How Convention Center Renovations Are Redefining Trade Show Planning
On this blog, we often discuss how fashion trends shape the event and trade show industry, but this year, another factor has been shaping the future of trade show planning. Convention centers across the United States are undergoing recent renovations and expansions in 2024.
Trade Show News Network reports that “several leading venues announced or completed major expansion and remodel projects while others upped the ante with high-level environmental and inclusivity certifications.” The upgrades at these major venues reflect key trends in flexibility, sustainability, technology integration, and inclusivity.
In the next few sections, we’re going to dive into how renovations and upgrades at venues provide new opportunities and challenges for trade show planners. We’ll specifically look at the Rio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas and the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C., as well as other venues. We’ll also see how CORT Events can help you deliver impactful experiences with expertly designed booths and layouts that take advantage of these trends.
How Trade Show Planners Can Adapt to Large, Flexible Convention Spaces
Macro Perspective
The renovations at the Rio Hotel & Casino are a reflection of a shift toward larger, more flexible spaces in trade show and convention spaces. This new emphasis on expansive, multifunction spaces creates opportunities for flexibility and variation.
“Able to accommodate a range of gatherings of up to 5,000 guests, the resort’s newly renovated meeting and convention space includes four unique and customizable ballrooms ranging from 11,000 to 55,000 square feet that can be separated into 78 smaller breakout rooms,” reports TSNN.
Micro Application
For planners, that means your booth design needs to flex just as easily. You may be working within large open halls one day, and compact configurations the next. The ability to pivot without compromising style or structure is key.
Furniture That Supports the Vision
Modular seating like the Brighton Sectional and Beverly Oasis Ottomans from CORT Events helps you divide or open up your booth space based on crowd flow and programming needs. Decorative room dividers, such as the Boxwood Hedge, offer soft separation for product demos or private chats—without sacrificing visual openness.
How to Design Sustainable Trade Show Booths in Eco-Friendly Venues
Macro Perspective
Sustainability is no longer a side conversation—it’s a planning priority. Venues like the Walter E. Washington Convention Center are setting the tone with LEED Platinum certifications that emphasize energy efficiency, material reuse, and indoor air quality.
TSNN tells us that the venue implemented “practical and measurable strategies and solutions in areas including sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection, and indoor environmental quality.” These changes emphasize resource efficiency and environmental consciousness and set a new standard for eco-conscious event spaces.
Micro Application
When a venue leads with environmental values, planners are expected to mirror that standard through mindful design. Reusable materials, reduced waste, and smarter energy choices are all part of the mix.
Where CORT Events Can Help
Furniture rental is inherently sustainable—especially when compared to purchasing and disposing of one-time-use booth materials. CORT’s inventory is built for reuse and designed to last. In fact, CORT’s rental model prevents over 300,000 tons of CO₂ emissions annually when compared to buying new. Choosing rental supports your goals and complements the venue’s environmental values.
Designing Inclusive Trade Show Spaces That Support All Attendees
Macro Perspective
Another important emphasis in renovations is inclusivity. TSNN explains that “The Grand River Center’s entire team completed the certification process successfully after undergoing extensive training to recognize and assist guests with sensory sensitivities. Designed to support guests who might feel overwhelmed by their surroundings, sensory tools, and resources have been incorporated throughout the facility, including sensory bags offering noise-canceling headphones, sunglasses, fidget tools, verbal cue cards, and weighted lap pads.”
Micro Application
Embracing inclusivity means that you must design spaces that cater to diverse needs. This includes being mindful of creating quiet areas or sensory-friendly features, such as soft lighting, sound-absorbing materials, and clear pathways for ease of navigation.
CORT has you covered with adaptable furniture solutions like comfortable, accessible seating and support for interactive layouts that allow for an inclusive and memorable experience for all visitors.
Where CORT Events Can Help
Soft seating options like the Monroe Chair and Monroe Loveseat—available in warm, calming neutrals—can create quiet corners or decompression zones within your booth. The Thira Table, with its circular shape and natural finish, adds flow and balance to a space.
Using tools like My Space Planner, you can test your layout to ensure pathways are clear, noise zones are separated, and all visitors feel welcome in the space you’ve created.
How to Plan Trade Show Booths for High-Tech, Expanded Venues
Macro Perspective
Convention centers like Atlanta’s Cobb Galleria are adding square footage and infrastructure. Their 2027 expansion includes new ballrooms, outdoor courtyards, and tech-enabled meeting spaces designed for interactivity.
Micro Application
These environments create opportunities to showcase your brand using video walls, AR/VR stations, or livestream setups. But they also demand booth design that can support power, flow, and engagement—without becoming cluttered.
Where CORT Events Can Help
Furniture like the Lexington Powered Communal Table or the 10’ Powered Table helps support digital activations, keeping tech integrated and organized. Sleek seating like the Naples Chair pairs well with high-tech layouts, bringing comfort without distraction.
And as these venues expand upward and outward, CORT’s adaptable furniture helps ensure your setup makes smart use of natural light, room proportions, and aesthetic transitions.
Event Furniture Rental Solutions to Match Today’s Convention Center Trends
Modern venues are delivering more: more space, more tech, more sustainability, and more responsibility.
At CORT Events, we’re here to help you rise to that opportunity—with furniture rental solutions that support your vision and simplify your execution.
Whether you’re designing for an inclusive lounge, a high-tech showcase, or a modular layout that flexes across floors and formats, our catalog and team are built to support your creativity—and your deadlines.
Let’s design for what’s next. Together.
