November 11, 2024

Sustainable Practices for Exhibitors at Natural Products Expo West

As one of the industry’s most anticipated gatherings, Natural Products Expo West provides a prime platform for exhibitors to showcase their commitment to sustainability. For exhibitors, sustainable practices at Expo West aren’t just about meeting attendee expectations but also about reinforcing brand values and contributing to the natural products industry’s larger mission of environmental stewardship. Here’s how exhibitors can implement sustainable practices in preparation for the show and on the expo floor.

Pre-Show: Planning a Sustainable Exhibit

The journey toward sustainability begins well before the show opens. Start by designing a booth that uses eco-friendly materials. Many exhibitors are moving toward modular displays crafted from recycled or repurposed materials, which minimize waste and provide durability for future shows. Seek out materials like bamboo, reclaimed wood, and fabrics made from recycled fibers to give your exhibit a sustainable edge without sacrificing visual appeal.

Consider also the efficiency of shipping. Compact, modular designs reduce packaging waste and lower carbon emissions during transit. Another option is partnering with local vendors for booth assembly and supplies, which reduces the carbon footprint associated with transporting materials from afar. Some exhibitors are also exploring digital-only handouts to lessen the need for printed materials, instead using QR codes or email follow-ups to share product details.

Finally, when planning giveaways, go for practical, sustainable items that align with your brand ethos. Reusable water bottles, recycled notebooks, or plant-based packaging are great choices that reinforce an eco-conscious message.

From Condit Exhibits; Nature’s Bakery’s booth at Expo West 2024

At the Show: Practicing Sustainability on the Expo Floor

Once the booth is set up at Natural Products Expo West, there are numerous ways to continue with sustainable practices. First, limit single-use plastic by providing reusable items or compostable alternatives. If you’re offering samples, use plant-based or biodegradable containers to reduce waste.

Engage with attendees through digital touchpoints whenever possible. Instead of brochures, consider using iPads or touchscreen displays to show product information, allowing visitors to email materials directly to themselves, thus reducing paper waste.

Additionally, implement energy-efficient lighting options to reduce electricity consumption in your booth. LED lights not only save energy but can also create a vibrant, welcoming space for attendees.

At the end of the show, commit to a zero-waste breakdown strategy. Many exhibitors arrange for leftover materials and samples to be donated to local charities or repurposed, preventing them from heading to the landfill. You can also coordinate with the expo’s sustainability initiatives to dispose of materials responsibly.

Lead by Example

As an exhibitor at Natural Products Expo West, sustainable practices can help you stand out and demonstrate your dedication to the natural products industry’s core values. By adopting eco-friendly practices before and during the show, you can minimize environmental impact while strengthening your brand’s commitment to a greener future.

Check out our selection of Eco-Friendly tradeshow booths! Here are our ISLAND DESIGNS and our INLINE DESIGNS.

February 12, 2024

A Tribute to a True Pioneer: Bob Moore and a Partnership that Spanned Nearly Two Decades

With a heavy heart and deep respect, I reflect on my 18-year journey with Bob’s Red Mill, a trailblazing healthy food producer based in Portland. The recent passing of its venerable founder, Bob Moore, at the age of 94 marks the end of an era. This piece is a tribute to Bob and to a relationship that defined much of my professional life, starting in 2005 and continuing through thick and thin until today.

My story with Bob’s Red Mill began at the Natural Products Expo West in 2005. At that time, I was with Interpretive Exhibits in Salem, Oregon, and I recall approaching Robert Agnew, the VP of Business Development for Bob’s Red Mill, to tell him about our trade show exhibit design and fabrication services. Little did I know that this encounter would mark the beginning of a remarkable collaboration.

Several months later, Robert’s words, “Give me your pitch,” signaled the start of an exciting chapter. We presented several mock exhibit designs, and soon after, we were entrusted with producing a 20×20 island exhibit for Bob’s Red Mill. This project was the first of many, setting the stage for a long-standing partnership.

