Top 10 Recent Observations

I’ll preface this with – no, I’m not kidding. Currently, I’m looking at the remainder of the year to try to figure out what’s going on in our industry, what’s trending, what’s the next big thing, and, ultimately, how can we all sell more, because without you, there’s no us. The following is a list of my top 10 industry observations . . .

1. Timelines/deadlines are shrinking and continue to decrease every year – it’s a good thing we run 3 shifts, with no rush charges!
2. Diversity in Business – 10 + years ago, an exhibit company could be successful by focusing solely on trade show business, now companies are trying to have equal parts trade show, event, and interior work to balance the cyclical trade show season. 
3. Lambda – We’re one of the few who still offer Lambda, however, it’s still specified for museum and interior projects, we’ll be here when you need this unique and still superior process.



4. Printed Flooring – Horizontal communication within any space is prime real estate and already paid for, you may as well brand it or cover it with messaging. In 2015 we produced 242% more printed flooring than in 2014!
5. Direct-to-Substrate/UV printing – Due to the economical price, increased quality, and increased speed, direct print is a great option for the trade show and event space vs. other more labor some processes, i.e. inkjet.
6. Fabric – No matter who the client is, dye sub fabric is still dominating the industry.
7. Pillowcase Structures – While SEG has dominated the industry for 10+ years, pillowcase is coming back and on the rise, this could be a custom structure or off-the-shelf solution.



8. Backlighting – even though backlit options have been around for quite some time now, everyone still wants a portion of their booth backlit, if not the entire booth structure.
9. Panel Based Systems/Crated Exhibits – With the exception of most 10×10 spaces, portable cases are not as important as they once were, exhibitors don’t mind crates when they’re exhibiting in a 10×20 space or larger, a crated exhibit typically means less setup time, especially when working with a panel/frame system.
10. Rental – is on the rise, I’m hearing customers say rentals now comprise 50-70% of their business, this is a staggering number!

How much of your business is rental? Let us know with this super short survey.
If you don’t have a rental program in place, please ask us how we can help with our H-Line Rental options, let us take on all of the risk!

What are your observations as of late? How will your 2016 end? Perhaps, something to think about . . .
I look forward to your feedback in the comments below, Happy Selling!

The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, other Authors, Optima Graphics or Taylor Corp.

About the Author
Gina Porcaro is an Account Executive with Optima™. She has been in the Trade Show industry since 2003.

Other posts by Gina

Head on over to our site to find out