For decades, the trade show setup barely changed — if ever. Row upon row of tables with canvas backdrops and stacks of business cards and literature dominated the cookie-cutter design of trade show booths for the longest time.
The trade show of today — and tomorrow — is shifting to innovative space designs using a concept called purpose-driven design. In a way, it’s self-explanatory: designing on purpose. However, purpose-driven design is guided by real-world problems and how to solve them.
Purpose-driven design prioritizes the user's needs and motivations and takes into consideration the larger context of the product or service to create a more intentional and holistic design. It takes four main factors into account: desirability (the human factor), viability, (the business factor), feasibility (the technological factor), and integrity (the impact that the event has on the world around it).
In this article, we’re going to explore some ideas on how to experiment with purpose-driven design and how CORT Events can help you achieve the purpose-driven design plan that you desire.
Beyond Basic Setups: Designing for Engagement and Discovery
The former minimalist, plain Jane designs of the trade show booths of the past are giving way to areas that incorporate purpose-driven design. This new trend allows for creating spaces that foster networking, learning, engagement, demonstration, and discovery.
Choosing the right setup, furniture arrangements, and design elements will encourage interaction and make information accessible, enhancing the overall trade show experience. It’s so much more than a couple of barstools at a counter.
For example, in a bar area, you can encourage attendees to face each other and build around a focal point when you use modular furniture to create semicircular seating areas. This type of seating is comfortable and spurs attendees on to engage with each other. It also facilitates networking in a natural and meaningful way.
CORT Events has furniture options that help you make this type of space a reality. Take the Build Your Endless Loveseat, for example; with various color and layout options, this soft seating system encourages both interaction and comfort.
Integrating Technology and Comfort: The Rise of Semiprivate Working Spaces
Technology drives so much of our modern lives, so attendees expect to be able to harness technology to their advantage at events. Continual access to technology allows everyone to stay connected and productive.
Seating with charging capabilities in your event space allows attendees to work and stay connected in semiprivate spaces. Knowing they have the facilities to work efficiently and stay charged, attendees are likely to remain at the event, explore more exhibits, and engage with more vendors. It’s a win-win in that attendees will get more out of the event, and exhibitors will have more opportunities to engage with attendees and make sales.
CORT has multiple options that help you set up spaces for attendees to stay connected. The Endless Powered High Back Closed Circle with 8 Glass Round Tables in White Vinyl is a bold, modern design that’s comfortable and practical. The Adelaide Powered Cocktail Table pairs well with other soft seating or in a bar area while the Naples Chair, Powered is a sleek, contemporary chair that’s both elegant and a workhorse.
Softening Spaces With Greenery: Creating Inviting Environments
One of the most important things you can do in an event space is make attendees feel comfortable — not just when they’re seated but at every moment, from the time they arrive to the time they leave. Never underestimate the power of natural elements in developing a more inviting atmosphere.
“Being in nature, or even viewing scenes of nature, reduces anger, fear, and stress and increases pleasant feelings,” writes the University of Minnesota’s Louise Delagran. “Exposure to nature not only makes you feel better emotionally but it also contributes to your physical well-being, reducing blood pressure, heart rate, muscle tension, and the production of stress hormones.”
Plants and other green or natural elements have powerful psychological and aesthetic benefits. Natural elements like greenery help reduce stress, increase feelings of well-being, and improve concentration and productivity. As a result, an event like a trade show can have a much more calming and less stressful atmosphere. Green elements have a practical purpose in that they make good dividers within a space.
CORT Events offers plenty of options for incorporating greenery into your layouts, including the 4’ Boxwood Hedge, the Plant Divider with Ferns, and the 8’ Havana Palm Divider.
Encouraging Group Networking With Large Seating Configurations
The COVID-19 pandemic made some people skittish about meeting in large groups for years. At today’s trade shows, we’re seeing a return to sectionals and other large seating arrangements that encourage attendees to network and interact in groups. These spaces encourage attendees to gather, discuss, and connect in ways that the virtual meetings and socially distanced events of recent years could not fully replicate.
Group seating arrangements both serve as a physical and symbolic expression of the human desire for connection and the value of personal interactions in fostering professional relationships. The CORT Events catalog includes a variety of large seating options that you can configure in ways that meet your needs. The Brighton Sectional in Sand Fabric is a configurable sectional in a neutral tone that’s built for indoor or outdoor use. The Endless Dining Low Back Sectional with Arms in Black Vinyl is elegant and modern and works well in a bar or cocktail area.
Transforming Trade Shows With CORT Events
Purpose-driven design is all about strategic layouts and space plans that innovate and enhance attendee experiences. You have the leeway to experiment and think outside the booth to develop purpose-driven event plans, especially when you partner with CORT Events.
CORT Events offers the products and expertise that you can rely on to implement innovative design concepts. From a catalog of beautiful and practical furniture and decor to space planning tools, CORT is a one-stop source for inspiration and ideas. Whatever the purpose of your event, CORT Events helps you find the solutions to create more engaging, meaningful, and successful trade show environments.