Charlee, Bob and Tim

The first 20×20 exhibit

In 2010, when Interpretive Exhibits closed its doors, I embarked on a new venture, founding TradeshowGuy Exhibits. The first significant client to believe in my fledgling company was none other than Bob’s Red Mill. In 2012, they commissioned us to design and fabricate a 30×30 trade show booth. Working alongside designer Greg Garrett and exhibit fabricator Classic Exhibits, we built a booth that made its grand debut at the 2013 Natural Products Expo West Show.

The “iconic” 30×30 exhibit that debuted in 2013

I fondly recall the client walk-through at Classic Exhibits, where Bob Moore himself, along with his marketing team, reviewed our creation. Bob, with his characteristic smile, pulled me aside and said, “This is very impressive.” That moment, for me, was more than just a compliment; it was a validation of our hard work and creativity.

As the years passed, our partnership continued to flourish. Bob’s Red Mill hired us to design and build a smaller 20×20 island booth for some of their smaller show appearances, alongside numerous smaller trade show items like graphic back walls and banner stands.

The 30×30 booth, a testament to our collaborative efforts, was hailed as one of the industry’s ‘most iconic’ brand designs. It served faithfully for a decade before being retired in 2022, a symbol of durability and quality, much like the products and ethos of Bob’s Red Mill.

Bob Moore was more than just a client; he was a pioneer, a visionary, and in many ways, a mentor. His dedication to health, quality, and community was evident in every interaction and every product his company produced. As I reminisce about the past 18 years, I am filled with gratitude for the opportunity to have worked alongside such an inspiring figure and his incredible team. Bob’s legacy is not just in the stone-ground, whole grains he championed, but in the relationships he nurtured and the communities he built.

Here’s to Bob Moore, a true pioneer, whose impact will continue to be felt for generations to come.

January 9, 2024

Emerging Trends in Trade Show Design and Fabrication

The more time I spend with ChatGPT, the more I understand its usefulness. For instance, if you ask it to identify new market trends in any market and what to expect in the coming year, it’ll do a quick research online in real-time and gather up oodles of information, present them in easy-to-digest bullet points, and include the links to its research. Here’s the prompt I used:

“Act as a market research analyst. Analyze the latest trends in the trade show exhibit design and fabrication market. Include key players, emerging technologies, and consumer preferences. Present the findings in a report format with bullet points for clarity.”

Experiential Setups: Exhibitors are focusing on creating immersive experiences, much like those seen in theme parks, where attendees are fully enveloped in the product or brand environment. This trend is about making a memorable impact on the trade show floor by utilizing innovative designs and engaging elements【17†source】.

Lounge Areas: There is a shift towards creating more comfortable, homelike spaces within trade show booths. This approach aims to foster a relaxed atmosphere conducive to natural conversations and collaborations, moving away from traditional office-like settings【18†source】.

Next-Gen Technologies: Digital twins, holograms, and 3D content are becoming increasingly popular. These technologies offer new ways to showcase products and engage attendees, from realistic digital representations to interactive 3D visuals【18†source】.

Overhead Structures and Channel Lit Logos: A move towards overhead elements in booth design is observed, creating more open, spacious, and navigable spaces. Additionally, channel-lit logos and letters are gaining popularity for their visual impact compared to traditional banners【18†source】.

A tradeshow exhibit with purple and red lighting

Consumer Preferences and Market Dynamics

Multi-Sensory Designs: Engaging multiple senses is crucial, with elements like video walls, interactive cutouts, and virtual reality stations becoming common. These features not only attract visitors but also provide a memorable experience【25†source】.

Natural Themes: Incorporating natural elements such as living plants, reclaimed wood, and stone-like flooring helps create a more inviting and distinct space amidst the usual trade show environment【25†source】.

Interactive Data Visualization: Moving beyond spreadsheets, exhibitors are now focusing on visually appealing and easily understandable ways to display valuable data and information【21†source】.

