, and it is the second time for the company to exhibit, since 1990. Each succeeding trade event continues to improve upon the last in terms of technology, ingenuity, and creativity.
As an exhibitor at the show, the company is not only able to see what some of the international innovations and trends are, but it allows stevensE3 to showcase what the company’s capabilities are and to build and grow its international partnerships, allowing clients globally to realise their marketing objectives. stevensE3’s President, Cam Stevens, says that despite the recent outbreak of the COVID-19 virus the attendance of the event was still well attended. In fact, 70 percent of attendees were international top management executives and were there to do business, make decisions and invest in new concepts. He adds “exhibitions are still, and continue to remain, a powerful medium for businesses to engage with their audiences face-to-face as it creates a marketing platform that is second to none.” Stevens, along with US Director of Sales, Rebecca Thompson, and Key Account Manager, Andrew Stevens Jnr, highlight some of the trends and highlights from the show.
Emotionalization
This year there were a lot of booths that while a bit smaller than the norm, showed incredible creativity in their offerings. According to Stevens the word that comes to mind is experiential. Exhibitors wanted attendees to experience their exhibit space in a memorable way that triggered emotion (emotionalization) in the attendee while at the same time, created an opportunity for educating attendees on products and services. A strong buzz word at the show demonstrated the desire of creating a “customer journey. Stevens adds “we as booth fabricators and creators of environments must help in developing that journey through creating memorable learning experiences for attendees.”
Linkage of Online to offline Channels
Retail digitalization, which enables retailers the ability to offer their customers greater services, provides a connection between the online and offline marketing channels. Stevens says “the use of Augmented Reality, which is more inclusive than the exclusive Virtual Reality, was also more prevalent at this year’s event. By allowing attendees to interact with products within the booth while providing digital content support added a level of engagement that retailers harnessed in educating the attendee.”
Sustainability
The argument about sustainability continues and in turn, new ideas on what sustainability means to each exhibiting company was evident throughout the event. System solution providers tout the use of recyclable, reusable aluminum components, while other exhibitors featured recycled floor elements or wall panel usage. LED Tiles may arguably be more environmentally friendly since the brand messaging is by default more dynamic than static. Many products are recyclable, and the effort to recycle them is admirable, but the costs to recycle these components or the practicality of recycling is diminished by the processes one must undertake in order to recycle the elements. The bottom line on sustainability is that unless the demand comes from the consumer directly, and is a priority for them, greenwashing remains prevalent.
LED Tiles
A growing number of options are available to designers when preparing environments in which exhibitors stage a performance to attract attendees. LED Tiles have come a long way in recent years. Today, the use of LED Tiles can be seen on ceilings, walls, floors and overhead signage. Too much perhaps? Sometimes exhibits were overloaded with stimulating video that confused the senses and created anxiety thereby driving people away from the exhibit space rather than the presumed desire to increase the number of attendees willing to enter the space. LED Tiles offer huge flexibility in offering dynamic signage that allows targeted communication to show attendees, but with all things in life one needs to bear the old adage ‘everything in moderation’.”
Texture + 3D Surfaces
Booth design is no longer one dimensional. To create a space that truly stands out and grabs the eye of the show attendee, booths are now incorporating three-dimensional elements to draw in show attendees. US Director of Sales, Rebecca Thompson, says “We saw several booths at this show that had elements which incorporated 3D tactility onto walls, floors, and even ceilings. Hell, we’re one the companies that did this with a CNC wooden moose on our stand.” However, harnessing tactility within a space has become an integral part of the creation of a booth environment. Why? Well because raised textures and different surface materials all help to create an environment that entices the sensors of show attendees - inviting them into a relaxed and comforting space that is ideal for business transactions.
Accent lighting
Lighting is often an element that can be overlooked when it comes to the design of any booth. However, EuroShop once again demonstrated that the use of lighting is an important aspect, which should never be overlooked. It helped to enhance the aesthetic appeal and set the mood of the exhibits on show. Thompson says “I saw stands that opted for LED strips, creating soft finishes or lighting pieces which accentuated certain elements of their exhibits. The use of backlit graphics also helped many booths to create powerful and impactful displays that truly made me stop and take in what they had to say.”
Fabric Graphics
In 2017 we saw a massive shift in large format seamless graphic prints and although that trend is continuing into 2020, we’re now able to explore the different ways in how it can be used. Key Account Manager, Andrew Stevens Jnr, says “with the latest technologies we’re now able to bend, weld and mesh fabric prints into any angle, shape, and size that we need. The result is bigger, better and incredibly vibrant booth graphics.” And, with the developments and advancements in backlighting coupled with highly customised fabric booth prints – there is no limit to what one can do today. This not only allows for a truly remarkable exhibit but offers clients a cost-effective option to custom displays.
The next EuroShop will take place from February 26th to March 2nd, 2023. For more information on this year’s event visit: www.euroshop-tradefair.com. stevensE3 will also be exhibiting at EXHIBITORLIVE in Las Vegas from March 30th to April 1st, 2020.