best of 2025
EXHIBITOR Magazine's
10 Most Read Stories of 2025
10 Most Read Stories of 2025
Here is a round-up of the stories that generated the most web traffic in 2025. The popularity of these stories shows EXHIBITOR readers are hungry for design inspiration and the research that levels up an events program and boosts careers. If any of these articles are new to you, consider them essential reading.
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1. The Best of CES 2025 EXHIBITOR's team scoured every corner of the 2025 Consumer Electronics Show (CES), searching for impactful, creative booths with that unmistakable wow factor. more… |
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2. Budget Breakdown To help you see how your spend compares to averages across the industry, EXHIBITOR magazine surveyed nearly 200 event marketers to find out how their budgets are currently being allocated. Or rather sliced, diced, and stretched on the rack of inflation. more… |
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3. The 39th Annual Salary Survey For nearly four decades, EXHIBITOR magazine's Annual Salary Survey has chronicled industry professionals' wage journeys. This year, we reveal not just who's moving up but also how these gains stack against inflation and mounting job responsibilities. more… |
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4. EXHIBITOR Magazine's 12th Annual Portable/Modular Awards Read about the portable, modular, and system exhibits that took home top honors in this year's competition. more… |
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5. Booth, Meet Brain Behavioral science can elevate your exhibit strategy - from sparking curiosity to reducing cognitive load. Event psychology advisor Victoria Matey shares actionable insights to help you connect more deeply with attendees and create experiences that truly matter. more… |
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6. Charged Removal Tesla's ejection from the Vancouver International Auto Show was a necessary move to protect event safety. The situation underscores shows' and exhibitors' shared responsibility for a secure environment and delivers exhibitors a hard-hitting reminder to know their contracts inside and out. more… |
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7. Economic Outlook According to the results of EXHIBITOR magazine's 2025 Economic Outlook Survey, industry professionals are concerned about the U.S. economy, but feel confident about the state of the trade show and events industry. more… |
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8. Five Favorites from KBIS 2025 KBIS brought everything but the ... well, *and* the kitchen sink to the 2025 edition of the Kitchen and Bath Industry Show. more… |
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9. Immersion in Innovation As a backbone for global enterprise operations, SAP went big - across more than 1 million square feet - with its flagship Sapphire 2024 conferences. more… |
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10. The Unimaginable Our long-time industry contacts can become the threads that stitch us together and the first people we call when the world spins off its axis. more… |
Editorial
The Heart of Innovation
Trade shows and events are about ideas. About hallway conversations that advance innovation.
Exhibitor Q & A
Low-Tech Sustainability
What are some ways to make our booth sustainable, functional, and beautiful without adding complexity or cost?
Ask Dan
Emotional IQ
I'm hiring some new staff. How can I ensure I choose people with high emotional intelligence?
Advertorial
Smart Design with Staying Power
Strong Partnerships on the Show Floor
Exhibiting 101
2025 in Ten Lessons
Here are the lessons I'm taking into 2026, with a few insights worth stealing.
Fuel
Ideas That Work
Live Product Demos, Simple Signs, an Eras Tour, and More
Products
New Tools
Three Can't-Miss Product Launches
Quiz
Get Your Ship Together
You may steer into a skid if you don't know the essential shipping terms in this month's quiz
Fixing Snafus
Off the Rails
When shipping crates unexpectedly take the scenic route...
Advertorial
More Than A Game
The Randy provides a powerful opportunity to pause, reflect, and support each other.
International
Certainty Is a Luxury, Uncertainty Our Greatest Strength
The exhibitions industry has always thrived under uncertainty
Archive
Wild Rides
1951: Kaiser-Frazer Corp. debuted four special-edition vehicles at the Chicago Auto Show
Research
The High Price of Uncertainty
Tariff volatility is reshaping budgets and timelines across the trade show ecosystem
Photo Gallery
A Dessert Island
The exhibit was awash in the company's brand colors of its salty snacks and sweetened confections
Insight
Coping for Well-Being
Coping is a critical factor in business profitability, says Karen L. Jones in her book 'The COPE Factor.'
Exhibit Design Awards
EXHIBITOR Magazine's 39th Annual Exhibit Design Awards
Honoring the best trade show exhibit designs in the world.
Exhibit Design Awards
Full Circle
The German Expo Pavilion takes home the EDGE Award
Exhibit Design Awards
Quiet Riot
Amid all the flashing graphics, Artfreak chose an environment defined by restraint, balance, and quiet magnetism
Exhibit Design Awards
Built to Inspire
Designed by Atelier Damboeck Messebau GmbH, the double-deck structure at Expo Real 2024 was a study in modern modularity
Exhibit Design Awards
Remedial Studies
Inspired by an old-fashioned shop, Derse created an unforgettable brand experience
Exhibit Design Awards
Unfinished Business
For this self-promotional exhibit, the Artfreak team created a booth that looked intentionally unfinished
Exhibit Design Awards
The Language of Change
The exhibit was a 50-by-60-foot sculptural metaphor for transformation that jurors called 'evolutionary.'
Exhibit Design Awards
Built to Last
At first glance, Isocell GmbH & Co. KG's exhibit at Bau 2025 looked effortlessly simple
Exhibit Design Awards
Inner Beauty
The exhibit's transparent surfaces, soft textures, and organic curves balanced sustainability and luxury
Exhibit Design Awards
Back to the Future
The idea was to take visitors on a journey connecting the familiarity of the past with the promise of the future
Exhibit Design Awards
Above the Fold Design
Constructed of a reusable accordion-fold paper system, the booth offered sustainability and restraint
Exhibit Design Awards
Upstairs Downstairs
Dar Wa Emaar created a double-deck exhibit that stylishly mirrored the property developer's strategic evolution
Exhibit Design Awards
A Beautiful Mine
Visitors entering the 2,800-square-foot space found themselves dwarfed by an imposing wall reaching 21.5 feet
Exhibit Design Awards
Oasis of Zen
A zen garden designed by Hamilton Exhibits LLC subtly promoted a new pet medicine developed by Elanco Animal Health
Exhibit Design Awards
The Art of Subtraction
In a bustling sea of elaborate designs, Deckel & Moneypenny Inc. took an unexpected route: quiet restraint
Exhibit Design Awards
Branding Beast
With an edgy design meant to reflect its raw, unapologetic ethos, Monster Energy's exhibit echoed the company's brand
Exhibit Design Awards
EDA Honorable Mentions
Here are this year's Exhibit Design Awards Honorable Mentions.
Best of
EXHIBITOR Magazine's 10 Most Read Stories of 2025
Read the stories that generated the most online traffic in 2025.