Virtual Environments: While not fully embracing concepts like the metaverse, there’s a trend toward creating virtual environments that are more accessible and relevant to the everyday consumer【21†source】.

A futuristic trade show? — A futuristic tradeshow with space people as imagined by ChatGPT.

Industry Insights

Increased Industry Participation: With a low barrier to entry, the events industry is seeing a rise in new business entities and job opportunities. The profit margin for the industry is expected to be over 6% in the coming years【20†source】.

Mergers and Acquisitions: Big industry trade shows are expanding through mergers and acquisitions, making them even larger and more influential【20†source】.

Sustainability and Diversity: There’s a growing emphasis on sustainability and diversity in the trade show industry, with exhibitors and organizers seeking to be more responsible and inclusive【22†source】.

In conclusion, the trade show exhibit design and fabrication market in 2023 is marked by a blend of innovative technological solutions and a shift towards more natural, engaging, and immersive environments. The industry is adapting to new consumer preferences, focusing on creating memorable and interactive experiences and emphasizing sustainability and diversity.

November 9, 2023

The Ultimate Guide to Dazzling Trade Show Booths

This is a guest post by Abhishek Pareek of Blazer Exhibits.

Building any trade show booth will never help you capture the attention of your potential customers. Why? You will certainly attend events where many other companies will also build theirs. That’s why, to display your products, you must build a booth that’s not usual.

Impressing the trade show attendees is not that easy. But it’s not impossible if you know how to stand out. So, what’s the secret? Certainly, your trade show exhibits have to be eye-catching and well-designed. But you should also include something that will make you stand out.

Let’s now explore the art of showcasing a dazzling booth for your company. Below are a few tips that you must read for better understanding.

Tips to Build Trade Show Booths that Dazzle

Create Buzz Before the Event Starts

If you are building something special, you must go one extra mile. Just start talking about it even before the event starts. This way, you will engage your audience and inspire them to visit something unusual. But how should you proceed? With the help of the social media accounts of your brand, you can start sharing updates on the event. Besides, take the help of emails to engage your audience about an upcoming event they must know. But revealing the secret won’t be helpful for your company. Instead, just drop hints that will attract more attendees to your booth.

Choose a Strategic Design

You must not choose designs randomly for your trade show booth. So, you will have to proceed with a strategic design. Now, choosing a design of this type won’t be easy if you do not analyze your goals and brand identity. Also, do not forget to identify your target audience before you choose any particular design. Moreover, the design must reflect your brand’s uniqueness. So, use elements like color, graphics, and layout to create an appealing and unique booth.

Clear Brand Messaging

The booth has to be attractive, but that’s not enough to bring you more leads. Every brand in the trade show will build a booth as best as possible. In this situation, proving your uniqueness is the only solution. So, design your booth in a way that will convey your brand messages. That’s why you can use bold, easy-to-read signage and graphics. These will help you convey your value proposition and key offerings. Also, remember that avoiding clutter at all costs will help you present your brand in the best possible way.

High-quality Graphics and Images

Every brand must never forget that they must only invest in high-quality graphics and visuals. You will probably not be able to make a good impression with poorly printed images. As a brand, proving your commitment to quality is very important. That’s why only vibrant and professionally designed graphics are only required.

Interactive Elements are also Helpful

Engaging attendees can be difficult if your team fails to introduce something interesting. That’s why you must include interactive elements that engage visitors. For instance, installing touchscreen displays, product demos, and interactive games can captivate attendees. Moreover, this can keep them at your booth longer. These elements create memorable experiences that connect people to your brand.

Effective Lighting

Attracting visitors to a booth that looks gloomy is certainly difficult. That’s why you should prepare a booth that looks bright. For this reason, embrace effective lighting that can dramatically enhance the appeal of your booth. Moreover, well-placed lights can draw attention to specific areas and also create ambiance. It will also highlight your products or services. Consider using LED lighting for energy efficiency and versatility.

