At Motive, we’ve got our finger on the pulse of all things trade show, not only staying up to date on what’s happening now, but also looking ahead to what’s next. Exhibition trends move quickly, shaped by visitor behaviour, budgets, logistics and the way organisers develop their shows. The challenge is knowing which changes will actually affect your plans for the year ahead.

Our Creative Director, Edward Marshall, has pulled together the trends he expects to have the biggest impact in 2026. But, for the first time in four years he didn’t put the list together alone. Will, Dave, Kathryn and Sam have been right beside him all year, seeing what’s changing in the halls and what exhibitors are up against behind the scenes. Between them, they’ve been at the coalface of enough builds, halls and breakdowns to know exactly what is coming next – and we’re going to share it with you.

Here’s what we think will be the top trends in exhibition stands in 2026.

Sustainable exhibition stands you can measure

In 2025, we said sustainability would stay at the heart of the exhibition world, and we were right. What’s changed for 2026 is the level of accountability brands need to display. It’s no longer enough to say your stand is sustainable; you now need to show your audience how you are fulfilling your commitment to more responsible exhibiting.

More organisers, exhibitors and suppliers are measuring and reporting the carbon impact of their events than ever. Frameworks like Better Stands are helping them to prove where materials come from, how sustainable their stand is and how it’s reused, and what happens to them afterwards. Better Stands, in particular, has made it much easier to benchmark reusability and track progress from one show to the next.

Better Stands and sustainability

We’re seeing this with our clients too, such as Cleveland Cable Company. Achieving the Better Stands Gold Award for the second year running is a clear example of how brands are now being recognised for actually demonstrating their stands’ sustainability, not just saying the right things. It’s proof that sustainability is finally being measured in a consistent, meaningful way across the industry.

Reusable aluminium frameworks have become the go-to over traditional timber, and more clients are planning stand systems they can reconfigure across a whole calendar of shows, rather than building once and scrapping it after. Requests for flexible, reusable systems have risen sharply, and it’s exactly the kind of challenge we enjoy solving, while adding custom elements to make them completely unique to the brands.

“Sustainability isn’t just about materials anymore,” says Edward. “It’s about how you design, build, transport and partner. Every part of the process has an impact.” Sam adds “The quality of modular systems can vary too. Our modular stands use European aluminium and have three times lower carbon footprint in primary production compared to those manufactured in China.”

This mindset shift is showing up in show organisers too. After the success of InstallerSHOW and the launch of elementalLONDON in 2025, we expect to see even more events shaped around efficiency, innovation and accountability. Sustainability is now influencing entire shows, not just the stands that sit within them.

But, there’s more work to do. Skips are still appearing at breakdown, and plenty of good materials are being thrown away long before the end of their life. But the difference in 2026 is that more brands are asking better questions and expecting their suppliers to come back with real answers that they can feel confident referring to.

If you’re planning your 2026 exhibitions, build sustainability into the brief from day one. Ask your suppliers where your materials come from, how long they’ll last and what happens when you’re finished with them. The brands that can answer those questions confidently are the ones leading the way.

Engage visitors with experiences that feel fresh, not familiar

.We expect engagement to continue to be important in 2026, but exhibitors will need to avoid relying on the same ideas everyone else is using. In 2025, we talked about brands moving beyond simple product displays and creating experiences that actually help visitors understand what they do. In 2026, that shift looks to be stepping up again. Visitors have seen enough of the same ideas on repeat, so originality has become essential.

Screens, motion graphics and video walls are still brilliant for explaining complex products or services, but in 2026 it’s all about using them with a clear, defined purpose – whether that’s drawing attention, explaining what your product or service is, or showing it in action. Not every surface needs content. Keeping things clean and focused helps people stay engaged without feeling overwhelmed.

Kathyrn Baker, Project Manager at Motive has seen the patterns first-hand. “We saw a lot of the same games appearing again and again on exhibition stands in 2025. We’ve seen a lot of stands with the same bikes and cars on there, and the same competitions. They get attention, but they don’t always start the right conversations or keep people on your stand,” she says “attracting people for the novelty of your stand alone won’t guarantee you’re in front of potential buyers. Instead, pick something original that actually links back to work you do.”

Edward agrees. “The longer someone spends on your stand without feeling like they’re being pushed into a sales pitch, the better the conversation becomes. But you’ve got to give them something they haven’t already seen three times that day.”

This is where immersive experiences make all the difference. Using colour, lighting, movement and simple moments of interaction can completely change how a stand feels. They help turn technical or abstract messages into something people can see, feel or try for themselves. It also makes your stand a place people want to stay in, not just walk past.

Don’t overload your stand with screens

A couple of clear, well-placed displays will work far better than trying to fill every inch with content, which can be overstimulating and confusing.

Let your story lead the design

Think about the experience you want visitors to have and use imagery, motion and lighting to support it.

Choose engagement that’s unique to you

Avoid the overused ideas everyone’s seen. Pick something that reflects your brand and the problem you solve. That’s what starts meaningful conversations. “Identikit stands don’t turn heads or bring a brand to life,” says Edward.

