B2B exhibitions have changed. Pity most stands haven’t.
There’s a new rhythm to B2B events. The full-day delegate? Rarer than a decent lunch. People now drop in for a few hours, tick off their shortlist, and head back to the inbox. Meetings take place in corridors. Calls happen in stairwells. Out of office? Not really. The vibe is different.
The new normal: arrive late, leave early, get what you came for
No more full-day wanderings. Attendees are often senior and now arrive with intent — and a schedule. They know who they want to speak to. They know what they want to see. These are gold.
The hit-and-hope approach is on the way out. So is the slow-moving crowd of juniors stuffing their freebie tote bags with as many promo items as possible. In its place: purposeful, purposeful footfall.
Shows feel quieter as a result, but the quality is there.
Stands now sit at two extremes
Beautifully designed brand environments. Or battered roller banners from reception. There’s not much in-between. Some invest in an experience to engage. Others make do with whatever fits in a taxi.
Drifting attendees scan from the walkway. If they don’t spot a reason to stop, they keep walking. Those working on the stand have to work hard to engage before they scurry on.
Corridors have become conference rooms
Events have become part-working days. Laptops are open in seating zones and the venue hums with a buzz of Teams calls. Phone calls happen mid-aisle. Some attendees spend more time replying to Teams messages than speaking to stand staff.
The result is that attendees are happy to meet fewer people as they’re investing less time out of their days in the show. And those serendipitous conversations are happening less. Pre-event marketing is as vital as a decent position.
Meetings are no longer booked — they’re fit in around other commitments. Attention is hard to capture.
Juniors are out. Justifiers are in.
T&E budgets are under scrutiny. The result? Fewer wide-eyed grads collecting brochures. More senior attendees expected to make the visit count.
Questions are sharper. Conversations go deeper. Staff working on a stand need to be ready.
Attendance is now also a post
Being there is part of the story. And the LinkedIn post is part of the ritual.
“See you there?” before organising meetings within their network. The “I was there” after shows it happened. A stand photo or selfie is now as expected as the lanyard. (We’ve posted them too, so no judgement here.)
Presentations suck the floor dry
When a big-name speaker’s on, the exhibition floor empties. It’s the quiet window where exhibitors check email and swap snacks.
Then, like clockwork, the crowd reappears — either buzzing with ideas or politely pretending refreshed from being able to sit down.
This means exhibition stands need to evolve too
Here’s what’s working now:
- Design for two speeds of interaction. Not everyone steps onto the stand. Some hover. Give them a hook — a leaflet, a promo item, a simple takeaway that tells your story at a glance. And for those who want to talk? Create space for a proper conversation, away from the walkway noise.
- An experience. Games on stands or a small activity always helps start conversations. Post Covid, F2F meetings with strangers is not as common or as comfortable as it was.
- Say who you are — fast. Your stand needs to work like a poster from five metres away. Clean graphics. Sharp messaging. Make it obvious who you are, what you do, and who you do it for. Save the cleverness for the conversation.
- Be ready for focused questions. Attendees aren’t browsing. They’re filtering. The team on-stand needs to match that intent — knowledgeable, sharp, and able to get to the point quickly.
- In the room and not in the room. Your social media campaign is as important as your presence. Before, during and after — the event is content. Use it. Announce you’re going. Show what you brought. Share what you learned. People are watching — even if they’re not walking the floor.
