Exhibition planning in 2025 is shifting. Displays are becoming smarter, more interactive, and far more intentional.
At Tecna, we live and breathe exhibition innovation. We’re on the ground, building stands across industries, and seeing first-hand what gets people talking.
Ready to explore the trends changing the game on the exhibition floor? Let’s make your next exhibition one to remember.
1. Sustainability
With rising expectations around environmental responsibility, the exhibition industry is evolving fast.
Show organisers are signing up to Net zero carbon events pledges and focusing on more sustainable builds at exhibitions.
And here’s the exciting part: sustainable design isn’t limiting creativity, it’s fuelling it. From re-useable modular framework and energy-efficient lighting to low-waste builds, today’s stands are being shaped with sustainable materials that perform as well as they look.
But sustainability is more than just a trend. At Tecna, we’ve embedded eco-friendly practices into the way we work, from our reuse-first design approach to the way we power and produce our systems.
Feeling inspired? Find out more: Sustainability at Tecna
2. Social Media Integration
More and more exhibition stands are being designed with social engagement in mind. Not just for the attendees in the room, but for the wider audience watching online. The result? Spaces that encourage visitors to stop, snap, and share.
Simple, well-placed photo moments. Branded backdrops. Live social walls showing real-time posts. QR codes that link directly to product videos or behind-the-scenes content. Small touches that create big reach.
It’s about giving visitors something worth sharing, without forcing it – bridging the gap between digital and physical touchpoints.
3. Modular and Flexible Design Concepts
A modular stand is built from a series of lightweight, interlocking components that fit together like building blocks. They’re designed to be reused, reconfigured, and resized to suit different venues, layouts, and goals.
We’re seeing more customers who have traditionally opted for disposable, custom builds moving towards modular exhibition stands due to needing to work their budgets harder along with the sustainability considerations.
Trends like extra high walls, angles and circular and open layouts are gaining momentum in 2025 and with a modular approach, you have the freedom to explore and get creative without the price tag of a fully bespoke build. They’re quick to assemble and easy to transport – ideal for teams juggling multiple events throughout the year.
And there’s more to it than convenience. Modular design supports sustainability, reduces waste, and makes better use of materials across the long term. It’s a smarter way to build without losing impact.
4. Personalised Visitor Experiences
Personalisation creates a sense of connection to a brand – and in 2025, it’s proving to be a powerful way to generate leads, too.
Understanding the target customer and what will resonate with them, allows brands to create an experience which feels personal and engaging delivering better connections and results.
Take Butternut Box at Crufts 2025, where we delivered a stand experience that was both fun and functional. Visitors who signed up for a subscription received a personalised bandana, printed live with their dog’s name. It was quick, playful, and packed with purpose, turning a simple branded item into something visitors wanted to share, keep, and remember.
5. Immersive Experiences
If there’s one thing that gets people to stop at a stand, it’s interaction. What really draws people in are moments that invite engagement, spark curiosity, and make them part of the experience.
That’s why we’re seeing a surge in interactive displays in 2025. Some trends are:
• Interactive screens are helping to bring content to life, allowing visitors to navigate information, play with features, or dive deeper into specific products in a way that’s both intuitive and engaging.
• Virtual Reality (VR) is being used to create fully immersive walk-throughs, letting visitors explore products or services in ways that would be impossible on the stand itself.
• Augmented Reality (AR) adds digital layers onto real-life objects. Using a phone or tablet, visitors can scan a product or display to unlock extra content – animations, videos, stats, or behind-the-scenes info.
• AI Integration can be used to add an extra element onto interactive experiences. Think AI printed tote bags or using AI to create a personalised avatar.
• Photo & Video Experiences where the visitor is at the centre of the action. Content creation at its finest, easily shareable on socials and ensuring your brand is front and centre.
• Gamification is adding a playful edge to exhibition design. It can take many form – quizzes, interactive competitions, on-stand challenges, or even mini golf!
6. Biophilic and Natural Design Elements
In 2025, we’re seeing more stands embrace biophilic design. That means greenery and natural materials working together to create exhibition spaces that feel calm, grounded, and inviting.
It’s about more than aesthetics. Natural design can help reduce stress, boost focus, and encourage people to linger longer. In a busy hall full of noise and movement, a space that feels open and earthy stands out for all the right reasons.
7. Sensory Experiences
The most captivating exhibition stands are those that engage more than just the eyes. They activate the senses – sight, sound, scent, touch, and even taste – to create immersive, memorable brand experiences.
This is sensory design at its best, and it applies in 2025 as much as ever. A soft-textured wall that invites people to reach out. A carefully chosen scent that brings a product to life. Ambient audio that sets the tone or guides people through your space. These are just a few examples of how you can bring your stand to life using the senses.
8. Bold Minimalism and Open Spaces
Minimalism isn’t about playing it safe, it’s about making every detail work harder. We’re seeing more brands embrace a “less is more” approach this year to create bold, confident stands that breathe.
Used well, it draws the eye, guides movement, and places the spotlight exactly where it should be – on the product.
But here’s the key: minimalism only works when it works for you. Your stand should always reflect your brand, your message, and your goals. You can take a less minimalist approach while still embracing its best traits – clean lines, smart spacing, and a clear narrative. It’s not about how little you include, but how intentionally you use it.
9. On-Stand Wellness Areas
Exhibitions are exciting, but they’re also full-on. Crowds, bright lights, constant movement, and back-to-back conversations can be overwhelming for visitors and staff alike.
That’s why well-being is becoming a bigger part of exhibition stand design this year. More brands are building in quiet corners and thoughtful touches to create space to pause, recharge, and reset.
We’re seeing chill-out zones with soft seating, oxygen stations, and even mindfulness corners. These features might seem small, but they offer something meaningful – an opportunity to step out of the noise and come back in with a fresh perspective.
10. High-Level Branding and Rigging
High-level branding is on the rise, literally! Overhead elements like rigged signage, lighting features, and bold suspended structures are helping brands cut through the visual clutter and get noticed from across the venue.
It’s not just about size, it’s about strategy. When designed well, rigging can anchor your stand, guide people in, and amplify your presence without taking up floor space. It turns vertical real estate into a powerful branding opportunity.
11. QR Codes and Digital Takeaways
In 2025, scanning a code to access content feels second nature – and exhibition stands are using that to their advantage. With one quick scan, visitors can be taken straight to a product video, digital brochure, booking page, or even an immersive AR experience. It’s fast, familiar, and frictionless.
Digital takeaways are also becoming the smarter alternative to printed materials. No heavy brochures to carry. No leaflets left behind. Just useful, on-demand content that visitors can explore in their own time, on their phone or in their inbox.
And because it’s digital, you can offer even more value outside of the exhibition hall – tailored follow-ups, dynamic content, and interactive assets that go beyond what print can offer.
Team Tecna: Delivering Exhibition Stands That Go Beyond the Brief
At Tecna, we believe great stands do more than look good, they say something. They solve problems. They spark conversations.
We combine bold creative with build expertise to deliver exhibition stands that are responsible, reusable, and remarkable.
If you’re ready to stop settling and start standing out – we’d love to work with you.
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