Earlier this month I attended CES, the world’s largest consumer electronics show, gathering over 140,000 attendees and 4,500+ exhibitors. This event presents an incredible opportunity for brands to connect with a worldwide audience, showcase the latest technology and innovation, network, generate buzz, and establish themselves as leaders in the tech space.
In a large, competitive environment, booth design and trade show strategy are critical to creating an impactful brand presence. The innovative booth design trends, immersive digital displays, and interactive experiences at CES are excellent examples of how to captivate audiences and elevate your brand presence at trade shows. These elements can easily be adapted to other trade shows and industries, helping your exhibit stand out in any setting.
Here are a few top booth design trends from CES 2025, along with tips to help your exhibit capture attention and make a meaningful impact.
At a massive trade show such as CES, it can be easy for your booth to get lost in the sea of exhibitors and struggle to compete for the attention of attendees. Consider the following when choosing your booth space to avoid being overshadowed.
Choose the Right Booth Space
A well-placed booth attracts more attention and attendees, and securing a coveted booth space in a high-traffic area means reserving early. A space near an exhibit hall entrance, main aisle, or close to attractions such as hospitality areas or entertainment features will increase foot traffic and exposure for your brand.
It’s essential to clearly understand your target audience and determine who you want to visit your booth. Anticipating what they will be most interested in and identifying key industry players and your competitors will also influence your choice of booth space. Positioning your booth next to complementary brands that share your target audience is a good way to draw attendees into your booth.
It's also important to know where your competitors will be and decide your strategy—position your booth near them to draw attendees away from their booth or distance yourself somewhere your brand will stand out and be more distinctive. When choosing an exhibit partner, be sure they have the expertise to enhance your trade show strategy by researching your competitors and their previous exhibits at your trade show to guide you in crafting the best approach to differentiate your brand.
Being Near a Larger Booth: Is it an Advantage or Disadvantage?
Choosing a booth space near a large booth has pros and cons. It can be a great way to capture the attention of attendees who otherwise may not have crossed paths with your brand. However, a larger booth can also easily overshadow your space and crowd out your audience. Many large booths at CES built enclosed spaces with tall walls that obscured smaller booths nearby. It’s important to understand trade show traffic patterns and anticipate how a larger booth might take advantage of capturing attention.
Booth Staffing
Selecting the right booth staff and providing training is crucial to enhancing the attendee experience and increasing the success of your exhibit. Outlining clear goals and outcomes for your team ensures they can effectively guide prospective customers through the brand experience, demonstrate new products or services, and gather qualified leads, all of which are critical to tracking your ROI. Collaboration between your booth staff and sales team ensures alignment with your trade show objectives and brand story. By equipping your team with product knowledge and key brand messaging, you empower them to engage attendees and create a more impactful and successful trade show experience.
Booth Design Trends and Aesthetics at CES
Like most trade shows, CES is a sensory overload with bright lights, flashing screens, crowds of people, and loud music—everywhere you look, there’s something new to see. In a world that’s filled with distractions and noise, creating a peaceful space allows you to slow down, focus, and engage in a more meaningful experience.
Brands that stood out at CES understood the importance of creating a calm, relaxing atmosphere in their booths, offering attendees a chance to escape the noise of the exhibit hall and fully engage in an immersive brand experience.
Creating a Relaxing Environment
Here are a few examples of industry-leading brands at CES that curated unique atmospheres using a variety of booth design elements, including ambient lighting, curved exhibit structures, soft fabrics, natural materials, and unique textures.
Use of Lighting
The right lighting can significantly increase the visual impact of your booth, create an inviting atmosphere, and direct attendees’ focus to key products or messages. At CES, lighting was a prominent feature in many booths, with colorful LED lighting along the edges of tables and 3D logos, wayfinding lighting elements integrated in booth flooring, and subtle accent lighting throughout.
Use of Dimensionality and Texture
Utilizing physical and visual depth within your booth design, product displays, and graphics captures the eye of attendees and makes your booth more engaging and impactful.
Transparent LED screens were prevalent in many booths and product displays, creating a multi-dimensional, interactive experience. This technology allows you to layer physical products with digital content, showcasing their features and capabilities in a captivating way.
Natural Features and Earth Tones
Another notable trend was the use of natural elements like plants, stone, and wood in booth designs. Many booths incorporated slats in different color treatments and materials, adding a tasteful design element that brought texture and contrast while also creating a distinct space without feeling enclosed. This combination helped balance the digital displays and added a sense of warmth to the overall environment.
High-impact fabric graphics that mimic the look of hard surfaces like stone or wood are another great way to incorporate natural textures, offering the same visual appeal and tactile warmth while remaining lightweight and versatile for seamless integration into your booth.
Flooring
Flooring is important in booth design and an ideal space to include logos, textures, and colors. Using distinctive flooring elements, such as a raised floor, custom logo, lighting or LED tiles, natural wood design, or plush carpet, helps establish a cohesive brand image in your booth while clearly distinguishing it from the rest of the show floor.
Simple and Impactful Brand Messaging
Booth graphics are like a billboard—you only have a few seconds to capture attendees’ attention, so it’s important that your brand messaging is clear and concise. There were many booths at CES with clean, minimalistic graphics that allowed their products and interactive experiences to take center stage.
CES demonstrated the importance of crafting unique and engaging brand environments that resonate with attendees. By prioritizing impactful design and staying aware of the competitive landscape, you can enhance your success at large trade shows and leave a memorable impression on your audience.
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