| Downing Displays | Issue 02 • November 2026 |
Trade Show Trends & Takeaways
Notable industry news and ideas worth knowing
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Greg Ward President & COO, Downing Displays |
Fall show season is still moving, but 2027 planning is already well underway. This month, we’re looking at changing attendee expectations, event economics, sustainability, and new approaches to engagement, plus a few examples of what careful preparation looks like behind the scenes.
Our goal remains simple: collect useful ideas, trends, and stories from across the industry and make them easier to use.
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In This Issue – Recent Articles On:
→ Strategy, Planning & Performance
→ Sustainability & Show Operations
Trends Worth Watching Articles
Gen Z Thinks Your Conference Is Cringe
Gen Z values live events, but traditional formats don’t automatically earn their attention. Clear outcomes, participatory experiences, purposeful networking, and authentic content increasingly shape the experience they expect.
Source: EXHIBITOR
9 Must-Know New Tools for Sponsor Integration, Content Creation and More
New event technology is moving from novelty toward practical applications for content, sponsor activation, engagement, and operations.
Source: TSNN
10 Sponsorship Trends to Watch in 2027
Sponsors increasingly expect measurable, integrated value from event partnerships, a useful preview of how sponsorship strategy may evolve in 2027.
Source: Trade Show Executive
Featured Story
Strategy, Planning & Performance Articles
Mixed Economic Signals, Clear Exhibition Strategy
Economic uncertainty does not necessarily mean pulling back from exhibitions. It does make prioritization, clear objectives, and disciplined investment more important.
Source: IAEE
Grow the Floor, Guard the Margin
An organizer-side look at balancing growth, pricing, participation, and margin- decisions that ultimately shape the economics exhibitors experience too.
Source: IAEE
Attendees Are Registering Later, and Trade Shows Are Feeling the Squeeze
Later registration makes forecasting harder and puts more pressure on event teams to stay flexible while still committing early enough to execute well.
Source: Trade Show Executive
Asked & Answered
How far ahead should we start planning our next trade show exhibit?
The answer depends on the size and complexity of the program, but earlier planning creates more room for strategy, design, approvals, engineering, fabrication, graphics, staging, freight, and revisions without turning every change into a rush decision.
Quick turnaround isn’t impossible, but we usually see planning cycles start six to eight months, or more, before the show dates.
Customer Spotlight
Sustainability & Show Operations Articles
The Most Overlooked Sustainability Decision on the Trade Show Floor: It Starts With Carpet
Flooring is one example of how routine show-floor choices can influence material use, waste, transportation, and overall environmental impact.
Source: TSNN
Flottweg Wins 2026 WEFTEC Sustainable Booth Award
Congratulations to Flottweg Separation Technology, winner of the 2026 WEFTEC Sustainable Booth Award. The exhibit, created with Downing Displays, incorporated reusable materials, rented greenery, digital signage, efficient shipping, and other practical sustainability measures without sacrificing the visitor experience.
Source: Flottweg
Experience, Design & Engagement Articles
AI Agents, the Joy Factor: 7 Takeaways From IMEX America 2026
AI may be reshaping event technology, but human connection is not disappearing. One recurring theme: technology works best when it supports rather than replaces the experiences people actually want.
Source: Event Marketer
Dirty Sodas and Mini-Marts: Brands Share Their Experiential Strategies at NACS 2026
Consumer brands continue pushing experiential ideas into unexpected settings, useful inspiration for B2B exhibitors looking for more memorable ways to invite participation.
Source: Event Marketer
Who’s Got Your Back
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Kraig Holmes Account Executive, Downing Displays Connect with Kraig on LinkedIn → Kraig takes a long-view approach to client relationships: solve the problem in front of you, whether it’s a major exhibit or a smaller branding need, and earn the opportunity to tackle the next one. That approach helped build the trust behind Blum-Novotest’s IMTS program. He brought strong sales and relationship-building instincts to Downing Displays, along with the persistence to learn a highly specialized business quickly. For Blum-Novotest, that combination helped turn smaller branding and environmental projects into a much larger trade show relationship. Fun fact: Kraig entered the exhibit industry only about two years ago. He now manages more than 30 shows and major client accounts. That is one serious learning curve.
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Industry Business & Workforce Articles
EXHIBITOR’s 40th Annual Salary Survey
How does your compensation compare? EXHIBITOR’s latest survey looks at salary, workload, raises, management support, certifications, and perceptions of pay across the exhibit industry.
Source: EXHIBITOR
Show Floor Stories
Field note
At Automate in Chicago, a client was demonstrating a warehouse robot that needed to move freely on bare concrete inside its enclosure. Jack Scherer arrived before booth setup and found electrical cords routed directly through the robot’s travel area, despite advance coordination.
The electricians rerouted the electrical while they were still on-site. Then Jack noticed another issue: the exhibit’s carpet had not arrived. The flooring vendor delivered it the following morning, and the booth was completed on schedule.
“The client never knew there was a problem.”
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Jack Scherer Account Executive, Downing Displays |
Find Us in the Field
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Jan 6–9, 2027 CES — Las Vegas, NV |
Jan 19–22, 2027 SHOT Show — Las Vegas, NV |
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Jan 20–24, 2027 New York National Boat Show — New York, NY |
Jan 25–27, 2027 AHR Expo — Chicago, IL |
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Jan 26–28, 2027 IPPE — Atlanta, GA |
Feb 9–11, 2027 MD&M West — Anaheim, CA |
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Feb 10–13, 2027 National Farm Machinery Show — Louisville, KY |
Feb 17–20, 2027 NADA — Orlando, FL |
Looking Ahead
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