Make it Useful For Attendees

You will certainly be busy talking about your products and engaging the attendees. But there is another way that can help you attract your visitors i.e., making your booth useful for visitors. But how will you do that? Simply include a charging station that will allow visitors to charge their phones. You can also keep small chairs so visitors can relax if they feel tired. Also, by providing refreshments to your visitors and getting more scopes to interact with them.

To Sum it Up

Standing out is not just a competition in the market but also in the trade show can be difficult. That’s why you build a booth that will easily attract your visitors. So, decide how you can present your booth to help you beat your competitors. As you start planning the design of your booth, keep in mind the points we have shared here.

A well-executed trade show booth can significantly impact your brand’s visibility and overall success at trade shows. But be very careful with the design as it must convey the right message. Thus, to ensure success, begin your journey with a booth that dazzles.

Blazer Exhibits and Events, based in Silicon Valley for over 35 years, specializes in custom trade show booths and displays. They handle all aspects, from conceptualization to exhibit designs, ensuring a dimensional branding experience within budget.

January 10, 2023

The Power of Video at Your Next Tradeshow

This is a guest post by Emma Grace Brown

Are you interested in using video to enhance your trade show booth and attract more attendees? If so, you’re not alone. Increasingly, businesses are recognizing the power of video to engage trade show visitors and drive leads. If you’re considering adding video to your trade show strategy, here are a few things to keep in mind from the Tradeshow Guy Blog.

Video will help you stand out from the competition.

Video is an incredibly effective way to engage and captivate trade show visitors and can help you drive leads and conversions. In a sea of other exhibitors, a well-executed video can help your booth and product or service stand out and capture attention. Video is also an engaging medium that can help you communicate your brand story and message in a powerful way. When used correctly, video can be an incredibly effective tool for getting your message across to potential customers at a trade show.

Videos can communicate your message and tell your brand story.

When it comes to communicating your message and telling your brand story, there are few mediums more engaging than video. The right video content can be instantly memorable, helping to engage viewers and evoke a personal response. Furthermore, videos can provide context that transcends the boundaries of text-based content such as blog posts or articles. They enable you to visually demonstrate the personality of your company and showcase the truly unique aspects of what you have to offer.

Make your video visually enticing when audio isn’t an option.

Making an engaging video without sound can be a challenge. After all, audio is often the most powerful element when it comes to conveying emotion. However, videos without sound can still have an impact if they’re visually enticing. Start by creating a color palette that stands out and sets the mood for your video. Then use movement like pans, zooms, and fades to keep your viewer’s attention.

Don’t be afraid to use unconventional shots either – close-ups of small details or bird’s eye perspectives can be mesmerizing with the right lighting and composition. Animated elements like overlays, transitions, and logos can provide visual interest as well. Finally, build in enough time for post-production to make sure your video looks its best in terms of saturation, contrast balance, and other adjustments.

One way to reduce the cost of your trade show video is by using royalty-free stock footage. This approach can be a great way to save money while still getting high-quality visuals for your video. Check out these royalty-free videos that are priced affordably. When selecting stock footage, be sure to choose clips that are relevant to your product or service. You don’t want your video to feel disjointed or out of place. Also, make sure the quality of the footage is consistent with the overall tone and style of your video.

Drive traffic to your booth with the help of social media.

Social media is a powerful tool for promoting your trade show booth and driving traffic to your exhibit. When used correctly, you can reach a large number of potential customers and generate interest in your products or services. One of the best ways to use social media for trade shows is by creating a dedicated event page on Facebook. This page can be used to promote your exhibit, provide information about the event, and give people a way to connect with you online. You can also use this page as a central hub for all of your other social media activity related to the trade show.

In addition to creating a Facebook event page, be sure to post regularly about the trade show on all of your social media platforms. This will help keep your followers informed and engaged. Use images, videos, and text-based posts to create excitement around the event and drive traffic to your booth. Make sure you’re also using hashtags related to the trade show so that your posts will appear in relevant search results. And don’t forget to respond promptly to any comments or questions from followers.

