Weekly News & Insights: A Look Ahead to Trends in 2015

2015TrendsIt’s that time of year when prognosticators of all kinds come out to revel in the promise of a calendar page turning over. While many of these turn out to be fluff, here are just a couple of tidbits that will help as you plan your 2015 trade shows.

  • Convention centers are focused on reinventing themselves. The Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) published an article on five of the key trends. Two of those involve the use of space; one internally and the other externally. Inside the building, people are looking for more informal gathering spaces, so the foyer is becoming a meeting room. The big issue here is how to create more structure and function in that space without it becoming merely an extension of the exhibit hall. The second trend is to move the event beyond the building and throughout the host city. Many shows have offered offsite hospitality events at creative and fun venues … how can that be re-imagined for the never-ending appetites for fun and unique experiences that today’s attendees crave? (Be sure to click over to read the complete article.)
  • This week, the experts at the Pantone Color Institute® announced the Color of the Year for 2015: Marsala. It’s an earthy, muted red that’s quite a departure from the most recent intense and vibrant choices of Radiant Orchid (2014), Emerald (2013), and Tangerine Tango (2012). For the first time in quite a while, the Color of the Year serves more as a fresh neutral rather than a “look at me” statement. (It’s the text color used in the graphic above.) This rich, elegant color also lends itself quite well to a variety of textures. It will be interesting to see how it’s incorporated at upcoming trade shows, either by the show organizers or by individual exhibitors. You can view a gallery of examples of Marsala in use on the Pantone® site or read about how it was selected.

So what trends are you seeing when it comes to meeting spaces or colors? Please share in the comments below!

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