Industry News
Curated headlines from the trade show and exhibition industry's top publications, associations, and expert blogs. Stay current with exhibitor announcements, show openings, industry trends, and market news from across the events world. Whether you follow technology, healthcare, food, or manufacturing events, our news feed surfaces the stories that matter to trade show professionals, exhibitors, and event marketers.
6 Brands That Unleashed Experiential at SuperZoo 2026
If you’ve never squeezed a poop-in-a-bag squishy or considered a calming mousse for your cat, you’ve never been to SuperZoo. Hosted by the World Pet Association (WPA), SuperZoo is the largest pet products marketplace in North America. The 2026 edition took place at the Mandalay Bay Convention…
3 Ways Exhibitors Are Tackling Education Through Experience
Attendees would ideally spend 54 percent of their learning time outside traditional session rooms, and at trade shows, that number rises to 64 percent, according a Freeman’s latest Trends Report, “The Future of Adult Learning at Conferences and Trade Shows.” While organizers continue to invest…
Quiet, Fast, Sustainable: How Convention Venues Are Leveling Up
From private meeting pods to underground transit upgrades to green certifications, convention venues are raising the bar on the attendee experience. Here’s a look at what’s new at some of the industry’s busiest facilities. Private Meeting Pods at Moscone and GWCC ZenSpace has installed four…
Experiential Marketing Trend of the Week: Wine Windows
Sometimes it’s what people can’t see that unlocks the greatest potential for engagement. The mystery of not knowing what lies beyond the veil—a sample, an interaction, a giveaway—inevitably prompts attendees to take action. And marketers are strategizing accordingly. In a nod to aperitivo culture,…
Inside Instacart’s Shoppable Creator Dinner in a Pop-up Grocery Aisle
Foodies turn to social media to discover new recipes and see what their favorite content creators are cooking up. Instacart joined the conversation with its social-forward “Cart Classics” campaign, kicking it off with an intimate dinner experience for creators and VIP guests on Aug. 6 at Chain…
6 Dating App Events to Win Back Gen Z Users
Bumble announced that its signature rule is going away on Aug. 11. Since its founding in 2014, women have made the first move by starting the conversation with a match, but now, anyone in a match can send the first message. Bumble’s shift is a response to changing dating habits, particularly among…
5 Free Event and Trade Show Measurement Strategies
You can’t afford not to measure your trade show or event investment. Without data, there’s no evidence to justify them or make improvements. But measurement doesn’t have to be expensive, argues Dax Callner, founder and president of the Event Marketing Measurement Association (EMMA). “Don’t let cost…
Is Your Exhibit Strategy Ready for the Buyer-First Trade Show Floor?
When US Foods realized that its 15-year-old Food Fanatics show was starting to get too “vanilla,” the food distributor decided to change its approach. For the 2025 event, it completely reimagined its show floor and invited more than 5,000 food service operators, culinary professionals and industry…
The Brief: Billboard Houses and Diaper Rescues
This week’s hot takes on hot topics in experiential marketing cover billboard houses, wrench-themed pubs and pop-up diaper rescues. The post The Brief: Billboard Houses and Diaper Rescues appeared first on Event Marketer.
Experiential Marketing Trend of the Week: Wedding Bells
The bravest brands know how to cross boundaries in the most epic of ways, and this year, they’re reaching for the altar. From limited-time wedding chapels to brand ambassadors and mascots serving as officiants, adventurous and social-first couples are letting brands play a part in their “forever”…
Lollapalooza 2026 Photo Tour: 10 Experiences from Chicago’s Grant Park
More than 45 partner brands showed up at Lollapalooza with experiential destinations (and weather escapes) to surprise and delight nearly 400,000 music fans. We highlight 10 sponsor activations that rocked the festival experience. The post Lollapalooza 2026 Photo Tour: 10 Experiences from Chicago’s…
Coca-Cola Activates its Largest Footprint Yet at Essence Festival
Keeping a presenting sponsorship fresh after 31 years is challenging, but with comprehensive feedback analysis, and hyper-local inspiration, Coca-Cola ensures its presence at Essence Festival of Culture is never flat. The post Coca-Cola Activates its Largest Footprint Yet at Essence Festival…
Comic-Con 2026, Part 2: Quests, Character Journeys and Cafes
More experiential pop-ups, stunts and installations from across San Diego The SDCC 2026 adventure continues in part two of our coverage from San Diego, where brands took up real estate across the Gaslamp Quarter from July 23-26 to transform their movies, shows, games and books into interactive, IRL…
The Brief: Retro Malls and Cheese Ball Challenges
FIVE THINGS TO KNOW THIS WEEK This week’s hot takes on hot topics in experiential marketing cover the Million Cheese Ball Challenge, The House of Lexus and an ’80s-themed mall takeover. MALL MADNESS: FX TEASES ‘THE SHARDS’ WITH AN ’80s-THEMED ACTIVATION Back in the 1980s, shopping malls were…
Crayola Targets a New Demo—Adults—at a Camping-Themed Launch Event
As adults battle burnout and seek creative, screen-free ways to decompress—look no further than the cozy coloring and grandma hobbies trends—some heritage kids’ brands are rethinking priorities and products to meet the moment. The post Crayola Targets a New Demo—Adults—at a Camping-Themed Launch…
Experiential Marketing Trend of the Week: Delivery Design
Experiential marketers are the bosses of the attendee journey, but this summer, we’re seeing a burst of creative attention around delivery mechanisms. Think: Content that is handpicked (literally), whirly entrances for contestants, and behind-the-curtain serves. Contactless delivery is a…
Tabby Trucks and Tunnel Walks: WNBA All-Star 2026 Brand Activations
With the WNBA continuing to hit record viewership and attendance numbers, the league’s 30th season celebration couldn’t have come at a better time, and All-Star Weekend in Chicago continued to build on that momentum. The post Tabby Trucks and Tunnel Walks: WNBA All-Star 2026 Brand Activations…
Guest Column: The Fee You Didn’t Know You Were Paying
Many exhibitor service manuals contain an EAC fee. Most exhibit and event marketers have never been told what it is, what it covers, or why it keeps showing up. Open the exhibitor services manual for your next show and scroll past the carpet and the electrical order forms. Somewhere in the labor…
Comic-Con 2026, Part 1: How 10 Brands Activated in San Diego
From the badge-holders, to the superfans who can’t get their hands on a ticket, activations at San Diego Comic-Con welcome everyone into the fold, and this year's showing was no exception. Training quarters, surprise game shows, auction houses and carnivals were all on the activation agenda. Join…
Designing Theatrical, Immersive Worlds, with Dr. Ilana Gilovich-Stossel
Since childhood, Dr. Ilana Gilovich-Stossel has been drawn to magic of storytelling and the world-building and imagination that go into it, especially in the theatrical medium. Through her English literature studies and Ph.D. earned at Columbia University, she homed in on the academic side of…