Exhibition stands have come a long way. They started out as fairly mundane, car boot looking trestle tables and have graduated to become eye popping, high tech stands that offer impressive visual and sensual experiences. Over the last half a century, exhibitions stands have evolved to become works of art. Companies have seen the opportunity to take things to the next level and use exhibition stands as a way to showcase forward thinking and innovation.
You're probably wondering what the vintage stands of the 1950’s looked like compared to today. Well, they looked a bit like shop windows, except there wasn’t really much to see. Here’s a rundown of how exhibitions stands have evolved and changed over time.
Evolution of a exhibition stand.
Between the 1950’s and 1970’s, exhibition stands were fairly straightforward. Exhibitors had not yet found the best ways to utilise space and wow their audiences. From vintage pictures, you can see that some exhibitions looked more like revamped office spaces than big, bold exhibitions – with lots of ruffled curtains.
It was in the 1970’s that exhibition stands really started to improve and take on more of an impressive layout. Exhibitors played around with more creative displays, and began to look for more of a wow factor, but there was still lots of room for improvement. Stands up to the 1970’s and 1980’s were lacking the technology and innovation that we're gifted with these days.
After 2000, there was a kind of technical revolution with exhibitions. Thanks to advances in the world wide web and more investment in technology, there was a significant improvement in what stands could offer. There was more of a focus on lighting, high tech screens and creating a sensory experience. Stands went from being bog standard shapes and sizes, to more cleverly designed spaces that would attract more traffic.
It’s mind-blowing just how much exhibition stands have changed since the 1950’s. We have so many tools at our disposal today, and lots of things have changed how exhibitions are run entirely.
Introducing; Technology.
Social media for example has taken exhibitions to a whole new level, and offers exhibitors to broadcast their exhibition live and get interaction from people who aren’t even at their event. We've also got access to huge amounts of data about events, so we can use this to improve exhibition stands and tailor them to our audiences better. Exhibition stands are slowly but surely becoming a lot more eco-friendly, although this should have happened a lot sooner.
Then there’s the insane technology that exhibitors now have at their fingertips, from virtual and augmented reality to interactive stands and amazing product displays. It’s exciting when you consider the possibilities when it comes to 2016 exhibition stands. If we are able to do so much now, who knows what might be possible in another 50 to 70 years time?
Don't get stuck in the past.
If you are looking for an exhibition stand that makes an impact, contact us online today and we will show you some of the jaw-dropping possibilities.