Are you looking for a way to make your next trade show even more successful? If so, consider using video. This medium can help you connect with potential customers and create an engaging, interactive experience that will leave them wanting more.

Emma Grace Brown lives her life by her rules, and it works! When she’s not snuggling puppies, Emma promotes female empowerment through her website. Her mission is to help those who live with self-doubt to realize they don’t have to mold themselves to conventionality.

June 2, 2022

50 Essential Tradeshow Tips in 50 Minutes or Less (video replay)

Not a bad way to kick off June! I sat down with Mel White of Classic Exhibits, along with a few dozen viewers, for a presentation on tradeshow tips for newbies and wannabes. He invited me as part of their ongoing “Fast and Furious” webinar series, and I was grateful to be asked and glad to join. We nicknamed the presentation ‘From Tradeshow Stupid to Tradeshow Smart in 50 Minutes,’ but whatever you want to call it, I jammed a lot of stuff into the presentation. Take a look – hope you get something out of it, and thanks to Classic Exhibits for inviting me!

March 17, 2022

Natural Products Expo West 2022 Re-Cap

The thing I was most curious about while walking the floors and halls of Natural Products Expo West 2022 earlier this month in March was this: how many exhibitors and attendees showed up?

It was a question that kept coming up as I would turn the corner at the rear of one of the halls and instead of seeing rows and rows of small exhibits against the wall, I saw lots of empty space. Throughout the hall, instead of large island exhibits everywhere, you’d occasionally see a gathering spot with tables and chairs instead of a large island.

Which got me thinking about the final totals. On day one, I figured attendance for both exhibitors and attendees would be around 85%. On day two, after seeing more empty space, I revised that downward to about 80%.

On Monday, New Hope Network released numbers: over 57,000 registered attendees and over 2,700 exhibitors. Based on numbers in 2019 (which I’m dredging up from memory, but still, they’re close), which showed attendees at about 80,000 and exhibitors at about 3,400, the numbers this year showed a significant decline. Attendees were about 71% of 2019, and exhibitors came in at about the 79% level.

So, yeah, respectable. And people I spoke with, both exhibitors and attendees, found it a worthwhile show. Days One and Two were the best (no surprise), with all of the exhibitors I spoke with saying they’d had good conversations with a LOT of people. Day Three, of course, is more of a rush not only through the shortened day, but once two or three o’clock rolls around, a rush to the door.

A few observations:

There was a masking requirement in effect. Almost no one observed it. Maybe one in twenty. Given the pre-show health check confirming vaccinations or proof of negative tests, and the declining cases throughout the country, and of course, COVID fatigue, it didn’t surprise me that masks were mostly a no-show. Besides, with nearly 60,000 attendees, how do you actually enforce something like that?

But: QR Codes are back! If you search this blog for QR Codes, you’ll find an assortment of posts, ranging from how to use QR Codes at tradeshows, to posts questioning their validity anymore. But this year, QR Codes were back in full force. By the hundreds. I spoke with a number of people about it, and most either suggested, or agreed with the notion that one reason they’re so prevalent is that phones no longer need code-scanning apps. The ability to scan codes is built-in to the camera software. I lost count at over a hundred QR Codes.

Big Names Missing. Again, no real surprise that some brands chose to skip this year’s show. I tweeted about a handful of them that were missing: Kashi, Kettle Foods, Enjoy Life, Clif Bar, and Silk, all of which have previously appeared numerous times with large island booths. Not this year. I’m sure a few slipped my mind.

TradeshowGuy Exhibits’ client list also was reduced, but it was the busiest year I’ve ever had at the show. I spent a total of 9+ days at the show, supervising the installation and dismantling of two long-time clients, Bob’s Red Mill (30×40) and Mountain Rose Herbs (20×30). The Bob’s Red Mill exhibit is the iconic mill-like structure that captures their brand to a T. It’s been around since 2013. Mountain Rose Herbs, which hasn’t been at the show for nearly a decade, returned with a 20×30 new design focused on promoting new lines of essential oils and teas, and much more. The two main pieces of the exhibit are a 13’ tower/conference room and a 10’ tall display unit that was filled with herbs in a stratified style onsite prior to the show. It wowed. Great to work with both clients. We also had other clients at the show, including Greater Knead and Wildbrine, but like many exhibitors, some of our clients chose to sit this one out.

