GES Trend Tracker
Each year, GES, the global event marketing company, releases its Trend Tracker white paper, identifying 50 emerging trends in the trade show and event industry. The 2015 report was released in January, and it covers four areas: budgeting and planning, marketing, technology, and design.
This year, the report noted one very big overarching trend: Brand Experiences. Marketers are aiming to connect and engage attendees with their brands and with each other. As a result, GES says, "marketers will go 'all in' on experiential with bolder budgets, bolder strategies and bolder experiences that tie together creative, execution and data analysis."
High-tech, including gamification, drones, and next generation audio/visual, will also be front and center during 2015. In a post-report follow-up blog post, Paul Wedesky, the senior vice president of Audio Visual Services for GES, describes several additional audio visual trends for 2015.
Here are a few of our favorite insights both from the report and from Paul's post.
A Moveable Exhibit
Exhibit booths are being designed both to incorporate technology and to be re-purposed. According to GES, designers are being challenged by clients to create experiences that can be taken on the road after the event, to be used by the sales team. This includes not only product display elements such as digital catalogs, but also exhibit booths.
Helping your salesperson recreate this experience on the road is a lot easier if you have the right adhesive tape to tamp down wires and secure media equipment. We recommend packing a roll or two of JVCC GAFF30YD Gaffers Tape, an economical and popular general-purpose gaffer tape, along with the booth.
Open Floor Plans With More Media
With clients looking to create more inviting spaces, exhibit structures are becoming more open. At the same time, they're demanding interactive features, including more LED displays, touchscreens and tablets.
To keep wires under control and out of the way, but also have flexibility of movement, you can use JVCC Wire-Line Cable Cover Tape. The adhesive-free zone in the center of the tape allows for cable and wire to be easily pulled through, and no residue will be left behind on your cables.
An Artist's Space
More marketers are forging partnerships with artists, incorporating more creative and cultural elements into their events. For example, GES noted that "TD Bank commissioned artists to turn its storefronts into mini art galleries."
In case you're wondering, you can create some amazing artwork with adhesive tape. Check out some examples HERE. And to see a list of tapes used in the examples click HERE.
3D & 4K Monitors
More high-tech monitors are reaching the trade show floor in 2015, according to Paul Wedesky. He has noticed 3D and 4K monitors being using at medical and pharmaceutical trade shows to enhance the brand experience, and he believes that 3D eventually will become the norm.
For protecting and anchoring the monitors' electrical wires, we recommend Polyken 510 Premium Grade Gaffers Tape, which has a softer adhesive than most other gaffers tapes so it adheres better to carpets.
Projection Mapping
Another trend in audio visual Wedesky has noticed is an increase in projection mapping, in which special software is used to spatially map a design or scene onto an object, such as a building. The design usually fits the shape of the object.
When constructing your object, an ultra-high bond tape will help keep your structure together and stable. The 3M 4941 VHB Tape is a good multipurpose option, as it's ideal for use in many interior and exterior structural bonding applications. It's strong enough to replace rivets.
Low-Res Prototyping
As a way to test ideas and manage budget more effectively, event planners are creating prototypes of their space. "It allows decision makers to visualize the concept, and for changes to be made quickly without impacting the budget," GES says.
A good all-purpose duct tape will work for temporary structures. We recommend Polyken 2280 General-Purpose Duct Tape, which is often used for bonding and holding applications and bonds well to a wide variety of smooth and rough surfaces. It's easy to unwind and tear, so it's perfect for manual applications. The tape is also available in a variety of colors.
Electronic Brochure Kiosks
Printed product brochures have long fallen out of favor, but show attendees are still interested in receiving more information. Kiosks designed to deliver electronic brochures can be incorporated into the exhibit or as a standalone. Attendees can download only the material they want.
Robotics Technology
Creating and deploying a robotic attendee, as EventMobi did at IMEX, might be on every event planner's list now. If you plan to have your robotic ambassador travel the show floor, you can create a suspension system using double-sided sticky tape. By attaching the wheel servos using double-sided sticky tape such as Scapa S301, all four wheels will remain even on an uneven plane.
Finally, when you're packing up your exhibit, be sure to have plenty of Shurtape HP 500 on hand to seal your boxes. This tape is ideal for sealing cartons, and is recommended for overstuffed or underfilled boxes. It's perfect for trade shows, when you're likely to be re-packing older cartons or taping up bulky or odd-shaped materials.