Six Key Takeaways from Walking the IDDBA Show Floor

The International Dairy Deli Bakery Association (IDDBA) show continues to be the leading show in the industry, attracting over 9,000 attendees and exhibitors and featuring thousands of booths. As a nonprofit membership organization serving the dairy, deli, bakery, cheese, and supermarket foodservice industries, IDDBA brings together professionals who share a passion for food and innovation.

After walking the expansive show floor, several key trends emerged that exhibitors can leverage to increase success. Here are the six most impactful strategies we observed:

1. Natural Elements: Bringing Restaurant Ambiance to the Trade Show Floor

Wood was everywhere at IDDBA—from large custom booths to smaller modular and tension fabric displays. The natural beauty and warmth of wood, combined with plant elements, transformed booth spaces into environments that felt more like beautiful restaurants or cafes than traditional trade show exhibits.

Sushi Avenue delivered this concept flawlessly with their sushi counters, wood-look exhibit design, lovely trees and flowers, and tastings provided by staff wearing traditional Japanese attire. The experience was so immersive and appealing that attendees genuinely didn't want to leave. The natural elements created an atmosphere that made the brand experience feel authentic and premium.

Key Insight: Natural materials like wood and plants elevate the aesthetic appeal of booth spaces and create environments where attendees want to linger leading to more substantial business conversations.

2. Digital Activations That Tell the Behind-the-Scenes Story

The second major crowd-drawing strategy was digital activation, particularly content that showcased manufacturing floors, food packing processes, and other behind-the-scenes operations. Attendees were genuinely fascinated by seeing how products come to life, from farm to shelf.

These digital experiences brought transparency to the food production process, satisfying retailers, and, ultimately, consumers' growing desire to understand where their food comes from and how it's made. The most successful implementations combined high-quality video content with interactive elements that allowed attendees to explore different aspects of the production process.

Key Insight: Digital activations that showcase your manufacturing process, quality standards, and company story create emotional connections with buyers who value authenticity and transparency.

3. Gathering Spaces: Creating Oases for Meaningful Conversations

The third standout observation was the power of creating gathering spaces within booth designs. IDDBA is a massive show, and with all the food samples and walking, attendees were constantly looking for places to sit and recharge. Booths that included cafe-style seating likely saw significantly greater dwell time and deeper engagement.

Café Valley Bakery exemplified this approach perfectly with their café-style gathering area and coffee counter service. The setup aligned beautifully with their brand while providing a comfortable space for tastings and extended conversations. The bistro seating and gathering areas encouraged networking and prolonged engagement that simply isn't possible with traditional booth layouts.

Key Insight: Open layouts that facilitate face-to-face interactions and provide comfortable seating create opportunities for more meaningful conversations and stronger business relationships.

4. Live Culinary Demonstrations: The Ultimate Crowd Magnet

Nothing drew crowds quite like live cooking demonstrations. The culinary experiences were absolutely everywhere, and for good reason—they work. Advanced Fresh Concepts Zenshi exhibit was a perfect example, featuring a chef filleting a 6-foot-long, 185-pound fish presented on a big screen. The demonstration drew massive crowds, with attendees taking photos and streaming the experience live on social media.

This wasn't an isolated incident. Throughout the show floor, we witnessed cake decorating demonstrations, ice cream scooping, bread topping, and artisanal sandwich making. One deli booth featured a chef preparing muffuletta sandwiches while engaging directly with attendees, creating an interactive culinary theater that kept people engaged far longer than static displays.

Key Insight: Live cooking demos, tastings, and tactile experiences are particularly effective at trade shows. They transform passive observers into active participants and create memorable brand experiences that extend well beyond the show floor through social media sharing.

5. Quality Over Quantity: The Smart Approach to Trade Show Swag

While IDDBA featured plenty of promotional giveaways, the most successful approach was giving out fewer, higher-quality pieces that truly resonated with attendees. Café Valley's strategy stood out—they offered three t-shirts that perfectly aligned with their new brand launch, emphasizing a casual, fun, and vibrant personality. These t-shirts became so popular that people actively sought them out.

The lesson here is clear: promotional items should tie directly to your brand personality and avoid generic offerings. You're better off investing in fewer pieces that create genuine excitement than handing out thousands of forgettable items that end up in the trash.

Key Insight: Branded merchandise should reinforce your brand story and provide genuine value to recipients. Quality and brand alignment trump quantity every time.

6. High-End Graphics: Creating Emotional Connections Through Visual Storytelling

Finally, high-end graphics truly stole the show. Tension fabrics with high-quality printing featuring food imagery and happy consumers created powerful emotional connections. The best booth graphics made attendees feel like they were stepping into beautiful restaurants or cafes rather than traditional trade show spaces.

These visual elements worked hand-in-hand with the natural materials and gathering spaces to create immersive brand experiences that resonated on an emotional level. The investment in premium graphics paid dividends in terms of booth traffic and engagement quality.

➕Bonus Observation: Creative Wordplay is Having a Moment

A fun trend we noticed throughout the show was companies playing with words and having fun with their messaging. From "donut worry, be happy" to "take a brekkie" and "the better cream," marketers are getting increasingly creative and playful with language. This approach adds personality to brands and makes them more memorable in a crowded marketplace.

Final Thoughts

IDDBA continues to be an amazing show filled with the positive energy of individuals and companies that supply our bakeries, grocery stores, and delis. The food industry community is incredibly hospitable, and we were honored to help our clients portray their brands effectively in this dynamic environment. The most successful exhibitors at IDDBA understood that modern trade show attendees want experiences, not just information. They want to taste, touch, learn, and connect in meaningful ways. By incorporating live demonstrations, digital storytelling, comfortable gathering spaces, natural design elements, quality promotional items, and premium graphics, forward-thinking brands created booth experiences that attendees will remember long after the show ends.

For companies planning future IDDBA participation, these six strategies provide a roadmap for creating trade show experiences that generate real business results while building lasting brand connections.

Contact us today to get started on a custom exhibit design that will leave an unforgettable impression at your next trade show.