A few final words. I always approach Natural Products Expo West with both anticipation and a little dread. It’s a big show and can be stressful. But it’s always worth it. It was great to get back to seeing people in person, saying hello to people I’ve met over the years, and meeting new people.

And hey, there was even that celebrity siting! Jason Momoa popped in the North Halls for a short time and I managed to get his picture. He’s tall.

November 19, 2021

Can Limitations Help Your Creativity?

Unlimited choices. Seems like having the pick of anything we want would make things easier, right? For example, I have a subscription to Apple Music. Yeah, it could be Pandora or Spotify or any of the music streaming services. But with a streaming subscription, you have instant access to millions – literally millions – of choices when it comes to what songs or artists or albums to listen to.

Yet often I find myself stumped, not knowing what I should listen to. So I go back to my own library, which has only 50,000 or so tracks. Much easier to find something.

But too many choices? Yeah, doesn’t always work. Yeah, when I hear about the new album from Coldplay or Jackson Browne, I can easily jump over and listen.

The less choice you have, the more you must use those constraints to your benefit. I think the same thing applies to the scope of your tradeshow exhibit project.

Sure, you may love to have a large island, 20 x 30 or even larger. Just think of the things you can do with such a large space! But if you have only half or less of that space, it forces you to consider every square foot. And as a result, you can still come up with some very creative tradeshow exhibits.

Want eco-friendly? Use cardboard tubing, bamboo wood, or actual live plant enhancements as part of your design.

Need a table but want it to still be an eye-catcher? Try a custom branded, LED-highlighted odd-shaped table.

A custom LED-highlighted table takes up little space but catches eyes.

Need to save on cost and still have a nice-looking booth? I’ve seen several booths that use the shipping cases as building blocks for counters and back walls.

Looking for a way to draw attention to your small booth presentations? Hire a dynamic and charismatic presenter that’s experienced in drawing small but enthusiastic crowds.

Creativity isn’t limited to large canvases. You can get creative in countless ways. Just pull out your thinking cap and collaborate with others.

July 26, 2021

Stranger in a Strange Land: the New World of Tradeshows

If you’re a fan of Robert Heinlein’s classic science fiction book “Stranger in a Strange Land,” you know the story of Valentine Michael Smith, a human who was born on Mars, raised by Martians, and comes to Earth in early adulthood. He ends up in a political power struggle and as the title suggests, he’s a little lost in the whole thing.

I sense that many people are feeling a similar way when it comes to returning to the tradeshow floor. Exhibit designers, builders and exhibitors are looking to the future when things will return to normal and they can get back to the action of exhibiting and all that entails.

Except…

This morning I see a post in a tradeshow group on Facebook that a client has canceled an appearance in an upcoming show in early August. Due to the uncertainty surrounding the resurgence of the delta variant of the virus and the continued resistance by a significant portion of the population to getting vaccinated.

Another commented that they also had a cancellation at the same show, and a second cancellation by another client at another show in October. Also due to uncertainty of the virus numbers.

But for some exhibitors who are looking at shows in late October, the assumption is that everything will be fine and they’re proceeding with plans for new exhibits. So they’re forging ahead on designs and are getting ready to put significant money down on new exhibits.

I get the sense that with all the players involved – organizers, exhibitors, attendees, designers, fabricators, labor and support services – no one is sure of which way to jump, and unfortunately we’ll all have to jump several times before we learn where we’re going to land.

In the TV show “Billions,” one of the questions that come up now and then is: “Are you certain?” And the response is meant to be “I am not uncertain.”

But I don’t think anyone has much certainty right now about the tradeshow world and when it might return to normal. Or even settle into a “new normal,” which will be different but at least predictable.