Secondary events and regional shows

We expect to see more organisers branching out in 2026 with twin location shows and regional versions of established events. Lunch North! is a good example. It was launched off the back of the popularity of Lunch! at ExCeL and now runs alongside the already successful Northern Restaurant & Bar.

Ed says, “We see a lot of regional brands choosing either Southern (London) or Northern show (popular locations include Glasgow and Manchester) depending on where their audience is.”

The food, drink and catering sector look set to keep evolving too. Over the last two to three years we have seen shows merge, rebrand or widen their scope. National Restaurant, Pub and Bar show and Northern Restaurant Bar are good examples. Casual Dining North disappeared, and elements of Commercial Kitchen were brought into Northern Restaurant Bar to broaden the appeal and bring more exhibitors in. With even more brands under one roof attracting higher attendance, it’s a more convenient way to get noticed by the people that matter.

2025 has been a strong year for the built environment sector too. The InstallerSHOW team launched Elemental in London, with more than 200 expert speakers and 200 exhibitors involved. Ed says, “InstallerSHOW has grown year after year, and with Elemental now on the events calendar, I can see both shows becoming standout events for the built environment industry in 2026.” says Dave Hennessy, Motive Managing Director.

Do you want the low down on exhibiting at popular shows including Lunch!, Elemental or InstallerSHOW. Our guides cover everything from show stats to location pitfalls.

When it comes to sharing, it’s not just trade shows joining forces. Brands are also seeing the value in collaborating. “We’ve seen a trend in brands using the power of an established brand to help launch a new product or challenger brand. Utilising the name and budget of a familiar brand is a great way to get smaller emerging brands in front of an engaged audience.” says Kathryn.

Food brands often have multiple brands and feature them on the same stand. Our recent stand for owner-led, health-shot brand Turmeric & Co and beverage brand Raw Hydrate is a classic example of this being done well.

“Sometimes it’s partnerships. Sometimes co-owned brands. We’ve even seen supply chains and suppliers collaborate.” says Edward.  This works really well for brands who are smaller and have taken smaller space in the past but have found it hard to resource and budget for. Joining forces spreads the planning, organising, running and pooling budgets to secure bigger stands and ease the load for each brand works really well. “Exhibition stands are resource and time intensive, for smaller, challenger brands taking 50-60% of your workforce away from the business for a few days can have a big impact.” says Edward.

“A distributor might have the financial clout, but often the smaller challenger brand has the audience and social influence. Bringing both together is a powerful solution” adds Will.

Looking at smarter ways to make a trade show stand more efficient

Electricity costs for stands are increasing.

Cooking shows use a lot of equipment, and this can quickly make energy costs for your stand spiral. Look at what you’re taking and think about how much they’ll cost to run in the planning stages of attending an event. Instead of using a heavy duty oven, consider cooking with an air fryer instead, which is smaller and significantly cheaper to use. The same applies to anything with a high power draw, like machinery you will need to use or demonstrate.

“Exhibitors are starting to think more creatively about how they reduce their energy costs without impacting the visitor experience or how they showcase their products”, explains Edward. “The cost to plan, ship and run machinery on a stand may account for the trend in seeing less of it on stands and more creative ways to showcase a piece of machinery through tech instead”.

Will adds, “This is where we can really help a client to see what’s possible, and work together to deliver a creative idea that will get valuable eyeballs on their business. We want to know exactly what our clients want to get out of a show, whether that’s the ability to show a product, collect quality leads to follow up after a show, or take orders on the spot. That information enables us to create a stand that really works for your business”.

Showcasing products differently

When it comes to showcasing your products, it’s important to think about how you can stand out.

LEDs
LEDs are now standard practice to ensure stands are well lit for less, but there’s still things you can do to make your stand more interesting. Dynamic and programmable LEDs give movement to the lighting, while some brands use light trails to guide visitors. “There are a lot of alternative options to create interest.” says Edward.

AI-generated exhibition stand imagery
We’re seeing more clients providing us with AI-generated images for their stands, including products and backgrounds.

“We’ve also clients send us AI stand designs that they’ve asked us to quote. They are a good starting point, but AI simply doesn’t have the understanding of gravity and other technical practicalities to know whether a design can actually be built in real life. That’s why it’s better to work collaboratively with us. When we design a stand, it’s an immersive and interactive experience, as we can design and edit at the same time as discussing the brief with a client. That way we know that what we agree on can definitely be built” says Edward.

Leaving it last minute

It isn’t a stand trend, but it is certainly a trend – clients leaving stands to the last minute.

Unless you decide to exhibit at the last minute, we strongly advise not to leave designing and building a stand to the last minute. We’ve seen an increase in shows  selling space last minute, and while this is a great way to get space cheaper, waiting until close to the deadline means you risk not getting  the stand design you ideally want within a tight time frame. “We will always endeavour to help when we can, and while we may already be at the show, there’s a good chance we’ll be committed to working on other stands there and elsewhere”, explains Edward. Less time generally means less choice on design options as you’ll be working to a timeframe which may limit your creative freedom. Booking a big space with a short timeframe becomes even riskier for stands with technical products or big stands as these often need to have specific design considerations and structural calcs required to meet the tight health and safety requirements in the UK.