What's New at Exhibitor Show 2013

Exhibitor Show 2013 – What’s new

The staff at Iconic Displays attended the 2013 Exhibitor Show in Las Vegas
this year (March 17-21) at the Mandalay Convention Center.  As usual it was
a great show and allowed us to get a first hand look at all of the new
products being introduced for 2013.  The show was about the same size as
last year and showed off a few key trends for the upcoming year including:

– increasing use of Fabric graphic walls
– increasing popularity of “modular” display technology
– drop in popularity of “pop up” displays which have been a mainstay of the
industry for the last 10 years
– increase in popularity of rental displays due to the lower initial capital
outlay
– increase in use of integrated video monitors and even “video walls”
– increase in use of portable truss systems for trade shows
– increase in use of backlighting and LED lighting

Overall we were excited about many of the new products being introduced.
The industry continues to develop more refined products with more striking
graphical presentations and better lighting.  In particular the use of large
scale fabric graphics, modern and refined looking modular displays, and
evolved lighting systems, has produced some beautiful, lightweight, and very
portable systems.  Fabric graphics are great for trade show displays since
they are much easier to pack and transport (lighter weight, much less
susceptible to damage during setup and teardown), and modern printing
technologies allow for production of backwalls that have saturation levels
approaching that of more traditional substrates.

As expected, more and more systems suppliers are introducing solutions for
video monitors.  Video monitors are a great way to grab attention, and
provide the ultimate in flexibility for changing messages.  Video monitors
with touchscreens are also a great way to provide interactivity with
customers and allow booth personal to quickly demonstrate exactly what a
particular prospect is looking for.  Video walls are also coming down in
price and provide a huge level of impact for a trade show or marketing/sales
event.  However video walls also require a great deal of graphics
development and specialized expertise.

In summary 2013 looks like a good year for the trade show industry as
business fundamentals continue to improve and companies look for ways to
better connect with their customers and maximize their new product rollouts.